vanessa fassié_ soluble self

Hollins University_M.A.L.S._Thesis Work

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What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
(Eliot 37-8)

Capitalism: the dominant ideology that shapes our society and our identities. As we produce things we produce ourselves.
We are not conscious of our true identity, as it has already been given to us.
This dominant way of life grew slowly, planted with the seeds of early Protestantism.

The Protestant ethic raised work to the highest standard, as man attempted to reach God through an occupation and the subsequent accumulation of wealth. Work that was supposedly inspired by God became entirely inspired by profit and greed.
Time now equals money. There is no debate. Just the daily grind and commute.

We must all find our place within this construct or we risk becoming outcasts.

We live through a myriad of myths that support the fibers of our existence.

History has become a blur of scattered images and words.

History does not show us how we got here, as we have forgotten our history.

Fill out this form, fall in line, work hard, and raise money.

Myths are invisible; we believe in their ideals as our institutions are controlled by their perpetuation.

New inventions also create myths for us to follow.

How can an invention change the way people interact socially and mentally?
The printing press, telescope, telegraph, camera, television, and the computer are just some examples of inventions that have completely reoriented society’s approach to finding identity.

Humans have become desensitized and ‘reprogrammed’ through the mass media, propaganda, and modern technology.

How new forms of media change our inner-most thought processes and external modes of communication are questions that I examine and attempt to understand. Each new media that is introduced to society, brings a set of unique changes that will modify our perception of the world around us.

Today, corporate consumerism obliterates the concept of the individual and pushes the prolific growth and advancement of technology. How and why our society has become so enchanted by modern technology and its constantly changing identity are some of the questions I attempt to answer through my research for Soluble Self.

Taken from: Soluble Self: Discerning Identity in a Technologically Enchanted Society

Thesis paper written by Vanessa Fassié for the completion of the Hollins University M.A.L.S degree.