Hall + Nakamura
I think we can all agree on two things here: 1) both of these pieces had their fair share of dryness, and 2) they were both equally important. One of the great things about the rise of the internet is its ability to serve as a dispenser of reality checks in this current stage of the 21st century. So many truths can fall through the cracks in the midst of a “progressive” era.
Hall had a valid point in his explanation of ideologies: “Ideologies produce different forms of social consciousness, rather than being produced by them.” The only thing that’s missing here is the origin of the ideology. We adopt certain mentalities as a result of our upbringing and formative education. Once an ideology is set, it becomes the lense and filter through which we perceive the world and interact with those around us. Because our environments reinforce what we think, we begin to believe that our ideology, which in fact is only a mere facet of the array of mental models in existence, is a “truth” in its own light.
Many would agree that this has become the case in American society. Given our historical narrative, it’s not surprising that the overarching train of thought in this country is one that harbors sexist, racist, and classist components. This, of course has spilled into the online world and has created the “monoculture” that Nakamura points out in her piece. The internet, where the anonymity factor is ideally supposed to grant freedom to individuals of all identities, tends to greatly reinforce the non-representation experienced on those three grounds mentioned and many others. Countless statistics show that there is a disproportionate minority representation of content makers and producers in the digital world. On top of that, many people in those marginalized groups, when given the chance to showcase their thoughts and talents online, often do so without divulging the true nature of their racial identity. This makes the question Nakamura poses in her article ever more interesting: “How do we begin to understand the place of authenticity, in particular racial and cultural authenticity, in the landscape of new media?” I don’t know what to make of this, only a new question:
Can a place for racial and cultural identity truly ever exist in new media?
Given the never-ending array of oppressive forces in every corner of the world, I guess not. But that’s not to disregard the online communities that have taken shape for the sole purpose of embracing and showcasing underrepresented voices. Whether full inclusiveness will ever be a reality, it seems that only time will tell. We will need a major reality check and shift in mainstream ideology (one which spans far beyond the parameters of the digital realm) in order for that to happen.
