Impact of Technology on Maori and Bushman Societies - Assignment Example

? Impact of Technology on Maori and Bushman Societies al Affiliation The Maori people lived in the densely forestedregions of the northern islands, before the advancement in technology came in to alter their lifestyle, social, and economic activities. Currently, its highest population has shifted to the urban areas and are more involved in formal economic activities. Their unique culture still remains though technology and western influence has changed their traditional religion, language, some cultures, learning, fishing, farming activities among others. People have intermarried reducing the pure generation that can claim to be Maori. Contrary, the Bushmen in Africa have not received significant changes in their social or economic lives, hence failing to realize the major benefits that come with technology. This paper presents an in depth comparison between the two communities based on the past and current technological developments, and in the general society. Keywords: Maori, Bushmen, San, Society, Indigenous People, New Zealand, Southern Africa, European Settlers, Urban, Rural, Technological Development, Population , Culture, Social, Economical, Historical, Agriculture, Communication, Education, Modern World Introduction Technology is the backbone of every society’s civilization and human development. It is used to make things easier, of more quality, and in increased quantity. Some eliminate human roles and interventions acting to reduce long term costs and saving time. Technologies have evolved over time, and are commonly used in different fields such as medicine, transportation, agriculture, food preservation, administration, industrial production and processes, military, education systems, and entertainment. All these have affected the human lifestyles and activities in one way or the other, depending on how accessible the technology is. Societies in developed nations like the Maori of New Zealand stand a better chance to access the technology, and change their ways of life compared to those in developing countries. Societies such as the Bushmen of Southern Africa have not had the opportunity to interact with most technologies, making them to lag behind in development and literacy. Impact of Technology on Contemporary Maori Society from Historical, Cultural and Social Viewpoints Cultural and historical viewpoint The indigenous Maori people spoke their te reo maori language, resulting to most named sites in modern New Zealand having names influenced by the original language and culture. Technology developments have brought changes in their language, due to migration to urban areas hence eroding certain senses of Maori identity. Along the 20th century and since the New Zealand gained independence in early 1900s, missionaries and the colonial government and its enacted policies stimulated cultural heritage disappearance, such that in the contemporary world, few Maori’s speak Te reo Maori (only 23.7 percent could hold a fluent conversation, majority being the older generation), while the majority from the community (Maori and non Maori) speak English (Lai, 2010). English has improved their communication with the rest of the world and enhanced learning. Today, besides the traditional weaving, carving, and art works, the Maori people have increased their literacy level, with numerous science courses and careers raising scientific knowledgeable workforce. More people now live in the urban areas hence separating from most traditional activities and losing historical ties with their cultures. Facial tattooing practices have become rare in the urban population, and most people do not understand their traditionally recognized clans or tribes. Their food and dressing style is more westernized, but local designers try to incorporate an aspect of their Maori culture with the changes in the technological products. Social viewpoint The Maori use computers to enhance their creativity, performing arts, in high level learning institutions, research, and organizational operations, making work easier as in any other modern society. The Maori society has customized the computer technology to promote the indigenous Maori culture, social, and economic welfare. Numerous websites have enabled online digital platforms of Maori language classes, streaming videos of fluent speakers, archiving Maori poetry and learning materials, promoting business sales, and advertisements via English and traditional Maori languages (Ka’ai & Moorfield, n.d.). Communication is via digital devices, with the majority of the population possessing mobile phones, and most urban students and population being active bloggers and members of social networks. In the urban population, the traditional ways of living in clans does not exist through in the interior; it still persists in some places. Original Maori and non Maori (European and other migrant’s descents) people have intermarried with more legal and Christian marriages in the society. Significant Changes to Society and Debate on their possible Impact in regard to the Impact Technology has on Maori in comparison with the Bushmen Growth of knowledge and information: The Maori society stands at a better chance to solve their common issues and problems than in the past, due to increased education and learning of the population. The current generation of the young people and youth posses a lot of knowledge and experience from the classes and extra curriculum activities; this was not available for the past generation of their equivalent age. Historically, boys and girls would perform gender specified roles in their societies, but today, the society has girls perform masculine tasks and vice versa. There is increased exchange of knowledge and people get to move abroad to acquire the knowledge and information. Governments, large organizations, and institutions have both men and women in executive positions to manage their economic, political, and social welfare. Essentially, what would be done abroad has been made possible even in the local communities. In reference to the Maori society, modern women are no longer taken as possessions, but generally involved in developing and sustaining the economic, social, and cultural activities in New Zealand. In comparison to the Bushmen society, the participation of people of Bushmen origin in the formal education system is relatively low, demonstrating low educational attainment, level of literacy, knowledge, and information (Nashuuta, 2012). Technology developments changed the Maori’s faster than its access and use in the indigenous San community of Southern Africa. The minority (those with some educational knowledge) can speak English, perform clerical jobs, but majority of the women are still in family care. Increased urbanization: Cities and towns are associated with better livelihoods than the rural areas; as a result, the highest number of population in developed countries resides in the urban areas, contrary to developing nations. The migration leads to increased population density in the urban areas, and forces people to live in distinguished social classes, based on their wages and means. As of 1996, 83.1 percent of Maori’s were city or urban dwellers and switch between locations for purposes of education or employment opportunities among others, as facilitated by technological developments (“Where Maori Lives,” n.d.). For the Bushman community, despite the fast changing world, they still live in marginalised areas, in poor conditions, and poverty. Technology and urbanization is not part of their every day life, and those who have progressed have shifted from hunting to pastoralism or nomadism in the dry rural regions. Their population is slowly becoming extinct, due to poor health conditions and diseases. Past Technological Developments and an Analysis of the impact they have had on Society in regard to the Impact Technology has on Maori in comparison with the Bushmen There is a great variation of the modern and past technologies between the Maori people and Bushmen. While the African people may end up receiving technology later than the western society, what is past technology in New Zealand can be a modern technology in Southern African countries. The indigenous Bushman society can be termed to have benefited in the past iron and steel technologies to improve their economical activities in farming. Iron and later steel tools enabled the San society to advance their hunting weapons and warfare against colonialism, and develop better cultivation devices for those who engaged in crop farming. The Maori people used them in the industries, and tending their crops. The changes in technologies led to development of better housing structures made of stone bricks and with accessible electricity in the Maori society. However, the Bushman society have their houses made from sticks, mixed grass and mud, thatched roofs with limited access to electricity, unless for the educated and economically able in the few cities in Southern Africa. In transportation, vehicles, airplanes, and trains are the modern trend. However, considering that majority of the Maori people reside in urban areas, and New Zealand economy is enhancing; they have more access to vehicles and faster means of transportation besides their water vessels. There have more developed and interconnected roads and pathways for easier accessibility, unlike the situation in Bushman’s local settings. General Comparison between Maori and Bushmen Traditionally, both the Maori and South Africa’s Bushmen people lived according to their respective clans. Kinship bonds were the membership fundamental aspects in the establishment of the distinguished societies. These clans and families that made up a community would meet with other communities or clans during the group ceremonies and events, such as marriage and rituals. Maori’s villages were made of hapu, extended kinship clan‘s’ if not a tribe consisting of a numerous clans (Strong, 2006). The Bushmen are considered the descendants of the early Stone Age ancestors, who lived in small clans or in the larger loosely connected families. Both the Maori and Bushmen constructed their houses using natural materials (wood and thatched roofs). However, unlike the Maori, whose houses were more permanent and with very distinguished rooms for sleeping, social gatherings, and dining sites (see figure 1), the Bushmen built temporary homesteads and some even lived in caves or beneath the rocky over hangs (see figure 2). Maori Structure Figure 1. Illustration of Maori houses. Adapted from “Maori of New Zealand: Classic Maori Society” n.d. Copy right 2001-2002 by Ammonet InfoTech. Bushmen Structure Figure 2. Illustration of Bushmen traditional dressing and temporally houses. Adapted from “San hunter gatherer society in the later stone age,” by SAHO, n.d. Copyright by South African History Online. Traditional Maori tattooing Figure 3. Illustration of Maori’s facial tattoos. Adapted from “Maori of New Zealand: Classic Maori Society” n.d. Copy right 2001-2002 by Ammonet InfoTech. The locations which both societies lived in demonstrated great diversity in climatic conditions, because the Bushmen thrived in a dry, hilly area of the South western part of the Kalahari Desert, while the Maori people were located in the forested wet regions of the New Zealand islands. Economically, the Maori people have a great history in fishing activities and criterion for food preservation. It is believed that before their colonizers arrived, Maori’s were great canoe travellers and highly involved in fishing expeditions, but after Europeans arrival, crop planting (starchy roots, potatoes, and vegetables) increased, with minority remaining in hunting. The Bushmen were great hunters and gatherers with formidable reputation as animal trackers and possession of extensive knowledge of plants and medicinal herbs; they later came to adopt nomadic and pastoralist lives during and after white man’s invasion in Africa (“San,” n.d.). Both have been influenced by the Christianity religion in the modern world, since the white men’s settlements and colonization of both societies. Their evolution and civilization, especially in political-economical factors have been influenced by the new immigrants and colonizers during the last two to three centuries. Both societies have made efforts to maintain their cultural heritage and rituals; with most indigenous people in the interiors still dressing in the traditional ways. The Bushmen communities are known for their rain and healing dance, while the Maori’s have their Polynesian chants and the common haka dance. Maori and Bushman societies had an original sense of the traditional religious beliefs in the very nature; establishing close relations with the celestial bodies and animals. Besides the ancestral association in their rituals, the nature and traditional believes guided them into doing what they socially accepted to be morally right or wrong. Maoris traditionally believed in spiritual authority, highly regarded the stars and the moon, and recognized sacred relationship with nature. On the other hand, celestial bodies were symbols of divinity to the San/Bushman group. Regarding the kind of garments worn in both societies, the Maori people were more dressed than the Bushmen. Though the great changes in their clothing in the modern world, traditionally, Maoris wore hand woven garments (made of natural materials like grass); they also used animal skins and birds feathers (Tamarapa & Wallace, 2013). These materials were incorporated in a unique method to ensure the end product suitably catered for their health and climate in the region (Obeinshain, n.d.). Interiorly, Maoris facial tattoos common via piercing, and skin pigmentation, and creation of permanent facial grooves still remain part of their culture (“Maori” n.d.). Some Bushmen to date have not changed their dressing style; a good number still cover only their private parts around the waist using a piece of skin or clothing, but the upper body remains uncovered. The few that changed cover their breasts, though both genders still wear ornaments from plants, eggs shells, and animal claws or teeth. Current Dependency of Society on Technology Modern societies use diverse forms of technology in their day to day operations; even the simple and obvious and complex tasks have been automated, making work easier; just by a click of a button in automated systems. Initially, people travelled long distances by foot, using animals, canoes, then came the fax machines, telephones and currently, the mobile phones, internet, and online services for emailing, and social websites (twitter and facebook), which make instant communication accessible despite the geographical distances and barriers. People can now sit in a corner of their rooms, or while in vehicles and get connected to the world, or communicate to multiple people, due to the technologically enabled devices and communication infrastructure. The Maori people who traditionally used to preserve food in pits can now use modern freezers and refrigerators. Technology has enabled chemically preserved foods, which makes urban population too dependent on snacks and ready made canned food; after all, most of them just a store away. In hospitals, patients depend on technologically developed life supporting machines in the intensive care units to monitor their health, without necessarily human interventions. Currently, most homes in developed nations and majority of those in cities and urban areas have switched to natural gases and electricity, as the forms of energy use they for cooking, washing for drying machines, heating, and lighting their homes (AK Energy Smart, n.d.). Energy has become the drive of every major corporation and industries in production, manufacturing, and processing. Modern machines depend on electrical energy to run effectively, meaning if the power goes off, the industries becomes paralyzed, unless technologically developed back up power is provided. Electric trains and automated airplanes span across thousands of miles within some hours moving people from different regions and locations within minutes, which was traditionally impossible. Computers, smart phones, and tablets are the modern trends; employees may not necessarily have to be at their employer’s premises to work, sales teams can work over the internet and supervisors or managers can assess their performance online. Students don’t have to be in physical classes as they can attend them online, have entertainment brought in their homes through TVs, play stations, and online entertainment, rather than attending theatres or live performances. Generally, any society has had some form of technology advancement and reliance to perform their economic and social activities, whether in communication, transportation, food preservation, shelter, clothing, office work, farming operations, and other luxurious activities within their vicinities. Current Technological Developments likely to have a significant Impact on Society and the extent of that Impact The healthcare industry has had numerous medical technological support based on the tailored healthcare application to assist practitioners and patients. The current sensor technologies, electronic medical records, and mobile devices and services have and continue to be integrated and improved to facilitate remote monitoring and mobile health to the society. The intent is to raise a more healthy society currently and into the future, allowing people to live longer, manage their chronic illnesses, while strongly participating in their economies. People may no longer necessarily have to visit hospitals unless in critical conditions, because modern healthcare is brought to their communities and homes. Medical digital imaging technologies, robotic surgeries, and radiation therapies are common in cancer treatments, while more synthetically developed drugs are being used for prevention and cure (Jablonski, 2011). This will generally reduce the mortality rate of the society and prevent illnesses. In agriculture, developed nations have introduced the use of genetically modified seeds and food stuff, which is being transferred to the third world nations, due to poverty and increasing hunger situations. Although the society expects reduced costs in crop care and generally increased yields, it may in future face the risks of environmental and human health harm, as depicted by the European Union who are on the front line to ban imports of such products (Kruft, 2001).The use of software driven machines continues to increase in offices, industries, and in production, limiting the number of people who can perform the work, as a result of their displacement by technology. Economists talk of creating new jobs, but upon establishment, technologies are implemented leaving out the greater population jobless. All these mean that as the technological developments progress, the impacts on the society will include both positive and negative effects. Conclusion The Maori and Bushman societies are examples of the native communities that retain some sense of identity in the modern world. Technological developments have enabled the general world society to meet its economical and social needs in diverse ways, hence allowing change to occur in distinguished rates between the world communities and their people. The Maori society has achieved significant changes in its formal education system, transportation, farming, communication, and other activities, which compared to the Bushman society of Southern African community, places the Maori at an advanced position compared to the Bushmen. Reflective Log Prior to advancement in technology, the Maori people lived in forests. After civilization, which was brought about by technology, the lives of the Maori changed as most of them moved to urban areas and got engaged in formal economic activities. Though technology and western influence has changed some aspects of the lives of the Maori people, such as language, religion, learning, farming, and fishing activities, their unique culture remains. A generation of pure Maori however does not exist, as they have intermarried with people from other cultures. Contrary to the experiences of the Maori, the lives of the Bushmen have not changed, even with advances in technology taking place. Unlike the Maori, they have not embraced the benefits brought about by technology. Reference List AK Energy Smart. (n.d.). Modern Technology in our Daily Lives. Retrieved from http://www.akenergysmart.org/files/3-5/3-5_Lesson_5--Modern_Technology_in_Our_Daily_Lives_lessonplan.pdf. Jablonski, C. 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