Michael's Project

For my final project, I want to explore the real possibility and absolute necessity of countering empire. After first building off the many proposals and anticipations in James Moore’s “The Second Superpower,” I want to focus on ‘digital divide’ issues—how those of us privileged with the technology we have learned about in class can and must use this privilege to empower those less fortunate, i.e., the 3 billion people who live on less that $2 a day.

I want to focus on connecting globally with these people. And not in some way like a telecommunications corporate commercial. Not the “globalization” that we know— “the world is flat,” Tom Friedman-type, reinforcing empire lies, but globalization from below. For this part of the project, I’ll probably focus on what globalization is in the first place. Right now, it is just one version international integration, and we need another that uses our technology to give power to the people instead of private interests (Chomsky).

I also want to explore the participatory aspect of the global technological culture that has been and needs to continue forming itself. For example, we are shaping technology and new media in the context of globalization at the same time that these things are shaping us—our identities and ideologies.

Then explore how indigenous and other oppressed/impoverished peoples who make up the majority of the human population can learn this technology, become literate in this medium and in dominant culture—not to succeed in it, but to dismantle it; keeping the good, demolishing the bad and beginning anew.

My site and essay will probably be called "Countering Empire" then have something about "21st Century Literacies" in it.