Lights, Camera, Action!

1386 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: History of science and tech

Historically, technologies allow for the human adaptation to their environment. Accordingly, with each new technology, new conflicts and issues arise within societies due to the progress. An important theme across the readings is how new technology builds upon older technologies, creating new conflicts and societal issues. These advancements, further cause a shift in needs or wants for improved technology for both entertainment and domestic use.

Admittedly, electricity is an influential aspect for the telephone and telegraph, and as a result is a catalyst for creating new worldviews. Importantly, because of electricity, one is able to obtain communications faster than ever before. It follows that, access to rapid information creates a need for new types of technology (Crowley Heyer 134). Cultural historian and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rosalynd Williams explains in her book Dream Worlds of Consumption the connection between the rapidly changing industrial product and the rise in consumer culture.

Accordingly, in 1851, the first universal exposition opens at the Crystal Palace in London, England. The purpose of the universal exposition is to teach a “lesson of things.” According to Williams, the “lesson” is the social benefit from the innovative technology and the “things” are the scientific knowledge and the technology itself (137). In all, the reason for the exposition is to highlight innovative scientific ideas and technology that can be of use in everyday life.

Although the first exposition is a showcase of innovative ideas and technology, subsequent expositions decidedly became a commercial atmosphere. Further, Williams describes the onset of commercialization at the Paris exposition as “…in ...

... middle of paper ...

...s.com. 2011. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. http://www.britishmovieclassics.com/thekinetoscope.php

Mary Pickford. Digital image. PBS.org. 23 July 2004. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pickford/peopleevents/p_pickford.html

Palace of Electricity. Digital image. Expositions.bnf.fr. 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 04 Apr. 2011. http://expositions.bnf.fr/universelles/grand/072.htm

Paris Exposition 1855. Digital image. Expositions.bnf.fr. 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 04 Apr. 2011. http://expositions.bnf.fr/universelles/bande/index5.htm

Sweat shop. Digital image. Nytimes.com/. 2011. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/02/27/nyregion/20080227_RIIS_SLIDESHOW_8.html

Williams, Rosalynd. "Dream Worlds of Consumption." Trans. Paul Heyer. Communication in History: Technology, Culture, Society. Ed. D. J. Crowley. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson, 2011. 137-43. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Comparing 'Harrison Bergeron And By The Waters Of Babylon'

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Technology has been around as long as people have and has been advancing ever since. It is the reason that we have access to the miraculous tools that we do today. From the forks that we eat our supper with to the cars that get us from place to place technology is everywhere. However, with technology advancing at such a rapid pace, it could pose a threat to our future society. In the short stories “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut and “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet, the authors describe how bleak society could become if we do not take precautions when using technology.

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Way We Never Were By Stephanie Coontz

    459 Words  | 1 Pages

    In chapter seven of The Way We Never Were, Stephanie Coontz focuses on consumerism and materialism. In this chapter, Coontz claims that the root causes of consumerism is affecting Americans in a contemporary society is the mindset of people having an addiction to having the latest and greatest in terms of any goods. Coontz argues that “consumerism and materialism affect working adults and non working ones, both sexes and all ages, people who endorse new roles for women and people who oppose them” (page 223). In our society people buy what they want rather than what they need.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Calder's Book, Financing the American Dream: A Cultural History of Consumer Credit

    1648 Words  | 4 Pages

    Calder’s Thesis for this book follows the development of American consumer culture from its unorganized infancy around the 1890’s to about the 1940’s. There are several references to credit and debt outside this range as a reference to where we started and w...

    Read More

  • Business Culture Counterculture And The Rise Of Hip Consumerism In Thomas Frank's The Conquest Of Cool

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thomas Frank’s book entitled The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip Consumerism takes a poignant look at the advertising world of the 1950’s and 1960’s, exploring how advertising played a role in shaping the next generation of consumers. Frank points out that he believes many misunderstand how important the key industries of fashion and advertising were to the shaping of our consumer culture, especially in getting Americans to rethink who they were. The industry of advertising was not conforming to the upcoming generation, instead the new consumer generation was conforming to the ideals of the advertising industry. Frank believes that the advertising and fashion industries were changing, but not to conform to the new generation, instead to shape a new generation of consumers.

    Read More

  • Response Essay One on Fight Club (film)

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    In historical context the rise of the free market industries is at its peak. In the year 1999 oil industries, electronics, fast food, clothing lines hit the front line. For the first time ever poor people are able to have what rich people have. Keeping up with the Jones, as many people say. There is this mindset of get it now and pay for it later. This leave most of the working class in debt. While consumers get the latest luxuries they are being “Consumed by Consumerism” (Domigpe). We have all become slaves to the brands of everything we buy. For example, when new electronics come out on the market that is mostly a want, but looks awesome, we buy it to keep up with the Jones and also because the advertisements tell us to. We also need the companies to live, because without them there is no employment. “Because of this circle, which is hanging over everybody in a modern society, the capitalists have pushed us into a place, where consumerism and capitalism go hand in hand” (Denzin). With the deb...

    Read More

  • The Challenges of the “Real” and Depth in Maus

    1799 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jameson, Fredric. "Postmodernism and Consumer Society". The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticis. 2001. Reprint. New York: Norton & Company, 2010. 1846-1860. Print.

    Read More

  • Technology

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today's world, technology is constantly changing from a new paperclip to an improvement in hospital machinery. Technology lets people improve the way they live so that they can preserve their own personal energy and focus on the really important factors in life. Some people focus their energy on making new innovations to improve transportation and the health of people that may save lives and some people focus on making new designs of packaging CDS. Technology is significant in everyone's life because it rapidly changes what is in the market. But, some new innovations of technology are ridiculous because they serve no purpose in helping mankind.

    Read More

  • Hannah Hoch and James Rosenquist --Insiders and Outsiders of Consumerism and Gender

    1537 Words  | 4 Pages

    With the rise of industrialization, globalization, and mass production, the manufacturing productivity has been dramatically increased and accordingly the availability of consumer goods. And with the rise of the mass media, various products have been targeted on broad groups of consumers. Consumerism, which is propelled by a system of mass production and high levels of consumption, has been one of the themes in art works from twentieth century till now.

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    This book report is on the society of the spectacle by guy Debord. It is a theory that our society is dominated by images and characterizes and drives our consumer society. The images we see are seen through various methods such as Advertisements, television and other media outlets along with banners and signs. People in consumerism see images of things for them to buy and they go and but things and the reality that the world makes becomes what they are about. Regardless if the people have the money or not they can get credit and pay for it with money they don’t have. This idea of credit for everyone helps the people with power to attain more money and power. The more technology progresses the easier it becomes to enhance the consumer society and move into new market areas and continue to move forward with the new way of life in American and the world.

    Read More

  • Consumption and Identity

    1714 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many theorists suggest that consumption is correlated to the identity of an individual, that by purchasing goods from the mass market, it enables us to visibly establish our position within society. This differs from previous times in which a range of factors such as family histories, character and personal achievements played a significant role (Gabriel and Lang, 2006). Instead, there is the idea that the consumer has the ability to gain pleasure over objects, not just solely by the manipulation of objects, but through the degree of control over their meaning. The degree of control is developed and achieved through imagination and provides greater possibilities of pleasure experiences. This suggests that modern consumption can be seen as device that enables individuals to ‘dream’ about the desires they wish to fulfill. (Campbell, 1989: 79) (Cited in Gabirel & Lang, 2006)

    Read More

  • Sigmund Freud in The Century of the Self Documentary by Adam Curtis

    1843 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sigmund Freud was the initiator of psychoanalysis. He altered the insight into the human mind and how it works. It spurred him into defining the unconscious and what was for him the powerhouse of personality – irrational motivation. The series examines profound queries surrounding the origins and techniques of contemporary consumerism, commodification, typical democracy and its consequences. It furthermore looks at the current manner we perceive ourselves, the outlooks to fashion and superficiality. Freud's findings in connection with the mind were methodically applied by corporate America and the U.S. government to raise their capital and authority. This technique also provided the impre...

    Read More

  • Fredric Jameson, Postmodernism and Consumer Society

    1828 Words  | 4 Pages

    James, Fredric. 1988. "Postmodernism and Consumer Society." In Studies in Culture: An Introductory Reader, ed. Ann Gray and Jim McGuigan. London: Arnold, 1997, pp. 192-205.

    Read More

  • The Effect of the Industrial Revolution on the Wider World

    2008 Words  | 5 Pages

    Stearns, Peter N. Consumerism in World History : The Global Transformation of Desire. Themes in World History. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2006.

    Read More

  • Positive Impacts of Technology

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    The standard 21 year old adults have exchanged 250 thousand emails, spent 5 thousand hours video gaming and 10 thousand hours using their mobile devices (Lei, 2009). When people hear the word technology, they think of microwaves, televisions, cars, NASA, different types and transportation and more. For all that, technology has occurred long ahead these discoveries. Technology is an arguable matter amongst people. .In the old days, people lived an extremely simple life without technology. They used candles to light their houses and lanterns at the dark to travel, they used fire to cook and used newspapers and mail to share news. On the other hand, technology has seized an important place in our society. People are living in a stage of progressive technology. They are using all natural reserves applicable for making their lives better and easier. The society cannot picture life without electricity since it allows them to live through their everyday life. This paper argues that technology positively impacts people’s lives.

    Read More

  • Technology and Social Change

    336 Words  | 1 Pages

    Today, Americans are faced with the increasing change of technology in our everyday life. Sometimes the change happens and we do not realize how it affects our lives. I think it is always a good idea to talk to someone that is older than yourself, like your grandparents to remind you of the times in their younger years. Hopefully, that will open your eyes to the changes we face in this generation and the generation to come. In this chapter, the author explores the relationship of changing technology to changes in both the environment and social institutions.

    Read More

More about Lights, Camera, Action!

Open Document