Assignment 8 - Technoculture and Risk Society

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This assignment is a part of internal evaluation of student's academic activity in the Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University. Here is my assignment.

Name: Rohit Vyas
Class: Semester 2
Roll No: 21
PG Enrolment Number: 2069108420200041
E-mail: rohitvyas277@gmail.com
Course: M.A. English, at Department of English, M.K. Bhavnagar University
Paper 8 – Cultural Studies, Unit
Submitted to: Dr. Dilip Barad

Technoculture and Risk Society

Introduction

          ‘Cultural studies’ is a branch of academics which undergoes various kinds of cultures and societies. It began in early 1960s in Birmingham Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies (BCCCS). Stuart Hall and other cultural critics were pioneers of cultural studies. The way it moves further, it covers larger discourses and subjects like anthropology, structuralism, and post structuralism, post colonialism,

We live in Risk Society

Risk has become integral part of our lifestyle. Each and every work we do, we are threatened by several risks. For instance we take the incident of drinking water. We are much aware of its cleanliness and purity but still we fear to drink that water confidently because in our subconscious minds we have the risk factors which work endlessly.

Ulrich Beck propounded the influential ‘risk society’ in thesis in Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity (1992) and later works (1995, 1997). Risk, Beck inform us, is not real, risks are about 'becoming-real'. As soon as risks become real, they cease being risks, and become, instead disasters. (If one may engage in an aside for the purpose of illustration, India's famed batting line-up, all the way to number six, always carries the risk of collapse. When it happens in the field, then it is not risk any more: it is a national catastrophe.) (Nayar 79)

As Beck has explained that risk is what is imaginary but still has the capacity to become real. It is like cause and effect chain. The benefits of anything are highlighted and then the other product comes up with the hazards and risks of consuming it.

Just like Beck has given the example of cricket match, one can take the risk of fire as an example. In a forest, there is a risk of fire, because two branches can cross sometime and the fire may light. If this happens, the risk becomes real, and it applies somewhere else. So the risk factor works as transformative pattern.

There are first world countries, second world countries and third world countries. All countries strive for expending on defense and border protection.

Techno-culture

Technology has become integral part of our life style. When it comes to the mediums of communications or mode of transport such as cars, trains, buses, aircrafts and other vehicles that include technology have become the most important part of life. Smart phones with latest and fast processors are considered as luxury nowadays. In our day to day conversation we use many words such as delete, send, receive, forward which are terms of communication. In the world of technology it has become necessary to cop up with updated information. With maximum consumption of technology it forms technoculture. The more people use technology, more words will be introduced and people will make them part of life and thus the culture will take place. In a nut shell, the culture which includes active participation of technology forms technoculutre.

To quote a few lines from the text, technoculture is mentioned as follows

… Risks then get displaced to other ‘sites’: future disasters. Thus risks are potential disasters. While it is not necessary to run the entire debate about risk society here, it may be useful to pay attention to one particular arena where the risk thesis appears most relevant: technoculture. We live in an increasingly technologized world. Global capitalism – the immediate geopolitical context of our nation-states – runs on the engines of information and communication technologies. Our everyday life – from shopping to education – depends heavily on technology, with greater or lesser degrees of both efficiency and necessity. (Nayar 79)

In this era of information explosion, we are continuously given bits and pieces of information, which we don't even require. While using internet, one receives a bunch of advertisements. This overflow of ads sometimes make one think critically that what kind of consumerist and capitalist society we live in!

The other connecting example of risk and technology is the anti-virus software. There are some anti-malware software also that guarantees the security and safety of the computer from bugs and viruses. But the risk of getting virus is still there. Even after having protection software it happens. Thus we demand more powerful and assured protection software. Similarly in the field of defense, everything now gets controlled by technology and computers. Even UAV – Unarmed Ariel Vehicles are used in war nowadays. After the attack of 9/11, countries have become more alert and proactive in the use of technology in defense only for the protection of their boundaries. Such protections include anti-ballistic missiles, and supersonic fighter jets. Protection also becomes risk and the story goes on and on.

Risk Society and Market

Marketing has its own fundamentals other than humanity as discourse. From the production of commodity to the delivery to the consumers, it is loaded with psychic theories. Keeping people in fear and making money from that risk is now trending strategy in market. For example, there are soap companies which sell their soaps by frightening us with germs and bacteria, various diseases. And in competition other soap brands will try to degrade other brands to sell their own. Further, the whole new narrative comes in the gossips at the evening while enjoying tea and snacks. It can be said that our daily practices and activities define the culture and society. Our constant negligence for seeking the authenticity of information and truth make us puppets of power. We submit the reigns of our thinking and free will to power by ourselves. It is acceptable that risk has become part of life nowadays but still we are unable to identify the intensity of risks. To think deeply, by doing everything we are putting ourselves in a risk zone, by walking on footpath, traveling on vehicles, taking bus, train or flight.

          Market conditions are also a good study in today’s time. But we shall stress upon only risk factors and market situations. There are many types of markets such as advertisement market, commodity market, stock markets etc.

Stock market and advertisement field are full of risks in which brands and companies strive for high rates and TRPs. If any television program is powered by a particular brand, then during that show that brand will promote its product only. Other companies and brands suffer for publicity. The same goes with stock market. Due to high price of oil and other basic crude items such as gold and silver, or sometimes due to the crucial decisions of governments which may directly affect the economy of the country – India for instance, there comes a crisis on the stocks of companies. Within few minutes, billions and trillions of currency transactions happen among companies. And interestingly, stock market of India has an appropriate symbol of bull and a popular phrase “bulls and bears” for ups and downs of shares. This clears the risk element in market.

Advertisements

In today’s era of technology and communication hardly anyone will be there who might not know anything about advertisements. Ranging from print media to digital media, pages and programs are full of advertisements. Through these ads, companies do bombardment of various sign and symbols. As it is known that a picture is worth than a thousand words. Companies use various cautionary symbols that make us alert of some hazards and threats. This visualization of risk becomes stronger in consumers mind and they get convinced to buy a particular product.

         It takes patience and constant awareness to make a right decision. In today’s time, one gets confused in making choices. One can take a pause and start thinking rationally that why and how power works on the mass.

Solutions

Will will find a way – Ulrich Beck also gave the solution to this never ending process of risk – solution pendulum swing. He explained that one has to read power against power. One should always think to have the alternative of power and authority. By quoting the following words,

“Beck’s solution to the autopoietic risk culture (where a system generates risk and its possible solution within itself) is to find political potential outside the government. We need to open up intrasystematic closures. Politics must be about being able to communicate between systems – something that is becoming increasingly impossible today. Thus the complete indifference of the government to any criticism – witness with ease with which governments get out of such accusations by appointing, with a complete lack of transparency, a commission of inquiry, or simply refusing comment in India – is a mark of autopoiesis of the political system. The representatives of the people are no more accountable to the people. They refer only to each other in debates that are increasingly disconnected from the opinions/criticisms/demands of the people. It is this autopoiesis that causes people who withdraw from politics as a system that has ‘closed’ itself.” (Nayar 81)

Conclusion

Right from the childhood we are taught to be careful with each and every thing, which is also a pre conditioning of minds. Time and again the use of technology has increased and so did the risk. Through this written assignment it is attempted all the important aspects of techno culture and risk theory be covered up.

Works Cited

Nayar, Pramod K. An Introductin to Cultural Studies. 2nd. New Delhi: Viva Books, 2016.