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Exploring Modern Society and Technology
Sep 3, 2024
Lecture Notes
Directions to Town
Take a right at the site of the new shopping mall.
Go straight past the future freeway.
Turn left at the upcoming sports center.
Continue until reaching the proposed driving bank site.
Saul Bellow's "Herzog"
Explores the pressures of modern life:
What it means to be a man in a city during a time of transition.
The impact of mechanization and organized power on personal identity.
The devaluation of the individual in a society dominated by numbers.
Contradictory Nature of Modern Society
Discussion by Leon Golov:
Society is becoming more totalized and massive.
At the same time, communication and technology are atomizing society.
Living in a world that is both huge and fragmented.
Emergence of Post-Industrial Society
Presented by Frederick Jameson:
Post-World War II changes in society:
Characteristics of post-industrial society:
Multinational capitalism.
Consumer society with planned obsolescence.
Rapid changes in fashion and media saturation.
Shift from urban-rural tensions to suburban standardization.
Growth of superhighways and automobile culture.
Importance of recognizing gradual historical changes rather than abrupt shifts.
Impact of Technology
Significant changes due to:
Microchip technology.
Nuclear weaponry.
Increased surveillance and control.
The instability of multinational capitalism despite its homogeneous influence.
Postmodern Condition
Discussed by Jean Francois:
Acknowledgement of a modern era originating from the Enlightenment.
This era proposed progress in knowledge, arts, and human freedom but hasn't fulfilled its promises.
Growing sense of ignorance and lack of freedom.
Observations about societal change:
Many desire change but see little progress.
The existing order becomes more entrenched.
Susan Sontag on Cameras and Reality
Cameras shape reality in two primary ways:
As spectacles for the masses.
As surveillance tools for authorities.
Emphasis on image consumption equating to freedom.
Mary on Postmodern Practices
Positive aspects of the postmodern condition:
Elimination of hierarchical practices and dogmatism.
Challenges of commitment in a pluralistic society:
Importance of identifying aspects to challenge and attempt to change.
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