” The American stake in literacy as a technology or uniformity applied to every level of education, government, industry, and social life is totally threatened by the electric technology.”
Literally: This quote from ” The Medium is the Message,” by Marshall McLuhan means that American society evolved as literacy became more widespread. With a society more educated there is a new sense of connection between people through the sharing of information. As well as being able to become more knowledgeable in doing so. This aided in the advancement of many industries examples such as in education and the government and brought a new way of socializing. This way of life brought upon through literacy has existed for many years. Now with the introduction of new technology there is a concern that our industries are at risk. There is a uncertainty on the impact technology will have and how much things will change.
Intellectually: This passage makes me think about how technology in today’s society has integrated with life. The industries discussed in the passage are a good example on the ways in which we navigate through these institutions utilizing technology. In schools today young students are given and encouraged to use a laptop in classes for their work. This abandons the pencil and paper along with the benefits that comes with exercising penmanship and the development of ideas. Socializing has transformed to include social media. Incorporating face to face interactions with connecting through social apps and chatrooms.
Emotionally: The passage makes me feel that as technology evolve so will the industries/institution around us. Technology changes quickly as innovation is always the goal. Through innovation we can make life more efficient however this can make the world around us unfamiliar. The need to adapt is imperative because this can effect different aspects of an individuals life. I understand that there are pros and cons to almost everything but I can empathize with the concern that the foundations for which these industries were built on may be threatened.
Connection: This passage relates to a quote from the article “Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology” by Neil Postman. “What we need to consider about the computer has nothing to do with its efficiency as a teaching tool. We need to know in what ways it is altering our conception of learning, and how, in conjunction with television, it undermines the old idea of school,” (p.19). This can connect to the passage because it reveals the concern some may have about how exactly technology will change things. Though the introduction of technology has proved to be a useful tool were not entirely sure how far things will go. How much of what has already been established will change and this derives from fear as some may see this as a threat.
“Anderson argues that European bourgeoisies were distinguished by their ability to ‘achieve solidarity on an essentially imagined basis…’ writing and literacy play a central role in this argument…the main instrument that made bourgeois nation-building projects possible was print capitalism.”
Literally: This quote from “Arts of the Contact Zone,” by Mary Louise Pratt means that the advancement of Europeans materialized through the spread of literacy. Through the printing press information became widely accessible and was a tool used in educating society. This created a sense of solidarity amongst the people who may have been gatekeepers to the knowledge base. Therefore they distinguished themselves as a higher class than the illiterate. This in turn would be considered the bourgeois nation building.
Intellectually: This passage makes me think about wealth inequality in America. I think about those who are privileged and are able to attend prestigious universities in comparison to those who cannot. They can acquire information from the best resources, utilize the best informational databases because they can afford them and can learn at their own paces without intervention. As for the underprivilege these are only things to be imagined. There is an imbalance and therefore due to poverty one may not have the time or resources to advance their education. They find ways to survive regardless if they are illiterate.
Emotionally: The passage makes me feel that people should not be judged based on whether they are literate or not. In the past literacy was tied into a person’s worth and some of that ideology can be seen today. The world is diverse in that there are many communities with different cultures and beliefs and have a system with how they keep their culture “alive.” Their practices in the eyes of someone who may have been literate would have been seen as inferior they would then be deemed the dregs of society as a whole. Due to these differences I feel that there should have been more of an open mind to understanding something new and perhaps through respect literacy wouldn’t be viewed as a detriment to ones identity more like an addition.
Connection: This passage relates to a quote in ” Orality and Literacy: From the Savage Mind to Ways with Words,” by James Paul Gee. ” Societies labeled primitive were usually small, homogeneous, non literate, highly personal, regulated by face to face encounters rather than by abstract rules and had a strong sense of group solidarity…said to be ‘mystical and prelogical’ incapable of abstract thought, irrational, child-like and inferior to modern man” (p.p 720, 721). This relates to the passage because people who were illiterate and communicated differently were seen as inferior. They would not fit in a bourgeois nation and would have trouble assimilating without abandoning what they believed in. Though in their communities they had ways in which they functioned. In order to be able to “sit at the table” in society one would have to adapt and learn these new ways. The change was ushered in through literacy.
Thoughtful post, Sandy.