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the potential for reason embedded in different seem to promise at least partial release from
types of everyday interactions. Unconstrained alienation.
by economic and political imperatives, talk, Following Marx’s acknowledgment that
qua undistorted communication, should beyond the capacity to subjugate people to
disclose how reason is exercised quasi- capital, technology also has the potential to
intuitively by the individual subject. Logic, set them free, Douglas Kellner (1989, 1995,
like common sense, would seem to dictate 2005) examines rationality in general and
that when people consciously cheat, con, or technology in particular in a dialectical cri-
minimally misinform their fellows, they are tique of domination, dehumanization, and
contributing to the perpetuation of alienation alienation. Although technology cannot be
while when they act in good faith, alienation separated from the main trends of the society
is weakened. According to Kalekin-Fishman, in which it is used, Best and Kellner present
however, this is not substantiated by close persuasive evidence that technology holds
analysis. The achievement of intimacy is promise of de-alienation. They look forward
moderated by the relatively unconscious to a critical theory of technology that will
implementation of communication tech- celebrate the potential of the computer. Such
niques that are alienated and alienating. a society
The authority of face-to-face exchanges
contextualizes technology within a social, political,
(whether perfunctory greetings, monitoring,
and economic framework, and … assesses both
giving orders, and even consultations) stems the positive and negative implications of new tech-
from the communicants’ acceptance of the nologies in terms of their potential to enhance or
convention that talk is spontaneous and restrict freedom and democracy, to promote or
heartfelt. But even the talk that is interpreted undermine environmental sustainability, and to
create or block the creation of a more humane and
subjectively by the participants as expres-
just society (Best and Kellner, 1991: 18–19).
sions of interest, concern, and care frames
relationships so that principles of control and Such a society would provide space for the
conformity, power and social exclusion pre- free self-development that overcomes alien-
serve institutionalized alienation. Burrowing ation. Kellner (1995) theorizes that overcom-
in taken-for-granted modes of behavior and ing alienation will enable new kinds of cultural
even in the emotional tones of attempts experiences which serve as the context for
to maintain intimate relationships, varied the steadily changing nature of human iden-
patterns of alienation intervene almost inex- tity and of social relations. In his view, more-
orably to undermine the achievement of over, theories have to be tailored to analyses
authenticity. of far-reaching changes and thus should
be able to propose a responsive politics.
We might further note that the Internet, while
providing the means for the control, com-
SEEDS OF RESISTANCE – mand, and co-ordination of global capital,
OVERCOMING ALIENATION IN has also enabled the growth of progressive
ALTERNATIVE FUTURES? mobilizations. Thus, for example, with a
variety of alternative news sites that act
In stark contrast to the consistently bleak as ‘virtual public spheres,’ and the explosion
presence of alienated and dominated con- of blogging, many people have access
sciousness implicated in the work cited to counter-hegemonic information and dis-
above, some researchers find evidence of courses. This has had far-reaching conse-
processes that undermine the effects of alien- quences for emancipatory activity, from
ation. Dialectical analyses of technology, empowering women in the Middle East
household work, education, and different (Moghadam, 2005) to the World Social
aspects of identity lead to conclusions that Forum (Langman, 2005b).