Grace Cauthron L&S Arts & Humanities
How Cyberpunk Fails: Reflections on CP's Popularity in the Digital Age
As a genre, Cyberpunk was birthed by a generation of writers who grew up being influenced by technological commodities like TV, computers, video games, etc., which sprang from the rise of multinational capitalism. Entertainment and image-based commodities such as these fundamentally altered how humans interacted with reality. Thus, themes of disembodiment, or disconnection from physical reality, became routine in the genre. Although Cyberpunks believed they had discovered a revolutionary new form, after its initial popularity in the 80s, Cyberpunk has since been criticized for its techno-orientalist aesthetics, its racially “colorblind” practices, and its devaluation of female subjects. But interestingly, Cyberpunk has made a strong comeback in contemporary popular media. By beginning with a close reading of recent, popular Cyberpunk media, I will explore hierarchies in race, sex, and class found in practices of disembodiment which will serve as a framework for understanding how Cybercultural media reflects our contemporary techno-cultural moment and how modern technology has altered our engagement with our own bodies, and by extension, our humanity.
Message To Sponsor
Dear Leadership Sponsor, I cannot express the extent of my gratitude at the opportunity your support has granted me this summer. With your support, I was granted the time to dive deep into a variety of my research interests which converged in my project. I have so many curiosities and interests as a scholar, but rarely am I afforded the time to truly explore these interests as my position as a working class student leaves me little time to explore research outside of classes and jobs. But through my research this summer I expanded my worldview, and discovered new curiosities and ways of understanding the world. For example, much of my research this summer actually revolved around self-learning economic theories, which is a field I have always had interest in but never gained a formal education in. This new skill set and worldview is invaluable and incredibly empowering to me. Additionally, coming into SURF, I was seeking out research opportunities to see if I enjoyed research enough to pursue a PhD. And my experience in SURF this summer has shown me that I do indeed love research and I have now fully decided to pursue my PhD after graduating from Berkeley. Without your support, I might never have decided to commit myself to the research track. So truly, thank you for your support this summer. This experience has been transformative and extremely educational. Sincerely, Grace Cauthron