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Frames in Era 7
Frames in Era 7
Seen through our frames, the last century or so presents a variety of stories of progress and problems, both shared and localized. What does the future hold?
As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
Think about the following questions as you watch the video
What was the impact of the First World War, according to the video?
What have been some positive and negative patterns seen through the communities frame since the First World War?
What have been some positive and negative patterns seen through the production and distribution frame since the First World War?
What have been some positive and negative patterns seen through the networks frame since the First World War?
: (music playing)
: BOB BAIN: When the First World War broke out in 1914,
: it was, for many people, unexpected.
: It was also deadly.
: It introduced new terrors
: such as the mass bombing of cities
: and poison gas warfare.
: Few regions of the world were untouched.
: Over 16 million people were killed,
: many of them soldiers from all over the world.
: Finally, in 1918,
: after the horrors of four years of war,
: people could hope for a new era of peace and prosperity.
: And certainly, looking back, a lot of positive progress
: has been made ever since that year.
: Using the course's frames,
: we can see massive expansions and innovations
: that have improved human society over the past century.
: But these expansions and innovations
: did not spread equally or affect everyone in the same ways.
: Many problems still linger today.
: Some are the result of long historical patterns.
: But some problems are the result of recent events,
: and, in some cases,
: the very innovations of which we are so proud.
: We can explore these patterns through the community frame.
: The First World War was the beginning of the end
: of giant, intercontinental empires.
: Instead, today, most people are members of nation-states,
: communities where citizens have some political rights.
: For the first time in human history,
: most of us live in big cities with lots of services.
: We also have an increasing sense
: of a set of universal rights for all people
: as part of an international human community.
: Many people see themselves as members of communities
: well beyond their local area or their nation-state,
: including far-flung religions,
: or digital communities that connect us online
: to people with similar interests or identities.
: But at the same time,
: many problems of the city, the nation-state,
: and the digital environment
: have yet to be solved.
: Life in cities may be unhealthy for many people.
: Many nation-states routinely deny rights
: to some or all their citizens.
: In this era, some nation-states,
: after denying citizens their basic rights,
: have even murdered millions of people.
: The digital community may in fact be reducing our ability
: to rely on our neighbors
: and find support from those around us.
: Fortunately, over the course of the last century,
: more and more people have had greater access
: to more food and consumer goods than ever before
: due to rapid expansion of production and distribution.
: In just about all areas of life,
: our systems of production have benefited
: from the ideas and innovations that came about
: through the global network
: of scientists, engineers, and scholars.
: We have become incredibly efficient producers.
: We can certainly make enough food
: and provide basic goods and services
: for everyone who lives on this planet.
: Yet, here, too, there are problems.
: Despite all of our efficiency,
: some people live on very few resources
: and suffer from poverty and hunger.
: Nation-states have used the innovations
: of scientists and engineers
: to manufacture weapons that can destroy the planet
: multiple times over.
: And our incredible industrialized system
: of production and distribution
: has come at the cost of environmental damage.
: This damage is rapidly changing the world
: and could possibly make it unlivable in the future.
: From the perspective of the networks frame,
: we can see great advances
: during the 20th and early 21st centuries.
: At the beginning of this era,
: we communicated by telegraph and physical mail,
: and traveled mainly by horse and steamship.
: Now we have the internet, cell phones, and jet airliners.
: Yet, again, this is not equal.
: Not everybody can fly in a plane,
: use the internet, or travel.
: And there's evidence that despite all this connectedness,
: people increasingly feel lonely and isolated.
: As we construct our history of Era 7--
: the very recent past--
: we can also use these frames to begin to ask questions
: about what's coming in the near future.
: We can ask whether these patterns will continue,
: or if we can make changes that increase
: the positive features of innovation in each frame
: and reduce the negative.
: Will we increasingly feel like members
: of one global human community,
: or of online communities?
: Or will we turn again to local communities--
: family and friends--
: to help us navigate rapid change and globalization?
: Will the next big steps in production and distribution
: automate so many jobs
: that most people will not be able to find work?
: And what will that mean for each of us?
: Will our continued drive for things
: lead to a tipping point in the world environment
: that makes our planet unsustainable?
: And will networks continue to open us to new ideas,
: creating a world of incredible freedom?
: Or will they overwhelm and isolate us,
: each alone in virtual worlds?
: The future has not yet been made,
: but by considering the past-- including the last century--
: we can begin to think about and plan for the future.