Week 3: Industrialization, Tai Chi and Texting

Industrial Revolution, China. Source: US History Scene

Industrialization and the subsequent mechanization have, by all means, greatly shaped the world we live in. The development of the assembly line structure has not only improved the economy and increased the average standard of living, but has also generated a veritable amount of art and entertainment. Most of this art and entertainment was created in response to industrialization and its effect throughout the world.

Tai Chi Zero

One prominent example of this is a movie that I particularly enjoy, Tai Chi Zero, featuring both the birth of Tai Chi and the Chinese response to industrialization and European influence. In a combination of fantastic acrobatics and a refreshing steampunk-based enemy, Tai Chi Zero also represents the constant conflict between the new era (industrialization) and old tradition (martial arts). The production of a railroad that would, in essence, link China with the European world interferes with rural Chinese life in the Chen village. Culture and tradition are a significant part of any people’s history and, as a Chinese-American, I’ve been raised to value the history, culture and tradition of my people. It can only be expected that many people, Chinese or not, feel the same, and the birth of the Industrial Revolution brought about change for all cultures.

The first "Cyborg" I'd ever seen! Source: Teen  Titans

Even now, culture and tradition seem to clash with change and, by extension, industrialism. In the modern world, current values are being shifted all the time. Just yesterday, I had to remind my brother not to text while eating at a family dinner, knowing all too well that my father would look at him with disdain. In this ever-changing world, there is not much one can do but adapt with the times, which could be, I suppose, how the idea of the “cyborg” came about. As machinery and robotics began to overtake the roles of humans in their assembly line jobs, perhaps one author began to idealize of a man-machine hybrid, as a monster or as the next stage of human evolution. Regardless, while the past and the future will continue to forever collide, one can only move forward and try to maintain tradition while making the most use of new technology.

Benjamin, Walter, and J. A. Underwood. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

"Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution>.

"Khan Academy." Khan Academy. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/big-history-project/acceleration/bhp-acceleration/a/the-industrial-revolution>.

Tai Chi Zero. Perf. Tony Leung, Angela Leung, Jayden Yuan. Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, 2012. Film.

"The Second Industrial Revolution, 1870-1914." US History Scene. 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://ushistoryscene.com/article/second-industrial-revolution/>.