Cyborg Anthropology Study Guide
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New Jersey Institute Of Technology *
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Course
404
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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5
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STS 404 Cyborg Anthropology Exam on Modules 1 and 2 Multiple Choice (4 points each). Highlight your answer. 1.
The person credited with first using the word cybernetics is a.
Gregory Bateson b.
Norbert Wiener c.
Ray Kurzweil d.
Mary Catherine Bateson 2.
The first book on cybernetics was published in a.
The United States b.
England c.
Germany d.
France 3.
Cybernetics comes from a Greek word meaning to a.
steer b.
communicate c.
walk d.
laugh 4.
Which of the following statements is correct? a.
Computers can experience a type of psychosis due to errors in information processing. b.
Psychosis in humans is a reified concept and does not really exist. c.
Psychosis in machines is a laughable idea. d.
Therapists are now being trained in providing mental health services to machines with artificial intelligence. 5.
Gregory Bateson’s view of cybernetics led him to conclude that
a.
Nothing of an individual survives after death. b.
After death, the soul merges with the universe as a spark of energy.
c.
The self is a nexus of a larger mind and is immanent in other humans and machines. d.
Biological life can be extended indefinitely. 6.
Gregory Bateson was trained as an a.
a psychiatrist. b.
an engineer. c.
an anthropologist. d.
an alcoholic. 7.
Bateson identified communication situations where you are receiving conflicting information which makes it impossible to decide the proper course of action. He called this situation a.
Double Bind b.
Discombobulation c.
Schismogenesis d.
Ethnography 8.
Cybernetic processes are evident in a qualitative methodology where you place yourself in a situation of interaction and observe and record the changes that take place in your view of the world. This is called a.
focus groups. b.
surveys. c.
participant observation. d.
comparative analysis. 9.
Mary Catherine Bateson was the daughter of Gregory Bateson and a.
Eleanor Roosevelt. b.
Amelia Earhart c.
Margaret Mead. d.
Marilyn Monroe. 10.
One of Bateson’s chapters in his book, Steps to an Ecology of Mind
, applies cybernetic theory to the study of a.
alcoholism. b.
suicide.
c.
anxiety neurosis. d.
debilitating pain. 11.
Dr. Brooks did ethnographic fieldwork in a.
Thailand. b.
India. c.
Vietnam. d.
Samoa. 12.
Diversity is required for the health and sustainability of individuals, species, and ecosystems. a.
True b.
False 13.
Donna Haraway, in her Cyborg Manifesto
, explains that the word cyborg stands for a.
cybernetic organism. b.
cyberspace organics. c.
cybersecurity operations. d.
cybernetic orgasm. 14.
Haraway says that cyborgs were born of a.
militarism and patriarchal capitalism. b.
genetic engineering. c.
computer science d.
mathematics. 15.
The three main boundary breaches resulting from cyborg culture as between human and animal, organism and machine, and physical and non-physical. a.
True b.
False 16.
The cyborg world eliminates the historical dominations of race, gender, class, and sexuality. a.
True b.
False
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17.
Military operations depends upon C3I which stands for a.
Command-
Control
-Communication-Intelligence b.
Certify-Collate-Continue-Interface c.
Consider-Center-Correspond-Invest 18.
One of the things central to the breach of boundaries between male and female is the way technology has transformed work. Haraway calls this the a.
pandemic recovery. b.
elimination of factories. c.
homework economy d.
housework shift. 19.
Haraway says the cyborg is world destroying. a.
True b.
False 20.
Which statement is correct? a.
Humans will likely become cyborgs in the near future. b.
We are all cyborgs now. c.
Humans will never be cyborgs except in science fiction. Short Essay Questions (10 points each). Write a paragraph explaining what you have learned related to the following questions: 1.
Explain the concept of cybernetics.
Cybernetics is a fascinating concept that explores the interconnectedness and control of complex systems, whether they are mechanical, biological, or social. Pioneers of cybernetics such as Norbert Wiener, Gregory Bateson, and Donna Haraway all contributed to the evolution of cybernetics in ways that help us understand the ever-
changing intricate world. Wiener introduced the idea of feedback mechanisms in regulating systems. Feedback is central to cybernetics. Imagine riding a bike and to stay balanced, our brain gets feedback from our body and adjusts the way we steer and pedal to keep us upright. That feedback loop is like cybernetic studies, the idea of how systems continually monitor it
’s output and uses that information to make adjustments, either to maintain equilibrium or to achieve specific objectives. Gregory Bateson extended the concept by applying it to fields like anthropology, biology, and psychology. Bateson is known for his work on the “double bind theory” which explores situations in which conflicting messages are presented, often leading to psychological stress or dysfunction. This theory has been influential in psychological and communication studies. Donna Haraway, on the other hand, has brought a more postmodern and feminist perspective to cybernetics, challenging traditional notions of identity and the boundaries between humans and machines. Overall, cybernetics provides a wide framework for analyzing and modeling systems of all kinds. 2.
What is a cyborg? A cyborg, short for “cybernetic organism”, is a concept that describes a mix of a human biology with advanced technology. Imagine a person who has both normal human body parts and artificial enhancements like robotic limbs or computer implants. It may sound like a superhero, but even a person who wears contact lenses or hearing aids is considered a cyborg. We have people with artificial limbs or medical implants, and this is a form of cyborg technology that helps improve their lives. In short, cyborgs are a blend of humans and machine, offering exciting possibilities for the future.