The short story we read, "Lingua Franca" by Carole McDonnell, had some very interesting points to it. I really liked the way it showed how influential society and popular science can be. When new technologies and sciences come about, people want the world to know about them, and vice versa. In many ways, I think we can relate this story to science and technology today. All the children in the story wanted the implantments so that they could speak to each other. In their society, I believe that the implantments would actually be helpful. The parents said that this device was good for their children's future education. The children simply wanted the implantments because everyone else had them. It was the "cool thing to do," if you will. This behavior, on a less life-changing scale, relates to today's society.
For example, some older people do not want to conform to the new technologies and sciences today's society has brought us. Younger people, on the other hand, do. Middle school students and high school students want laptops, cell phones, and mp3 players. The "elders" of our society think that these devices are corrupting society and will destroy the culture of America. Parents conform more easily because they know that these devices will eventually be helpful to their children's futures. The students on the other hand, mostly want these items just because all of their friends have them.
How about you guys? Do you all think that the people in McDonnell's story should accept the scientific transition the "Earthers" have given? Can you think of any other examples of how this situation may relate to today's technology and science?
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You draw a lot of good parallels between todays society and the society represented in McDonnell's story, such as the attitudes of the young vs. the elderly. However I do not think the technology of today is as invasive as it is represented in the story. The Earthers come from a completely different planet than the natives, and their cultures are radically different from each other. This is not a change from within their culture, but an invasive change. By invasive I do not mean hostile, because as much as we know the Earthers only want to help for the purpose of business. Technological advances today are a more internal cultural change. While it still challenges the norm and alters our culture (for better or worse) it comes from within our culture. In this sense our culture itself is to advance technologically. I think this story is more of a parallel to how more advanced cultures feel a responsibility to "help" cultures that are not as advanced. They view that any culture that isn't as advanced as primitive, and take it upon themselves to "civilize" them without taking into account their culture and traditions. I think McDonnell wants us to think more like Mist: be willing to learn about and even adopt some of a foreign culture's customs while at the same time educating them about your own customs. Mist is not completely against the Earthers, however she feels like her culture is threatened by them while they are making no effort to understand their culture. I think Mist is an appropriate choice as a protagonist; that we may see things through her eyes and think about how we should act when two worlds collide.
ReplyDeleteEverything that Lauren mentioned about our society today is true--elders see new technology as corrupt and tainted, though the younger generation sees new technologies as a leap forward and to get farther ahead.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what Conor said...first off, that the invasion of the natives in Lingua Franca was more intense and invasive than our usual new technologies' enter into our society, and second off that we should be open to new things and discoveries. I understand where the people in the story are coming from--they see this new suggestion of a device as something created to destroy their world and distance the old from the young. But something so advanced like this is hard to accept and try out, especially if you have been around to see several generations pass you by and see how their views have already changed your world. I do think, though, that they, the elders, should be more open to new things, not only because they know it will benefit their children in the future, but because the Earthers are just negotiating with them and trying to show them how this could change their life for the better.
Alike our society, I also think that we should be open to new things; and so far as time has passed, we really have been an open-minded people to new things. It may be because we are more material and selfish, yes, but at least we are in the proper mind set to experiment with new discoveries and see where it takes us. Thus far, new things have not ruined us too much, but you really can never tell what turn the world will take next. Until then though, I think that we should remain in the same state we are in now: being ready to try and undertake and attempt everything that comes our way so that, in the long run, it may still continue to help us thrive and succeed.
:)
Cara-Joy
Well I would agree with a cara joy and conor that the invasion of the natives in Lingua Franca is way more intense than our society. Obviously something as drastic as suggested in the novel would not sit to well with many people. Now we generally accept new technology even if it has a large impact on out lives. 9 times out of 10 new technology is making a part of our lives easier which makes it easier for us to accept. Take the cell phone for example. When the personal cell phone was introduced they were huge and almost unnecessary to carry around. Eventually they began to get smaller and now almost everyone has a cell phone. The cell phone connected everyone around them making peoples lives easier. But when compared to generations, most older people dont have cell phones, and if they do they are mainly calling their sons and daughters. So though technology is generally more accepted by the younger generations, it does make everyones lives easier.
ReplyDeleteYou make good observations about the events in the story; however, I must agree with Conor's assertion that the situation does differ quite a bit from day-to-day technology in our world today. Most of the old people I have encountered that resist technological advances don't do so out of the same suspicions the Aqueduct people may have felt. The reasoning tends more along a laziness in learning something new -- such as not using e-mail or having a cell phone because a simple land-line has yet to cause too many problems and getting a cell phone with so many extra features seems a bit excess for someone that doesn't leave the house much -- or even simply for the financial inconveniences for things that could just be considered luxuries. So, no, I think most people have gotten used to the idea that we are changing our world so rapidly. This, as Conor said, is the main difference from the story: "we are changing our world." Just as Mist was inclined to accept the radical changes she made in her own life -- such as marrying outside her caste and latter her daughter decide -- and yet resisted those changes made by outsiders, whatever resistance may be felt for technological advancements made by humans would likely pale in comparison to the outrage that would come from someone else making the changes for us. However, the more progressive of us humans would likely keep an open mind to these changes and go with them, losing our culture to another; but, in the process, maybe giving a just a small part of our culture to the other.
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