I found this week's reading to be slow going and a little depressing. As Anne suggested, there were points of light in Debord's work, but they were faint, and well hidden. Compared to Benjamin and Adorno and Horkheimer, which offered critique of capitalist/consumerist culture and pointed a way forward, I found Debord's writing to be simply critical, and missing much of the "call to action" message that the other Marxist authors seemed to incorporate. (Maybe it's a combination of too much bad news these days, and not enough sunshine, metaphorically and physically speaking.) Reading it left me feeling a little grim. However, I do realize that we didn't read the entire work.
I'm curious to see what my classmates might be considering for their papers and I'm looking forward to hearing about all of those ideas. I haven't visited anybody else's blogs yet, as of writing this.
As far as the conversation about the structure and schedule for this class, I've been considering it through the theory we've been reading in the pedagogy class (English 706, if you like numbers) I'm also taking this semester. I've been able to identify some of the theory supporting certain instructional methods, such as group discussions and reflective writing.
I think my thoughts about this class are continuing to evolve as I read more pedagogical theory, but I do agree with the assertions of some of the media theorists we've read here about the potential for media to isolate users. The bond of shared experience one might develop with classmates in a classroom is greatly altered by only seeing them online. I feel it's a more formal relationship, because my communications with them are more considered. Not that I speak without thinking as a rule, but the potential to chat with someone before class or on break isn't there. We might have those conversations online with someone we already know in-person, but they aren't as frequent and starting small talk chats with an unfamiliar person is unlikely. Probably Debord would have something to say about me missing small talk (which is superficial in the extreme)... Would he say that the philosophical and theoretical conversations we're having with each other in the online classroom are deeper and more real than the chance to talk about restaurants, movies and TV shows with people in person?
Your last questions intrigue me, Kim, because they imply that a large component of life is missing from the analyses we have been reading. Your questions have me wondering whether the human relations that are shaped in even the most trivial of face to face conversations are necessary for the active, resisting, engagement sought by the theorists we have been reading.
ReplyDeleteAs teacher of this class, I am thrilled by the depths and development the ning discussions sometimes reach and I am happy that no one can be "silent" (and I am learning more about the sorts of prompts and the relations between the blogs and the ning site that support strong discussions) -- but I too also miss having a sense of faces and bodies, the sort of ease that comes from the jokes and life details that come out before and after (and sometimes in) a physical class. I wonder if the sense of trust and delight and camaraderie that develop through such seemingly small moments are necessary for people to be able to be critical and productive together and for people to sustain the energy to stand up to mediations and systems that would otherwise (as all our readings indicate) keep us passive.
I am glad that what we are doing in our class ties in with work you are doing in your other class.