Our research explores how Canadian Literature will be affected by Neoliberalism in the future. Neoliberalism thrives out of big corporations, conglomerates and name brands, and it is all too prevalent in Western society. With that in mind, we also wanted to explore the ways in which the World Wide Web intersects with Canadian Literature, more specifically with those who would not typically be given a voice in the publishing world of Neoliberalism. Through the discussion on our own blog, we have deduced that Neoliberalism can be dangerous to the future of Canadian Literature, but the presence of the Internet provides opportunities for Canadian Literature to thrive. We found many examples of how Canadian Aboriginal communities were using the WWW to share and preserve knowledge, combat stereotypes enforced on them, and gain visibility (Ginsberg, Wachowich and Scobie, and Wemigwans). Similarly, we saw how regional small-presses like the Atlantic Canadian literary scene are using the WWW to disseminate and promote their literature amidst the cheaper, mass-marketed material that neoliberalism has made more easily accessible (Howards). We also found examples of how the World Wide Web affects the economic industry of Canadian literature. The World Wide Web has evolved and changed the scope of Canadian literature in the mediums of publishing (Smith). With many people now reading literature online, print publishing rates have also gone down to be replaced by a commodification of online literature.
Our research has lead us to see how the Internet seems to be a way Canadian Literature can escape the restraints of a Neoliberalist economic order, and how the Internet has given a voice to those we often do not hear. Through the articles of Ginsberg, Wachowich, and Scobie the voice that the Internet has given Indigenous people is explored. Rethinking the Digital Age investigates how Indigenous people around the world use various forms of media to combat discrimination and advocate for their culture. Specifically Ginsberg outlines how the “Digital Divide” affects access to technology for poor and isolated communities. The digital divide is the term that describes the inequality of access to modern technologies (Ginsberg 287). This is a problem that impacts countless Indigenous populations, and the Western ideologies tend to be projected on the Internet because of this (Ginsberg 294). Unequal access to the Internet is one of the biggest barriers facing aboriginal people in a Neoliberal society. There is no question Indigenous populations are underrepresented in cyberspace, but they are continually expanding their networks through it (Ginsburg 294). Ginsburg argues that the biggest impact cyberspace has had on Indigenous people around the world is that it lets people connect with a wider network of traditional information and communication (Ginsberg 294). She provides two examples of how technology has been used to bring younger generations into new forms of indigenous culture. In our discussion with The Future of Canadian Literature group Emma Reik points out another great example of how Indigenous groups are using technology to their advantage. She brought our attention to the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) which has programs in English, French, and different First Nations languages too (Cree, Inuktitut, and Algonquin). Overall Ginsburg finds that despite the challenges of the Digital Divide technology has made a positive impact on Indigenous communities and cultures throughout the world because it provides a setting for these communities to create their own narratives in response to Western ones (302). From the examples Ginsburg’s article provides and those found by our partnered group it is clear Indigenous people around the world are using technology to express themselves and their culture and Canada is no different.
Wachowich and Scobie’s article also demonstrates how the Internet has had a positive impact on Indigenous communities with their focus of research being the use of Youtube among isolated Inuit communities. Their article, Uploading Selves: Inuit Digital Storytelling on YouTube, further showed us how modern technology has become the new medium for storytelling. Inuit youth are sharing their stories daily Inuit people are able to “mobilize and engage” (84) in the world by uploading clips of their daily lives. These clips create a dialogue, and social media allows this often isolated group of young people to share their stories with the world (83). They observe four Inuit youth in particular with popular YouTube channels: inukdan, JrAnnahatak, reomap, and tikirarjuk (83). The Internet has become the new medium of storytelling in Inuit communities. Many formal sharing of Indigenous culture uses the Internet. For example this website about Inuit communities presents a formal and political message of Canada’s Inuit people; however, as Wachowich and Scobie point out more formal methods can get bogged down by political issues (89). When youth spontaneously post videos of themselves a type of informal storytelling occurs that adds Inuit voices into Canadian society. Our dialogue with Clara Kang also revealed more sources that agree with Wachowhich and Scobie’s points. Clara quoted an article by McMahon saying “infrastructure allows Indigenous people living in rural, remote and socio-economically marginalized communities ‘unique benefits … [such as] sharing culturally specific languages, traditions, and cultures … [and] delivering health and education services’ (118). Studies show that community-based networks increase Indigenous people’s accessibility to education, community capacity and development and interaction with external organizations”. As long as the Internet continues to develop our storytelling methods are adapting to with it. We also noted how this it has allowed this non-Western style of literature, oral story-telling, to become a part of the Canadian literary world. Through our research we have found that the Internet does give First Nations people a voice, literature is more available, and is becoming increasingly available in marginalized communities.
We also found another example of an under-represented slice of the literary world that is struggling to be heard amidst the surge of material from other mass-produced, larger economy productions. Vivian Howard, the developer of Sea Stacks, published her research towards the development of this site in her paper “The Sea Stacks Project: Enhancing the Use of Regional Literature in Atlantic Canadian Schools.” The need for literature to represent its readers is identified as crucial towards the development of children, and this is an example where the WWW is used to counter the effects of neoliberalism in which local, small market material was being passed over in school curriculum. The database they created is open to the public and catalogues Atlantic Canadian literature to ease access for educators. Our dialogue with Emma Riek also raised the further question of whether students, in addition to educators, would benefit from access to this source. Both Julia and Maryam agreed that both were crucial; the teachers for connecting and propagating the material and the students for being empowered to take initiative and interest in their own education.
Another one of our sources, “Tech Could Mean the End of Capitalism,” discusses how capitalism is going through a revolutionary restructuring due to the digital age. What this source aims to show people is how people may start to reject a neoliberalist structure in favour of a “green” society. In this day and age, information is produced at such a high volume and at such little cost, that it has become hard to commodify. What is interesting about this concept is that people are clearly trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, meaning that information cannot necessarily fit into a capitalist structure. Information on the Internet cannot arguably always be commodified. Take for example, the concept of buying books, movies, or music online and downloading them onto a tablet. Streaming and downloading content has posed many problems among publishing and producing companies as many copyright laws are violated (Harris). Ultimately with content on the World Wide Web being a commodity, it becomes harder to keep track of and classify as stealing, when the content isn’t a tangible item. It has clearly become harder to track information on the World Wide Web as many people are streaming content on a day-to-day basis without any repercussions occurring. This reflects one of our research points in the fact that the information age along with neoliberalism reflects current economic issues in modern society.
Economic issues in society revolve around capitalism powered by a free market society. This free market society is an ideology that comes from neoliberalism and the information age is one that is up and coming. An issue faced by Canadian literature is that more people are buying books online or streaming them through various online mediums. People don’t need to buy books in hard copy format any more, meaning that the cost of print literature goes down. In the article, the President of Penguin Random House said that he would not take on a new book that wasn’t guaranteed revenue of at least $100,000 (Smith). This shows how the economy has changed and evolved over time. Previously print books used to be the only form of literature, and now with the World Wide Web, we have literature coming using many different mediums, such as e-books (Todd). With e-books becoming the main form of literature it has become more pertinent that there be a price on reading content online; thus, the concept of supply and demand, which reiterates how the scope of Canadian literature and publishing has changed. Sabine Milz’s article, “Is Canadian literature still ‘National?” looks at this changed publishing and literary world and sees it as the emergence of a new definition of national literature in Canada. Neoliberalism allowed the WWW to bring about the rise of self-publishing and faster publication and advertisement while also crushing small-scale presses and literary publishers. It is a different literary world with new advantages and disadvantages alike.
Through our research we found out how harmful Neoliberalism can be for smaller entities who refuse to conform to meet the demands of society. It became a concern that if Neoliberalism continues to dominate Western society, ingenuity and unique perspectives may be scarce. Fortunately, the Internet is playing a crucial role of preventing Neoliberalism’s conformity standards. The nature of the WWW is that, aside from government regulations, anyone who has access to it can have a voice. This also poses an economic issue among publishing companies as they struggle to maintain their stance within the economy. It has become harder to commodify literature when it has been posted onto the WWW, as anyone can access the published works. Thus, there is a wealth of knowledge being shared around the globe to anyone who is interested in participating. Examples of this can be seen through both Jennifer Wemigwans website and YouTube channels of Inuit youth. The resources found on the Internet has both inspired us and given us hope that perhaps Neoliberalism doesn’t hold as much power as we initially believed.
Works Cited:
“Aboriginal People’s Television Network.” APTN. Aboriginal People’s Television Network, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
“Community Life.” Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. ITK Board of Directors, n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.
Ginsburg, Faye. “Rethinking the Digital Age.” Global Indigenous Media: Cultures, Poetics, and Politics. By Pamela Wilson and Michelle Stewart. Durham: Duke UP, 2008. 287-304. EDuke. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Harris, Sophie. (2016). Netflix Recruits Google in Global War on Cyber Pirates. CBC News. 19 Apr. 2016.
Korff, Jens. “Us Mob.” Creative Spirits. Creative Spirits, 25 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
McMahon, Rob. “The Institutional Development of Indigenous Broadband Infrastructure in Canada and the United States: Two Paths to “Digital Self-Determination”.” Canadian Journal of Communication 36.1 (2011): 115-40. ProQuest. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
Todd, Zoe. (2016). Edmonton Public Library demands publishers lower e-book fees. CBC News. 19 Apr. 2016.
Wachowich, Nancy, and Scobie, Willow. “Uploading Selves: Inuit Digital Storytelling on YouTube.” Inuit Studies 34.2 (2010): 81-105. Indigenous Collection. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.