In our class discussions this week we were challenged to think deeply on how our world has changed, and the means through which it has changed. For example, we discussed largely on technology and its impacts on society as a whole in how it got us to where we are today. My generation is so used to our cell phones, laptops, iPad, and other devices that we sometimes forget that there was once life before all of these devices. When having to think of a time period to go back in time and experience, I realized that I am unsure if I would be as “well-off” as others in that time period if I experienced it through all the knowledge I have today. For example, If I went back to the 1920’s, there would be no cell phones, no MacBook’s, not a lot of television, and no Netflix. So much of what I am used to every day was never a thing in the 1920’s. I live in such a technologically advanced society now in which our lives revolve around our devices that I do not think myself or anyone for that matter could thrive if thrown into an environment that did not use those devices. It is scary but exciting to think what the future holds in terms of more technological advances that will be made when we already have come so far.
This week we also began to read a book titled A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court by Mark Twain. The story of the Yankee is exactly like the activity in which we had to go back in time. The Yankee went back to the time of King Arthur in which he was himself, a northern man dressed in his clothes from his time period. While reading the first few chapters of the book I realized that the characters all were startled by each other’s appearances because they were different than the norm that they felt was socially acceptable. The Yankee was startled when seeing naked children who had no clothing and the children were startled by the Yankees clothing. This made me realize that we immediately judge a person by their outward appearance. As times have changed, so has fashion and even the human bodies appearance in its entirety. Our bodies have evolved and so has our fashion sense. The interesting thing about this is our sense of fashion or what we wear automatically depicts the type of person we are, where we come from, what period of time we come from, and much more. First judgements are based on appearance and clothing, and often times we as human beings will flock towards the people who dress most like us because we figure that they are most like us. Regardless of technological advances such as cell phones that have changed the way our society works, I realized that the biggest changes of all is what we determine is socially acceptable to look like and dress during a certain time. For example, when women began exchanging their aprons in for work suits, that changed society completely. The idea of the working mom and not just the housewife has been a growing phenomenon that started with women feeling the need to throw out the apron and to become professionals. It is striking to me how much clothing and appearances has influenced the changes that we see in society, and I look forward to keeping that in mind as we continue on this semester.