The Wrath of God: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary TV series
Based on the study of two contemporary mainstream TV series, we aim to analyze how massive cultural products showcase values and beliefs related to knowledge, science and technology. Through the comparative study between the first season of the TV series Westworld (2016) and the first season of The...
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad
2021
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/eticaycine/article/view/32569 |
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I10-R10-article-325692021-03-28T22:50:56Z The Wrath of God: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary TV series La ira de Dios: conocimiento, tecnología y control social en dos series de TV contemporáneas Roca, Alejandra del Piero, Gina Science and technology Knowledge Social control Memory Television Fiction Ciencia y tecnología Conocimiento Control Social Memoria Televisión Ficción Based on the study of two contemporary mainstream TV series, we aim to analyze how massive cultural products showcase values and beliefs related to knowledge, science and technology. Through the comparative study between the first season of the TV series Westworld (2016) and the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale (2017), which explore dystopia and science fiction, it is possible to draw similarities amongst the android’s, the handmaid’s and our own –each time more– illusory realities, in which the dominant segments employ certain strategies based on the unequal distribution of knowledge and technology. The initial proposal is very similar: in both series, it is sought to recreate an artificial analogue world that apparently lacks high technologies. The fragile success of these artificial worlds depends on the fact that their manufacturing footprints are erased: the beings that inhabit these places are forced to forget their previous identities. We suggest that in both series the alternative worlds fail in the end because the oppressed segments manage to recover their memory and to regain the prerogative of knowledge. We put into practice, in this comparative study, theoretical and methodological tools from Anthropology, Social Science & Technology Studies (SSTS) and Literary Studies. A partir del análisis de dos series televisivas del mainstream global, dirigimos nuestra mirada hacia el modo en que los productos culturales masivos ponen en circulación valores y creencias vinculados con el conocimiento, la ciencia y la tecnología. Al establecer puntos de comparación entre la primera temporada de la serie Westworld (2016) y la primera temporada de El cuento de la criada (2017), cuyas tramas abordan los terrenos de la ciencia ficción y la distopía, se ponen en evidencia aspectos que trazan similitudes entre los androides, las criadas y la realidad (cada vez más) ilusoria que habitamos, donde los sectores dominantes ponen en funcionamiento ciertas estrategias de control social basadas en la distribución desigual del conocimiento y la tecnología. La propuesta inicial es similar: en ambas series la premisa es la recreación artificial de un mundo analógico aparentemente despojado de las tecnologías de avanzada. El frágil éxito de esos mundos creados depende de que las huellas de su fabricación sean borradas: los seres que habitan allí están forzados a olvidar sus identidades previas. Sugerimos que en ambos casos el plan fracasa cuando los individuos que forman parte de los sectores oprimidos logran restituir la memoria y se reapropian de la prerrogativa del conocimiento. Abordaremos este estudio comparativo a través de herramientas teóricas y metodológicas provenientes de la antropología, los Estudios Sociales de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (ESCyT) y la teoría literaria. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad 2021-03-28 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/eticaycine/article/view/32569 Ética y Cine Journal; Vol. 11 Núm. 1 (2021): Segregación; 21-30 2250-5415 2250-5660 10.31056/2250.5415.v11.n1 spa https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/eticaycine/article/view/32569/33284 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ |
| institution |
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba |
| institution_str |
I-10 |
| repository_str |
R-10 |
| container_title_str |
Revistas de la UNC |
| language |
Español |
| format |
Artículo revista |
| topic |
Science and technology Knowledge Social control Memory Television Fiction Ciencia y tecnología Conocimiento Control Social Memoria Televisión Ficción |
| spellingShingle |
Science and technology Knowledge Social control Memory Television Fiction Ciencia y tecnología Conocimiento Control Social Memoria Televisión Ficción Roca, Alejandra del Piero, Gina The Wrath of God: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary TV series |
| topic_facet |
Science and technology Knowledge Social control Memory Television Fiction Ciencia y tecnología Conocimiento Control Social Memoria Televisión Ficción |
| author |
Roca, Alejandra del Piero, Gina |
| author_facet |
Roca, Alejandra del Piero, Gina |
| author_sort |
Roca, Alejandra |
| title |
The Wrath of God: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary TV series |
| title_short |
The Wrath of God: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary TV series |
| title_full |
The Wrath of God: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary TV series |
| title_fullStr |
The Wrath of God: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary TV series |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Wrath of God: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary TV series |
| title_sort |
wrath of god: knowledge, technology and social control in two contemporary tv series |
| description |
Based on the study of two contemporary mainstream TV series, we aim to analyze how massive cultural products showcase values and beliefs related to knowledge, science and technology. Through the comparative study between the first season of the TV series Westworld (2016) and the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale (2017), which explore dystopia and science fiction, it is possible to draw similarities amongst the android’s, the handmaid’s and our own –each time more– illusory realities, in which the dominant segments employ certain strategies based on the unequal distribution of knowledge and technology. The initial proposal is very similar: in both series, it is sought to recreate an artificial analogue world that apparently lacks high technologies. The fragile success of these artificial worlds depends on the fact that their manufacturing footprints are erased: the beings that inhabit these places are forced to forget their previous identities. We suggest that in both series the alternative worlds fail in the end because the oppressed segments manage to recover their memory and to regain the prerogative of knowledge. We put into practice, in this comparative study, theoretical and methodological tools from Anthropology, Social Science & Technology Studies (SSTS) and Literary Studies. |
| publisher |
Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad |
| publishDate |
2021 |
| url |
https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/eticaycine/article/view/32569 |
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