Technology and Isolation

Technology is all around us. No matter which direction you turn, you cannot escape the intrusion of technology into your life.

From indoor plumbing to the Internet, technology has greatly enhanced and improved our day-to-day lives, yet all of these improvements have not come without cost. It can be argued that as technology continues to develop the risk of individual isolation continues to develop as well. Paul Virilio wrote, "Every technology produces, provokes, programs a specific accident..

. The invention of the boat was the invention of shipwrecks.The invention of the steam engine and the locomotive was the invention of derailments. The invention of the highways was the invention of three hundred cars colliding in five minutes. The invention of the airplane was the invention of the plane crash. I believe that from now on, if we wish to continue with technology (and I don't thing there will be a Neolithic regression), we must think about both the substance and the accident.

.. "1 These few words sum up the very need to come to the realization that isolation is becoming an unintended risk as technology advances.In his book, "The Rise of The Creative Class", Richard Florida states; "In virtually every aspect of life, weak ties have replaced the stronger bonds that once gave structure to society . . .

. Instead of communities defined by close associations and deep commitments to family, friends, and organizations, we seek places where we can make friends and acquaintances easily and live quasi-anonymous lives. "2 For the purposes of exploring this argument, this paper will be looking at four separate examples of how technology has begun to isolate individuals from one another.First, we will examine the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder, next we will move on to the Amana Colonies, and then we will take a trip to Japan and finally end our tour in Greece. At each stop, we will compare a historical society to a present day society and prove that the risk of isolation is growing more pervasive with each technological advance. Pioneer Life Perhaps the greatest example of togetherness while faced with isolation can be found in the Pioneers of this country and other countries.

During the time of the pioneers, those who chose to explore the uncivilized reaches of this country found themselves relying solely on their family for support. A case in point is the family of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura's family life ranged from living in the "Big Woods" near Pepin, Wisconsin to the unsettled prairies in Indian country in the Midwest. The family did everything together. They worked, played, and ate together.

The girls were made to help with chores in the house from a young age, and once they were older were made to help with chores on the various farms where they lived.Typical chores that were done during the day might include: washing (done in a tub), mending, tending the garden, churning butter, gathering wood, baking, ironing, and general housecleaning. To divide up the labor so none of it was overwhelming, Mrs. Ingalls had a saying, "Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest on Sunday.

"3During this time, technology was advancing with things such as the invention of the thresher. During the fall, the settlers hired people who owned threshers to come and separate the grain from the wheat leaving bundles of straw.This was done using horses to power the machine. Without this technological marvel of the age, it would have taken the settlers weeks to thresh the grain. However, the lack of technology aided the family in keeping the kind of close relationships with one another that are so often lacking today. The extended families would come together to help with the harvests, the butchering, and for maple syrup time.

During this time, everyone would help one another and there would be much food, drink, and socialization.In today's world, where we have every modern convenience and do not have to churn butter, or sew our own clothes, or even grow our own food, we see less of our families than during an era when performing those chores were key to their very survival. Once the Ingalls family moved to De Smet they spent their winters in town, instead of out on their claim. During these winter months, the towns began to hold dime socials, began a literary society, and have revival meetings minstrel shows. For these events, the entire town turned out and people generally lingered to talk.

During this era, every neighbor knew every other neighbor and all were concerned as to how the other neighbors were doing. Doctors made house calls during this time as well, leading the doctor to truly be in touch with their patients and honestly know how and what to prescribe or not prescribe to their patients. The life of the pioneers was hard, however these people seemed to be truly satisfied with their lives and seemed to gain strength from the sense of community and family that they felt around them. Even during the times when they were totally isolated from all others, the family remained a tight-knit group.In fact, the community was so close that during a long winter full of blizzards when the train could not bring fresh supplies, two of the townsmen rode off into the prairie in search of a homesteader that was rumored to have grain. The two found the settler, brought the grain back, at great personal risk, just to save the townsfolk from starvation.

Today, things have changed in many ways. Technology has brought an increasing ease to the lives of people throughout the Nation. One stark contrast from pioneer times to today is the fact that families no longer work, eat, and play together on a daily basis.In today's world, the evening meal, which had been a time for everyone to sit down and relate the events of their day, is no longer. With the advent of feminism, women became a driving force in the workplace causing more and more double income families. This development has had a profound effect on the socialization of the family unit.

Children are taken to daycare nearly all day while one or both parents work outside of the home. No longer do neighbors go out of their way to help one another and there are very few hardships to overcome of the scale seen in the past.With the advances in technology, one would think that people would be afforded more time to socialize with others, including those in their own family, however that does not seem to be the case. The Amana Colonies The group Community of True Inspiration was founded in 1714 in Germany.

In 1842 they moved to the "New World", what is known as present day Buffalo New York. In late 1854 to early 1855 this group moved to The Iowa River Valley in escape from religious persecution. The location where they settled is now called the Amana Colonies.There are many different controversies over what religious group the Community of True Inspirations was, some say that they were Christians, others say Lutherans, and another article says that they were Amanities (not Amish). The word Amana means, "remain true" or "believe faithfully. " That is exactly what they did.

They stated true to their roots and background. When they landed in the Iowa River Valley their villages were platted in the German-style that they used back in Germany. This included the barns and sheds at one end of a long street, factories and workshops at the other end.There were a total of seven of these villages set up naming them in no-frills fashion.

Much like they used to live in Germany. These seven villages were Homestead, Amana, East, High, Middle, South and West Amana. In the beginning the Amanas were communal. Communalism is a social arrangement for people living together in which all property is held in common. Amana Colonies communalism had nothing to do with political communism. This system was put in place because Amana Colonies community was above all a religious community.

Communalism was seen as a means for the community to realize its religious ideals and goals.As for pay during this time an adult member would get a certain amount of credit annually to use at the general, pharmacy and craft stores that they community didn't already supply. The community supplies food, education, a job, and medical care for each of its members. A large part of their communal lifestyle was the communal kitchen.

Communal kitchens provided meals for all the members of the community. Each village had several large communal kitchens. Everyone was assigned a Kitchen in which to eat. Approximately 30-40 people ate in each kitchen.Men would eat at one table and the women and young children would eat at another table. Grace was said before and after each meal.

Girls, after having completed the eighth grade, would begin work in the communal kitchens. A kitchen boss (always a woman) would be their supervisor. Women would be assigned individual tasks of working in the gardens or preparing food. In 1932 "The Great Change" or reorganization came about.

This is when the people of Amana abandoned the communal way of life. There were numerous reasons to change the structure of the business and social system.There had been a disastrous fire in 1923, which destroyed the flour and woolen mills in Amana, causing substantial loss of capital. Young people were leaving the community in order to find better jobs and get a higher education.

1932 marked the third year of the Great Depression -- orders for woolen goods and farm items were being canceled. This reorganization for most meant the religious and economic life of the community was separated the most important. The Amana Church continued to be the religious focus of the community; and, the Amana Society Corporation guided the business activities.People were given shares of stock in the corporation, which they could sell if they wished. Some purchased cars and homes and other necessities of a non-communal lifestyle. A high school was built so that children could continue their education.

People began to work for wages, cook their own meals, and individualize their homes. This has led to what is now present day Amana Colonies. In 1965 The Amana Colonies was designated a National Historic Landmark. Today, if one were to drive to the Amana Colonies, you would notice that while the environment looks historic enough, there are really very few of the same socializations going on.During the summer the villages are dominated by tourists from all over the world from dawn until dusk. Most of the tourists, like anyone on vacation, seem a bit preoccupied and forget that the colonies are not a museum, but rather the homes of people that are just like them.

This simple fact has led the people of Amana to disregard the tourists instead of socializing with them. Another interesting aspect of life in the Amana Colonies now is that most people who live there work outside of the Colonies. Mr. Alfred Leichsenring, who has lived in Amana for his entire life, has worked in Iowa City for many years.As a boy growing up in the Colonies, he was made to learn a trade and became a carpenter.

He built the home that he lives in with his own two hands and has seen many homes that were built by natives of the area be bought and sold by people working in Iowa City, or Cedar Rapids that are looking for a quiet place to raise their children. In years past, Mr. Leichsenring and his wife would often sit outside on their porch with friends and neighbors and pass the summer nights away talking while grandchildren played in the lawn. This gathering of friends and neighbors was a nightly occurrence that is now a rare occasion.Most people are now too busy with their schedules to take the time to get to know the neighbors that they have. This once tight-knit community has been reduced to just another suburban housing development.

Tokyo Japan When one thinks of Tokyo, Japan, it is usually technology that is given the forefront of thought; this was not always the case. In the sixteenth century Tokyo was a small fishing village named "Edo". During this time, feudal lords fought to gain total control of the country and in 1603, Tokugawa leyasu seized control of Edo.He wanted to make it the most powerful city in the country and he succeeded in doing so by the next century. He had transformed Edo to the largest city in Japan and in the world, however because he was so strict he ended up closing Japan off to the rest of the world, in essence isolating them for more than two hundred and fifty years.

4 This isolation brought about customs and traditions that are very family oriented and some persist to this day. Even though they were isolated from the rest of the world, the Japanese relied on one another in much the same way the Pioneers did.The Japanese believe that cooperation and harmony among all members of a group is more important than an individual's desire to put his or her interests above all others. In North America, there is an extreme form of individualism and an emphasis on one's rights.

In Japan, each individual is important, however, he or she is not an isolated being. Each individual is a member of a team, whether a family, an office, a neighborhood, a community, or the country. The Japanese believe that whatever they do or say, they must keep in mind the interests of others.Cooperation in a group takes precedence over individual responsibility, authority, or initiative.

Traditionally, the role of the Japanese woman is to be at home, raising the children. Japanese wives usually have strict control over household affairs including the finances of the family and the all-important decisions on education for the children. In the world of business, you do not usually see Japanese women in management positions. Wives or girlfriends do not accompany businessmen to dinners or to evening entertainment.

There are of course, many women who work as clerks or O. L. 's (office ladies) until they marry. 5 Before World War II most Japanese lived in extended families of three or more generations.

Family relationships were governed by a rigid hierarchical system, and parental authority was strong. Fathers commanded respect and obedience from their children and, in turn, offered the same to their own parents; married women were expected to faithfully obey their husbands and parents-in-law. The process of democratization after the war, however, transformed every aspect of Japanese family life.Especially important was the revision of the Civil Code in 1947, which gave women equal legal status with men in all phases of life, thereby abolishing the old patriarchal character of the family.

The lifestyle of the Japanese has been transformed enormously by the widespread use of modern household appliances, the expansion of the instant and frozen food industries, and the availability of ready-made clothing and other daily necessities. These conveniences have given families more time for leisure, educational, and cultural pursuits, particularly in the case of married women, who previously were tied down by household chores.With less time needed for housework and more time to spare for leisure, an increasing number of married women have been finding jobs, enrolling in courses at community centers or universities, or participating in volunteer activities. The spread of car ownership and of such household appliances as television sets, stereos, videocassette recorders, and air conditioners, as well as the increase in leisure time, signify a material improvement in the standard of living in Japan.A change in the social awareness of the nation in the wake of the information revolution of recent years has given rise to a qualitative improvement too. The people now are calling for greater opportunity for emotional fulfillment in the form of reduced working hours and more opportunities for participation in volunteer activities and other pursuits.

6 Personal observations of Gena Koelker that were gained during a trip to Japan can attest to both the influx of technology and the very social nature of the Japanese people.Gena observed that no matter where you looked, more so in the surrounding cities than in Tokyo itself, people were interacting. There were no malls to be driven to, and people seemed to buy only enough groceries for a few days. This may have been due to the fact that people either had to carry their parcels on their bicycles, on the subway, or walk with them.

However, this simple fact led to interactions of patrons of shops with vendors, and patrons with patrons. There was much smiling and most people seemed to have known each other for years.In the larger city of Roppongi or Tokyo, this was less evident. Although, a point to note; even in the larger city, where technology was creeping in on all sides, if you ventured into a smaller shop, the shopkeeper was quick to help you find what you were looking for or even suggest something that might be more suitable for you. Those who worked in office buildings did not seem as social as those who had a freer existence, perhaps an existence that was characterized by a lack of some technology.

Those people seemed to be the more friendly and almost seemed to be the happier of the two types of people, according to Gena's observations. This would cause one to ponder the following question: Could the rise isolation due to technology also be causing the risk of more stress to those who are isolated? Could new technologies be causing people to feel the need to purchase the newest technology and then spend hours alone mastering it only to find that another, newer technology has been introduced?