© Business Wire innovation The process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture through discovery or invention. 48 • SOC 2016 existing aspect of reality. The identification of the DNA molecule and the sighting of a new moon of Saturn are both acts of discovery. A significant factor in the process of discovery is the sharing of newfound knowledge with others. By contrast, an invention combines existing cultural artifacts to create something new. The bow and arrow, the automobile, and the television are all examples of inventions, as are abstract concepts such as Protestantism and democracy. DIFFUSION More and more cultural expressions and practices are crossing national borders and influencing the traditions and customs of the societies exposed to them. Sociologists at predetermined times (Rutter 2010; Rutter, Moffitt, and Caspi 2006; Shenk 2010). In pursuit of a more informed understanding of this interplay, the American Sociological Association established a new section called “Evolution, Biology, and Society” in 2005 (Machalek and Martin 2010). INNOVATION Humans have the freedom and ability to create new things. Whereas a robin’s nest in the year 2016 looks very much like one in 1916 or 1016 because robins act on a nest-building instinct, human abodes vary widely. We can live in a cave, a castle, a sod house, a pueblo, a high-rise apartment, a McMansion, or a dorm room. Such variation is possible because we are free to innovate. Innovation— the process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture—interests sociologists because it can have ripple effects across a society. There are two main forms of innovation: discovery and invention. Discovery involves uncovering or revealing an SOCTHINK Taking into account the sociological imagination, to what extent do you think innovation is a matter of individual genius versus being in the right place at the right time? discovery The process of uncovering or revealing an existing aspect of reality. invention The combination of existing cultural artifacts to create something new.
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