So why, then, do we see the entirety of Africa as a poverty-stricken battlefield? The simple answer is technology. In case it wasn't already evident, technology has revolutionized how we live our lives. It does make menial tasks easier and faster! Unfortunately, technology in Africa is not as widespread as it is in the United States. Consequently, we see Africans as people who require our guidance, which may not be right for them.
It is impossibly easy to do laundry and cook with the use of technology. All it takes is a matter of minutes and a bit of effort. But take that technology away, and can we really do either of those tasks? I know I personally can't do laundry without a machine and I definitely can't cook (with or without technology, actually) without a stove.
As I've mentioned repeatedly before, many Africans lack the tens of machines buzzing in our houses. What this means is, they have found a way to do laundry and cook without technology. What if a sample of Americans were suddenly dropped off in the remote areas of Africa (yes, places without malls!)? The water that they drink would have to be boiled, then cooled, for laundry, baths, and drinkable water. The fires they need to heat this water and cook food would have to be made using the right types and amounts of wood.
The Africans, then, might seem to be the superior and enlightened people. They would know where to farm, hunt, and settle. They would be knowledgeable about the different plants to avoid and woods to gather. And they would be a lot more efficient than we would. In this type of setting, we would be the needy, uneducated people. My book is currently reading Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, which deals with this scenario that I just described. I strongly recommend this book; it's my favorite book that I've read in high school.
But if Africans were to come to America, they might be just as confused by our technology as we would be by their lack thereof. Perhaps the right conclusion is that the Africans are not a backwards people. In fact, they are certainly not a backwards people. If we were to remove all external influences from Africa, it would likely thrive on its own and eventually develop things like technology (but that's for another time). Perhaps the only conclusion that we can agree on is that there are no backwards people; there are only different people. The opportunity cost of technology are the skills necessary for a life together with nature, without technology.
Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible:
This is a very interesting post, but I think it is crucial to emphasize that each society's skills are suited to the environment that they live in. Right now, many of the people that you discuss are people who don't live in more modern societies with more modern infrastructure, more modern economies, or more modern technology. That Africa is shrinking, however, and it will continue to do so. The Africans that you discuss may have crucial survival skills that are very important and well-suited to their environment, but it bears worth to remember that the environment we live in is likely to spread to those regions.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post, and I have to agree with Wall-E that the influences of technology will spread to regions that Americans may consider underdeveloped. I think you should also emphasize the dependency on technology that persists in America. When an appliance or the internet doesn't work, many people are frustrated and can not even operate without their device. In contrast, the Africans you mentioned can thrive in a situation without technology but will be frustrated when they are faced with operating a device.
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