Technology Diary: Books

The piece of technology I chose to discuss today is one that people probably do not associate as “technology” anymore, but I believe that books were one of the first forms of technology as they helped to spread new ideas. The two readings assigned specifically focused on the categories assigned to people based on sexual orientation and race. As referred to in the Somerville reading, scientists wished to categorize people, especially women, by their sexualities and races, and connected these two concepts to the appearance of their genitalia. Books have always been considered extremely good for a society, and higher literacy rates usually mean a wealthier and more successful society. However, these research “experiments” are perfect examples of how books and scientific journals and other outlets of “higher learning” can harm rather than help. People were so desperate to learn in the name of “science” that they ended up exploiting those who they were studying (like Sarah Baartman). All of this was done in the name of education, and the findings, however skewed they were, were used to “educate” the masses in the literate Western world.

I love books and education – especially education about people. I have always found myself fascinated by scientific studies in the field of anthropology and psychology, and it’s clear that in the past few hundred years, others shared my interest. However, sometimes what scientists believe to be true, what they have “discovered” in their “research” may not be true at all, which is why it is important to look at everything we read with an open and questioning mind. During the time of these studies discussed in the Somerville reading, these studies supported what is referred to as “scientific racism.” Books involving scientific research were a very gendered form of technology, as they were mostly aimed towards (white) men, while “novels” and “romances” were aimed towards (white) women. So many people were learning extremely racist concepts and ideas, backed up by “science.” It definitely makes me think of books in a different way, because what could I be learning now that is only a result of pseudoscience and preconceived notions? On the bright side, people are learning new things every day because of books, new things that leave us with more open minds instead of closed ones. Overall, I think that books are a great form of technology, but it is very interesting to think about how they can also lead to something bad.