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. 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. 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. 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?
Greece (refer to powerpoint)
The Tie That Binds
In order to see how all of our observations come together, we must first understand the trends that are becoming apparent in today’s society. According to the book, “Technology and Society” societal values are changing rapidly. It states,
- Society will increasingly take its cue from generations X and dot-com, rather than the baby boomers that have dominated its thinking form most of four decades.
- In the future, both self-reliance and cooperation will be valued—self-reliance because we will no longer be able to fall back on Social Security, pensions, and other benefits; cooperation because group action often is the best way to optimize the use of scarce resources, such as retirement savings.
- Growing numbers of people now become entrepreneurs
- Information technologies promote long-distance communication as people hook up with the same commercial databases and computer networks, and above all the Internet
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Discount stores such as Home Depot and Wal-Mart, factory outlets, and food clubs will continue to grow in the United States, a trend that has just begun to spread to Europe and Japan.
These statements illustrate the fact that people no longer have the close ties that people did in an earlier age. When a person in the pioneer days shopped at a store, the shopkeeper knew them by name and by preference, something that you don’t find at Wal-Mart. Richard Florida gives a prime example of this in his book, The Rise of the Creative Class when he relates the following story:
“At the dawn of the millennium, on the morning of January 1, 2000, a new avatar of the New Economy made his debut. He was a twenty-six-year-old former systems analyst who had legally changed his name to DotComGuy. His website, DotComGuy.com, logged an astounding 10 million hits that New Year’s Day. People around the world watched on their computer screens, via webcam, as the bland-looking young man moved into a bland suburban house in North Dallas, Texas. There he would remain for the rest of the year, living entirely on goods and services ordered over the Internet: groceries from Food.com, housecleaning by TheMaids. Com, point-and-click pizza delivery and much more.”
If one person can exist for a year with no interaction whatsoever other than that of a computer screen, then could it not be argued that the invention of certain technologies are adversely affecting our socialization and in fact isolating us from one another? The table below shows how the activities of Americans have changed in a short 30-year time span. With the advent of technology, our free time has increased yet Americans have spent less time interacting with others and more time watching television or pursuing solo interests. Mr. Florida goes on to state,
“Another curious reversal is apparent. Generally, the active sports most popular with the masses in the early and mid-1900s were competitive, highly structured game sports. Working Class neighborhoods then were full of bowling leagues whose passing is so lamented by Robert Putnam; and they were also full of amateur baseball teams and sandlot football teams, boxing gyms and public swimming pools. They had church-league basketball and local track and field clubs for women and men alike. Most of the fast-growing active sports for adults today are the less structured ones . . .. growing numbers of people wish to set their own pace and create their own rules.”
All of the arguments presented in this paper have bemoaned the risk of isolation that technology is bringing with it with each advance. That is not to say that technology is a bad thing, nor is it suggesting that technological advances be stopped in any shape or form. Let us suppose, for one instant that during the time of the pioneers they had the ability to access the technologies of today, the question might remain would this country still have unsettled regions and unexplored wealths? Or to go further, would our Nation be the leader in the world in so many ways? Or would we, as a Nation, have stopped exploring and closed ourselves off from the outside world and simply hooked up to the Internet and ordered a pizza instead of discovering the wonders that our neighbors and our lands hold in store for us. There is much still to learn about the world and the country that we live in, can we really learn any of it by sitting down with the latest technology and turning a blind eye and deaf ear to those around us?
Opposing Viewpoint: Benefits of Internet and Isolation
The Internet can be considered the most extraordinary technology invented in the twentieth century. The original purpose of the Internet when it was designed thirty years ago was to provide a reliable way for America to communicate in a post-nuclear situation. The creators might not have imagined how popular the Internet would become nor how dramatic it would impact the society after thirty years. Today, the Internet has become one of the most controversial issues because the changes caused by the Internet are too sudden for the society to adjust. One of the controversies is that the Internet seems to make people more isolated because the Internet has allowed many tasks that could mean spending a lot of time and traveling long distance ten years ago to be easily done without leaving one’s chair. As a consequence, people neglect interaction with real people when they spend more and more time in front of the cold monitors. However, some believe the Internet does not foster isolation of individuals; instead, it provides a new way of interaction between people. The interactions between people are no longer local but are on a larger scale because geographic boundaries don’t exist on the Internet at all, so that communicating with your neighbors or a person thousands of miles away doesn’t make any difference. The invention of the Internet has enabled people to interact in many ways that only existed in science fiction decades ago. That interaction is very rarely face-to-face or verbal in any sense. Nowadays, the Internet has become a popular place for people to exchange their opinions on problems that they don’t have anyone to discuss with in real life. With the Internet’s help, people who are unable to attend schools because of their disability or location can now get education from schools thousand miles away. People who are isolated in real life discover that the Internet has provided them an alternative way to interact with people. The idea of going on the Internet for almost every thing isolates one from people, from culture, from education, and from face to face communication with other people. The Internet has offered people a variety of “other” ways to interact with people. These alternatives provide an upside or different way to look at the Internet and isolation
To begin, the Internet has given people an ideal place to exchange opinions with other people. Before the Internet was invented, when a person wanted to advocate his ideas, only a limited number of people in his local area were able to learn about his opinions. If the majority couldn't accept his ideas, he would become isolated from other people. Now with over 50 millions people connected to the Internet, a person doesn't need worry about that he will be isolated because he can't find someone who is in agreement with him. Besides, being able to express one's opinions more easily also creates the opportunities for others to get advice. In the article "The Virtual Community" by Barry M Leiner, the author asserts that the Internet is a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location. ¨Information dissemination¨ is one of the most important features of the Internet because the Internet enables larger amounts of information to travel at faster speeds so that more information will be available to those who need it. For example, in Urbana, Illinois, the Federal Department of Education has developed a website for parents, teachers, and community workers who have questions concerning children, financial assistance, and educational assistance. The advice might not necessarily be from professionals; however, the advice is more valuable because people who give advice on the Internet are those with real life experiences and those who see the problems on a more personal level. By providing individuals information and advice from real people all over the world, people no longer feel isolated when they encounter problems that they can't solve alone.
In addition, the Internet also provides people who are unable to get an education because of their physical disabilities or location the valuable opportunity of learning. Before the Internet was invented, people who had difficulties attending schools either becomes isolated from quality education or had to pay expensive tuition in order to hire private tutors. Nowadays, the Internet starts to play a more popular role as an educational source, and online lecturing is the product of such a trend. Online lecturing has the advantages of both a quality education and a convenient way of taking it. More and more educational facilities are starting to conduct courses on the Internet so that those who are disabled are no longer isolated; instead, the Internet has given them an opportunity to participate in group-activities. In the news article ¨Survey Shows a Sharp Rise in Net-Savvy Academics¨ by Pamela Mendels, the author indicates that 571 technology officials at two and four-year colleges around the country, found that professors are discovering and embracing the pedagogical possibilities of e-mail and the Web. The Internet has simply become an alternative way of lecturing in the classroom for those people who don't have easy access to educational institutions. For example, Kaplan College offers many computer courses online. The instructors post class materials and other resources on the Internet for students. The class meets in a virtual classroom, which is an online chat room and email, to ask instructors and their classmates’ questions about materials they don't understand. With the advanced technology today, some universities even offer videoconference lecture online so that teachers and students can meet face to face while both are in distant locations. With the Internets help, the dream of some disabled students has become reality. The Internet has opened the gate of knowledge to those people who might be isolated because of their illness or disabilities.
Also, the Internet has provided those who are in isolation because of their difficult situation a way to interact with people. Many people in today's society are forced to become isolated from other people not because they don't want to interact with others but because of the invisible barriers, such as languages, races, and social status, between them and other people, which they cannot overcome. The Internet has provided them a place where they can share their feeling with someone who cares about them. According to the article “Battle for the Soul of the Internet¨ by Joann Halbert, someone may feel that they are truly isolated from a world that they do not know so they meet people the easiest way they know how, online. Joann believes that the Internet has given those people who are isolated in real life an opportunity to interact with other people on the Internet. For example, In the San Francisco Bay areas there are coffeehouses with cheap access to an on-line chat area that even homeless people can afford. Many homeless people have come to find that these chat areas give them a sense of community and home. Homeless people are usually the group of people who are neglected by the society and it is meaningful for them to make friends who don't discriminate them for what they are and with who they can share their loneliness. Therefore, the Internet has become a tool of interaction with people for those who have difficulties interacting with others in real life.
Some would claim that the impression of being in a place that expands beyond the monitor and interacting with someone far away is only an illusion that the Internet has created. The term “cyberspace” has become so convincing to some people that they have been drawn to it and have become almost addicted. They argue that this “cyberspace” doesn't exist in reality because the basic elements that build up this virtual world are only electronic signals and computer programs, which cannot be used to substitute for the warmth and emotion involved in real human interactions. According to Daniel Brandt, who wrote the book Digital Drug, a person is nothing more than a cryptic e-mail address, and thus, disappears into the endless numbers of people as just another name in the crowd of information. He believes that what represents a person's identity on the Internet is only an e-mail address that doesn't carry any personal traits and characteristics, and people can choose to erase and create a new identity on the Internet anytime they want. Because the Internet is based on anonymity, these people conclude that the interactions on the Internet are meaningless since people don't take any responsibilities for what they have said and what they have done. These critics conclude that, eventually, people would discover that they still feel lonely and isolated because they can't form real relationships with other people on the Internet.
However, the anonymity doesn't prevent people from interacting with others; instead, it breaks down the barriers of interactions people have in the real world. On the Internet, people are equal without bearing any stereotype. You cannot judge a person without any reference to age, race, sex, and appearance and your sole references are his thoughts and ideas, which enable you to have a deeper understanding of this person. On the Internet, people have more opportunities to interact with those who they don't usually interact with in real life. For example, you might be more willing to hear what a 12-year-old child with a brilliant mind wants to say on the Internet than you might in real life. Because of anonymity, people whose physical handicaps make it difficult to form new friendships may find that the Internet provides them with a more comfortable environment in which they are treated the same way as others. Equality and understanding are the essentials of human interactions, and the Internet has provided a much easier way to achieve these goals.
Without a doubt, people are always concerned about the negative impact to our society when a new technology is introduced. They fear that the new technology will replace good traditions. For example, when the telephone was invented in the beginning of 20th century, people may have had the similar concern as people have about the Internet today. They feared that the telephone made communicating with others so easy that people no longer wanted to write mails, which they believed were more emotional than talking on the phone, or people no longer wanted to visit their friends in person because they could talk on the phone, and thus reduced depth of human interactions. However, it turns out that the telephone has much improved the quality of our lives, and so does the Internet. Today, the Internet literally provides the whole world at our fingertips. Users of the Internet are able to connect with a wide variety of people. Issues of isolation may not be as relevant as the benefits of cross-global interaction.
Risk Society reading page 33
Florida, Richard. The Rise of the Creative Class. New York: Basic Books 2002. 7
Ingalls Wilder, Laura. Little House in the Big Woods. New York: HarperCollins, 1932. 29
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Florida, Richard. The Rise of the Creative Class. New York. Basic Books. 2002 165
Florida, Richard. The Rise of the Creative Class. New York. Basic Books. 2002 175
Florida, Richard. The Rise of the Creative Class. New York. Basic Books. 2002 172