While reading Haraway’s’ “Cyborg Manifesto” I encountered interesting ideas that was brought up by Haraway. One idea that is touched upon by Haraway is the meaning of being a human being. The “cyborg” as donna describes is partial organic and machine. It’s a fluid identity not bound by regulations of society. The “cyborg” as Haraway describes is not an idea of fiction, but a real thing. What makes a cyborg is the melding of humans and tools, we are all cyborgs in this regard. Haraway also speaks about “dualism” and its importance. Dualism is the binary relationships that exist within our world and society. The binary relationship between man and women Haraway believes that in a post humanist world that traditional ideas of gender and gender roles will not be the same as they once were. The idea of the cyborg is to subvert these previous ideas and take apart dualism.
Haraway also speaks about the ideas of how capitalism reinforces the ideas in which Haraway believes to be regressive. The idea Haraway brings forth is how women have been exploited by traditional structures of western society through capitalism. Female workers are seen as less than workers, but more akin to servers. Haraway believes that modern feminist movements should do more to appeal to a greater range of rights for women. Haraway looks towards socialism as an avenue to combat the current system of patriarchy brought by capitalism and this goes back to the idea of the cyborg. Haraway hopes that the cyborg will bring about a new evolution in society.
Video gaming and computer holding power by Sherry Turkle mentions the idea of holding power and what that means for society. Turkle talks about how video games and overall computers affect the state of mind of people that use them. Turkle starts off her work talking about the debate between people who are pro and anti-video games. Turkle explains how such debates are a microcosm of something bigger and hidden. There is a generational gap between parents and children due to the nature as to how each generation interacts/interacted with new technologies. The younger generation of people see technology as a given fact, born with it and raised by it. In comparison to older generations that adopted technology and have a different outlook about said technology.
Turkle explains that video games “are a window onto a new kind of intimacy.” Turkle elaborates that a special kind of relationship is formed between humans and video games. There is hypnotization and infatuation that occurs. There is a sense of power the computer/ video game holds over a person. Turkle is quick to dismiss claims that video games are “mindless” argueing that video games require attention, speed, and dexterity to complete. This, in contrast to television, are two completely different things. There exists a focus that only exists in video games. Turkle also mentions the dangers of becoming too engaged in video games and computers. As previously mentioned, a relationship is formed between person and machine. Depending on the person, video games can in a way trap people into a state of concentration. This is a universal concept in the reading. The pursuit of an altered state of mind in total concentration being seen as relaxation.
