Bicycles in Society

"It all starts here, with a little ride, on little wheels, and big dreams..." Hawaii Chapter Bike Club

As I have stated in previous blogs, bicycles are a modern technology that are constantly developing, as they change and shape the society that we live in. The effects bicycles have on people are both as individuals and as mass groups through the world. Some of the ways that bicycles as a technology effect and change our lives is by impacting our environment, our financial and economic situations, our bodies through exercise, and even our social lives.

Although I am not a faithful advocate for the green movement in many areas of my life, I recognize the considerable part the bicycles play in the improvement of our environmental conditions. Biking as a means of transportation over cars, buses, or any other fuel burning transportation is much less harmful for the environment. Biking reduces pollution in our cities more than most people would imagine. At current, we are more likely to die from health risks associated with air pollution contributed by our vehicles than from vehicles accidents themselves. If even a small percent of car drivers began riding bikes regularly, emissions in our environment from automobiles would drop considerably, thus improving our health. However, with all technologies there is a considerable downfall. As companies (who support the green movement) encourage their employees to bike, they then have to shower and prepare for the work day when they arrive at the office. This costs the companies a considerable amount of money and reveals our dependency on the technologies in our society. As Rayna Rapp highlighted in her writings on the modern day sonograms, we become victims to the technologies we have developed. We as individuals become responsible for what we see (in the case of the sonogram article) or for the consequences of our technologies (the elements we encounter while biking).

Along with the environmental impact that bicycles have on our society, they also effect our financial and economical lives as well. Many Americans are beginning to bike to work, as well as many other places as well, and in doing so they save considerably in gas prices. Reports have shown that some will save $5,000 annually by biking instead of driving (http://money.blogs.time.com). Also, with the American economy in the condition that it is and with gas prices at an all time high, if more Americans rode bikes it would drive down the prices of gasoline. This change would impact our economy, thus improving life for all Americans.

Not only does biking impact our environment, our economy, and our wallets, but it also impacts our physique. Cycling as an exercise is especially helpful with people over 40 because of the low knee impact. Considering that many Americans are currently overweight, this is practical way that bicycles as a technology can truly shape our society.

Along with all of the impacts previously mentioned that bicycles contribute to our lives, they can also potentially effect our social lives as well. Many bicycling clubs have been established all over the nation. The clubs have a variety of purposes and effects in the lives of its members. Most clubs are by membership only and membership consists of planning and participating in several organized "rides" throughout the calendar year. Also, members communicate and share riding experiences with one another on a regular basis. Deep friendships are developed through the common passion for biking and social groups have stemmed from such interests. In fact, bikers are developing their own stereotypes in our society based upon the technology that they utilize. Similarly to Carol Stabile's "Shooting The Mother" article, the mother was lost within the world of technology as our identities often are when utilizing the technologies that have become so necessary in our lives.

http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-biking-reduce-air-pollution

http://www.chicagocyclingclub.org/

http://www.walletpop.com/2011/03/15/rising-gas-prices-got-you-down-think-different/

http://www.squidoo.com/cyclinggifts

Rayna rapp: Real-Time Fetus: The Role of the Sonogram in the Age of Monitored Reproduction

Van Dijick; Voyages in the Age of Endoscopy

Carol Stabile: Shooting The Mother

Supermarkets: An Actor in the Network

Everyone has to shop for groceries, unless you are a farmer, which most urban Americans are not. Being that I am a vegetarian, the way in which I interact with the supermarket might be a little different than most. I cannot just go to one store because most supermarkets such as Kroger or Schnucks do not offer the type of nutrition I need to maintain my protein, vegetable and fruit intake. Although such grocery stores as the ones aforementioned have installed designated spaces for vegetarian or organic items, they are paltry and don’t offer a variety such as other organic markets do.

While shopping, I am very selective because, like most, I am looking to find a bargain. One of the best vegetarian markets to shop at is Whole Foods, but with the great variety and quality they offer customers comes a high price. Therefore, I have to obtain most of my non-perishable items at Kroger and then traverse town to get my fresh veggies, fruits, and vitamins at Whole Foods.

My identity as a vegetarian at the grocery store cannot be concealed being that my basket is full with vegetables and meat substitutes, for all to see, nor can it be hidden when I am away from the store interacting in my daily life. For one thing, we all have to eat and when and where we do it plays a role in what we choose to consume. The grocery store is a technological agent that plays a role in the everyday relationship that I have to food.

As described in Culture + Technology, agency is a “process and a relationship” as opposed to the normative view of agency as a person who has the intention of obtaining an end goal through other agents or “tools”. Instead, technologies participate in our daily activities, which have a relationship to agency, and the type of technology chosen changes the ways in which we do things. For instance, one may see shopping at the grocery store as just that of obtaining food items, but the actual store, the particular technology, is a part of the experience. In my case, the store I choose effects the type-vegetarian- and quality of food I obtain, the price of the goods, healthiness or unhealthiness of the food bought (embodied or culturally perceived), the ways and the pace that I move around in the grocery social space, and the distance I travel to get there. In this way the grocery store as a technology is not just a “tool” that I use with a specific intention, but creates other factors that I might not have intended.

Technologies are also actors in a concept called Actor- Network Theory, which “involves the concepts of actors, translation, delegation, and prescription…” Michel Callon and Bruno Latour define an actor as “ any element which bends space around itself, makes other elements dependent upon itself and translates their will into a language of its own" (p.118). Likewise, the grocery store bends space around it when I use a shopping cart, create and carry my grocery list, bring in my re-useable shopping bags (if I remember to put them in my car). It also effects if I have additional elements at my home, such as a refrigerator, oven or microwave, and proper storage space. 

 Drawing from second part of Callon and Latour’s definition of actor, the grocery store is dependent upon people to purchase the items to keep the mechanism working and similarly, people are dependent upon the grocery store to supply the consumable goods for nourishment that we no longer produce ourselves. Thirdly, the market translates food into a mathematical language, a price tag. It also translates it into a certain type of food one that is culturally dominant. In my own case, food for carnivores or food that is culturally accepted as “food.” 

                                                                                                 

Another component of Actor- Network Theory is delegation. In this view, we delegate a task for the supermarket to produce and handle the food so we don’t have to do it ourselves. I no longer do the work; instead the supermarket systematically does it for me. The supermarket prescribes certain habits and customs back to our bodies. Latour defines prescription as “the kind of delegation from technologies back to humans” (119). The supermarket prescribes back to us what food is. Whether it is a particular taste, a certain brand, a certain visual display or description on the box, food inscribes habits back to us through how we purchase and what we purchase.

DDT and ME?

     Well, it does not mean much to you at all, unless you live in another country for most of the summertime/insect time. DDT was BANNED in the United States in 1972. It is only made here, exported, and kept in storage in case of public health emergencies, such as an outbreak of Malaria. Not that it would matter in the long run because the insects would quickly build a resistance to it, and the environmental problems would happen all over again. Also, thousands would be dying from Malaria anyway, let it be known that DDT has NEVER stamped out the disease because of resistance the bugs built up. Countries that use DDT are those located in tropical climates most associated with insect spread diseases like Typhus or Malaria. Some of these places are Bolivia, Ethiopia, Thailand, and Nepal (which is not tropical, i admit,) In these countries, tons of DDT is sometimes still used, not just for outbreaks. Other countries have taken the plunge to get rid of using DDT like the U.S. like Mexico. Although, even after its abolition programs our neighbor is still having residual problems with the chemical.
     Anywho, I digress, now to talk about theory, yes. Well, it is all about humankind’s control over nature is it not? We do not want our soldiers and or workers dying because of easily manageable diseases (easy because we have DDT-like substances). And for the love of god we cannot have the prices of crops go up to ruin the day of Suzy Homemaker because of a boll weevil outbreak. It has been believed, for many centuries in this country, that man has dominion over nature (It is in the bible so it must be legit? Right? Click!). Whenever you read an old history textbook it mentions how the parading pilgrims brought civilization to the “wilds” of North America. There’s a type of binary language going on, lots of “primitives,” “savages,” “dark,” while the European influence on the wilderness is, “extracting potential,” “civility,” “light of god.” Back in the day no one really questioned this use of language because those that learned this might have learned it from their parents who possibly experienced, “Manifest Destiny” second hand from their grandparents.    
     Before we hurrah the end of DDT we must remember that DDT was just replaced by another man made chemical and it was called, Methoxo, and it too was banned in 2003. There are more safer alternatives to DDT coming along that are just as potent, but they are a long way off. Despite the current change in thinking, many still find that man's dominion over nature is important. Though, we must remember things like DDT just were not used for the perfect crop, but for the elimination of pest species that cause millions of deaths. The thought of dominion is tainted by the subjugation of native peoples and the effects of the industrial age on us all. But really, this technology is just an answer to preventing imperfection, imperfection in the forms of spotty apples and death. Technology is important to our culture because like Manifest Destiny its a sign linear progress. Progress to everyone being alive and eating tasty genetically modified pest free apples. But we must remember to be studious in watching what we develop in our arms race against Mother Nature.

Infuse Bone Graft rhBMP-2: The new future of bone growth

There are a few reasons in which I chose to write about Infuse Bone Graft for my technology. Medical technology is well on its way to being able to do things to the human body that we never have imagined. If we take a look around we see people who are able to move around due to prosthetics and medical devices that give them and us the ability to live life comfortably. According to Alice Dreger author of the article entitled Metaphors of Morality in the Human Genome Project, she discussed a cartoon with James Watson being wrapped in an American flag. She stated, “The result was that, in this picture, not only was a “statesman of science” wrapped in the flag of the U.S., genetics and the genome literally formed part of the fabric of America.” That same thing that is happening in the genetics field is happening in the medical device field. More and more procedures are being developed everyday to enhance medical device surgeries to help the patients recover quickly and also to be able to eliminate any types of diseases that people have acquired in life. Infuse Bone Graft is one of the latest and most efficient ways of Bone Grafting surgery in the medical field, which is why I chose to write about it.

This magnificent and ingenious creation is what many people would like to say is close to playing God. Scientist have found a way to break down the elements of the bone growing process and figured out what proteins our bodies use to do so, then put it into putty form, and then developed a procedure to inject it into humans. At first one may not think this is extraordinary, but when you see that it grows back stronger then our own bone can it makes the mind wonder. If we can develop an element to regenerate stronger than bone, and it be healthy enough to put in our body we could eventually be unbreakable right? Maybe we are well on our way to being machine like. The pondering aspect of where this technology is headed is just one reason I chose to write about Infuse. The main reason I chose to write about it is because something has to be said about a product that has won the Prix Gallien award for two years in a row for biotechnologies. This product stands on a podium of its own, and there is nothing out there that can compete with it so far. It is products like Infuse that get nominated for the Prix Gallien Award that lead us to what our book Culture + Technology says about technologies that are leading us to the question of “At what point does someone become “more machine now than man” (p.169). More advancements are being made with better prosthetic limbs and better ways to transplant organs. Pretty soon when something almost seems as if it is going to hold you back from what is considered “normal” you are going to be treated for your condition and then come out of surgery with a advantage on life. At this rate plastic surgery will be on the out and medical technological advancements to our selves will be what we are paying for. Infuse Bone Graft is just the beginning of what medical device surgery is to become.

Infuse Surgery (Not Graphic)

Genetic Images

HAIR WEAVE...WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT IT?...THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW

<-----Me With Weave

^Invisible Part

<----Me With Weave

^My hair is out @ the top

Hair weave has became an essential part of my life,because it's easier to manage and gives me a sense of beauty.Being a full time student, working at Federal Express, and being a mother, I barely have time for "me".Getting my hair done is something that I have always loved to do,but its hard going once a week or every so many days.When wearing weave the styles last longer and it causes less damage to the hair, such as excessive heat by curling and flat ironing.I can get a sew-in that could last a month or so depending on the quality of hair I use and how I keep the maintenance up on the hair.A sew-in is time consuming it could take around two hours,yet it lasts for months at a time.The hair is braided in circles around the head, and the weave is sewed in with a hair needle and thread.In order for the hair to stay presentable,for long periods of time, the hair must be of good quality.Remy Indian Hair is by far one of the best brands of hair,Indian hair appears to be healthy and thin and can be easily assumed to be my natural hair.Remy ranges from around 80 to 100 dollars, and most people use two packs,such as myself.At times I can not afford to buy Remy hair.I have to settle for that's not of good quality for that price that I can afford, hair weave is unequally delegated. Remy only suits those who can afford to pay for the advantages and the quality of Remy hair.

Remy Indian Straight & Wavy Hair

<-----A Sew In

In the Culture and Technology book Slack and Wise mentions how technology prescribes behaviors, attitudes, and values back onto humans (pg.119). When I wear hair weave I have a different attitude and I behave differently, as if the hair weave created something new."A French sociologist Michael Callon and Bruno Latour defines an actor as any element that bends space around itself, it makes elements depend upon itself,and translate their will into a language of its own(pg.118)." The book gave an example of bending space around itself, which was when a person walks down the street and sees a angry dog the person crosses the street.So that person bends space around the dog, who is the actor in this situation, by readjusting their route.When I wear hair weave I pick the color and texture that is closes to my hair color and texture,so that it can blend in with my natural when I leave some of my hair out.If I get an invisible part sew in I can pick any color hair I want because all my hair will be braided down.When I sweat my natural hair gets nappy as it does when it gets wet and no longer blends in with the weave.I work out doors therefore I have to bend my space around the weave by adjusting how hard I work. I have to alter my daily routines."Technologies make other elements dependent upon them. Technologies also depend on other elements (pg.118)."I depend on hair weave to give me confidence and make life more convenient.The hair weave depends on me to buy it,wear it, and take care of it like it was my own ."In terms of actor-networks,to translate means to alter the form of something to bring it into alignment with the technology system and culture (pg.119)." When I wear hair weave I give off the impression that I have a good grade of hair if its assumed to be mine natural hair.An that I spent alot of money on the weave if its assumed not to be mine.In that moment, the technology translate whats assumed about me into something different simply because of what I wear or how I wear my hair.Just as sentences are translated from one language to another to facilitate understanding, assumptions are products of what people understand or think they understand therefore, hair weave facilitates another meaning of what is assumed about me. Hair weave, in my opinion, is one of the best technological advances for women,because it allows women who have lost hair or their hair is hard to manage to have a second option to feeling and looking beautiful.

NOVA - The Miracle of Life 1983

This is the documentary that the "Shooting The Fetus" article mentions