This week we are presenting the ethnography Coming of Age in Second Life by Tom Boellstorff and I found a very interesting article which raises questions of linguistics and power in the book.
Paul Manning from Trent University explores the way that the book uses empirical methods such as ethnography and participant observation to an exploration of an online community, Second Life. Manning poses technology as a "shifter" , a novel technology requiring novel methodology. This "seeks to explore the technologically mediated 'gap' between actual and virtual life precisely by approaching these novel communities using the most traditional, time-honored method of anthropology, participant observation" (311).
He later examines the way that the "avatar embodiment is not meant to erase the gap between the actual and the virtual, but to create it" a fascinating idea which in a way contradicts Boellstorff's point in the book.
You can read the full article:
http://www.anthro.uci.edu/faculty_bios/boellstorff/Manning-JLA.pdf
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Anti-terrorism? Sounds more like ignorance
Who is the average terrorist in the U.S.? Many people, erroneously correlate terrorism with Muslims. All muslims are terrorists, except for 94%. This is the title of an article which looks into this topic more in depth. The following article shows actual FBI statistics of the various terrorist attacks, by date and type of attack and also explains which groups (if they can all be lumped together) are the perpetrators.
Check it and see what you think:
Not-all-terrorists-are-muslims/
Check it and see what you think:
Not-all-terrorists-are-muslims/
Yorba Linda Anti-Terrorist Protest? or anti-muslims?
Last month I was going to go to an even organized by ICNA relief in Yorba Linda, with the purpose of raising funds for women's shelters and to fight homelessness and hunger in the U.S. I was so busy with readings and school work that I had to decline.
Apparently, this event was protested by an group of tea party members that allegedly were trying to keep 'terrorism' out of Orange County. I wonder if they have research the statistics of the average terrorist in the U.S. (which would not be an Arab). I was really shocked to witness the amount of hate in a place so close to my home. I have had my kids live in this community and I guess I didn't realize how much intolerance and hate is found here now.
Apparently, this event was protested by an group of tea party members that allegedly were trying to keep 'terrorism' out of Orange County. I wonder if they have research the statistics of the average terrorist in the U.S. (which would not be an Arab). I was really shocked to witness the amount of hate in a place so close to my home. I have had my kids live in this community and I guess I didn't realize how much intolerance and hate is found here now.
Fake Psychologist Uses the Web for Sick Purposes
Fake Psychologists Story
THe other day, I heard on the radio about a man (former INS agent) poses online as a fake psychologist and convinces women to sexually molest their own children. He admits to the charges and states that he used a picture of a handsome man and promises a date to these single mothers.
This is really relevant to our discussion this week on identity and deception. Don't people realize that the person behind the online texts could be anybody?
THe other day, I heard on the radio about a man (former INS agent) poses online as a fake psychologist and convinces women to sexually molest their own children. He admits to the charges and states that he used a picture of a handsome man and promises a date to these single mothers.
This is really relevant to our discussion this week on identity and deception. Don't people realize that the person behind the online texts could be anybody?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Stand Up for Education
On March 14, 2011, Fullerton College Associated Students, Faculty and other staff are standing up in solidarity to support education against budget cuts, pink slips, and fee increases in the state of California. There will be a press conference followed by a rally. They ask that people wear read to show solidarity. It is amazing how many classes are being cut and how much this has negatively impacted students. If you would like to participate, here is the information. Please help spread the word.
Where: start at Fullerton College and march to Harbor Blvd. and Valley View at6 Assembly Member Norby's Office.
When: March begins in the middle of the Fullerton College Quad at 2:50pm and will proceed to mapped route.
Where: start at Fullerton College and march to Harbor Blvd. and Valley View at6 Assembly Member Norby's Office.
When: March begins in the middle of the Fullerton College Quad at 2:50pm and will proceed to mapped route.
Monday, March 7, 2011
A Postmodern Culture of Simulation
Sherry Turkle's article Who Am We? states that we are "moving from a modernist culture of calculation toward a postmodernist culture of simulation" (p.1) This follows some of the earlier readings we had about the human need or desire for transcendence. As I mentioned in earlier blogs, I think the amount of time and interaction we have online has affected the way we conceptualize our world. One of Turkle's subjects referred to this as "now real life itself may be just one more window"(p.1). It makes sense that as we spend more of our time and devote more attention to online activities, our patterns of thought change.
People go on MUD's to seek or construct a life that is more rewarding that their real life. Even the notion of "real life" is arbitrary, because the online experience is real to those who experience it. Stewart was a very interesting example of this. He was a physics student with many health problems who took on an online identity named Achilles who had all the characteristics Stewart lacked. Stewart however, does not see this as role playing, but as revealing a "better version of himself" (p.6). I think the problem arises when the virtual reality comes face-to-face with the physical reality and we see ourselves as we really are, physically anyway. Stewart experiences this at the end and reports feeling worse about himself (p.7).
The question of cross-dressing and gender-bending was quite interesting and I wondered about the deep motivations to do so. Yet what I found most fascinating was the question of cybersex and fidelity. I was interested in the different reactions women have about their spouses having a virtual affair. I also felt conflicted about this, on the one hand it is not a "real" physical affair, but can we say that it is not real?
Turkle states "technology is bringing postmodernism down to earth itself; the story of technology refuses modernist resolutions and requires an openness to multiple viewpoints" (p.11) This is at the heart of the argument. I think postmodernism invites us to really question the boundaries of reality in our culture infused with technology.
People go on MUD's to seek or construct a life that is more rewarding that their real life. Even the notion of "real life" is arbitrary, because the online experience is real to those who experience it. Stewart was a very interesting example of this. He was a physics student with many health problems who took on an online identity named Achilles who had all the characteristics Stewart lacked. Stewart however, does not see this as role playing, but as revealing a "better version of himself" (p.6). I think the problem arises when the virtual reality comes face-to-face with the physical reality and we see ourselves as we really are, physically anyway. Stewart experiences this at the end and reports feeling worse about himself (p.7).
The question of cross-dressing and gender-bending was quite interesting and I wondered about the deep motivations to do so. Yet what I found most fascinating was the question of cybersex and fidelity. I was interested in the different reactions women have about their spouses having a virtual affair. I also felt conflicted about this, on the one hand it is not a "real" physical affair, but can we say that it is not real?
Turkle states "technology is bringing postmodernism down to earth itself; the story of technology refuses modernist resolutions and requires an openness to multiple viewpoints" (p.11) This is at the heart of the argument. I think postmodernism invites us to really question the boundaries of reality in our culture infused with technology.
Smart vs. Dumb Cell phones
I've had my cell phone for a while now and I was successfully resisting the temptation to switch. My cell phone had the ability to go online but it was painfully slow. My partner who has an iPhone, would poke fun at mine saying "maybe when your phone grows up it may be an iphone." When ever I looked up directions or the GPS, it would take for ever to load.
So I decided to get a Smart phone, only to realize how non-smart I am about this technology. I was amazed to how much the phone can do. My 13 year old son called me and was telling me about the apps we could download (he got one too, and learned to use it in a day!). I didn't even know what an app was. Anyway, though I'm happy to have the phone, I feel frustrated with the amount of time it will take me to learn how to use it. Then I realize how much time we spend using these smart phones and I wonder if all that time is wisely invested (or what seems to me as wasted). Not to mention that the battery runs out pretty fast when you use the phone for all this other stuff. I often wonder, have really become so dependent on technology? I remember a time when one could go through the day without a cell phone or the internet.
So I decided to get a Smart phone, only to realize how non-smart I am about this technology. I was amazed to how much the phone can do. My 13 year old son called me and was telling me about the apps we could download (he got one too, and learned to use it in a day!). I didn't even know what an app was. Anyway, though I'm happy to have the phone, I feel frustrated with the amount of time it will take me to learn how to use it. Then I realize how much time we spend using these smart phones and I wonder if all that time is wisely invested (or what seems to me as wasted). Not to mention that the battery runs out pretty fast when you use the phone for all this other stuff. I often wonder, have really become so dependent on technology? I remember a time when one could go through the day without a cell phone or the internet.
The Death of My Facebook?
After more problems than satisfactions, I decided to pull the plug on my Facebook account. This experience is similar to the attempt to quit smoking. People say, "I really want to quit, this is not good for me, it's a waste of my time and money" yet we find ourselves unable to stop. I was wondering if being on Facebook was becoming an addiction. I always told myself, I'm never on Facebook. Then, I started actually counting the time I spent daily and the number of things I was neglecting, just "por metiche" as we say in Spanish. Just driven by the curiosity of what other people are doing or saying. Then, I would also find myself in situations where I talked to some people more than I should, about things I shouldn't, in other words, I would get caught in some "chisme" that caused me more headaches than needed.
Anyway, for now at least, I decided to quit Facebook and apply my free time to homework, and work. I think this blog will help "wean me" off the addiction of social networking.
A dear friend of mine recently took on a pseudo name and changed her Facebook to an gender-neutral name and kept only thirty something from hundreds of friends. This really got me thinking about the meaning of social networking and meaningful relationships. I decided I'm not ready to do this, as it may be hard for me to pick just a few friends (I'm so darn indecisive) and would feel bad. So for now, I would really like to get your views on this. Many of my Facebook friends read this blog, so please let me know what you think.
Anyway, for now at least, I decided to quit Facebook and apply my free time to homework, and work. I think this blog will help "wean me" off the addiction of social networking.
A dear friend of mine recently took on a pseudo name and changed her Facebook to an gender-neutral name and kept only thirty something from hundreds of friends. This really got me thinking about the meaning of social networking and meaningful relationships. I decided I'm not ready to do this, as it may be hard for me to pick just a few friends (I'm so darn indecisive) and would feel bad. So for now, I would really like to get your views on this. Many of my Facebook friends read this blog, so please let me know what you think.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Immigration Event at Fullerton College
On Wednesday 2/23 we had a multidisciplinary panel on immigration at Fullerton College. The event was inspired by the book Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario. The panelists were Josh Ashenmiller from the history department, Jodi Balma from Political Science, Flor Huerta from Counseling, me from Anthropology and our moderator was Adela Lopez from Ethnic Studies. Each panelist provided an overview of their perspective on immigration, yet being such a broad topic and having time limitations of 10 minutes, it was difficult to provide a holistic perspective on the topic.
Flor was the first one, she reminded us of the importance of getting to know the students at FC and getting past the stereotypes we have about undocumented students being ignorant and poor. She explained that many immigrants face additional challenges, but they are dedicated, hard-working, and many have very high academic training from their home countries. Overall, all students are working hard to pursue the American Dream of a better life. We should look at our similarities more than our differences.
Josh provided a very interesting overview of the historical attitudes and ideas about immigration. Many people claim that immigrants today are not like immigrants in the past, yet historically we can see that negative feelings and xenophobic attitudes have been the norm for all waves of immigration. He explained how difficult it is to discern the reasons for migration. Policies favor immigrants who are escaping political repression but not economic hardship. However, most immigrants are migrating due to economic hardship resulting from political repression.
Jodi explain the political climate now with the division of our governmental institutions. She expressed that it is highly unlikely that we will have an immigration reform within the next two years. Though an immigration reform is really what we need, we have a very uncertain (and possibly unsafe) immigration practice. Many immigrants are coming from various countries as visitors and yet decide to stay. These immigrants however, are not tracked by the government and some (like Canadians and Irish) just pass as documented due to their physical characteristics.
I discussed the wave of indigenous immigrants to the U.S. A major challenge for me was to provide conceptualize the framework which has led to the large wave of immigrants from Latin America to the U.S. Many U.S. citizens ignore the post-colonialism that has taken place in Latin America. The impact the U.S. presence has had in countries like Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Mexico (to name a few). Additionally, globalization and neoliberalism has made it extremely difficult to make a living in these countries. I conducted an ethnography of Oaxaquenos in Orange County in 2009, and then I visited Oaxaca and researched the effects this migration has had in the indigenous communities in Oaxaca. A vast majority of the agricultural labor in California is made up of immigrants, many of whom are indigenous. This has had a very negative effect in the indigenous communities in Oaxaca, domestic violence is one of the highest in Oaxaca. Additionally, there has been an increase in crime and gang membership there. California has one of the largest diaspora of Oaxaquenos with approximately 400,000 living in the U.S., about 100,000 migrate during the agricultural season. This has resulted in an interesting mixing of cultures. We are fortunate to enjoy the rich culture of Oaxaca in food, festivals, and more, and Oaxaca has been able to receive about large remittances (in 2007 there were 25 billion dollars in remittances). Yet, the money sent to Oaxaca does not stay there. During my visit I was surprised with the number of corporations which have opened business there (like Dominos Pizza, Burger King, Chase bank, McDonald's, etc.). These remittances are being moved back and forward with out borders (globalization).
So the main points to conclude the event were:
-Immigration is a necessity to keep the U.S. economy going.
-We must recognize that not all undocumented immigrants are Latinos (despite Arizona's policies and attacks).
-We need to have a comprehensive immigration reform, yet it is very difficult due to the political and economic situation. WHen the economy is bad people tend to find scape goats to blame for the situation.
My conclusion was that it is critical that we continue to have a discussion and explore the various facts that surrond this issue. We need to reflect on the moral issues we face as humans on the rights of the individual. Taking a multidisciplinary look, enables us to get closer to a holistic analysis of the issue, which is the aim of any anthropological perspective.
Flor was the first one, she reminded us of the importance of getting to know the students at FC and getting past the stereotypes we have about undocumented students being ignorant and poor. She explained that many immigrants face additional challenges, but they are dedicated, hard-working, and many have very high academic training from their home countries. Overall, all students are working hard to pursue the American Dream of a better life. We should look at our similarities more than our differences.
Josh provided a very interesting overview of the historical attitudes and ideas about immigration. Many people claim that immigrants today are not like immigrants in the past, yet historically we can see that negative feelings and xenophobic attitudes have been the norm for all waves of immigration. He explained how difficult it is to discern the reasons for migration. Policies favor immigrants who are escaping political repression but not economic hardship. However, most immigrants are migrating due to economic hardship resulting from political repression.
Jodi explain the political climate now with the division of our governmental institutions. She expressed that it is highly unlikely that we will have an immigration reform within the next two years. Though an immigration reform is really what we need, we have a very uncertain (and possibly unsafe) immigration practice. Many immigrants are coming from various countries as visitors and yet decide to stay. These immigrants however, are not tracked by the government and some (like Canadians and Irish) just pass as documented due to their physical characteristics.
I discussed the wave of indigenous immigrants to the U.S. A major challenge for me was to provide conceptualize the framework which has led to the large wave of immigrants from Latin America to the U.S. Many U.S. citizens ignore the post-colonialism that has taken place in Latin America. The impact the U.S. presence has had in countries like Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Mexico (to name a few). Additionally, globalization and neoliberalism has made it extremely difficult to make a living in these countries. I conducted an ethnography of Oaxaquenos in Orange County in 2009, and then I visited Oaxaca and researched the effects this migration has had in the indigenous communities in Oaxaca. A vast majority of the agricultural labor in California is made up of immigrants, many of whom are indigenous. This has had a very negative effect in the indigenous communities in Oaxaca, domestic violence is one of the highest in Oaxaca. Additionally, there has been an increase in crime and gang membership there. California has one of the largest diaspora of Oaxaquenos with approximately 400,000 living in the U.S., about 100,000 migrate during the agricultural season. This has resulted in an interesting mixing of cultures. We are fortunate to enjoy the rich culture of Oaxaca in food, festivals, and more, and Oaxaca has been able to receive about large remittances (in 2007 there were 25 billion dollars in remittances). Yet, the money sent to Oaxaca does not stay there. During my visit I was surprised with the number of corporations which have opened business there (like Dominos Pizza, Burger King, Chase bank, McDonald's, etc.). These remittances are being moved back and forward with out borders (globalization).
So the main points to conclude the event were:
-Immigration is a necessity to keep the U.S. economy going.
-We must recognize that not all undocumented immigrants are Latinos (despite Arizona's policies and attacks).
-We need to have a comprehensive immigration reform, yet it is very difficult due to the political and economic situation. WHen the economy is bad people tend to find scape goats to blame for the situation.
My conclusion was that it is critical that we continue to have a discussion and explore the various facts that surrond this issue. We need to reflect on the moral issues we face as humans on the rights of the individual. Taking a multidisciplinary look, enables us to get closer to a holistic analysis of the issue, which is the aim of any anthropological perspective.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Body Language & ASL
A friend just sent me a link to this video which is not just hilarious, but demonstrates the complexity of human communication.
Part of linguistics anthropology is the study of non-verbal communication, which is very much a part of American Sign Language (ASL). I think this girl not only uses the correct signs to translate the song but also combines gestures, facial expressions, body movement, in other words kinesics to re-enact this song.
Let's see what you guys think:
Part of linguistics anthropology is the study of non-verbal communication, which is very much a part of American Sign Language (ASL). I think this girl not only uses the correct signs to translate the song but also combines gestures, facial expressions, body movement, in other words kinesics to re-enact this song.
Let's see what you guys think:
Panel on Immigration
Next week, Wednesday 2/23 Fullerton College is having a multidisciplinary panel on immigration, in honor of the book Enrique's Journey. I will be one of the panelists and will be talking about the issues indigenous immigrants face when they come to the U.S.
This will be held in rooms 224-228 at 10:30am in case any of you guys want to come by to check it out. I'm guessing we'll have a very divided crowd as this event was announced in the O.C. Register, and we talked about how vocal its readers tend to get (anti-immigration).
This will be held in rooms 224-228 at 10:30am in case any of you guys want to come by to check it out. I'm guessing we'll have a very divided crowd as this event was announced in the O.C. Register, and we talked about how vocal its readers tend to get (anti-immigration).
Great Documentary
The documentary titled The End of Poverty provides a great perspective to the reasons for inequalities worldwide. I also just watched El Norte and was thinking about the reasons that force immigrants to come to the U.S. Many Americans are very intolerant of undocumented immigrants, and these sentiments are only getting worse with the downfall of our economy. Yet many would not necessarily be as intolerant if they put in perspective the historical reasons for the situation and poverty many people in the world face.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/end-of-poverty/
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/end-of-poverty/
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Should scholars join the showbiz?
I was recently talking to a friend who introduced me to Kara Cooney, an Egyptologist from UCLA who has been using her looks to gain ground the showbiz.
The question of whether or not scholars should utilize their looks to sensationalize traditional conservative scholarly fields came about. The questions we asked included whether or not academics should be part of shows that mirror Indiana Jones in their approach to water-down theories and sensationalize fields like Anthropology and Egyptology. I wondered however, if a character like Kara Cooney or David Cheetham should have their reputation damaged because they choose to participate in showbiz.
This is her website. It is interesting to look at her photos and wonder whether she is promoting Egyptologist research or herself.
http://www.karacooney.com/
The question of whether or not scholars should utilize their looks to sensationalize traditional conservative scholarly fields came about. The questions we asked included whether or not academics should be part of shows that mirror Indiana Jones in their approach to water-down theories and sensationalize fields like Anthropology and Egyptology. I wondered however, if a character like Kara Cooney or David Cheetham should have their reputation damaged because they choose to participate in showbiz.
This is her website. It is interesting to look at her photos and wonder whether she is promoting Egyptologist research or herself.
http://www.karacooney.com/
Digital Nation
The book we read this week reminded me of an amazing documentary on the effect of our addiction to being online. This PBS video explores the effects the internet has had on children, on college students, on policies countries like Korea have developed and even on giving elderly people a sense of belonging. It is very interesting and very relevant to this class.
Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.
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