Blog 11 - that Really Interesting Thing

Looking back over the different assignments and subjects they covered, I would have to say that the one subject that deserves the most attention is the concept of remediation. One of the core concepts to the course, I feel the need to more adequately understand and probe remediation within our society. Unlike engineering equations or laws of physics, remediation is an idea within the realm of the social sciences and its definition can change with its interpretation. Personally, I have always had difficulty with malleable ideas. I once cut to the chase in an English class many years ago, asking quite bluntly if the only reason we say Shakespeare (his writings, at least) is good is because we say he is good.

In my past blogs, I crudely attempted to draw a line around remediation. In many different subjects I tried to find an underlying theme. Now as I prepare for my final paper, remediation may play an important role in the understanding of currency as a text. I am not sure though, my grasp on the whole concept is still weak, even after several weeks of readings and analysis.

With endless time and energy to spend on remediation, I could revisit all the different examples and tease apart the contributing factors. I could find why something is, say, almost remediation but definitely evolution. I could interpret more clearly the examples given in the literature and, most importantly, be able to clearly explain where remediation fits in our society. I would guess everywhere, but I will let you know.

Final Paper proposal

I used to work at a bank. For a little more than a year I accepted deposits, made withdrawals, and helped clients with their money. At first, the idea of handling so much money can be exciting, but the excitement wears thin fast, and all that remains is the dirt and grime from so many bills and coins. I think a final paper on how currency is a cultural text would be interesting, both because of my past experience but also because we see money everywhere, but rarely give it critical thought.

I am not certain where such a paper would fall between research and argumentative. The body of work available will no doubt be large enough to allow both. For now, I will work towards the latter, with the underlying argument that currency, as a text, within a culture is given power not through its importance but through its availability. As technology allows for objects such a debit/credit cards and electronic transactions, the pieces of paper we call money lose their power as a text.

To write this paper I will need to look into how cultures treat money. Not just as a physical object (such as spending and saving through different means) but also an abstract idea. Do companies with runaway inflation have better awareness of the culture printed on their currency, due to more money exchanging hands? Do countries without debit or credit card technology spend or save more? What did money mean to people years ago, when there was no technology to use?

Questions about culture are difficult to answer definitively. In most cases, such as with literature, we create the universe we explore; we say Shakespeare is good because because we say he is. With currency, our ability to express ourselves is limited. Because we do not fully define the text of currency it may be difficult to argue about its power.

Question Time (Blog Assignment #9)

The 'dumbing down' of literature is where standards of writing, over time, drop. With internet technology becoming more and more commonplace worldwide, will literature continue to suffer? Or is literature really even in such a tough spot?

I feel that there are two opposing forces at stake. On one side of this equation, you have talented and gifted writers, professional or not, creating works to be spread online. While content may very, the time and energy spent reflect words written with care and meaning. On the other side, being able to write something and post it online is no longer a financially difficult task. This very blog was free to create. These two forces push literary quality up and down, as different populations gain different skills.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of literature viewed is commercial advertisements. People read many books, but see far more ads or spots on tv. To capture the greatest market segment, advertisers create literature that more than half can understand. Since it is impossible to make an ad too simple to understand ( I certainly hope so, at least) the average literary quality of an ad is lower than the average of all literature. Essentially, market forces are  dumbing us down. I can't shake the images shown in Wall-E, a recent Pixar movie.

I don't believe literature is doomed, however. I do think that our standards of quality will change over time. What was good becomes great. What would have been drivel is instead genius. Reading is always a good thing, but maybe too much of it is hurting us all.