“The Woman With You” December 6, 2011

She said the girl I was with the business degree, probably wouldn’t recognize me.
I was gonna run the bank.
I was gonna run the math.
Now all I want to run is a bubble bath.
Back then you know I had this plan.
Before all of this reality set in.
Here comes life boy ready or not.
Hey I wanted it all and that’s what I got.
Cause I’m gopherin, chauffeuring, company chairman.
Coffee maker, Copy repairman.
Anymore there ain’t nothing I swear man that
I don’t do.
Been juggling, struggling, closing big deals.
Dancing backwards in high heels.
Just when it feels like I can’t make it through.
She said it sure is nice to just be the woman with you.

– Kenny Chesney

To choose one concept that can be applied to your daily life from an entire semester of an Anthropology course is difficult. Especially when your brain has absorbed such a wide variety of terms, theories and concepts over the past 15 weeks. During my daily commute to and from the Towson University campus, I have been listening to country music. Mostly because it reminds me of summer, but it also helps to keep my emotions under control while sitting in gridlock on 695. I heard this song on my way to campus this morning, and it hit me. The concept of roles is something that  affects my life tremendously, and on a daily basis. Our text defines a role as a bundle of rights and obligations appropriate for occupants of the status in question. Like the lyrics above, and Facebook… my life is a hodgepodge of statuses, each being defined by the roles that come with them. I am a woman, daughter, girlfriend, student, employee, friend, role-model(weird), cousin, seeker of knowledge; to list a sampling of statuses I must fulfill. I wake up and immediately set into motion to satisfy these statuses; I choose an outfit that determines my role as a woman, iron my boyfriends clothes for the day to show that I am a caring girlfriend, pack my bags with school supplies to prove my role as a prepared student, call my mom on my morning commute to tell her to have a good day, effectively fulfilling my role as an only child. Not to mention the laundry list of roles I complete as an employee, friend, etc. No one can escape the roles of their status as a human being. Everyone must make decisions everyday to complete the roles determined in order to keep their desired status in a social setting. Sometimes the statuses are ascribed (one over which you have little control) and others are achieved (one that you may not assume unless you meet certain criteria). All of these things determine your thoughts, actions and daily lives. Although they may evolve, status and role will never disappear. So as I sing along to “The Woman With You”, I understand the roles associated with each status listed, and start to thing of an entirely new blog entry that could be based off the roles defined by the line “woman with you”….

Movement of Capital: Globalization and My Life December 5, 2011

As a 25 year old returning college student, I am terrified of the world that awaits me. This is not my first rodeo, I have been to college before, but let me tell you, a business degree isn’t going to get you a job in this economy… I am returning for a degree in Environmental Biology, with hopes of finding a job immediately after graduation. “Hope” being a key term. Globalization, defined by our text as the intensifying flow of capital, goods, people, images and ideas around the world; has diminished my hopes. In a world where companies prefer cheap, outsourced labor to providing jobs for those within the US, it has become difficult for those trying to start a career out of college. Even more difficult is to try and get the same companies to care about their carbon footprints and the world they are creating for our children and grandchildren. Quantity is valued over quality, especially when it comes to resources. The movement of this capital reduces the amount of jobs available within our own country, and creates a severe competitiveness among graduates in order to be the best qualified for employment opportunities that are available. If you have the money without having to work full time to put yourself through school, you’re set. Join all of the clubs possible, volunteer within the community and take that unpaid internship. For many, this is simply not the case. Globalization is affecting everyone whether they know it or not. Not only in the case of college students and job availability. For instance, we now have added small business Saturday and Cyber Monday to the already ludicrous “celebration” of Black Friday. Where everyone rushes out to find great deals on cheaply produced products, made by underpaid workers in other countries. Globalization can not be escaped in this country, with the internet sharing images, ideas and media at a constant pace. I suppose our situation can not be reversed, but it can certainly be remedied. For companies within the United States to show respect for its citizens by hiring from within would be helpful, but will be a long time coming. We have become too dependent on others to be able to stand on our own and that does not bode well for our nation as a whole. As Gloria from Modern Family says… “It’s a doggy dog world”. And we can’t be the big dog if we are this heavily reliant on the competition.

Book Review of Gang Leader for a Day, by Sudhir Venkatesh November 28, 2011

Gang Leader for a Day
Sudhir Venkatesh

The Penguin Press 2008, 223 pages, $7.99

Book Review by Heather A. Kampe, 2011, https://heatherkampe.wordpress.com/

Sudhir Venkatesh, a self-proclaimed “rogue sociologist” takes to the streets of Chicago’s ghetto to see what it feels like to be “black and poor”. (21)  He would like you to rate that on a scale of “very good” to “very bad”. (21) The ethnography is written over the course of roughly eight years, with Venkatesh attempting to submerge himself in a culture of young black men involved in gang organization known as the Black Kings. Venkatesh is given the opportunity to observe the Black Kings when their leader, J.T., invites him back to building 4040 of the Lake Park projects after a less than conventional introduction. J.T. had grown up in the Lake Park neighborhood, gone to college on an athletic scholarship and became angry that his chances of success were limited due to his race. He left the mainstream to return to the projects and gang life after 2 years. (30) There are some holes in Venkatesh’s research that may have been better covered by a true anthropologist. Venkatesh was stunted in his research by the fact that he was unable to be open and honest about the way he was obtaining his information. With an anthropologist, the immersion of oneself within another culture is deemed necessary and encouraged in order to gain a better understanding. There is also a severe lack of information presented examining the female perspective on being black and poor. While Ms. Bailey, the building president of Robert Taylor Homes and ambassador to the Chicago Housing Authority, is given a chapter devoted to her role, most other females are sporadically mentioned. On the other hand, the ethnography gives and excellent view into life in an inner city ghetto riddled with gang violence for a student, such as me, who has never had such an experience.

A sociologist taking an anthropological approach for research is bound to have some shortcomings. Venkatesh spent a great deal of his time over an 8 year period commuting to the Robert Taylor housing projects and taking notes on the way of life of those living within the buildings. It must not be overlooked that he was, in fact, a graduate student educational and personal responsibilities. Unlike an anthropologist, Venkatesh did not relocate his life in order to be within with walls of the Chicago ghetto with those whom he was observing. This may not seem as big of an issue to most of the readers of his book, but as a student reading objectively for a course in cultural anthropology, I wonder if he was able to gain an accurate representation of life in the ghetto while not being a full time participant or observer. Venkatesh explains that during his time with J.T. driving around the South Side, J.T. would “tell his own personal version of history, replete with stories about great gang leaders and dramatic gang wars”. (35) The conversations were very much one-sided and there was no effort made by Venkatesh to obtain another view on the history of the area. Although Gang Leader for a Day was very conversational in tone and an easy read, as an avid reader, I was left wanting more in terms of academic or statistical data relating to the area of Chicago being discussed at the time.

Along with minimal reference to academic resources, the focus on the female gender within the Robert Taylor community is limited. The reader learns that women within Robert Taylor pool their resources in order to compensate for the miserable conditions in which they live, but what role do they play within this community? Do the women who aren’t crack users or prostitutes attempt to make any money at all? How do they provide for the children that the men seem to ignore unless there is a birthday party or they have hit recruiting age for the Black Kings? Many questions arise throughout the reading and remain unanswered, even after 8 years of observation by Venkatesh. One would expect that after the eight years of observation and 8 subsequent years of writing and editing, the “rogue” sociologist may be able to shed some light on the role of women within the community. Even if the focus remained on the addicts and prostitutes, more detail could have been given concerning the healthcare they received and how many children were living in each apartment. The social hierarchy of these particular projects had to have a place for women and children, but a reader of the book will not achieve a clear interpretation. Jean Comaroff, an accomplished ethnographer of the University of Chicago told Venkatesh that he “was spending too much time with men” (113). Ms. Bailey, the product of this advice, is featured in chapter five, and while the reader is given a clear view of her role within the community, she holds a single position and does not represent the majority of the female tenants.

As the reader witnesses the evolution of Venkatesh as a student and attempted ethnographer, they are slipped haphazard sentences about the actual life of Sudhir Venkatesh; his family, his studies, his interests and his girlfriend. While it does create a sense of partnership between author and reader, it does nothing to communicate a diligent effort to immerse oneself in the poverty of the Chicago ghetto. It does the complete opposite, drawing attention away from the culture being observed and inciting the reader to ask more questions about his personal life. Instead of random references about life in California, facts, figures and quoted research could have been interspersed to remind the reader that this is an academic work, and not one of fiction.  

Overall, the fluidity of Gang Leader for a Day captivates a reader and makes them ask for more, but Venkatesh does not deliver. The complexity of his research can be challenged as the majority of residents of Robert Taylor Homes were not gang leaders or building presidents. Not having read much ethnographic research myself, I was disappointed that more academic data was not presented in order for the reader to gain a better understanding. As mentioned before, the actual ethnographic work of Venkatesh can be called into question, as well as his ability to focus on different aspects of the culture in which he is discerning. Although there are many areas that may be improved upon, I would in fact recommend Gang Leader for a Day, if it were not being read from an academic standpoint. A reader is sure to gain more of an understanding of the Robert Taylor projects and the Black Kings. Although neither of which is still pertinent today, the prominence of Robert Taylor Homes and the Black Kings during the 1990’s was something of a steppingstone against gang violence and ghettos. While I believe the idea for the research and his attempt to carry it out was admirable, Sudhir Venkatesh, in my opinion, falls flat with Gang Leader for a Day.

The Most Thought Provoking Film I Have Seen In Years… November 21, 2011

Extra credit? I’ll take it! That’s about all that ran through my mind when the optional viewing of Miss Representation was brought up in my Cultural Anthropology course. Little did I know that I would spend an hour and a half with my mouth agape as I absorbed the information being presented. Notes could not be taken fast enough to be able to explain the poignant nature of the documentary produced by Jennifer Siebel Newson. I felt, in short, like a failure. My strong personality is evident to most who meet me. I take charge, encourage others to speak their mind and root for the underdog. Why had I not realized that so many of my peers, and even me, were being manipulated into sticking with “gender norms” that in turn result in an early gender bias

I could devote an entire paper to the statistics presented throughout the documentary, but one stands out for me, personally,  “97% of what you know from media is from a male perspective”. No wonder depression among women has doubled between the years of 2000 and 2010, when strong women in this country are labeled as the “fighting fuck toy”. One actress was practically in tears as she told the story of her Botox injections being administered by an old bald man so that she could get an audition for a part. I understand that there are many different perceptions of a documentary of this nature, but I wonder how many people come out of a viewing the same way that I did. I was angry. I was angry with the media, with women as a whole for standing by and not standing up, and with myself for not realizing what the issues were in the first place. I felt bad for my male colleagues that were diverting their eyes from the obviously charged group of women that had just viewed the documentary.  Limiting portrayals of women teach us that being strong, smart and accomplished… is not enough. I think the most riveting part of this documentary was how it was presented. Men couldn’t look at is as a bunch of women bitching about how life isn’t fair. This documentary highlighted women and their stories, but also focused upon many prominent male figures represented in the media, and how they had matured in their thinking based on what was taught to them at a young age. I cannot stress enough how important it is for everyone to watch this documentary, to see first-hand what the media of this nation is doing to our children. Not just women either, males learn from the media at a very young age as well, as I showed in an earlier blog post about Disney movies and their portrayal of different genders. This documentary was powerful. It should inspire young women to stand up for themselves and to become involved. Not just in politics and media, but involved in their everyday life.

One may question whether the documentary was a bit one sided, concentrating mostly of the effect of mainstream media. Towards the conclusion, women who were mentors to other women spoke out and explained how important it was for them to be role models. I feel that this may be more of an answer than shunning the media. Marketing towards women is a multi-billion dollar business that creates jobs and is not all photo-shop. Marketing sales in the United States are higher than 80% of other countries GDPs.  Another issue addressed was that of women in politics. If parents, teachers and mentors put extra effort into making females realize at a young age that they can run for any school political positions the same as the males, it may spark more interest and create more diverse participation. I feel that is the role of a child’s support system to make sure they are not forming their opinions simply because they have been placed in front of a T.V. for so long. They are hungry for knowledge, and as long as little girls are being told they can grow up to be president, run their own company or even be a firefighter, they will believe it. Most of the problem with young women reaching adolescence seems to be the actual self-esteem issue that arises from the competitiveness to fit it; which is natural among adolescents. If there was more of a focus on the benefits of working together instead of the competitiveness that is all too common, we may see a different result.

I am beyond grateful that this opportunity was presented as an extra credit opportunity. Even if I earn zero points for my thoughts on the documentary and what it meant to me, I feel that I have become more of a force since seeing it. There is no reason not to “join the movement” created by this film. It is important for people to realize the problems that are being confronted. It will allow them to gain a better knowledge and understanding of what needs to be done to eliminate the misconceptions that are being conveyed to young woman today.

It’s good to be Norwegian, according to the U.N.’s latest “happiness index”, says Jane Leung… November 13, 2011

As you may have read in some of my earlier posts… which I understand is not entirely likely, I am lucky enough to have an entire branch of my family that resides in Tonsberg, Norway. In light of a recent article that appeared on CNN’s website, I have decided that if I were to be given the opportunity to conduct ethnographic research, I would choose to go to Norway. Based on a 2011 poll conducted by the U.N., Norway ranks number one on the latest “happiness index”. Having been to Norway, I can assure you that the sheer beauty of waking up in a summer home located on a fjord is enough to make anyone happy, but there have to be other contributing factors, right? Although it would take many years, I would choose to observe a sampling of the entire population to see what may bring happiness to their daily lives. A “thick description”, I’m assuming, would take years. With a population of 5 million, quite a sampling would have to be taken. I would enjoy the challenge and embrace the opportunity to learn from the people I encountered. I would focus on the education system, employment rate, health care and the policies relating to time off of work. Another branch of research would focus on family life and how communities interact. There would be obvious challenges. Not everyone in Norway can be as happy as the U.N. index indicates. There must be a few disgruntled citizens that would change things if they were able. It would also be difficult to conduct the research wihtout comparing my experience and my collected data to an American way of living, with which I am most accustomed. Although Norwegian citizens are required to take English lessons for most of their school years, I know first-hand that the familiarity wears off once your education is complete and I am far from fluent in Norwegian. Taking lessons and learning the Norwegian language would help me to include a wider range of opinions and thought in my ethnography, so it would be a wise decision to become somewhat fluent before embarking on my adventure. I would want the outcome of my research to be easily understood but detailed enough that a reader would feel that they were experiencing a bit of Norwegian life through reading. It would be nice for the compilation of my work to be feature with one of the articles rating Norway as one of the “happiest” places on Earth. I am obviously not an anthropologist so this idea of an ethnography on such a large population is probably considered outlandish, but I truly wouldn’t mind waking up and enjoying fresh salmon on bread while gazing into a fjord for several years.  Tusen takk 🙂

Arranging a Marriage in India – Serena Nanda November 7, 2011

“One hears that in America the girls are spending all their time worrying about whether they will meet a man and get married. Here we have the chance to enjoy our life and let our parents do this work and worrying for us.”

This quote, from the article titled Arranging Marriage in India by Serena Nanda, truly got me thinking. Do American girls spend all of their time worrying about meeting a man and get married? In general… yes. I believe that most women would agree that finding a suitable man to marry is towards the top of their priority list starting at about age 25. Why don’t we let our parents do the worrying for us? Why don’t we spend more time focusing on school and less time gossiping about who we met at a party over the weekend? It doesn’t make much sense. Girls in American society put forth an incredible amount of effort to become popular with the opposite sex, and with the institution of marriage becoming less viable with each generation, we continue keeping up the effort as we move in with our significant others long before tying the knot. It is always a good idea to broaden your perspectives, learn of other cultures and their beliefs. It allows you expand your thinking and accept some theories you may have never considered yourself. Within Indian culture, instead of worrying about finding a husband, women form lasting friendships without the underlying tension of who will get a “keeper”. Their lives are centralized around the family, which I would imagine is a very fulfilling and loving lifestyle. They do not worry about the man they will marry, because they trust their family to choose a man who is hardworking, kind and compatible.

“If he is a good man, why should I not like him?” she said. “With you people, you know the boy so well before you marry, where will be the fun to get married? There will be no mystery and no romance. Here we have the whole of our married life to get to know and love our husband. “This way is better, is it not?”

Just some food for thought…

How perceptions of masculinity are formed at an early age… October 31, 2011

Masculinity

Masculinity is, according to Collins Dictionary, possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man. I know that the term masculinity has been adopting different definitions over the past several years, but it will truly take a change within our culture to completely eliminate the interpretation of masculinity that has been ingrained into our minds since… forever. I posted a video showing the way “alpha males” are portrayed in the animated movies most of us have grown up with and it is interesting to note the roles that men play. They are big, strong, dominant and looking for the physical attention of a slightly submissive female. While we may not have realized this phenomenon while we were searching for “prince charming” for a good 18 years, it is quite blatant when looking back on some of the scenes. I’m fairly progressive in my views, and growing up as a serious tomboy, I don’t agree with the typical definition of masculinity. I think it is amazing if a father chooses to stay home with their children while a mother works to further her career. My parents had me at a very young age, and both worked full time to support our family. My father worked night work while my mother worked during the day. I grew up knowing what a good work ethic was, and experiencing first hand how it can greatly improve your life to have two people working equally as hard toward a common goal. We are no longer living in caves, men do not need to protect women from wild animals that may seek the heat from the fire, and to be honest, I know quite a few women that are awesome marksmen…women… I have gay friends that have taught me more about fashion than I learned growing up and I know my boyfriend is grateful that I don’t drag him out on my hunt for the perfect blouse. Although, I must admit, he has become much more in tune with fashion and hair products since he has learned that these things make a lot more difference in his appearance than he once thought. The lines are being blurred as people learn that change is inevitable and that you must adapt in order to survive. I like to think of people that are set in a specific way, without considering how a change may benefit them, as a dying breed. If they were a species, they would quickly become extinct.

Men Growing Up to be Boys — In These Times

Men Growing Up to be Boys — In These Times.

Kinship Diagram October 24, 2011