Muting the Noise

As a member, leader, and activist associated with the national ONE campaign, I have been invited to participate in many cool and educational fronts. A couple years ago at a summit that is given for the leaders of the top 100 schools, I listened to Paul Begala (of CNN). Mr. Begala discussed (among other things) the concept of "noise." What is noise? Let me try to explain (this is much easier with a diagram). I have a message that I want to put forth to the world. My message is important. And, I want my message to reach the highest number of interested people (whether they know they are interested or not) possible. Every other message is "noise." It is with what my message is competing against. Everything that is not related to my message can/does distract from my message. Tv, billboards, the radio, the internet, newspapers, cell phones, cars, books, other advertisements, the bowling ally, Wal-mart...everything that distracts attention away from my message is noise. In our fast paced world, noise is growing rapidly. The problem is fighting through the noise and getting my message heard.

Why is this important to my topic? My situation is currently flipped. I am trying to find my message (in the literature, online, via blogs, etc)...but I have to dig through the noise. The problem is...what is noise...and what is "context?" Drawing upon a very macro theory (world systems theory), noise is context. Why is this a problem? Time. To fully use such a large theory, much time is needed...years at minimum. Authors and scholars have spent years examining and testing individual components of this theory (in many different historical settings throughout the world)...I am trying to capture the essence in a few weeks and a 10 minute video. Not an easy task. But, one I am certainly up to. :-)

Our history, our cultures, are not mutually exclusive...they do not arise in isolation. "A" may lead to "B." However, it does so with the help of intervening variables C,D, E, F, G, and H. World systems theory captures this idea (although this is a gross oversimplification). "Core," "periphery," and "semi-periphery" areas of the world are that way due to their relationship. The periphery is the way it is in large part because the core is the way it is. The dependence developed is complicated. The poorest areas of the world have grown dependent upon the rich...but at the same time (and the part that many people neglect) the rich has grown dependent on the relationship with the poor. In our capitalist society driven by the "american dream"...this dependency is easily kicked to the curb as "it is their fault. If they would just do it the way we did it, they would develop too." This line of thinking, coupled with a revisionist history of our "development," and numerous mechanisms of influence when discussing supranational aid institutions, has a tremendous impact on the "development" of the un(der)developed parts of the world. In many ways, as Ha-Joon Chang argues, we are "kicking away the ladder."

Where does this leave me? I find myself in a tough place...trying to dig through the "noise" and determining what noise is important. And, what points should be pulled out to make my message able to cut through the noise when the project is completed.