Control, manipulation and facebook…
The idea of control seemed really dominant in the readings this week. Manipulation of events as a method for the leaders use to keep a hold over society – a display of unity/strength of their nation. Using the Nazi olympics and the Korean ceremonies as examples, it feels like the whole point of the people ‘coming together as one’ is lost in the meaningless actions… that the overall effect matters more than the principles behind it. Again, “Christmas under the Third Reich” has this idea of ‘enforcement’ of an ideology upon the people by a higher power- attempting to change the way they act in/think about/respond to/perceive the world. I love that in NZ we have the freedom to interpret major events/rituals (eg. Easter, Christmas) in our own way… for some these holidays may hold religious significance, for others it may be the one time a year they can get together with their family, and others it may simply be a break from everyday life, a chance to breathe and ‘recharge’. I wonder what’s worse though – the brutal force that Nazi Germany displayed to it’s people and the world, or the more subtle manipulation of peoples minds – that maybe they didn’t even realise that they were being influenced or controlled… scary…
Ok totally unrelated and just coz I find it hilarious every time I watch it i thought I would include this video of ‘facebook in the real world’.
In class Mary said that most people seem to have this so I’m sure we can all identify… but I find it fascinating the way peoples behaviour changes online. In the people watching assignment, and just generally with this course focusing on peoples actions in certain situations and looking at the reasons behind it I find that I have been thinking and questioning peoples behaviour more often. Facebook (bebo, myspace etc) has really impacted the way people interact with eachother… why do people have such a different online persona? People seem to write things that they would never say in person… hiding inside their online ‘bubble’. Relationship status… you know it’s ‘official’ when you see it on facebook 
; superficial ‘wall’ conversations you have with people you would never bother to actually sit down and have a coffee with; stalking behaviour (ie. knowing everything about what your ex-boyfriends new girlfriend did last weekend) and so on. Will be interesting to see how the rise of this social phenomenon will impact the ritualistic behaviour of future generations… and I’m not convinced it will be in a good way! Technology takes the personality and realism out of a lot of things, and as it’s popularity increases and more things are invented i wonder if we will see the decline of rituals that play a part in our society today. The Hakua and cultures that stand unaffected by the West still have a strong grasp of their rituals and value what social institutions that are important to them, while ours seem to be somewhat in decline.
This is a really interesting post, however I disagree with your last point. It’s not necessarily that rituals/social cohesion etc. decline in post-modern societies, they just take on new meanings and are expressed in new mediums, such as Facebook. In fact, people may be more likely to engage in ritualised behaviour and promote forms of social cohesion, as due to the fragmentation and compartmentalisation of their lives and associated shifting roles/relations, they are more anxious about the roles they occupy/their status in various social hierarchies etc. This pervasive anxiety is perhaps less prevalent in tribal societies, as roles are fixed across all contexts (yet change across time) i.e. a chief is a chief in every context, but your lecturer is only your lecturer and has specific rights/responsibilities in the class context – they do not have jursidiction over you outside of this social context.
As an aside, something I find really interesting about facebook is that it is a way to construct an idealised version of yourself (and others), and also an idealised version of reality – centred on self-affirmation and ‘positive’ thoughts/emotions etc. For example, the new function where you can ‘like’ things people are doing, their photos etc. Yet there is no associated ‘dislike’ function – there is no space for contestment of ideas/values, or ‘negative’ emotions.
Yea you definitely have a point there, I guess I use the word ‘decline’ in line with the idea of perceived ‘progress’ and the evolutionary model… seems like things are ‘replaced’ or transformed because we perceive them as better or more relevant… (and sometimes they may well be) but then others get lost along the way – things we think of as important to us, but also how they have changed over time. And while these things may have a place in the modern world, kinda feels like they take over in a sense, yes its social and networking and connecting with others, but its not reality… Sort of relates to your comment about an idealism, maybe it does serve to build people up and provides ‘escape’ from the real world but i just wonder whether this is a good thing or bad thing in the long term? To some degree I suppose it serves both functions:)
You use the term “reality” in italics, and that makes me think… What is “reality”? Using mediums like Facebook is certainly real – you’re interacting with real physical things, and with real people. It’s just a different kind of understanding and use of interactions than we are used to. I think most new things tend to go through a stage of being seen as dangerous or dubious in some fashion until they are more fully accepted and/or something new comes along. Look at the telephone now and compare it to the way it was considered earlier – or even cellphones!
Also forgot to add that it is perhaps partly because of this social anxiety that people use mediums such as Facebook, where their individuality and sense of self can be validated by their friends, relations etc.
I agree.
Facebook is a total cop out that we ALL buy into.. I would have to put my hand up and say im guilty of this. It makes the persona away from communication – there is no absoltuley no warmth to it. But yes techonology certainly inhibits cultural continuation. It affects all corners of the globe, whether people are assimilated into the ‘western way’ or not.
I guess there are aspects of warmth and personality about it, but on many levels it does seem like a superficial replacement for human interaction. Depends how you use it, the people you genuinely care for will probably communicate with you in other mediums anyway. I was chatting with my flatmates about this and one pointed out that if it’s the easiest means of keeping in touch with people on the other side of the world then maybe it does serve a deeper purpose than I previously attributed it! I stand corrected, all things in moderation I suppose:)