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Shawn South
DanThornton
Media 101
03 June 2003
Reaction to Jerry Mander's In the Absence of the Sacred
Jerry Mander, in his book; In the Absence of the Sacred, argues that the wholesale and uncritical embracing of technological advances has been harmful to our society. (27-28) While I agree that technology has in fact created dramatic changes in lifestyle, interaction and processing external stimuli, I disagree both with Mander's presumption that most of these changes are bad and many of the supporting arguments he makes. His perceptions and assumptions may have held some weight in his own social circles of the time, but I don't find them indicative of public views and attitudes – neither now nor when I was growing up. Furthermore, I would propose that neither technology nor technological advance itself is not to blame for the negative aspects which Mander presents. (27-28) Advancing technology has made possible vastly new ways of acquiring, processing and storing information, not to mention numerous methods and styles of communication with larger numbers of peoples than ever previously possible. This is a massive change in lifestyle over an extremely short period of time. Yet while homo sapiens did achieve their superiority as a species because of their amazing ability to adapt to ever-changing conditions, they have not adapted at anywhere near the same rate with which technology has advanced. It is this disparity – between the current state of technology and our social maturity, if you will – which is the true issue. Technology is not to blame. Our growth as a society (or lack thereof) is not to blame. If anything is to blame, it is the difference between these two pillars of reality.
Let us look specifically at Mander's arguments regarding computers and the changes that they have affected in our nation and culture. (53) In discussing employment, Mander states that the computer industry has actually stolen jobs from human beings, rather than providing the promised “new kinds of careers and new kinds of industry”. (56) While it is true that increased automation and robotic technologies made possible by computers have resulted in the loss and reduction of some types of jobs, new industries have been created and the introduction of new jobs has been seen. Computer research, manufacturing, testing, sales, support and repair are all new industries established as a direct result of the mainstream creation and adoption of the computer. Likewise for software research, development, testing, sales and support. Retail establishments have grown, thereby hiring more employees, as a result of the increased efficiency provided by computers. Record keeping has become more important, as has the depth of information available to be stored, indexed, sorted and sifted – requiring yet more analysis, development, implementation and deployment by human workers.
Mander states that computers “are eliminating the middle class” and that “they can't afford to buy houses any more”. (57) Does not the rising cost of housing perhaps have something to do with this? I sincerely doubt that the majority of middle America is unable to buy a home for the sole reason that they have “[lost] their job[s] to robots”. (Mander 57) And how exactly are we defining “middle class”? Most people I've known who were considered middle class worked in retail establishments, service-oriented businesses, professional offices and the like. Some were blue-collar workers, some wore suits and ties but all of these careers have resisted being replaced by computers, robots or other forms of technological automation.
In schools, says Mander, “computers are replacing teachers and teaching functions” and that they have “enabled school systems to get along with fewer teachers”. (61) Again I am left to wonder at the world Mander purports to live in, and how it just doesn't match the world I know. Such a scenario may have been the original vision (or nightmare), but the reality has been quite different. All through my high school years and beyond, with ever increasing concern, the yearly lament from both voters and school districts has been the lack of available teachers. Every election sees a new levy asking for more money to attract more, and more qualified, teachers. Teacher strikes, with the same complaints and requests, have been an almost yearly event. Among teachers and families of teachers that I've known, an additional major complaint has been the scarcity of and difficulty in getting computers for their classrooms. Until very recently, most schools just haven't seen the influx of computers predicted decades ago.
Mander also contests the idea that computers make children smarter (62). So do I. A computer is simply a tool. On it's own it doesn't have any more ability to raise intelligence than does a ruler, a three-ring binder or a pencil. What a person can do and learn with those tools is the true measure of intelligence. A computer provides access to information – far more information than a ruler, or even a book. But along with larger quantities of information comes larger quantities of incorrect, misleading and/or inaccurate information. Our task, as a society attempting to keep pace with technology, is to learn to process, sort and evaluate that information efficiently. Learning to effectively use the tool known as a computer is what will increase a child's intelligence, not the presence of the computer itself.
Surveillance and privacy is one area where I agree that the general population has not paid nearly enough attention. (Mander 63) The problem is not newly created by computers, however. This is, in fact, an excellent example of my assertion that our society has not kept pace with, and adequately adapted to, the changes in technology. Anyone who believes that telephone conversations and letters they've written are truly private, never to be seen or heard by anyone other than the intended recipient is deluding themselves. Employers have always spied on their employees. Any garbage can is, and always has been, ripe pickings for personal and confidential information. This is not a new development. In fact, the mass acceptance of computers has actually done us a favor in this regard by finally bringing the issue to the social consciousness. True, this recent awareness is accompanied by much knee-jerk alarmism but knowledge is power and we are better for finally having the topic on the table.
This leveling of the playing field with regards to knowledge further gives the lie to Mander's assertion that corporations and governments are the primary ones to benefit from computers. (68) Any organization or individual, no matter how small and insignificant in terms of power and money, now has access to the same publishing venue as the most massive corporation: The Internet. Small businesses can use relatively inexpensive software to create their own brochures, flyers, menus, coupons, even business cards. Kits have existed for years that allow anyone to turn a computer into a complete voicemail system for a standard telephone line. Not to mention that, with the ever-changing nature of the industry, smaller organizations can much more easily react and modify their procedures and vision to take advantage of new developments. It may have been true in the early days of computers that large organizations with deep pockets held an advantage, but the continuing advancements of computer technology have consistently and continually eroded that advantage by providing more power and ability to every new iteration of the individual computer.
All in all, while I think Mander's recommendation of a holistic view and evaluation of technological advances is laudable, I feel he doesn't practice the objectivity he preaches. (49) Mander's conclusions are obviously colored by his environmentalist and anti-big-business views. (69) Many, if not most, of his arguments are superficial and don't stand up to scrutiny. He certainly raises issues worth thinking about and discussing, but I think his conclusions are highly suspect.
Works Cited
Mander, Jerry. In the Absence of the Sacred: The Failure of Technology & the Survival of the Indian Nations. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books, 1991