MIT2500 Midterm 1 Questions

Hourly 1 Study questions MIT2500B Winter 2024 - Lauren Levinsky The exam on Feb. 1st will consist of 15 questions selected from the following list of 35 questions. Please bring your own pens and/or pencils to write, and come to class knowing the name of your TA. Some questions on here: https://quizlet.com/ca/739232095/mit-2500-flash-cards/ Some questions on here too: https://quizlet.com/ca/778320623/mit-2500-midterm-questions-answers-flash-cards/ 1. In the article “Families don’t use landlines any more,” the author quotes Prof. Sherry Turkle discussing “the new silences of family life.” Explain what she means by the “new silences.” - Landline phones were a central point of communication in households. - Shared experiences, such as gathering around the phone, were common. - Family members were aware of each other's conversations and interactions and the landline served as a communal space for spontaneous connections. - Widespread use of smartphones then replaced landline phones. - Each family member now has an individual device and communication has become more private and individualized. - Shared experiences around a communal phone have diminished. Concept of "New Silences": - Prof. Sherry Turkle refers to the "new silences of family life." - Signifies a shift from communal to individualized communication and implies the loss of shared moments and experiences within families. - Describes a sense of isolation and privacy in modern communication. Impact on Family Dynamics: - The decline of landlines has altered the social dynamics within families. - Smartphones create individual technological spaces, isolating family members. - Turkle suggests that the shift has introduced a different form of silence. - The "new silences" highlight changes in communication patterns. - Turkle encourages the preservation of togetherness through special family time. - The article reflects on the evolving nature of family communication in the digital age. My short form answer: In Prof. Sherry Turkle's discussion of the "new silences of family life," the term signifies a shift from communal to individualized communication as landline phones, once central to households, are replaced by smartphones. This shift implies a loss of shared experiences and a sense of isolation in modern family communication. With individual devices, the communal space for spontaneous connections has diminished, highlighting changes in communication patterns. This transformation has impacted family dynamics, creating individual technological spaces and prompting Turkle to advocate for preserving togetherness through dedicated family time. The concept reflects the evolving nature of family communication in the digital age. 2. Julia Cho quoted Larry Rosen, who said cell phones “keep everybody separate in their own little techno-cocoons.” What is lost in this trend, according to Julia Cho’s article on the disappearance of the landline in family homes?

- The quote implies a sense of isolation and individualization in communication due to the prevalence of smartphones. - With landlines, family members shared experiences around a central phone. - The communal nature of conversations has diminished with individualized smartphone use. - Landlines facilitated spontaneous connections within the household. - Smartphones, being more private, lead to fewer unplanned interactions among family members. - Landlines played a role in bonding as family members participated in each other's lives. - Smartphones contribute to a more isolated environment, potentially impacting family bonding. - The shift from landlines to smartphones has changed the physical medium of communication. - Call environments have moved from shared living spaces to anywhere, affecting the sense of presence and connection. - In summary, the disappearance of landlines and the rise of smartphones result in a more isolated and individualized communication experience, potentially leading to a loss of shared moments, spontaneous connections, and the communal nature of family interactions. My answer: The disappearance of landlines and the rise of smartphones result in a more isolated and individualized communication experience, potentially leading to a loss of shared moments, spontaneous connections, and the communal nature of family interactions. The trend, highlighted by Larry Rosen's notion that cell phones "keep everybody separate in their own little techno-cocoons," signifies a shift from the communal nature of conversations around a central phone to a more isolated environment facilitated by individualized smartphone use. This change impacts family bonding and alters the sense of presence and connection within families. 3. Rebecca Solnit writes that with the rise of online communication “the quality of my emails deteriorated; after many years of marvelous correspondences it became hard to find anyone who still wrote anything resembling a letter. Everyone just dashed out notes about practical things, with maybe a little personal stuff in the mix, and you can’t get epistolary with someone who won’t receive it with enthusiasm, or at least I can’t.” Explain the larger argument Solnit is making with these observations. - Solnit is concerned about the decline in the quality of written communication. - She attributes this decline to the rise of online communication platforms. - Traditional letters, known for their depth and richness, have been replaced by emails. - Solnit observes that emails now focus more on practical matters, lacking the depth of traditional letters. - The immediacy of online communication contributes to this shift. - The art of crafting intimate, thoughtful letters has been eroded in the digital age. - The shift towards quick, practical exchanges may hinder meaningful connections. - Solnit's observations point to wider societal changes in communication patterns. - The potential consequences of this shift include a shallower form of interaction. Solnit is concerned over diminishing quality of written communication and says this is due to online communication platforms like email that take away the richness and thoughtfulness that we see in traditional letters. She says emails talk about practical matters over personal pens and that the

immediacy of emails contributes to the eroding art of writing thoughtful letters. She suggests this change will lead to shallower interactions due to less meaningful connections. 4. Solnit discusses a “slow everything movement.” What is this movement in response to, and how does it relate to Solnit’s larger arguments? - The "slow everything movement" is a response to the fast-paced technology and communication today. It encourages a deliberate slowdown in aspects of life, including communication, rejecting quick digital interactions for more thoughtful connection. She sees this as a solution to the decline in meaningful connections and wants a more fulfilling intentional approach to connect with others. 5. Rebecca Solnit writes that, before 1995, most people lived in a world that oscillated between solitude and communion. Explain what she thinks is happening with the rhythms of life now that we communicate over the internet and with smartphones. - Solnit observes that life before 1955 had distinct rhythms alternating between solitude and communion. The Internet and smartphones disrupted these rhythms, and constant connectivity diminished uninterrupted moments of solitude, replacing them with a stream of information and entertainment constantly. Used to to look out of windows on trains when bored but now we have our phones to always look at for entertainment and info, resulting in heavy reliance on tech for connection. 6. What do Slack and Wise mean when they define culture using Raymond Williams’ notion of “culture as a whole way of life”? - Culture is the formation, arrangement, organization of what we think, believe, feel, and do. It is experienced in everyday life, shaped by tradition and selection and is exhibited in the way we organize our lives. Culture influences our beliefs, feelings, and values and it is dynamic, involving changing relationships between the old, new, and what is being reconfigured. 7. Explain at least two definitions of culture mentioned in Slack and Wise that are different from Raymond Williams’ approach. - i think one can be that slack and wise focus on the relationship between culture and tech more than williams did (eg saying they interconnected) - Raymond just focused on culture Slack and Wise offer definitions of culture that diverge from Raymond Williams' approach in two key ways. Firstly, they emphasize the interconnectedness of culture and technology, highlighting the dynamic relationship between the two. Unlike Williams, who primarily focused on culture, Slack and Wise underscore the impact of technological advancements on cultural formations. Secondly, they extend the scope beyond traditional cultural domains, incorporating the influence of media, communication, and technology in shaping contemporary cultural landscapes. This broader perspective contrasts with Williams' more traditional focus on cultural expressions.

8. Slack and Wise wrote “Unfortunately, what is widely accepted as true does not always serve us well.” Explain at least two ideas about technology they suggest are widely accepted but not necessarily the best explanation. 1) Technologies and culture are two separate things - Slack and Wise agree that they are not the same, but believe that they are still interconnected - Tech influences culture, culture influences tech 2) Technology is central to what it means to be human - New technologies produce different versions of who and what we are (technology a part of our evolution) - Slack and Wise argue that cultural transformations aren't from one human to another, but from an inferior to a superior kind of human culture 9. Slack and Wise argue that, at any particular time, culture will express dominant values, residual values, and emergent values. Explain what they mean. **not sure if this is right but: - Societal norms and widely held beliefs may not always be true or represent the greater good of society - Just because something is commonly accepted, doesn't mean it is trustworthy - The knowledge you are least likely to question is based on what you accept as true without question, because knowledge is most strongly supported by the structures of culture and everyday life - Culture determines what we believe and value, but if everyone has different cultural backgrounds, we cannot value dominant ideologies - Dominant values: widely held beliefs within a society or culture (“Make a America Great”) - Residual values: values that are unique to a certain culture that have been historically passed down - may coexist or resist dominant values, potentially creating tensions or contradictions within cultures (Eg. Hanukkah) - Emergent values: newly emerging values, represent the evolving aspects of a culture - may challenge or question existing dominant values: emphasis on mental well-being and mindfulness. As individuals navigate the fast-paced and often stressful nature of modern life, there's a growing recognition of the importance of mental health. - Overall, demonstrates that culture is ever changing, and not static (Eg. mental health) 10. One of the first principles of this course is that “structure matters.” Briefly explain one example from course readings of how a non-technological social structure shaped the implementation or character of a particular communications technology. - Why does structure matter? - Technologies function in society because of how they are organized/structured, technological mediums are being introduced based on social structures at the time - Example: Raymond Williams describes Nazis (political social structure) wanted to influence /convince people to adopt their ideologies using 'mass-communication'