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Fashionable Functions: A Google Ngram View of Trends in Functional Differentiation (1800-2000)

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  • Steffen Roth

    (ESC Rennes School of Business, Rennes, France)

Abstract

Computer communication is revolutionizing modern society to the same extend as the invention of writing or the printing press have unsettled the archaic or the ancient society, respectively. In the present article, this idea will be exemplified by a demonstration of how the Google Ngram viewer – an online graphing tool which charts annual counts of words or sentences as found in the largest available corpus of digitalized books – allows for checks and challenges of familiar self-definitions of modern society. As functional differentiation is considered the central unique feature of modern societies, the hypotheses focus on the testing of prominent modern trend statements and predictions, such as the secularization, politicization, economization, and mediatization of society. All hypotheses are tested through a comparative analysis of word frequency time-series plots produced by means of the Google Ngram Viewer. The results show that the importance of individual function systems to society features significant change in time and considerable regional differences. Furthermore, the findings suggest adopting a skeptical position on some of the most frequent common senses of trends in functional differentiation and corresponding self-definitions of society.

Suggested Citation

  • Steffen Roth, 2014. "Fashionable Functions: A Google Ngram View of Trends in Functional Differentiation (1800-2000)," International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction (IJTHI), IGI Global, vol. 10(2), pages 35-58, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:igg:jthi00:v:10:y:2014:i:2:p:35-58
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Michela Giorcelli & Nicola Lacetera & Astrid Marinoni, 2022. "How does scientific progress affect cultural changes? A digital text analysis," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 415-452, September.
    2. Roth, Steffen & Dana, Léo-Paul, 2015. "What is a self-made expat? Self-disclosures of self-initiated expatriates," EconStor Preprints 110355, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    3. LAI, Lawrence W.C. & DAVIES, Stephen N.G. & CHAU, K.W. & CHOY, Lennon H.T. & CHUA, Mark H. & LAM, Terry K.W., 2022. "A centennial literature review (1919–2019) of research publications on land readjustment from a neo-institutional economic perspective," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    4. Roth, Steffen (ed.), 2015. "Non-technological and non-economic innovations: Contributions to a theory of robust innovation," EconStor Books, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 110468.
    5. Kaivo-oja, Jari & Roth, Steffen, 2015. "The Technological Future of Work and Robotics," EconStor Preprints 118693, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    6. Michela Giorcelli & Nicola Lacetera & Astrid Marinoni, 2019. "Does Scientific Progress Affect Culture? A Digital Text Analysis," CESifo Working Paper Series 7499, CESifo.
    7. Roth, Steffen & Clark, Carlton & Trofimov, Nikolay & Mkrtichyan, Artur & Heidingsfelder, Markus & Appignanesi, Laura & Pérez-Valls, Miguel & Berkel, Jan & Kaivo-oja, Jari, 2017. "Futures of a distributed memory. A global brain wave measurement (1800–2000)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 307-323.
    8. Steffen Roth, 2015. "The cash is in the medium, not in the machine: Toward the golden moments of 3D printing," Working Papers hal-01206562, HAL.

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