The Californian Ideology

In a recent article in The Guardian, the ideas of the emerging “Tech Left” (which the Tech Workers Coalition is grouped with) is contrasted with those of the “Californian Ideology”, the intellectual framework that dominates the tech industry. For those of us in the “Tech Left”, it is worth diving deeper into this ideology and better understand the roots and nuances of what we are up against.

Here is an excerpt from a short summary of the core arguments in "The Californian Ideology":

There is an emerging global orthodoxy concerning the relation between technology and society: the Californian Ideology.

On the West Coast, skilled workers and entrepreneurs in the hypermedia industries form the 'virtual class'. Like the 'labour aristocracy' of the last century, core personnel in the media, computing and telecoms experience both the insecurities and rewards of the marketplace. The Californian Ideology reflects this ambiguity by simultaneously advocating the New Left utopia of the electronic agora and the New Right's vision of the electronic marketplace.

However both left- and right-wing anarchists ignore the key role of taxpayers' dollars in the creation of the PC and the Net. The exclusion of public institutions from the construction of cyberspace can only increase the fragmentation of American society into antagonistic, racially-determined classes.

Readings

• Full Paper: The Californian Ideology by Richard Barbrook and Andy Cameron
• If you don't have time to read the full 20-page paper, check out this shorter 6-page summary article by the original's authors, and/or this hour-long documentary by Adam Curtis on the subject
• And if you have time, check out some of the responses to the paper that have been compiled by the Hypermedia Research Center, such as this angry essay by the editor of Wired, this thoughtful reflection by a video game designer, or this counter-argument by a veteran hippie.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the Californian Ideology, and where did it come from? What are the different values it upholds?
2. Do you see the Californian Ideology upheld in your workplaces and related social/professional networks? How about in local, state, or federal politics?
3. How much ideological diversity have you personally observed in the tech industry?
4. Which values of the Californian Ideology do you agree with and disagree with? How do you deal with any contradictions between your values and the dominant values of the workplace or the wider industry?
5. What alternatives are offered by Barbrook and Cameron? How do you feel about these alternatives?
6. In your ideal world, what kinds of values would the tech industry uphold, and how would it uphold them?

Additional Resources

• Hypermedia Research Centre