Lesson 3+4 Utopias and Dystopias

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

We are going to watch a short video. Think about what is going on. How are these kids reacting. Is there a difference in the ones 'who got away'?

Is this obedience to authority or just conformity?

OBEDIENCE

CONFORMITY

Obedience is obeying someone with a higher status; conformity is going along with people of equal status. Obedience relies on social power; conformity relies on the need to be socially accepted.

Is conformity bad? Conformity creates a change in behavior so that the people in the group behave in the same way. And as much this is a good thing, it's also bad. There are so many people in this world that do not feel like others, yet they are, in a way, obliged to follow society's norms.

Is it dangerous?

Conformity can be dangerous because it doesn't let you see past the simplicity, how comfortable you feel and what you know. Therefore you fall into the traps prepared for you by the illusion of well-being in which you choose to live,

What about obediance?

In order to obey authority, the obeying person has to accept that it is legitimate (i.e. rightful, legal) for the command to be made of them. So the ones who ran through the lines - didn't think the stop sign was legitimate. 

Another interesting experiment. Would you fall for this?

In the 1950s, Solomon Asch conducted a series of psychology experiments to document how the desire to conform to a majority group influences an individual's actions. The simple and quite humorous experiment involved several actors entering an elevator with an oblivious participant. Asch (1956) found that group size influenced whether subjects conformed. The bigger the majority group (no of confederates), the more people conformed, but only up to a certain point. ... Increasing the size of the majority beyond three did not increase the levels of conformity found.

Utopias and Dystopias

What did you think of the story? 

“In utopia, everyone is happy forever, so its moral value is infinite”.

What does the word "Dystopia" mean to you?

Thomas More’s “Utopia”

• Lawyer, sheriff, statesman
  
• Friend of Erasmus
  
• 1516 publishes Utopia
  
• A story about travel to an ideal society
  
• Not the first but the definition of the genre
  
• A commentary on society
  

Thomas More created the first modern version of an ideal society, giving his work the name that would stick for all such imaginings ever since, Utopia, in the year 1516.

In this century there was hunger and poverty. Over 80.000 women were burned in the witch mania. Many public executions, Religious wars. 

 our time traveling Thomas More, were he to set foot in the England of today, would very likely think he had stepped into Utopia. 

• .....
• .....
• Eutopia
  
• Topos = place
  
• Eu = good
  
• “the perfect society” →

• ....
• ....
  
• Outopia
  
• Topos = place
  
• Ou = not
  
• “does not exist”/“nowhere”
  

A Meaningful pun

Recognizable

A utopia cannot be completely different from our society, it must resemble it, and appear to be a progression from or alternative version of our current society.

Write a one-sentence description of your own personal utopia

We are going to watch another video. Decide whether its a utopia or dystopia. And of course why?

Was this a Utopia or Dystopia?

Utopia

Dystopia

The most striking thing about these jelly-filled humans is their immense size. This is due to overexposure to artificial gravity, along with a complete lack of exercise.

Is it as simple as taking a few pills. 

Is Utopia - for - all possible?

Dystopia 

dys=bad + topos=place

New class rules

1. No one will be allowed to talk in class at all without my permission. In fact, talking will be very limited from now on

2. You will instead communicate via an online chat. ONLY in the computer lab. I will have access to everything you say in your chats. No other form of communication will be allowed in class unless it is with me or is conducted with my permission 

What do you think about these class rules? 

Can you be obedient to my authority? Or will you rebel? How?

Or will you just conform?

3. The class will be divided into 3 groups based on grades. There will be no communication allowed outside of these groups in class.

4. We will no longer talk about the past. We will be free from the burden of thinking about the past. We will only concentrate on the present and future

5. You may not discuss your family, interests or cultural background. Our classroom culture is more important.

6. Talking about Politics is absolutely forbidden!

Techniques used in dystopian literature 

During the following video take notes on:

- The techniques mentioned

- A historical moment when looking for a utopia has turned into a dystopia

- Other techniques, you see in the video, that define dystopian literature? For example, isolation etc.

Lesson Four

00:38

What is the definition of a Utopia

1. Perfect society
2. Netherlands after lockdown
3. Beach holiday
4. Non existent place

01:40

Why does the creation of a perfect world seem to be impossible?

02:16

What was the prediction of H.G. Wells in 'The Time Machine'?

1. Time travel would upset the space-time continuum.
2. that time travel would eventually be possible for everyone
3. That the rich and poor would become separate species

03:19

Which of these events was NOT a major influence on dystopian fiction?

1. The Protestant Reformation
2. The demise of Michael Jackson
3. World wars
4. The industrial and digital revolutions

03:47

What was Orwell trying to critique in his novel "1984"?

1. communism
2. propaganda
3. capitalism
4. human nature

04:49

What are the underlying theme of 'V for Vendetta' and 'The Handmaids' Tale'?

05:49

What is the underlying fear expressed by science-fiction writers

00:38

What did the early philosophers try to create?

Dystopian society in fiction

• Citizens' lives are closely controlled by a government or corporation by means of technology, religion or ideology.
•  The truth about the world is kept from most members of society
• Citizens must conform to the rules.  Individuality is a bad thing. 
• Citizens are dehumanized.
• The society presents the illusion of a utopia to its citizens.
• The main character in dystopian works is one of the few to see the truth.

Name Dystopian books, films, games, tv shows you are aware of.

Dystopian fiction criticizes

Technology

Ideology

Religion

The Seven Deadly Sins

Uniformity / Sameness

No free will / surveillance

Corrupt government / propaganda

Segregation / Unequal power

Perfect exterior hides evil secret

Unexpected hero

What were the dystopian works you know criticizing?

On the next slide you find a quiz about the dystopia you belong in. Write down which dystopia you got and what you would like and dislike about this type of dystopia.

https:

Which dystopia will be yours?
Explain why this was chosen for you.

On the next slide you find ANOTHER quiz about the dystopia you belong in. If you want to try and see if you have a different outcome, take the quiz! Write down which dystopia you got and what you would like and dislike about this type of dystopia.

https:

Which dystopia did you get? What you would like and dislike about this type of dystopia?