Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts Honours

School

School of International, Cultural and Community Studies

Faculty

Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences

Abstract

The human experience of the world today is increasingly adapted and understood via technological terms and systems. This thesis analyses and examines the ways in which technology today impacts upon the human body and its capacities in the area of subculture and music. Also considered are the implications of this notion for the future. Primarily my study stems from theory proposed by Donna Haraway (1985) and her image of the cyborg and its inherently hybrid nature. Picking up on this point, I will look specifically at the existence and representation of the hybrid body in popular culture. Some critics fear a technological takeover resulting in a supremacy over the body; Horkheimer and Adorno (1944) make the criticism that technology is the tool of domination over the body and culture. In contrast, Redhead (1997) and Best (1997) suggest that the splice of human and 'machine' is necessary for the future survival of the body, and that this survival is most often found in sub-cultures using similar technology as elements of popular culture. Indeed technology is viewed as an enhancement to the body. At the same time this thesis does not cry "all hail technology", but examines the approaches taken to the body by technology in various aspects of popular culture on a case-by-case basis. In other words, both the pitfalls and benefits are considered in each respective instance.

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