How Culture and Technology Create One Another: Ramesh Srinivasan at TEDxUCLA

Summary

This talk explores the profound impact of technology on diverse cultures worldwide. With 5 billion people having mobile phones, we witness unique intersections of technology and tradition, from an Indian guru to a Papua New Guinean crocodile hunter using phones as flashlights. The speaker delves into how technology can inspire collective action in marginalized communities and the importance of rethinking the underlying codes of technology to incorporate diverse cultural perspectives. The discussion culminates in the potential for a digital revolution that empowers various cultural voices and knowledge systems to coexist and enrich our global technological landscape.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The world has approximately 7 billion people, with about 5 billion having mobile phones and 2-3 billion having some form of internet access.
• 📱 Mobile phones have become ubiquitous, even among groups like Indian Gurus and fisherman in Southern India, showing their utility in various contexts.
• 🌊 Technology, such as mobile phones, played a critical role in a fisherman's ability to warn his family about the 2004 tsunami, saving lives.
• 🐊 In Papua New Guinea, people from a shamanic cult use the light from their mobile phones to hunt crocodiles, demonstrating creative uses of technology.
• 🎥 In Andra Pradesh, India, marginalized communities use video cameras to document their lives, which inspires collective action and challenges fatalistic views.
• 🤔 The speaker explores the intersection of culture and technology, questioning how technology's codes and algorithms are influenced by Western knowledge structures.
• 🌱 The concept of 'Tribal Peace' technology was developed with Native American populations to empower their indigenous traditions and knowledge systems.
• 🏛 Museums are digitizing their collections, and there's a push to include indigenous perspectives, allowing for a more diverse understanding of cultural artifacts.
• 🌱 The speaker advocates for a rethinking of technology to allow for the coexistence of different knowledge systems, leading to a more inclusive digital landscape.
• 🌐 The potential for 'emergent' technologies arises when different forms of knowledge meet, as seen in the biological diversity of Papua New Guinea.

Q & A

What is the approximate number of mobile phone users in the world today?

Approximately 5 billion out of the 7 billion people in the world have mobile phones.

How does the speaker describe the impact of mobile phones on diverse cultures?

The speaker illustrates the impact by sharing stories such as an Indian Guru using a mobile phone and a fisherman in Southern India using his phone to warn his family about the tsunami, demonstrating the diverse and creative ways mobile phones are utilized across cultures.

What is the significance of the crocodile in the shamanic cult mentioned in the script?

In the shamanic cult, the crocodile is worshipped as a spirit, and part of this worship involves hunting the crocodile at night, which is a significant cultural practice that the speaker explored during his time in Papua New Guinea.

How did the people in the remote region of Papua New Guinea use mobile phones for hunting crocodiles?

They used the light emitted from their mobile phones to spot the eyes of crocodiles in the dark, as they could not afford flashlights due to the lack of battery supply in their remote area.

What was the speaker's goal when working with communities in Andra Pradesh, India?

The speaker aimed to change the fatalistic perspectives of these communities and explore whether technology could facilitate collective action by documenting their traditions, stories, and issues through video cameras.

What is a 'filter bubble' as mentioned in the script?

A 'filter bubble' refers to the personalized algorithmic selection of information based on one's online behavior, which can create a personalized echo chamber of information, as discussed by Eli Pariser in a TED Talk.

How does the speaker suggest rethinking technology from a non-Western perspective?

The speaker suggests rethinking technology by considering alternative ways of knowing the world, such as Aboriginal maps that are based on stories, traditions, and performances, rather than the structured, separated concepts typical of Western knowledge.

What was the purpose of creating the 'Tribal Peace' system with Native American populations?

The 'Tribal Peace' system was designed to empower sovereign indigenous local traditions by creating a technology that respects and is built around the knowledges, categories, and concepts important to these communities.

How does the speaker propose the integration of diverse cultural knowledge with technology in museums?

The speaker proposes integrating diverse cultural knowledge with technology in museums by allowing different cultural perspectives to coexist and inform one another, leading to a new way of understanding and digitizing museum objects that respects both Western and indigenous interpretations.

What is the concept of 'emergence' as it relates to the speaker's discussion on technology and culture?

The concept of 'emergence' refers to the creation of new and unique forms when different species or forms of knowledge meet and interact, as seen in the biological world and as the speaker suggests could also be possible in the digital world when diverse cultural knowledge systems inform technology.