The Technology Enclosure Loop
A framework for seeing how technologies shape power — and how we can exit their extractive logic
Hi there,
Didn’t plan on sharing a post today, but I kinda got sucked into this and thought it might be useful for you too.
What am I talking about? Well, in the latest Rabbit Holes issue, I shared an abstract from Douglas Rushkoff’s latest piece “Is AI The Next Dumbwaiter” and hinted at a framework for technology cycles. I have since expanded a bit more on this framework and because I think it’s a quite useful way to look at how technology impacts society, culture and politics, I quickly wanted to share it with you in this short piece.
I call it the…
Enclosure Loop
I don’t see these frameworks or any framework (and even framings themselves) as something that helps us see “the truth”. Not at all. These things just help us take on different perspectives while simplifying complex systems in a way that enriches our perception or knowledge about them.
The Enclosure Loop is specifically useful when it comes to…
…analyzing the macro shifts surrounding technologies
…determining the lifecycle stages of certain technologies
…identifying the tipping points when we move from one technological paradigm to another
…and maybe it also helps to instigate bigger system change (i.e. escaping the loop – more on this at the end).
So here we go. These are the main stages of the Enclosure Loop:
And here are some potential signals to look out for in order to determine in which stage a technology is currently located:
It’s important to note that there isn’t a strict or clear boundary between one stage to the other, I see them as always being slightly entangled.
But anyways, here is where I see certain technologies being located within the Enclosure Loop right now:
And again, the benefit of such a framework is not on being correct but on building a good basis for thinking and discussions. Said differently: the thinking process (where could X tech fit?) is more important than the outcome (X tech is in stage Y).
Escaping The Loop
What I like about the loop is that it’s basically built on what I believe is the main fuel of today’s economy: exploitation.
The loop really shows how sort of utopian ideas – “this technology will liberate us” – are never going to be realized in this system…..unless….we escape the loop.
But how do we do that? I think the Enclosure Loop can also help with that.