I find the issues you're talking about most prominent in fictional futures wherein there is some element of mind control. In future societies wherein mind control is in effect, the bodies of the people are more often changed than otherwise. The effect on the bodies is often a *direct* result of the mind control.
The reason for this, I think, is that almost all imaginings of future societies I've seen that use mind control, use mind control in the formation of a "utopian" society. That is, the mind control is used (much like the happy-gas in Firefly) to make peace, stop wars, resolve differences. Resolve differences becomes conformity=peace. And since we all have physical differences, conforming people's appearance is just a step towards utopia. So, I would add to my initial statement (bodies are more often changed in fictional societies that use mind control) that bodies are usually changed in the direction of conformism in order for a mind controlled utopia.
These "utopias" are of course always really Not Good, because hey, people's minds are being controlled. In my experience, I'd say that they're mostly agricultural or with a very "suburban" feel, where technology is either sparse or completely hidden. But it *exists*, usually handled by PTBs or superfreaks or what have you, 'cause hey, they have to have the power to do the mind control.
So, I find that fictional future agricultural/suburban societies are false utopias wherein mind control are in effect. Urban sprawl usually equals dystopia, but there is not the "lie" of utopia, and there is also rarely mind control. If there *is* mind control in urban sprawl, it's not usually the big universal Control Everyone kind.
The reasons for this seem self-evidence as well. Resolve differences! in sci fi usually means a. conformism, as I have pointed out, and b. ignorance. That is, if you don't know how other people are different, you can't argue/fight/kill/war with them. So agricultural communities, in which everyone is spread out, make more sense. Farms also require less sorts of higher thought to maintain, that sort of thing.
An interesting take on that issue is any novel by Ayn Rand. If you haven't read her, I suggest "Anthem", but I'm guessing you have. Anyway, a big theme in all her books is that agricultural culture = ignorance = focus on society as opposed to the individual = conformism = false utopia. Cities = knowledge = independence = true utopia.
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Date: 2007-03-06 07:12 pm (UTC)From:I find the issues you're talking about most prominent in fictional futures wherein there is some element of mind control. In future societies wherein mind control is in effect, the bodies of the people are more often changed than otherwise. The effect on the bodies is often a *direct* result of the mind control.
The reason for this, I think, is that almost all imaginings of future societies I've seen that use mind control, use mind control in the formation of a "utopian" society. That is, the mind control is used (much like the happy-gas in Firefly) to make peace, stop wars, resolve differences. Resolve differences becomes conformity=peace. And since we all have physical differences, conforming people's appearance is just a step towards utopia. So, I would add to my initial statement (bodies are more often changed in fictional societies that use mind control) that bodies are usually changed in the direction of conformism in order for a mind controlled utopia.
These "utopias" are of course always really Not Good, because hey, people's minds are being controlled. In my experience, I'd say that they're mostly agricultural or with a very "suburban" feel, where technology is either sparse or completely hidden. But it *exists*, usually handled by PTBs or superfreaks or what have you, 'cause hey, they have to have the power to do the mind control.
So, I find that fictional future agricultural/suburban societies are false utopias wherein mind control are in effect. Urban sprawl usually equals dystopia, but there is not the "lie" of utopia, and there is also rarely mind control. If there *is* mind control in urban sprawl, it's not usually the big universal Control Everyone kind.
The reasons for this seem self-evidence as well. Resolve differences! in sci fi usually means a. conformism, as I have pointed out, and b. ignorance. That is, if you don't know how other people are different, you can't argue/fight/kill/war with them. So agricultural communities, in which everyone is spread out, make more sense. Farms also require less sorts of higher thought to maintain, that sort of thing.
An interesting take on that issue is any novel by Ayn Rand. If you haven't read her, I suggest "Anthem", but I'm guessing you have. Anyway, a big theme in all her books is that agricultural culture = ignorance = focus on society as opposed to the individual = conformism = false utopia. Cities = knowledge = independence = true utopia.