Ohmann-Literacy, Technology and Monopoly Capital

Ohmann, Richard. “Literacy, Technology and Monopoly Capital.” Computers in the Composition Classroom. Eds. Michelle Sidler, Richard Morris, and Elixabeth Overman Smith. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2008. 20-34. Print.

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Ohmann claims is that the entire literacy debate is a top-down issue. The concept of literacy is meant to keep a division of the classes. He closely ties economic change over the last hundred years or so with concepts of literacy (both our "traditional" concepts of it and technological literacy that we today call 21st century literacy). Ultimately, monopoly capitalism was the answer to many social issues in the late 19th century. Hello big business and the micromanagement of labor. He suggests that technology (regardless of the form) has only thrived in order to serve the purposes of those in power. Gatekeeping we could probably call it. New technologies have been created and perpetuated in order to up productivity. Ohmann supports the idea that, in the long run, computers and technology do little to change the class system and in some ways reinforce it.  By using computers in the classroom and promoting computer literacy we are encouraging the division of class, perpetuating monopoly capital in the classroom, and continuing to deskill the future labor force.

His commentary on computers was interesting. I wonder what he would say about the pocket size computers many of us have today. He does have a point that not everyone needs to be a computer software engineer; however, that also means that we are limited by those who do become the computer software engineer. Something that did strike me was his discussion of the skill being embodied in the machine. At the time this was published, that might have been true: computers computed. I wonder how much of that is true today.  This again brings up the question of what is literacy? Is knowing how to program a computer literacy? Is knowing how to compose something in a pre-determined program (such as animoto) literacy?

The tagline for this blog is "Improving Business Through Digital Literacy." The page that the link takes you to is a Social Media Monopoly board that was in the think tank for Hasbro in 2010 from what I gather.