Looking at a Culture: Steampunk

Possible Influences of Steampunk on Modern Culture

            Let me begin by defining “steampunk”:

“Steampunk is a subgenre of alternate-history science fiction, typically set in a pseudo-Victorian culture. The aesthetic divulged by steampunk is essentially retrofuturistic since the time zone it portrays is not the future as we might imagine it today but rather the future as imagined by the technovisionaries of past epochs. This sensibility is associated with the works of the pioneering science-fiction author Jules Verne (1828-1905) and with those the historian and illustrator Albert Robida (1848-1926). Steampunk was brought back into vogue in 1990 by William Gibson’s and Bruce Sterling’s novel The Difference Engine, a synthesis of cyberpunk motifs and Victorian culture.”  (Cavarallo, 2009)

If you didn’t understand any of that, allow me to give you some more clues that could paint a canvas for you. A hero of steampunk is H. G. Wells and some more current references include movies such as Wild Wild West, or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Or, if you are more interested in gaming, perhaps Final Fantasy 7 or Myst could give you a better idea.

            Those who adhere to a steampunk lifestyle often speculate about what the world would be like if the future hadn’t happened so quickly. For example, they think about how modern machines would work if they were powered by steam engines. But, in other cases, steampunk can envision a historical world with modern elements. To give you a better idea, think the Victorian age with laser pistols. (McFedries, 2004)

            What makes steampunk popular amongst its followers? Well, it’s mostly a response to modern consumer technologies. Sure, it’s all streamlined and perfect, but at the end of the day there’s nothing to tinker with. You can’t take it apart and rebuild it yourself. There are no screws. You can also compare steampunk’s reclamation of technology to the original punk revolution’s recapturing the music industry. Steampunk basically says: if you don’t like it, tinker with it until you do! (Grossman, 2009)

            Now we come to the question of “What could the steampunk culture contribute to modern society?” Ideally, steampunk cultures strive toward “complete” knowledge as a possibility. Physically tangible and observable machines create an emotional connection between machine and user, thus enabling accessible knowledge of machinery to everyone. All cultures of people will be able to know and use machines. (Onion, 2008)

            Another byproduct of the steampunk culture is its application in the world of education. Because of its characteristics as a subculture of punk which re-envisions the past’s idea of today, any teacher can easily use it to spark interest in physics, history, mechanical engineering, computers, and most importantly, the foundation of punk: “do it yourself”. (Stevens, 2010)

            I admit that you may not be ready to run home and adopt steampunk as your lifestyle of choice, but I stand with the argument that it will be as advantageous to societal trends as the original punk culture was. Punk restored music to the masses, now steampunk is reclaiming technology. Punk advocated DIY projects that ultimately led to the advocacy of “going green”, a large and healthy trend in society lately. Steampunk advocates a retro-neo-visionary perspective which could lead to the advocacy of overhauling of education into a more effective and productive method by re-evaluating out-dated theories on the topic.

            Even though we may not be able to foresee where steampunk will take us, I believe it is a great train to get on. However, it is still waiting for its pop-culture rocket to launch. It has yet to reach the knowledge of the masses, let alone their support. Hopefully the world will understand the cultural strengths it has to offer and climbs aboard the steam-powered train.

Bibliography

(2007). Retrieved May 5, 2011, from BoingBoing: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/04/27/steampunk_guitar.html

Blog. (2008). Retrieved May 5, 2011, from Ninja Vs. Penguin: http://www.ninjavspenguin.com/blog/2008/01/26/steampunk-nerf-guns/

Cavarallo, D. (2009). Anime and Memory. McFarland and Company Inc.

Grossman, L. (2009). Steampunk: Reclaiming Tech for the Masses. Times Magazine .

Kankuro, D. G. (2004, 2007). Define Term. Retrieved May 10, 2011, from Urban Dictionary: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=steampunk

McFedries, P. (2004). Word Spy. Random House Inc.

Onion, R. (2008, Autumn). Reclaiming the Machine. Retrieved May 5, 2011, from Neo-Victorian Studies: http://www.neovictorianstudies.com/past_issues/Autumn2008/NVS%201-1%20R-Onion.pdf

Steampunk Blog. (2010). Retrieved May 5, 2011, from Daily Steampunk: http://www.neovictorianstudies.com/past_issues/Autumn2008/NVS%201-1%20R-Onion.pdf

Stevens, K. (2010). Freak Nation. F+W Media Inc.

Evaluation of Goals

I want to learn to communicate effectively with everyone. My ideal career goal has variety of perspectives in which communicating with people from other cultures will be of great value. So, one of my goals for this class is to soak up as much information as possible and learn to apply it appropriately.

I have two WONDERFUL nephews ages 8 and 3. They are both autistic to a degree so communication with them is difficult at times. Actually, I find it challenging to converse with children in general so being with my nephews can especially tax me not just intellectually but emotionally as well. In every day functioning I am confident in my communication skills. But when I interact with my nephews I realize just how limited I truly am. I'm limited to communicating with people who are my peers, or who share my level of intelligence, or my religion or economic background, educational level, etc. I'm LIMITED! And that is incredibly emotionally frustrating. Therefore, my second goal of this class is to expand my communicational skills to people not like myself. I want to spend time with my nephews and make them smile. I want to give them what they need to feel loved and accepted. Most importantly, I want to enable their success as they grow within the world.

This is what I had to say at the beginning of the semester when I discussed my goals for the class. I can say with confidence that I met these goals. Most of the class dealt with issues I already had a lot of thoughts and feelings on. These helped me firm up my perspectives or even ask new questions about them. Another part of the class dealt with topics I hadn't ever given much thought to, not because I didn't care, but because they are less immediate to me. At these times I became more aware of the world as a whole unit or how other parts of the world were so incredibly different from my own. Overall, I learned everything I wanted to and more from this class. It gave me confidence and awareness that I was lacking before.

On the other hand, now that I look on it in hindsight, there is one thing lacking: How to deal with those who are hostile to us. Whether they are against me personally for whatever reason or they are against one of my friends for whatever reason, what can I do? Of course I don't want to be overtly confrontational, but one of the main problems that I have realized throughout this class is that tolerating intolerance doesn't help the situation. That's almost as bad as being apathetic. So what can I do? What words can I say? I'm tired of just shaking my head and walking away from "haters". I'm tired of letting the "bullies" think they've won. But I don't want to start a fight or a battle or a war. I think that's one thing I would have liked to have discussed.

Freedom Writers

Hilary Swank is one of my favorite actresses and I have wanted to watch this movie for a while, now I finally had a reason to!

Freedom Writers is an incredibly moving film and brings up a lot of issues. First, Erin's determination to teach. She was stuck with the most unreachable kids, wasn't given any resources, and she still made it work. She put her heart and soul into not only educating her students to the public standard, but giving them the opportunity to have a higher quality of life and encouraging them to take it.

Next, issues of discrimination and hate are the driving force in this movie. These kids were brought up their entire lives being told that no one except their own culture could understand them or that they would never have anything in common with someone different than themselves. But as they read about the horror stories of others they realized that they were not alone and that caring for others can be difficult but much more fulfilling than hating others.

To me, the best part was Eva's decision to tell the truth in her testimony. Her entire life the "right thing" to do was look out for her "kind" because they were the only ones that would look out for her, but after opening her mind to the powerful words of a guest speaker she re-evaluated her decision and had a change of heart.

This film is based on a true story of tolerance, understanding, and acceptance, the three things we have been learning about this semester in this class. I'm glad this class is offered at WSC and hopefully other campuses around North Dakota. We are a sparsely populated state and we have the luxury of rarely facing these social issues throughout our lifetimes. However, that is no excuse for us to act in a way that doesn't convey tolerance, understanding, and acceptance. I realize that it is our right by United States law to be idiots and that for whatever reason, a lot of us are. But I try not to be. The only problem I have with people are those who want to live in a world of separation and hate.