Sexuality is Spiritual not Chosen

Learning about the berdache tradition among many Native american tribes was interesting and comforting! I love learning about new cultures and finding out that things aren't just "Western" ideologies.

This article was comforting to me, because I share the view that homosexuals have a place in every society and that they are not abnormal. It frustrates me when hardcore religious people discriminate against homosexuals, saying that they are sinning and going against God's will, but then say that God loves everyone. I think it is extremely hypocritical for christians to judge people that they are supposed to love.

I like that the article highlights that the boys, or in some cases girls, are not forced to become a Berache, and that they don't choose it for themselves, but that during the ceremonies they know it is time to let everyone know that they are different from normal males.

Another thing I liked about the Native American view on Berdaches was that it was a spiritual aspect that made them different not a personal choice. In America it is mostly thought that being homosexual goes against spirituality, and I know for a fact that that idea is wrong. I have someone very close to me who is gay, and he still considers himself to be very close to God - not a sinner of choice in constant need of forgiveness.

I am happy that in some areas of the world homosexuality is embraced and integrated into culture and society. I think it is interesting that the Berdache are not considered males, and I do not quite agree with that concept, but overall I liked this article and the differentiating societal regards to sexuality it revealed.

Unnatural Causes; Inequailty in Healthcare

I think the argument in the documentary "Unnatural Causes" made a lot of sense. To me the amount of money you have increases the likelihood that you have better health, healthcare, and more access to health lifestyle choices which are often more expensive.

McDonalds, or any fast food chain like it, is a great example. They make dollar menus that are easily accessible to lower income neighborhoods, but are unhealthy. In contrast nicer neighbor hoods have grocery stores like Earth Fare which are more expensive and sell organic healthy food.

So you already have food choice differences between the lower and upper neighborhoods, but then you have to take into account that it is more likely for wealthier families to have and be able to afford healthcare! Which they will most likely not have to use as much because they already eat better and have access to better doctors.

It causes a vicious cycle; knowing you can't afford to eat or feed your family healthy food creates stress. On top of that stress is created by knowing that if you get sick you may not be able to pay for it. Just the stress those two factors alone cause can create health problems which sends you back to the beginning of the cycle of needing better food and better healthcare, etc. etc.. only you are stuck at that point and so your health worsens and you die before someone else your age who is wealthier.

It is a serious problem, and is why America need a healthcare system that is easily and fairly available to everyone.

Covered Girls

I was in fourth grade when the 9/11 attacks occurred, and looking back I remember everyone saying how close it brought the American people. Unfortunately watching this video made me realize that even in times of dire struggle and heartache, sadly our society always singles out some aspect of a minority group and discriminates against them.

I found it appalling that people would spit on young Muslim girls who obviously have no ties to the attacks or the terrorist group behind them. It is called a terrorist group for a reason, because it does not represent the population of people from which it derived.

It is a pet peeve of mine when people play into stereotypes, but I find myself especially sensitive to people regarding to Muslims as terrorists. I do not know exactly why that is, but my reaction to the film was disappointment towards the American people inappropriately taking their anger about the 9/11 attacks out on American Muslims. Although I do not remember much of the press coverage from the time, I am sure that the media did not help cast the Muslim population as a whole in good lighting - as they still continue today to use slander towards the religion today.

The Islamic religion is meant to be peaceful, and it is sad that the media focuses so much on a group of people who are so terribly misrepresenting the mass majority of followers. I am happy that the girls in the film are able to positively express themselves and refute all the negative connotations correlated with hijabs and Muslim society.

The following website is not exactly what I would call legit, but it is a faith forum that takes exurbs out of the Qur'an to show that the Islamic religion is not commanded to hate all other religions - including Christianity. I think that many people fall prey to our media and full-heartedly believe that Muslims hate Christians. To those people I say - you need to do some research and learn to discern between what is really the truth and what is just a good story in the news.

Here it is: Do Muslims Hate Christians?

Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? - No.

"Do Women Really Need Saving?" by Lila Abu-Lughod made valid points about Muslim women, or any religion's women followers, and their decision to wear head garments called by many different names. I think it is important to note that these women do not feel oppressed and like Abu-Lughod said - we should not be surprised that they do not throw their head dresses to the ground in great thanks to the "liberation" that America thinks we have created for them.

I do not particulariy agree with the first half of this article and how the author seemed to put the American society down, making us all seem egocentric and culturally bound. To me it seems like she threw one culture under the bus in her efforts to raise understnding and support of another. However, I do agree with her idea that women in Wastern cultures wear their head dressings out of respect for their religion.

The way I can personally relate to this idea the most is by comparing these women to nuns. A nun pledges her life to God, and while Muslim women do not make an oath of celibacy, they do, like nuns, choose to dress in ways that are intentionally more modest and religiousy focused. I feel like if anything, this would help them in their religous experience - not hinder them or make them opressed.

Overall when comparing the majority of Muslim women to Western society you have to give them props for chosing to be modest and holy in their everyday life, demonstrating their love and dedicaton in the most outwardsly way possible, instead of chosing to dress in bikinis, booty shorts, or tightly fitting clothes to accentuate their bodies. They are not opressed and do not need saving - they just choose different life paths than Western societies have chosen, and as an effect their cuture is different and more accepting of their dress manorisms.

Juicing Snags Customers and Money

"Kinds of Talk: Juicing Clients in Tattoo World" was both a very interesting piece and very helpful ethnography, because it gave the perfect formula to look back to when writing my ethnography paper.

Personally, tattoo parlors scare me! However, the artists in this ethnography were so friendly that I am almost tempted to go see if the local tattoo hubs in five points demonstrate the same "welcome home" feeling.

I can understand the "juicing" concept completely and think it is a needed in the atmosphere of places like tattoo parlors, piercing shops, etc.. There is a certain fear you have to overcome when you decide to get a tattoo or any other bodily art, because it involves hurting yourself in order to express yourself. Juicing is the perfect way for tattoo artists to get you over your fears and coming back for more which is vital, because it ensures a steady flow of income.

Overall I think that the tattoo artists have adapted to their work in a way that allows them to make customers feel at ease, feel out what tattoo style a customer really wants, and charge the most possible for the tattoo given in order to support the business. Tattooing is an art form, and being a tattoo artists allows you to make anyone your canvas as long as you have all the skill you need both artistically and socially.

Russian Prisons and Tattoos

The film, The Mark of Cain, by Alix Lambert took a while to digest. I had mixed feelings about the ethnography. I think what came as the biggest surprise was that I didn't feel sorry for some of the prisoners even though their conditions were terrible. Nevertheless some prisoners pointed out facts that were surprising and obviously flawed with the Russian judicial court. 

I think the reason that I did not take pity on some prisoners is because they were murderers. I don't believe in the death penalty, but I also don't think that someone convicted of murder should live comfortably in jail. While the tactics of flooding rooms, starving the inmates, beatings by guards, etc. was extreme and against human rights - I do not feel pity for those who were selfish enough to take another person's life.

While the murders did not rally much sympathy from me, the thief surprisingly did. At one point in the film a prisoner pointed out that someone convicted of theft could very easily serve a longer sentence than someone convicted of murder. I think that this may be a cultural difference between the U.S. and Russia - maybe that is expected or the norm there? However in the U.S., murder is treated as a far worse crime that theft, and I agree with that. 

The tattoo aspect of the film was interesting, however I feel like Lambert's purpose was to provide and ethnography on the tattoo hierarchy in a Russian prison but came out with an ethnography of the mistreatment and neglect placed on prisoners with in a Russian prison.

http://www.prison.org/english/rpsys.htm  - I think that this link provides a useful look into the Russian penitentiary system. It shows the differences and similarities between Russian and U.S. judicial system and processes.

Number Our Days

The film. Number Our Days, was very touching. It made me realize how sad aging could be, because if you are lucky enough to live to an old age then you are also unfortunate enough to suffer through great losses as everything around you changes.

Barbra Myerhoff showed how the elderly have to come together for support, because society abandons them in their slow, old age. It is a harsh reality that Myerhoff  revealed, because often times the elderly give up everything to raise their children, yet throughout the whole documentary not a single child was seen. It seemed like not only had society abandoned the elderly, but that their own families had too.

Myerhoff ended the documentary saying, "Aging is not death, but there is a certain peace in death and aging is a part of that." However, I wonder if the participants in the film would agree with her, because it seemed like to them aging was just the highway to death and it was filled with loss, hurt, and a feeling of abandonment. I never saw them look peaceful, as Myerhoff describes. Even at the parties they attended, all of the elderly had a burnt-out look in their eyes. It was like they knew their time was near, and the party was just to fill the gap between being alive and being dead.

I hope that Myerhoff's film opens the eyes of society, or at least those who watch it, to the fact that the elderly are so burnt-out because they spent so much of their life pushing the younger generations to the goals they need to reach. It is a shame that so many of America's elderly are forgotten instead of cherished. They may be slow and "stuck" in another generation, but they don't deserve to be forgotten and surrounded by loss - especially the loss of those who are still living and able to help and love them.

Nacirema and Cultural Perspective

The first time I read about the Nacirema was when I was 14 years old. I will write about my initial reaction to the article, because after you are let in on the secret your perspective on the Nacirema obviously changes. 

After finding out that Nacirema is just American spelled backwards, I was shocked to go back and re-read the article. I saw that it was clearly talking about Americans, and described things we did as rituals, instead of giving them the proper names we know the activities by. 

I thought it was interesting that after reading the word ritual I automatically put the Nacirema into a stereotype that the tribe had derived from Africa. Really, we all do rituals, but just don't call them by that name instead calling them habits or necessities. The next question my teacher, at the time, brought to attention is; if an outside culture came to America, is what the article described what they would see and think of our culture? - Probably. 

Each culture is unique and amazingly intricate and intertwined, so for any one culture to look into another there has to be an understanding that the norm is going to be different. The article highlights that just because a culture has odd rituals does not mean that the society is archaic, but it is simply one to its own. Also, we can never look at another culture and expect to see our own or hold it to our culture's expectations, because no one culture has the same morals or behaviors. The Nacirema can teach everyone that you should never judge a culture by just looking at what they do, but that you should always try to delve into the actions and understand what you are observing.