New technologies are more than just tools we use to accomplish tasks. They are powerful devices that mediate our experience of the world, shaping what we think, feel, and do. From the smartphones in our pockets to the algorithms that curate our social media feeds, these technologies are constantly reconfiguring our sense of self and our relationship to others. This lesson explores the concept of technological embodiment, examining how new technologies transform our lived experience and challenge our traditional notions of what it means to be human.
To understand the impact of new technologies, we need to look beyond their technical specifications and consider their cultural and historical context. As Anne Cranny-Francis argues in "Somatic Technologies: Embodiment, New Technologies and the Undead," our understanding of technology is shaped by a long history of cultural representations and beliefs. By tracing the connections between the contemporary figure of the cyborg and the historical image of the crucified Christ, Cranny-Francis reveals the deep-seated anxieties and desires that underlie our relationship with technology. This historical perspective is essential for navigating the complex ethical and political challenges of our technological present.
This lesson will help you to develop a more critical and nuanced understanding of the role of technology in your own life. By engaging with the key concepts of technological embodiment, the cyborg as a trope, and hybridity, you will learn to see technology not as a neutral tool but as a powerful force that is actively shaping our world. You will also be encouraged to reflect on your own experiences with technology and to consider how you can use it in a more conscious and intentional way.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze the relationship between technology, embodiment, and identity.
- Explain how cultural artifacts, like the figure of the cyborg, shape our understanding of technology.
- Connect historical representations of hybridity to contemporary discussions of technological embodiment.
Key Concepts
Technological Embodiment
Technological embodiment refers to the ways in which we experience and interact with the world through technology. It's not just about using a tool; it's about how that tool becomes an extension of our body and our senses. Think about how a blind person uses a cane to navigate the world. The cane isn't just an object; it's a sensory organ that provides information about the environment. In the same way, our smartphones, laptops, and other devices mediate our experience of the world, shaping what we see, hear, and feel. This concept is central to the DEVICES framework, which emphasizes that devices are not passive instruments but active mediators of our reality.
The process of technological embodiment is not always seamless. It often involves a period of adaptation and learning, as we integrate the new technology into our daily routines and practices. Over time, however, these technologies can become so ingrained in our lives that we no longer notice them. They become part of our embodied experience, shaping our habits, our perceptions, and even our sense of self. This is why it's so important to think critically about the technologies we use and the ways in which they are shaping us.
Cyborg as a Trope
The cyborg, a being that is part human and part machine, has become a powerful trope for understanding our relationship with technology. In popular culture, cyborgs are often depicted as either superhuman or monstrous, reflecting our hopes and fears about the future of humanity. But the cyborg is more than just a science fiction fantasy. It's a way of thinking about the increasingly blurred boundaries between the natural and the artificial, the organic and the technological.
Donna Haraway's "A Cyborg Manifesto" is a key text in this area, arguing that we are all already cyborgs. From pacemakers to prosthetics, we are constantly augmenting our bodies with technology. The cyborg trope encourages us to embrace this hybridity and to challenge traditional notions of what it means to be human. It also forces us to confront the political and ethical implications of our technological choices. Who gets to be a cyborg? And what kind of cyborgs do we want to become?
Hybridity
Hybridity refers to the mixing of different cultures, ideas, or technologies. In the context of this lesson, it's about the blending of the human and the non-human, the sacred and the profane. The figure of the crucified Christ, as analyzed by Anne Cranny-Francis, is a powerful example of hybridity. He is both God and man, a divine being who suffers a very human death. This hybridity is what gives the image its power and its enduring cultural significance.
The concept of hybridity is also central to understanding the cyborg. The cyborg is a hybrid being, a fusion of flesh and machine. This hybridity challenges our traditional categories and forces us to rethink our assumptions about the world. It also opens up new possibilities for creativity and transformation. By embracing hybridity, we can create new forms of art, new ways of thinking, and new ways of being in the world.
Assignment
Read Anne Cranny-Francis's "Somatic Technologies: Embodiment, New Technologies and the Undead," paying close attention to her analysis of the cyborg and its relationship to the image of the crucified Christ. Consider how this historical perspective informs our understanding of contemporary technologies.
Read: Somatic Technologies: Embodiment, New Technologies and the Undead Knowledge Check
Reflect on the key topics in this lesson.
1
How does Cranny-Francis connect the cyborg to the image of the crucified Christ?
Hint: Think about the concepts of hybridity and the piercing of the body.
2
What does it mean to say that technology is "affect-laden"?
Hint: Consider how technology makes us feel, not just what it allows us to do.
3
In what ways do new technologies challenge our traditional ideas of what it means to be human?
Hint: Think about the boundaries between the self and the other, the organic and the artificial.
Additional Resources
Supplementary materials for deeper exploration.
A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century
A foundational text in cyborg theory that explores the liberatory potential of technology.
The Island of Dr. Moreau
A classic work of science fiction that raises questions about the ethics of technological intervention in the natural world.