A Response to Stranger with a Camera

Being from Appalachia myself, Stranger with a Camera struck close to home.  I found the documentary effective but it also left me with feelings of ambivalence.   As times have changed and modernity has spread, there are fewer cases as severe as the one depicted in the film...but they do certainly still exist.  After watching this in class I, unconsciously, kept questioning my position as if it were my own hometown in that film and came to the conclusion that I was split in three ways.  


1.  My first instinct is something I'm not proud of.  At first I was taken aback by how impoverished, narrow-minded and uneducated these people were.  Dare I say the word "backwards?"  This country is supposed to be one of the most well-developed nations in the world and you're taking your shotgun to someone who just took a picture?!  Murder is Murder.  I've been to communities like that and there are enough well-off and upper-class people to offset those not-so-sharp mentalities.  In fact, I felt like one of those upper-class Kentuckians of the time as I internally shook my head and wagged my finger at those journalists for generalizing that community the way they did.  Those places really aren't like that. About 30 seconds later I realized that reaction was narrow-minded itself.  I was so quick to judge because those are the reactions that much of American culture and media has embedded within me.  I almost forgot to think for myself.


2.  No, I did not grow up in those conditions, per say, but I sure did witness them.  That kind of environment is my home and the home of my parents and their parents.  It really is like that!  Those images that rolled across the screen were no different from the pictures I see of my great-grandparent's home, what I see when we drive down the streets of my parent's hometown, and certainly no different from what I see when I just drive two or three miles away from my own home.  The difference is that we never knew, I never knew, that it was bad.  It was just what we knew and that's all there was to it.  That part of me is okay with how Appalachia has been documented.  No, it has not always been shown in the best light, but I know very well that that doesn't defeat the sense of pride those individuals have.  That is there home, their life and they work hard for everything they have.  At first their demeanor may seem disturbing, but they are some of the true images of the American Dream.  There are few people with as much pride and gratitude as them.  The man with the shotgun was just a product of his own culture, just as we all are.  


3. Okay, so perhaps both the stereotypical portrayal of Appalachia and the murder are morally wrong.  Yet, I'm totally okay with how these cases are shown to the American audience on one condition: I want Americans to try and understand the causes.  First, it should be well noted that people don't choose to live in those conditions.  These conditions exist because of flaws in the institutions that run our society.  The flaws continue to exist because our institutions are not quite comfortable with change.  While how our social institutions prohibit prosperity for all places and people is a whole other polemic, it just important to remember the term accessibility.  Such locations as seen in the film do not have access to all of that those do in other parts of the country.  They do not choose to send their children to inadequate schools; they do not choose to live in unstable housing; they do not choose to live without healthcare.  The list goes on.  The point being is that access is limited for the inhabitants of these environments.  With that notion of limited accessibility, individuals must adapt.  Thus, they create a new culture and their offspring only become products of the same culture.  Patterns are terribly hard to break.  Just remember that no matter how foreign or problematic Appalachian life may seem, it is not a conscious choice, it is a cultural phenomenon that has resulted from structural flaws in the institutions of our society.  




For fun I'd like to leave you with some examples of modern cases that raise some of the same ethical dilemnas that those images of Appalachia did over half a century ago...


This is where I'm from.  There are definitely problems concerning weight and health here.  But from a first hand experience, generalizing and broadcasting on national TV the whole city as obese did NOT go over well at home.  

This is a clip from a documentary that has become quite popular.  I have even watched this in classes during my time at OU.  Boone County is not all that far away from my hometown.  For that reason, I usually find myself slinking down in my seat and cringing at the remarks and generalizations most students have after watching this film.  Introducing The Dancing Outlaw: Jesco White...

SNL@Alden!

From the 2nd floor of Alden Library I bring to you Saturday Night Live: a cultural experience!


.....A cultural experience? What? How? 

You see, the highly diversified environment of students spending their Saturday evening in the Learning Commons could not possibly be anything short of a cultural phenomenon.  Floor number two is more than just a place where students can come work.  It's much more complicated than that.  These noble souls choose to spend their evening laboring for the sake of this educational institution.  Noble souls?  Choose?  Yes, these words seem problematic to me, too.  These poor losers are forced to forfeit a night at the bars so they don't flunk out.  Each of these unfortunate individuals fall into subcategories based on the spatial construction of floor number 2 of Hell.  Now who makes up Alden's SNL cast? 


First there are the tables.  There are the foreign-born Asian students studying in groups, the individuals diligently working alone, the pairs of girls or couples doing more talking than studying and then the loners that are just staring into space.  Then there are the group study rooms.  There are the small groups sitting and talking, however, soundproof rooms prohibit us from judging their levels of academic efficiency.  Then there are the larger groups that are professionally reviewing slideshows and excel documents that serve to remind you why being an economics or business major would blow.  There are the circles of computers.  Here we have the student who is just staring at a blank Word document followed by the student that has the Word document with their name, class, date and title typed.  Then there are those that are obsessively checking blackboard and Catmail as a less-guilty mode of procrastination.  Next we have those on Facebook followed by those that are trying to conceal being on Facebook.  There are others with their work spread in front of them and intensely stare at the task at hand as they shamelessly eat and crumple wrappers/drink/text/search for another escape.  Oh, there are also a few that are successfully working.  There are the floaters and other miscellaneous individuals.  There John and Jane are standing at the printer and waiting the five minutes for it to warm up because people watching is better than 5 more minutes of homework.  Can't forget the other John and Jane that are going to the restroom every 5-10 minutes, most likely just for something to do. There are the few older individuals that you question. Grad students? Faculty? Townies? There is nothing comfortable about sitting next to the individual you think you should be institutionalized.  Mhm, the one walking around talking to herself, the same one you that follows you down an alley uptown and freaks your stuff a bit.  There is also not much that is comforting about sitting next to the guy that is mumbling to and laughing at the computer screen.  Nor does the older guy that is making those mysterious calls about his unidentified posting on Craigslist give me those fuzzy feelings.  But without them would this really be a Saturday night at Alden? Yes, probably.  But it is the mysticism and complexity of the environment that provide for an unforgettable Saturday night. 




Still convinced SNL@Alden is not the cultural experience you want next weekend?  If you answered anything but "yes" I must conclude we are sufficiently incompatible.  

Holi Festival

To do my review of a cultural event I chose an event that actually relates to the subculture I am studying.  I attended the Holi celebration held by the Indian Students Association.  

Holi is considered to be one of the two largest Hindu festivals celebrated in India (the other being Diwali in October/November).  This holiday, which always falls around the beginning of Spring,  is known as the "festival of colors." While the holiday has a religious story behind it, it is often more commonly known for how it is celebrated.  If you were in India during Holi you might be taken aback by the "throwing of colors."  Children and adults alike join in and throw brightly colored dry powered dyes at each other.  Anyone is fair game.

So while the throwing of colors might not be fully appreciated on OU's campus, the Indian Students Association hosted their annual Holi Festival.  The celebration was well attended by Indian and non-Indian students alike.  Many, including myself, wore brightly colored traditional Indian garb and henna in celebration of Holi.  The event started with a short explanation of the origins of the holiday and soon followed with the entertainment.  Students performed various forms of dances and songs, some of which were Indian in origin and others not.  Regardless, this event held true to its Indian context as the audience remained energetic and very involved in the performances.  Of course dinner followed soon afterwards because no Indian gathering is complete without food.  The menu included many richly flavored curries, rice, naan, samosas, chutneys, and one of my favorite deserts, gulab jamun.  The night did not end there, however.   In addition to the elaborate food, another trademark of Indian celebrations is the dancing.  So the event continued on into the night as guests danced to popular Bollywood hits.  

The Indian Diaspora at Ohio University

The subculture I have chosen to study is the Indian Diaspora at Ohio University.

Box 11: Positioning Yourself
Before entering the field and continually during my field study, I must question my relation to the subculture.  I know that as I am not an Indian national myself, fully becoming an insider of this group would prove difficult.  The different cultural backgrounds we have will greatly shape my position in this subculture.  As this is a relatively large community and time allotted for this project is minimal, I will also have to pick and choose which aspects of the subculture I will focus more on.  However, there are several factors that positively influence my position in the field.  I have several friends in the Indian community at Ohio University which allows me to easily gain access to personal interviews and insider knowledge.  My former internship with the Friends of India organization on campus updates me on Indian events and has introduced me as a familiar face at such events.  Finally, my experience in India and my knowledge of the culture will help portray my respect for their heritage and hopefully increase the level of trust.  

Subjectively, studying this subculture has its benefits for me.  In increments I have studied the culture of India and the subculture of this Diaspora at OU in the past.  My academic studies largely incorporate India as a focus area.  As a result, studying this subculture will continue to propel my studies.  I am already slightly involved in this subculture as I am studying the Hindi language, attend many events and frequently communicate with several members of the community so my choice to study this subculture is also quite convenient.  

The Phenomenon of Culture

Box 1: Looking at Subcultures
Humans are unique from other living organisms in their ability to embody a conscious identity.  This identity is often inherently defined by the larger culture we are from.  While we may not have much control over the customs that are enculturated into our lives, we are actively choosing and participating in various subcultures.  These subcultures help shape and define our beliefs, interests, mannerisms, personality and other social traits.  These subcultures shape and define our identity. 


Some of the subcultures to which I belong include:
The School of Dance:  Like many of the arts, the School of Dance inhabits a small community of extremely individual, vocal (and perhaps dogmatic) artists.  All the members share a common interest in dance but they all come from different backgrounds.  Their backgrounds influence the subcultures within the School of Dance.  Some of these include those that are strictly ballet dancers, modern dancers, competition dancers, choreographers, etc.,  
The Preservation Department:  I work as a preservation technician at the university repairing and preserving books and other materials from the library. More than just sharing the knowledge of the jargon or proudly pointing our work out when we see it in the library, there are many customs we have established.  We use our acquired skills to make our own journals and we have a tradition of creatively baking/cooking every Friday for "Food Friday" (somewhat of a friendly competition).  
India-goers: That is indeed a horrible title for a subculture but I know of no real name for it.  There are a number of students, like myself, that have spent time in India.  While we share a common experience, what is more relevant is how we see India playing out in popular culture nowadays and where we fit into between the two cultures.  This is the subculture I would like to explore more for this post:


We have all been to India for different reasons and had very different experiences.   There is no club or precise title for this subculture, either.  However, this common interest ignites something spectacular.  The excitement is anything but discreet and every rant ends with a "no matter how I try to explain  India, people just don't understand!"  


While these India-goers share the capability to suddenly come alive and bond with even the most opposite of people over this experience, what is interesting about this subculture is its position in limbo.  No matter how much we know about India, how well we can get around in that chaos or how well we are accepted by other Indians, we will never be Indians nor is that the goal.  Yet as Indian culture seems to have increasingly infiltrated American culture, we recognize the use of Indian culture without the understanding of it and sometimes get defensive.  Like how some must have their "chai tea" (although saying "chai tea" literally means "tea tea") but don't know where it even comes from.  Or how the yoga craze has swept Western culture and produced many self-proclaimed yogis, yet in translation the whole philosophy of this ancient practice was essentially lost? Or how about the "OM" symbols tattooed on many girls often on their feet (which is actually quite a desecrating place to put that religious symbol)?  Not everyone has the opportunity, time or desire to travel to other countries or learn about other cultures.  But this sub-culture is not about that.  It is also not specific to India.  The subculture belongs to all of those that have taken the time to experience and learn about other ways of living and now stand on the border.  India-goers, like other cultural enthusiasts, make a noble attempt to try and understand the beauty of the culture the best they can.  However, this makes them see their native culture in a new light and permanently changes their perspective.  


A quote that has had great significance for me and seems quite relevant to the subject matter: 

"Fish never know they are wet because they lack a contrast. Likewise people unfamiliar with other patterns of belief and behavior can never realize the particular nature of their own patterns and customs, nor can they surmount them. To the extent that we take our cultural patterns for granted, we are captives of them. Intellectual and personal freedom begins with an awareness that alternatives are possible."
-Douglas Raybeck

Box 2:  Making the Ordinary Extraordinary
Using an outsider perspective to alter a common ritual 
Several times a week I voluntarily subdue myself to physical pain.  I make a point to assign time at least several days a week to do so.  I begin by altering my appearance so if people see me they automatically know what I'm about to do.  This uniform inform includes a loose shirt, pants or shorts specifically designed for this act of physical self-torture and finally a pair of shoes that are bulky and manufactured so as to make this act of pain easier to carry out.  I start by stretching and pulling my limbs as if trying to snap my muscles and tendons in half.  I pretend that my rubber band-like capabilities are greater than they actually are.  Depending on the day, I may choose a different form of torture for what comes next.  Frequently I decide to run even though I am in no hurry and have no destination.  As I run my legs burn from being overworked, breathing is uncomfortable and hard to do and I am even becoming glossed with my own sticky sweat.  Even so, I continue to run.  Once I have pushed the limit of the pain I can tolerate, I decide it is time to pursue another method of self-inflicted agony.  I decide to lift heavy things.  I repeatedly lift awkwardly heavy objects in distinct motions until my muscles are on fire and my limbs slightly trembling.  After I have caused myself an over-sufficient amount of pain, I once again revert back to contorting and stretching my limbs before I finish my ritual act of inflicting pain.  It is difficult to subject myself to such pain continuously, but I am told if i do not I will be unhealthy.