Cynthia Selfe

A.)       In the essay, “Lest We Think the Revolution is a Revolution”, Cynthia L. Selfe explains that technology is bringing us out of the past and forming the future. In the first narrative she talks about how the “global village” and the “Electronic colony” will bring us peace. This is supported when Selfe states, “the computer network that spans the globe will serve to erase meaningless geopolitical borders, eliminate racial and ethnic differences, re-establish historical familial relationship which binds together the peoples of the world regardless of race, ethnicity, or location” (Selfe 294). Since America is having a hard time bringing us peace, technology will do it for us. That is basically what this claim is suggesting. The “global village” which is the internet leaves out things like racism and by doing so eliminating peoples differences which will in return bring peace towards everyone. That is the means of the global village but the “Electronic community” seems to be a little more realistic if you ask me.

            In the second narrative, “Land of Equal Opportunity” and “Land of Difference” is introduced and has a different idea of things. It is saying that there is openness to it, and that any American no matter what race or gender is included in the principles of fairness towards things. It is basically the opposite of what the first narrative is stating. Narrative two is saying that no matter whom or what you are; technology will always be equal to you. Narrative three talks about the “Un-Gendered Utopia” and the “Same Old Gendered Stuff”. This Narrative is focused on genders and how technology can change passed stereotypes. Women are stereotyped as stay at home moms while men are stereotyped as being a working man who is in charge of supporting their family. Technology is trying to help change the views of people who believe these stereotypes and make it so that man and women are looked upon as equal.

B.) Claim #1: “In this story, Americans use technology to become world travelers, to learn about—and acquire knowledge of—other cultures, while remaining comfortably situated within their own living rooms and, thus, comfortably separated from the other inhabitants of the global village” (pg. 296-297).

Evidence: Cynthia L. Selfe supports this claim by showing us an ad that says “Welcome to the planet. One tribe. One world atlas.” This ad is covered with foreign icons and pictures relating to different parts of the Earth. Americans can find this on the web and feel like they are acquiring knowledge of other cultures while sitting comfortably in their homes in front of their computer.

Claim #2: “It is clear, for instance, that fewer girls use computers in public secondary schools than do boys, especially in the upper grades, fewer women enter the advanced fields of computer sciences than to males, that the computer industry continues to be a space inhabited by and controlled primarily by males. (p.306)"

Evidence: This essay was written back in the 1990’s where computers were still a pretty new invention. Since men invented the computer, it was aimed more towards pleasing their needs. For example computer games were designed to be made for the man’s enjoyment. You didn’t see too many women playing video games on their pc. This is why there were so many more males using computers in secondary public schools than there were females.