The Talker of Facebook - Talking Stick Power!!!
By Alice Carter
For years now my world of Facebook has been a torrent of different opportunities for one’s self to speak their mind. This virtual network not only creates power of the written word; but also brings with it power to a certain cultured group or idea. As Laurie McNeill said in her biography “There is no“I” in Network: Social Networking Sites and Post-human Auto/Biography” (Vol.35 2012), Facebook uses it’s globally, persuasive concept to enable people to culturally shape themselves and communities in important ways.
Being able to shape self and community through Facebook, looks at the main concept of power, and how it empowers the self that it is focused on. Linking this to who would have the talking stick, uses an example of the community on Facebook, who encouraged the “Rainbow Flag” in reference to equality in marriage. It is still unknown who started the “Rainbow Flag - #lovewins” ideology on Facebook. In saying that, I was able to use logic to conclude that it empowered the homosexual culture, using the power of communication (the rainbow flag going globally/locally viral within days of it’s beginning). Using the knowledge about how viral this ideology went, it very much ‘facilitates’ communication between all cultural groups; weather it be the groups of heterosexual or homo sexual people.
In reference to the Week 6 lecture (Luyn Van, A. Networked Narratives: Intertextuality. LearnJCU, Power Point. 2015) the writers of self narratives (or in this case communal narratives) may not always have control over how their idea’s get shared. This can conclude the argument that no matter what intentions the written word had to begin with, the concepts of power and communication will be what shapes culture and community.
References
McNeill, L.There is no “I” in Network: Social Networking Sites and Post Humanism/Biography. Vol.35 2012
Luyn Van, A. Networked Narratives: Intertextuality. Learn JCU, Power Point 2015
Hey Ali, I thought that your blog this week was well thought out, with a number of valid and accurate points. I especially like the point that you have made in reference to the talking stick, and how this has empowered a movement towards homosexual equality. One thing that I could suggest when making your next blog is to have a look at the JCU libguide that shows you step by step how to correctly in-text reference. It would help the flow of your blog dramatically and allow the reader to properly engage with the blog instead of slowing down the reading. One more thing that would be beneficial for your future blog would be to proof read and structure you next post a little better. The last paragraph was difficult to comprehend because it had no real discussion, you have just made a blank statement.
ReplyDeleteSo many good points here, about power and connection on Facebook, however as I recently noticed there is another side to this. The “love wins rainbow filter” was a brilliant start for equality, and empowering message to people across the world, yet unfortunately it seems to have had little impact in the “real” world. Online the trend was massive in new pop culture, and it was widely embraced for good reason, yet it truly has done nothing really to help empower those still struggling to achieve equality. Many countries (including Australia) all but rejected the unbelievable popularity of gay rights and showed without a shadow of a doubt that the power displayed online doesn’t seem to have value, begging the question “What does internet popularity actually mean?” In an ideal world the voices that are shouting for change online would equate to constant and relentless protests and riots (more so than there already are), yet it seems, in the minds of people online power just does not hold up in the real world and as long as there is the negative or fake connotation to the virtual world this power gap will never close.
ReplyDeleteBibliography
Kuttainen, V. (2015). Narritives and Power. Networks, Narritives and the Making of Place, Lecture 6 Week 6.
Kuttainen, V. (2015). Power and Networks . Networks, Narritives and the Making of Place, Lecture 1 Week 1.
McNeill, L. (2012). There Is No "I" in Network: Social Networking and Posthuman Auto/Biography. Biography, 3.