In Chapter 3 of The
Belly of the Atlantic, we see
villagers of a third world country getting the opportunity to watch television
for the first time. This is an outcome of modernization. The French positioned
themselves as models for the third world and the introduction of television is
both a demonstration of their technological advancement and an attempt to
maintain its influence over its colonies. Showing the French way of life via
television supported their mission to “help” those less fortunate, while at the
same time exerting influence of their colonial empire.
Television served as a means to observe the lives and
routines of the distant white authority. This access provided a model for how
the villagers should shape their actions according to French standards, “For
the first time in their lives, the majority of villagers could try out this
strange thing they’d already heard about: they could see whites speaking,
singing, dancing, eating, kissing, fighting- see whites, in fact, really
living, there in the box, just behind the glass” (page 30).
While the villagers lacked the technological advancement of
their colonial ruler, they were therefore seen as inferior. However, it would
be inappropriate to discount these people. While they lacked current technology
they made up for it by being resourceful: “resourceful, like all third world
kids, the boys would collect rags or sponges and roll them into a ball in a
plastic bag to enable them to pursue their passion” (page 28). The tendency is
to think poorly of people because of their socioeconomic status or differing
culture. From what we have read thus far, Belly of the Atlantic does a good job
showing the perspective of the less explored side, what people can do and
achieve with what they have.
Modernization allows us to achieve more than we can attain
today without technological advancement. It is necessary to sustain a society.
However one needs to keep the perspective of technology in accordance with
one’s own culture and society. Controlled by a higher power, the introduction
of technology can introduce risks if that higher power has only with their own
selfish goals in mind.
Some good reflections in a social science vein, showing how the introduction of technology effects social change.
ReplyDeleteThe last paragraph is a bit odd. What might that "higher power" be? Sounds like you are talking about economics or politics, as well as technology, no? Whose selfish minds are we talking about? Just curious.