5/7 Draft Questions, Grace Burchett

1) In "Deus ex Machina" the author states "folk art has been defined as art that reflects its surroundings” (1990, 77). However, “those surroundings are understood to be ‘outside’ everyday modern urban life, and therefore the objects are valued as artificial bonds to an idealized past". Do you think this definition of folk art is still relevant today? Or have new forms of folk art, such as pieces made with discarded technology, changed what folk art means? 

2) Do you think it's possible for New Mexico's tourism board to promote a more well-rounded/accurate image of the state that acknowledges the dumping grounds, Mexican and Indigenous influences, etc? Or do you think tourism relies on a romanticized image?

3) In “Missed Connections”, the author talks about how google's control over the marketplace allows them little resistance in search results. How has the history/continued effects of neoliberalism played into this?

4) Im curious about how social media sites have the power to change rhetoric and the way we talk about certain topics such as immigration or feminism. Do you think social media sites can change the way we talk about certain topics through filtering, etc? If you believe they can, do you think they will?