I was really interested in the lecture on the IRB drafts and proposals. As I read over IRB requirements and everything that was tied to it, I became really overwhelmed and I really had the feeling that I was not going to be able to do this! Obviously, I will be able to, and I even have the desire to, because I learned that it has to do with the protection of human life.
As we discussed that ethics talks about distinguishing what is right and what is wrong in human actions. As I sat in class, I was thinking about the different things that take place in the world, and how there is pretty much a right and a wrong with everything. As a Latter-Day Saint, we are taught that laws and commandments are there for a great purpose, and should therefore be perfectly followed. Obviously this still stands true in my personal beliefs. However, when we talked about context, my drastic views softened up a little bit.
Ashley shared a story about a man with a sick wife and how his only options were to let her die, or steal the medicine from the pharmacist. I honestly have no idea where I would stand, and it really hit me that context really has so much to do with our morals and ethics. This isn't to say that our moral compass should be skewed or that the commandments are negotiable, but it does mean a lot more sensitivity on our part. I thought of so many instances in the scripture where the commandments were not necessarily kept because of context. Nephi, for example killed Laban. Rebeckah lied and put fur on Jacob's arm so that he would seem as Esau, and the Lord himself healed on Sunday and forgave the adulterer who was about to be stoned by the pharisees. I felt better about myself as I thought about these examples and it is really true that not EVERYTHING is black and white.
So how does this apply to my field study in India?
As the class went on, I learned that by doing interviews, I will be basically "taking" something from the women I talk to, and it is ultimately my responsibility to take care of that, as if it were my own life story. I will be writing about it and others will be reading it, so I have the moral responsibility to keep it as pure as possible. It may sound perhaps a little over the top to others, but when it comes to lives that are real and just as alive as I am, it is not over the top whatsoever.
I love the movie "Australia" and one of my favorite parts is when a man in explaining to a foreigner what the Aborigines feel is the most important thing to them. "They don't take material possessions with them, they don't necessarily care about riches, in the end, what really matters is their story...something that could never be taken away". I thought about the women that I will be interviewing and the many people I will be talking to. I thought about the different opinions that I will be hearing and the different things that I will be learning about people's lives, that will even shape the way I see my own life. I will be asking about "their" story, and I want to do everything possible to keep it as intact as I can and protect it as much as I can.
I will need to be informing those whom I will spending time with, about my project there and my intentions. I feel that they have the right to know, just as I would want to know why somebody would interview me about my life and my self-perceptions. Ashley said something that really stuck with me: "is their name safe in my mouth?" I want nothing more than to build relationships of trust with these people that I will have the privilege to be staying with, so that their story is safe in my mouth. Of course, I know that this will take a lot of work and effort on my part, but all of that and more, is worth it.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Annotated Source #11 (Friday, February 17, 2012)
"Notes on Love in a Tamil Family" by: Margaret Trawick
I have loved everything that I have read in this book so far. The author talks about how Tamil women are way more expressive and less submissive than the North Indian women. I was really surprised to read this, but as I did, I thought of Ashley and how she talked about Jeeva's bravery in leading her women's group in Chavadi. I was really intrigued to read about how in our Western culture, we tend to tag names to India and to her people. "caste-dominated", "repressed", "dominated", "past-oriented", among other things. I think that I had that mindset about India as well before I really got immersed in it. I thought that it was great that the author, who spent a lot of time in Tamil Nadu, living among that Tamil people, said that those are just words, and words should not define a culture. I think it is important to keep that in mind, as we are approaching that time to live in India for the entire summer.
I have loved everything that I have read in this book so far. The author talks about how Tamil women are way more expressive and less submissive than the North Indian women. I was really surprised to read this, but as I did, I thought of Ashley and how she talked about Jeeva's bravery in leading her women's group in Chavadi. I was really intrigued to read about how in our Western culture, we tend to tag names to India and to her people. "caste-dominated", "repressed", "dominated", "past-oriented", among other things. I think that I had that mindset about India as well before I really got immersed in it. I thought that it was great that the author, who spent a lot of time in Tamil Nadu, living among that Tamil people, said that those are just words, and words should not define a culture. I think it is important to keep that in mind, as we are approaching that time to live in India for the entire summer.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Attempting to Participate and Observe in Centerville!, February 27, 2012
For the method's practice, I decided that I was going to observe a family that I was visiting. I was really going to pay attention to how they acted around each other, how they acted in public settings and how they acted in private, individually.
When I first walked in the house, I was really surprised to find the dad watching TV and the mom was already asleep. I then remembered that it was my first time in their home, so I waited to be approached rather than me going for it first. The dad came towards me and I immediately went to hug him, which I was thinking was totally appropriate, and luckily for me, he returned that! But I thought about my stay in India and how I don't know if hugging is even appropriate, so I am better off waiting for it.
The next day, the family and I went to the movies and the movie that we all chose to watch was really stupid (I'll disclose the title so that no body else makes the same mistake- "Ghost Rider II"). Anyway, since I was with the family and they had made the effort to take me out and buy my ticket, I did not think it appropriate to critique the movie in front of them, as I would do if I were with friends or my family. I was thinking that in India, there will be some things that I will most likely not like or not be used to. Unless these things are harmful in any way, it is not my place to critique them or share my opinion of it, unless asked. I have had to learn this principle in my life, since I have been known to mess up in the past.
We also went to a restaurant, but there was about a half hour wait. I didn't have a problem with it, but the father of the family did, and it was almost amusing to me. I didn't really notice that he was though, until it was pointed out to me--which shows me that I should probably work more on my observation skills. In India, observing people as a group is really important, but equally as important, is being able to observe the individual.
Anyway, I was really intrigued at how many people didn't seem too happy about the wait either. The desperate seating hostesses were really trying to keep people from leaving, and once in a while, they would announce: "attention Red Robin customers, we are having a lobby contest! if anyone walks up to the counter with a gym membership card, he or she will get free onion rings!". I didn't see anyone walk up, I just saw people rolling their eyes and complaining. A few minutes later, the hostesses again announced "attention Red Robin customers, we are doing a lobby contest! Whoever can get up to the front and dance 'I'm a little tea pot' will get a free order of french fries!". I started to laugh at how the people now seemed less than amused and how a three-year old and his mom were the only ones willing to do this. Everybody seemed so impatient and I must admit, I was a little too. However, I thought about the polychronic vs. monochronic time and how most of the people in the lobby really wanted their food. They really didn't care about anything else. It wasn't wrong, just different attitudes and cultural characteristics.
As I was thinking about my observations, what really stood out to me was the fact that we often times are immersed in a different culture and constantly measure it with our own. I do this all the time! and this little exercise has taught me that there is no way that I can get really immersed and participate fully, if I don't get rid of judgment. By simply observing and accepting people as they are, without pre-judgments, allows me to better understand them and see their motives from a different angle. I know that this will be an important principle to apply in India, because I will always see things that make no sense to me culturally, and I'll be REALLY clueless and lost, but if I rely on my observations and accept the people around me, I'l be able to understand them better, and that's really my ultimate goal.
When I first walked in the house, I was really surprised to find the dad watching TV and the mom was already asleep. I then remembered that it was my first time in their home, so I waited to be approached rather than me going for it first. The dad came towards me and I immediately went to hug him, which I was thinking was totally appropriate, and luckily for me, he returned that! But I thought about my stay in India and how I don't know if hugging is even appropriate, so I am better off waiting for it.
The next day, the family and I went to the movies and the movie that we all chose to watch was really stupid (I'll disclose the title so that no body else makes the same mistake- "Ghost Rider II"). Anyway, since I was with the family and they had made the effort to take me out and buy my ticket, I did not think it appropriate to critique the movie in front of them, as I would do if I were with friends or my family. I was thinking that in India, there will be some things that I will most likely not like or not be used to. Unless these things are harmful in any way, it is not my place to critique them or share my opinion of it, unless asked. I have had to learn this principle in my life, since I have been known to mess up in the past.
We also went to a restaurant, but there was about a half hour wait. I didn't have a problem with it, but the father of the family did, and it was almost amusing to me. I didn't really notice that he was though, until it was pointed out to me--which shows me that I should probably work more on my observation skills. In India, observing people as a group is really important, but equally as important, is being able to observe the individual.
Anyway, I was really intrigued at how many people didn't seem too happy about the wait either. The desperate seating hostesses were really trying to keep people from leaving, and once in a while, they would announce: "attention Red Robin customers, we are having a lobby contest! if anyone walks up to the counter with a gym membership card, he or she will get free onion rings!". I didn't see anyone walk up, I just saw people rolling their eyes and complaining. A few minutes later, the hostesses again announced "attention Red Robin customers, we are doing a lobby contest! Whoever can get up to the front and dance 'I'm a little tea pot' will get a free order of french fries!". I started to laugh at how the people now seemed less than amused and how a three-year old and his mom were the only ones willing to do this. Everybody seemed so impatient and I must admit, I was a little too. However, I thought about the polychronic vs. monochronic time and how most of the people in the lobby really wanted their food. They really didn't care about anything else. It wasn't wrong, just different attitudes and cultural characteristics.
As I was thinking about my observations, what really stood out to me was the fact that we often times are immersed in a different culture and constantly measure it with our own. I do this all the time! and this little exercise has taught me that there is no way that I can get really immersed and participate fully, if I don't get rid of judgment. By simply observing and accepting people as they are, without pre-judgments, allows me to better understand them and see their motives from a different angle. I know that this will be an important principle to apply in India, because I will always see things that make no sense to me culturally, and I'll be REALLY clueless and lost, but if I rely on my observations and accept the people around me, I'l be able to understand them better, and that's really my ultimate goal.
Friday, February 24, 2012
"Talk to the geckos, dance with the ants and take your Liahona" Friday, February 24, 2012
Yesterday, I had the amazing opportunity to have dinner with Elder. Bruce C. Hafen, former member of the quorum of the 70. He and his wife were so gracious in having me and of course, when they asked me what I would be doing after graduation, I went on about India for a while. Elder. Hafen then said "You ought to talk to Martha, she would love to hear your story". I had NO idea who Martha was and how and where I would talk to her. Not long after, a woman in her early 30s came into the house and sat down to join us for dinner. I quickly learned that she was a former BYU student and she was friends with the Hafens. She helped them with the landscape around her house. I quickly saw how she was considered part of the family and made herself right at home.
After a quick introduction, I said that I was going to India, to do some research on Women. She then simply expressed that it sounded like a great opportunity and that she was excited for her. I then found out the most amazing thing about her, just merely by asking her what she went to school (it's amazing what you can find out just by asking simple questions).
Martha had done her masters in sociology and ethnography. She had spent months In Australia doing a study in the traditional healing methods that Aborigines practiced. She spoke about living with the Aborigines in their "reservations" and how life was for her there. She also went to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa to do the same study and the things she told me that she had found out were fascinating! She explained that paradigms within a culture change with time, and when she was particularly with the Aborigines, her paradigm was completely reversed.
As I listened, I thought about my experiences in India and all that awaited me there. I told her that I was terrified of everything but that India felt so right at the same time. She then said something that I will never forget. "It's normal to be scared. When I first arrived in Darwin, there were so many unanswered questions and I had no idea where I was going to go, but I was guided. Things were so different with the Aborigines. My world view changed completely. Things will be completely different when you get to India. You will notice little things that you in your western household will not be used to. For example, there were ants everywhere. You open the fridge, and there were ants. You went to climb in bed, and there were geckos sitting there in your sheets. But you live with it, you learn to not let those things bother you. When you are in India, and you notice things that will be shockingly different, talk to the geckos and dance with the ants". I thought about that LONG and HARD. What was she meaning? It didn't take very long for me to figure it out.
As we continued our conversation, I explained that I was a little nervous about offending anyone and that I wanted to be really culturally sensitive. She then said "well, you will be culturally sensitive. But remember, you are learning from them. You want to see how they live their lives, so ask them to teach you. Make yourself completely humble, leave your pride in the states, and go to India completely teachable and with acknowledgment that you DON'T know and understand everything; then they will teach you" That sounded a lot like what I had learned in my Intro to International Development class. Just to go to a different culture and learn from the people, let them teach you what you are meant to learn.
Martha went on to say "take your Liahona with you. Anything that is spiritual, you must keep your spirituality alive and really strong because the Lord will guide you. You will learn to follow your instincts on who to talk to, where to go and what to do. Your instincts will be the Lord talking to you". I was just taken back. I had thought about I obviously was going to pray and read my scriptures in the field, that would not change just because I was in India. However, I had never thought so deeply about how valuable it would be to keep the spirit with me. I was grateful that she shared that.
The last thing she said that made a lasting impression, was: "don't go in thinking you are doing them a favor and blessing them with your presence. When I was first there, I thought that I would be there to help them, and when I was done, it was completely the opposite. They taught me, they helped me, and they saved me".
I want to be able to have that experience in India. This conversation really made a different in my life at this point in time. I am so grateful to have my own set of experiences and like Martha, be able to tell others how much my life was changed for the better.
After a quick introduction, I said that I was going to India, to do some research on Women. She then simply expressed that it sounded like a great opportunity and that she was excited for her. I then found out the most amazing thing about her, just merely by asking her what she went to school (it's amazing what you can find out just by asking simple questions).
Martha had done her masters in sociology and ethnography. She had spent months In Australia doing a study in the traditional healing methods that Aborigines practiced. She spoke about living with the Aborigines in their "reservations" and how life was for her there. She also went to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa to do the same study and the things she told me that she had found out were fascinating! She explained that paradigms within a culture change with time, and when she was particularly with the Aborigines, her paradigm was completely reversed.
As I listened, I thought about my experiences in India and all that awaited me there. I told her that I was terrified of everything but that India felt so right at the same time. She then said something that I will never forget. "It's normal to be scared. When I first arrived in Darwin, there were so many unanswered questions and I had no idea where I was going to go, but I was guided. Things were so different with the Aborigines. My world view changed completely. Things will be completely different when you get to India. You will notice little things that you in your western household will not be used to. For example, there were ants everywhere. You open the fridge, and there were ants. You went to climb in bed, and there were geckos sitting there in your sheets. But you live with it, you learn to not let those things bother you. When you are in India, and you notice things that will be shockingly different, talk to the geckos and dance with the ants". I thought about that LONG and HARD. What was she meaning? It didn't take very long for me to figure it out.
As we continued our conversation, I explained that I was a little nervous about offending anyone and that I wanted to be really culturally sensitive. She then said "well, you will be culturally sensitive. But remember, you are learning from them. You want to see how they live their lives, so ask them to teach you. Make yourself completely humble, leave your pride in the states, and go to India completely teachable and with acknowledgment that you DON'T know and understand everything; then they will teach you" That sounded a lot like what I had learned in my Intro to International Development class. Just to go to a different culture and learn from the people, let them teach you what you are meant to learn.
Martha went on to say "take your Liahona with you. Anything that is spiritual, you must keep your spirituality alive and really strong because the Lord will guide you. You will learn to follow your instincts on who to talk to, where to go and what to do. Your instincts will be the Lord talking to you". I was just taken back. I had thought about I obviously was going to pray and read my scriptures in the field, that would not change just because I was in India. However, I had never thought so deeply about how valuable it would be to keep the spirit with me. I was grateful that she shared that.
The last thing she said that made a lasting impression, was: "don't go in thinking you are doing them a favor and blessing them with your presence. When I was first there, I thought that I would be there to help them, and when I was done, it was completely the opposite. They taught me, they helped me, and they saved me".
I want to be able to have that experience in India. This conversation really made a different in my life at this point in time. I am so grateful to have my own set of experiences and like Martha, be able to tell others how much my life was changed for the better.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Ramayana- what does it mean? Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I finally got the Ramayana in the mail after asking for it last week! My dad sent me the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I started reading the Ramayana and it was a little bit hard to understand at first, so I decided to read a background of it so that I could get more of an introduction. I learned that it is the biggest epic in Hindu culture, much like the Iliad and the Odyssey, for the Greeks. I think that it is so interesting to note how Rama, the story hero and his wife, Sita, the heroine, have play such a central role in this epic story.
I remember in a former post, writing about how Sita was the perfect girl and how she exemplified everything that a woman should be. As I read that today, I was thinking about how Sita had to practically be "won" by the prospects that would come to win her hand. Sita's father made a competition for the suitors to come and win her hand, and while many left disappointed and defeated, there was no other that could win her hand but Rama.
As I was thinking about this, I thought about my individual research project and I thought about how Sita would feel if I interviewed her. How did she feel about being "won" over? did she feel valued and treasured? we all know that Sita becomes the faithful wife of Rama and even is exiled with him, but I wonder if she really wanted to be with Rama. Obviously, I will never know the answer, but it was fun trying to treat Sita as one of the women I plan on interviewing. I think that Sita represents that ultimate perfect women in the minds of many Indian women, and it will be intriguing to see how that is somewhat exhibited in their answers, if it is at all.
I remember in a former post, writing about how Sita was the perfect girl and how she exemplified everything that a woman should be. As I read that today, I was thinking about how Sita had to practically be "won" by the prospects that would come to win her hand. Sita's father made a competition for the suitors to come and win her hand, and while many left disappointed and defeated, there was no other that could win her hand but Rama.
As I was thinking about this, I thought about my individual research project and I thought about how Sita would feel if I interviewed her. How did she feel about being "won" over? did she feel valued and treasured? we all know that Sita becomes the faithful wife of Rama and even is exiled with him, but I wonder if she really wanted to be with Rama. Obviously, I will never know the answer, but it was fun trying to treat Sita as one of the women I plan on interviewing. I think that Sita represents that ultimate perfect women in the minds of many Indian women, and it will be intriguing to see how that is somewhat exhibited in their answers, if it is at all.
Annotated Source #10 (February 15, 2012)
"Women in South India" Paul Harding
This section of my book was really interesting to read because I was never aware that the women in the south of India were a lot more free than their north Indian sisters. It went to explain that the women in the south were more literate and more educated than those of the north. This is very interesting to take into account because now I can look for those things that would illustrate the new knowledge I gained from this article.
This section of my book was really interesting to read because I was never aware that the women in the south of India were a lot more free than their north Indian sisters. It went to explain that the women in the south were more literate and more educated than those of the north. This is very interesting to take into account because now I can look for those things that would illustrate the new knowledge I gained from this article.
Annotated Source #9 (Monday February 13, 2012)
"Tamil Beliefs" WebIndia
This article talks about the many different superstitions and beliefs that Tamils have developed in their long and rich culture. I thought that it was interesting to note all of the different ones about children and when they should and should not be born. I thought it was so interesting that girls are better off when they are born as the odd numbers. I think that it is very important to know of these superstitions because when trying to understand culture and the motives behind it, this knowledge will explain the many implications that lie behind the cultures.
This article talks about the many different superstitions and beliefs that Tamils have developed in their long and rich culture. I thought that it was interesting to note all of the different ones about children and when they should and should not be born. I thought it was so interesting that girls are better off when they are born as the odd numbers. I think that it is very important to know of these superstitions because when trying to understand culture and the motives behind it, this knowledge will explain the many implications that lie behind the cultures.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Seeking Help Where I need it. Monday, February 20, 2012
I am currently in Arizona visiting my parents. It has been such a great weekend, and I must say, I have never said the word "India", so repeatedly in my life. My parents want to know all about it and everything, and so did everyone in my ward...and frankly, it was fun telling everyone what I wanted to do there, but I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed.
As I thought about my literature review, due this week, I felt really stressed because I thought about my project, and how insignificant I am compared to everyone else that has gone before me and has done bigger and greater things. I started thinking about the different procedures that I would have to go through for the interviews, finding a translator, etc. I felt (and to a certain degree, still feel) inadequate about this whole thing, but if you have the desire, you qualify! (I hope).
As I was explaining this to my parents, my mom turned to me and said "you need to be able to remember that you are not alone in this. There are people around you who can help you, look to resources that are helpful, and think of ways that you can do that in the field. You should not take all of this upon yourself, because this project is ultimately, not ALL about you". I really needed to hear that at that time. I don't think my mom meant for me to not show responsibility and to dump all of my problems on others, but she was more or less teaching the principle of networking and being smart about my resources and options.
As I thought about this and my project, I immediately thought of the Shanti Ashram, the NGO in Coimbatore. I began reading about it and seeing all of the programs that they had, and I saw one titled "Women Development Program". I was so excited to read about the diverse things that they have there for the woman, especially the rural women who may need it most. I began thinking of ways that I could implement my project in with the NGO, and how I can use my time at the NGO to help me develop my ideas about my objective. "Women Self-Perception" is my project as of now, and I feel like participating in the NGO and seeing how I can be of use to them, will only aid me in my efforts to be able to understand the women of Coimbatore, and the village in Chavadi. I began thinking how this is an example of using my "resources" wisely and looking to others with more experience, and using their example as a pattern for developing my project ideas.
As I thought about my literature review, due this week, I felt really stressed because I thought about my project, and how insignificant I am compared to everyone else that has gone before me and has done bigger and greater things. I started thinking about the different procedures that I would have to go through for the interviews, finding a translator, etc. I felt (and to a certain degree, still feel) inadequate about this whole thing, but if you have the desire, you qualify! (I hope).
As I was explaining this to my parents, my mom turned to me and said "you need to be able to remember that you are not alone in this. There are people around you who can help you, look to resources that are helpful, and think of ways that you can do that in the field. You should not take all of this upon yourself, because this project is ultimately, not ALL about you". I really needed to hear that at that time. I don't think my mom meant for me to not show responsibility and to dump all of my problems on others, but she was more or less teaching the principle of networking and being smart about my resources and options.
As I thought about this and my project, I immediately thought of the Shanti Ashram, the NGO in Coimbatore. I began reading about it and seeing all of the programs that they had, and I saw one titled "Women Development Program". I was so excited to read about the diverse things that they have there for the woman, especially the rural women who may need it most. I began thinking of ways that I could implement my project in with the NGO, and how I can use my time at the NGO to help me develop my ideas about my objective. "Women Self-Perception" is my project as of now, and I feel like participating in the NGO and seeing how I can be of use to them, will only aid me in my efforts to be able to understand the women of Coimbatore, and the village in Chavadi. I began thinking how this is an example of using my "resources" wisely and looking to others with more experience, and using their example as a pattern for developing my project ideas.
Annotated Source #8, (Friday, February 10, 2012)
"The Changing Position of Indian Women" By: M.N. Srinivas
This article explored the fascination that Anthropologists have had with women and all that this entailed. I thought that it was interesting to note, how women through out history have been, and the patterns that they all share at one point or another.
In India, the changes that have come to women have been mostly seen in the rural parts of India. I thought that this was applicable to me because I will be spending a lot of my time in the a village, where life is rural.
This article explored the fascination that Anthropologists have had with women and all that this entailed. I thought that it was interesting to note, how women through out history have been, and the patterns that they all share at one point or another.
In India, the changes that have come to women have been mostly seen in the rural parts of India. I thought that this was applicable to me because I will be spending a lot of my time in the a village, where life is rural.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Field Responsibilities. Friday, February 17th, 2012
I didn't think that four people could write dozens of sticky notes' pages worth of personal and collective responsibilities in the field-but it is possible. As I sat there in class on Wednesday, I thought about all of the other things that were going to happen in India. The food, the washing, the chores, Tamil, the interviews, the people... and I realized that I had not been thinking about my own responsibilities in the Field.
After making a list of all of the things I was responsible for, I didn't feel overwhelmed or stressed, I felt empowered and I started thinking about the article "The Ophelia syndrome", and how we all really have the responsibility to be self-learners and self-starters. I have always had a hard time initiating things, but I think that in this context, there will be a need for me to do that. When I live in India, I will be responsible for my attitude, for helping those who might need it, to take care of myself physically and spiritually--all of these things will have to be initiated by me, if I want to make the best of this great opportunity.
When it comes to my field research, I will definitely have to be a self starter. In formulating the interview questions, seeking translators, gaining rapport and trust with the people around me, etc. All of these things will require my will and ability to think for myself and try to make the best decisions according to my best knowledge.
After making a list of all of the things I was responsible for, I didn't feel overwhelmed or stressed, I felt empowered and I started thinking about the article "The Ophelia syndrome", and how we all really have the responsibility to be self-learners and self-starters. I have always had a hard time initiating things, but I think that in this context, there will be a need for me to do that. When I live in India, I will be responsible for my attitude, for helping those who might need it, to take care of myself physically and spiritually--all of these things will have to be initiated by me, if I want to make the best of this great opportunity.
When it comes to my field research, I will definitely have to be a self starter. In formulating the interview questions, seeking translators, gaining rapport and trust with the people around me, etc. All of these things will require my will and ability to think for myself and try to make the best decisions according to my best knowledge.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Annotated Source # 7 (Wednesday February 8th, 2012)
"The Problems and Status of Hindu Women" by: Jarayam V
This article illustrated the importance of being careful when reading the status of Hindu women in India. It mentioned that many base their opinions on Hindu women solely on the information they find on the internet, and what the media has to say about Hindu women. What I liked the most was that it explained that women everywhere were experiencing everything that other women in the world have experienced, despite of religion and location. This is important to keep in mind because even though culture does have many implications when it comes to gender roles, women are still women, no matter where they are.
This article illustrated the importance of being careful when reading the status of Hindu women in India. It mentioned that many base their opinions on Hindu women solely on the information they find on the internet, and what the media has to say about Hindu women. What I liked the most was that it explained that women everywhere were experiencing everything that other women in the world have experienced, despite of religion and location. This is important to keep in mind because even though culture does have many implications when it comes to gender roles, women are still women, no matter where they are.
LANGUAGE!! and all that it entails... Wednesday, February 15, 2012
In our class we talked about language and all of the different aspects about it. The spoke language is one thing, but non verbal communication is another. Something that I thought a lot about during out lecture, was the symbolism of language in a specific culture. I think that it is fascinating that a word can mean so many different things in a specific language because of the cultural context. Malcom shared an example of the Mayan language and how the word "neighbor" literally is composed of two words meaning the worth of the neighbor. This is completely cultural and it is awesome to think about the many different words that I am learning in Tamil and how they all have a Southern Indian culture implication.
In my own language, I think about the different words that will not translate into the exact same thing into English, just because of cultural difference and not the dichotomy of the word itself. One that comes to mind is the word "hopefully". In English, it comes from the word "hope". In Spanish, the word "hope", is "esperanza", but "hopefully", is "Ojala". This word, "ojala", is actually Arabic, meaning "God (Allah) be willing". A non-native speaker would not be able to guess the meaning of "oajala" because it is solely contextual (Spain was under Arab rule for a long time, and approximately 200 words in the Spanish language are Arabic). This was just one example I thought about, but as I talked to Vankat on Monday, I started to think about the different words in Tamil that will have specific meanings because of location and the people. As I am learning Tamil, I am learning words that are spoken in the street and in the home. Our teacher Vankat is from Tamil Nadu, but he is from Madurai, while we are going to Coimbatore. Already, he is telling us how things are said differently in Coimbatore, and it is the same state! I think that it will take a while to live with the people and live in the village, and gain a grasp of that concept before I attempt to truly understand the language.
In my own language, I think about the different words that will not translate into the exact same thing into English, just because of cultural difference and not the dichotomy of the word itself. One that comes to mind is the word "hopefully". In English, it comes from the word "hope". In Spanish, the word "hope", is "esperanza", but "hopefully", is "Ojala". This word, "ojala", is actually Arabic, meaning "God (Allah) be willing". A non-native speaker would not be able to guess the meaning of "oajala" because it is solely contextual (Spain was under Arab rule for a long time, and approximately 200 words in the Spanish language are Arabic). This was just one example I thought about, but as I talked to Vankat on Monday, I started to think about the different words in Tamil that will have specific meanings because of location and the people. As I am learning Tamil, I am learning words that are spoken in the street and in the home. Our teacher Vankat is from Tamil Nadu, but he is from Madurai, while we are going to Coimbatore. Already, he is telling us how things are said differently in Coimbatore, and it is the same state! I think that it will take a while to live with the people and live in the village, and gain a grasp of that concept before I attempt to truly understand the language.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Males vs. Females? Monday, February 13, 2012
In our last class, we discussed a little about the different roles that women and men have in the world. We made a list of the possible roles that men and women have in India. The women mainly take care of the children, cook, clean, are the care givers, care for her husband, etc. The men are mainly responsible for the finances of the house and the family, he probably also leads spiritually. As we discussed the different roles, I thought about the roles that we have here. I thought about my role as a woman, as a female student, and as a Latter-Day Saint woman.
I think that my roles as a wife, when I get married, will not be that much different than those of the Indian women. I will be primarily responsible for the care of the children, while my husband is at work. I will also be doing primarily the cooking and the cleaning, although I expect my husband to help me out a lot. I thought it was interesting that the men don't do anything in the kitchen. It makes sense for me, that my husband would help me out with the house because I will be so tired from the kids all day, and quite frankly, I will be upset if he does not. However, this attitude is one that has been developed in me in a Western environment. The women that I will be around, will not have that mindset, and I will try my best to not be judgmental of a mindset that is different from mine.
Another thing that we talked about was the Ramayana, and how Sita is the ideal women. I thought to myself "what is the ideal woman?" We learned that Sita was 100% loyal to Rama, she didn't have to be exiled with him, but she went. She was beautiful, she was kind, compassionate, devoted, intelligent, basically everything a woman should be. This serves as a role model for the women who are Hindu. Which makes complete sense as to why the women in India act the way they act, and do what to do. The same principle applies to the men and being like the "perfect" man, Rama.
Something that may be a little different for me to try to understand, but I hope that I understand it more as I spend time there, is the fact that men are preferred. I don't necessarily think that it's because women are seen as nothing and that men are better. I just think back on what we talked about in class. When there are daughters in a family, those daughters will get married off, and move with their husbands, and take care of their husband's family, etc. In a sense, men are a better "investment" because a family knows that their sons will take care of them when they are old. I don't necessarily think that this means that women are hated and unappreciated, but I can see why there are crimes against women, etc. I am interested to see how the women I interview, view themselves in this perspective and how they feel about having daughters. It will be interesting to also see how younger girls see themselves in society. Do they see themselves a just another possession for a husband and random family? or do they feel like they belong to their actual family now? I obviously will not be asking these questions to them directly, these are just some thoughts that I have been having regarding the topic and I hope to gain some insight on their perceptions, once I start the observation and participation.
I think that my roles as a wife, when I get married, will not be that much different than those of the Indian women. I will be primarily responsible for the care of the children, while my husband is at work. I will also be doing primarily the cooking and the cleaning, although I expect my husband to help me out a lot. I thought it was interesting that the men don't do anything in the kitchen. It makes sense for me, that my husband would help me out with the house because I will be so tired from the kids all day, and quite frankly, I will be upset if he does not. However, this attitude is one that has been developed in me in a Western environment. The women that I will be around, will not have that mindset, and I will try my best to not be judgmental of a mindset that is different from mine.
Another thing that we talked about was the Ramayana, and how Sita is the ideal women. I thought to myself "what is the ideal woman?" We learned that Sita was 100% loyal to Rama, she didn't have to be exiled with him, but she went. She was beautiful, she was kind, compassionate, devoted, intelligent, basically everything a woman should be. This serves as a role model for the women who are Hindu. Which makes complete sense as to why the women in India act the way they act, and do what to do. The same principle applies to the men and being like the "perfect" man, Rama.
Something that may be a little different for me to try to understand, but I hope that I understand it more as I spend time there, is the fact that men are preferred. I don't necessarily think that it's because women are seen as nothing and that men are better. I just think back on what we talked about in class. When there are daughters in a family, those daughters will get married off, and move with their husbands, and take care of their husband's family, etc. In a sense, men are a better "investment" because a family knows that their sons will take care of them when they are old. I don't necessarily think that this means that women are hated and unappreciated, but I can see why there are crimes against women, etc. I am interested to see how the women I interview, view themselves in this perspective and how they feel about having daughters. It will be interesting to also see how younger girls see themselves in society. Do they see themselves a just another possession for a husband and random family? or do they feel like they belong to their actual family now? I obviously will not be asking these questions to them directly, these are just some thoughts that I have been having regarding the topic and I hope to gain some insight on their perceptions, once I start the observation and participation.
Friday, February 10, 2012
My role in a Tamil Family. Friday, February 10, 2012
As we talked about the different roles of family members in Tamil Nadu, Margaret asked us what would our role be with the families that we would be staying with. I thought it was interesting to ask that because I had never really thought about my role. I just saw myself as a BYU student who was going to be going to India, living there and doing field research. But the longer I think about it, the more it makes sense. I will be living with them, which means that I will be a part of their family and their home for an entire summer. I thought of that and how interesting it will be to be with them everyday, all day.
As we discussed kinship in Tamil Nadu, I was confused by the whole "cross-cousin" marriage. I had no idea that this went on in their culture, but I was ok with it. I tried to accept it, instead of fighting it. We were asked what we considered to be family. When I think of my family, I think of my parents, my sister and my aunts and uncles, and their kids. I don't even include my step-sisters in there. Then we went on to talk about the meaning of family in India. Who did they consider family? their children, their siblings? We were told that sometimes in a house, there will be a lot of little kids in house, and no one will really know who belongs to who at the moment. Then, someone brought up a good point, "does it matter?". At first I thought, "of course it matters! I want to keep track of my kids. I don't want my next-door neighbor's kids to be eating my food and just hanging out at my house all day!". But as I thought through it, the fact that those who live in proximity are considered family, makes the society they live in, more cohesive. I could see why there would be more unity within the village, if this was the case. I also thought of spheres of influence.
One of the things that I want to focus on in my field research, is the sphere of influence that women have in the village. How does their behavior and their actions influence their children? their village and their societies? Understanding how they view kinship and family, made me think of this in a different way.
Instead of one woman only influencing her children, there might be more than woman, influencing not only her own children, but the children of her next neighbor as well. Likewise, her neighbor will have a certain amount of influence over her own children. And what about the influence they will have on each other? I began to see that the spheres of influence might be intricately connected and interwoven, because of how they view family, and how they go about their daily activities in company of others, rather than in isolation. Understanding the different influences that families have in India, I will be better able to interpret the data I will collect from the women I will interview in the village. It will be really interesting to see how it will all pan out.
As we discussed kinship in Tamil Nadu, I was confused by the whole "cross-cousin" marriage. I had no idea that this went on in their culture, but I was ok with it. I tried to accept it, instead of fighting it. We were asked what we considered to be family. When I think of my family, I think of my parents, my sister and my aunts and uncles, and their kids. I don't even include my step-sisters in there. Then we went on to talk about the meaning of family in India. Who did they consider family? their children, their siblings? We were told that sometimes in a house, there will be a lot of little kids in house, and no one will really know who belongs to who at the moment. Then, someone brought up a good point, "does it matter?". At first I thought, "of course it matters! I want to keep track of my kids. I don't want my next-door neighbor's kids to be eating my food and just hanging out at my house all day!". But as I thought through it, the fact that those who live in proximity are considered family, makes the society they live in, more cohesive. I could see why there would be more unity within the village, if this was the case. I also thought of spheres of influence.
One of the things that I want to focus on in my field research, is the sphere of influence that women have in the village. How does their behavior and their actions influence their children? their village and their societies? Understanding how they view kinship and family, made me think of this in a different way.
Instead of one woman only influencing her children, there might be more than woman, influencing not only her own children, but the children of her next neighbor as well. Likewise, her neighbor will have a certain amount of influence over her own children. And what about the influence they will have on each other? I began to see that the spheres of influence might be intricately connected and interwoven, because of how they view family, and how they go about their daily activities in company of others, rather than in isolation. Understanding the different influences that families have in India, I will be better able to interpret the data I will collect from the women I will interview in the village. It will be really interesting to see how it will all pan out.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Observing people at the grocery store. Wednesday February 8, 2012
For the participatory assignment that we had to do for the prep class, I chose to go to the grocery store with my friend. So, I was thinking about all of the things that the people would do. I must say that I thought it was going to be a piece of cake to go and just observe people, but I was so much in the daily-routine of grocery shopping, that I totally forgot what I had to do at times! I had to keep making myself pay attention and observe people. This made me think of what it would be like in the field. Obviously I won't be familiar with the surroundings in India, and so I have a feeling that I will naturally be more observant, but still, making a conscious effort to be really observant is challenging. Especially the act of actively observing my surroundings. I have always been a really observant person, but again, making a participant observation is difficult, yet not impossible.
In the grocery store, I saw a lot of different people, but I did see one thing in common; everybody was "in the zone", shopping and looking for what they needed. I didn't see any chatting with others, nothing of that sort. When there was someone who was standing over a specific product, like hovering around the price or something, I tried to scoot closer, as to grab something and the person would completely just inch away. I thought this was funny because I personally don't have a bubble or need space or anything when I'm around other people. However, the more I started thinking more deeply, I began to see things from a different angle and tried to think about if that were to happen to me, what would I have done? If I was at the grocery store, and somebody came up right next to me while I was trying to look at a price and everything, I would definitely scoot over too. This led me to think that sometimes I may make an observation about someone or something about them, and make an instant judgement. For example, my first thought when that person moved away from me, I said to myself "I can't believe this person, scooting away from me, like I was some weirdo". Rather, the other person might have been thinking "Oh, they must need something, I should be polite and move out of her way".
That experience stood out to me because there is no way that we don't all have pre-judgments. I want to just collect data and see details as they are, rather than judging the person on that action. When I go to India, and I practice participant observation, I want to make sure that there is no judgments on my observations and that I take my experiences as they are.
Other observations I made that were interesting: I actually ran into a friend when I was there and I decided to talk to her for a bit. She was with a guy, but he just kind of stood to the side. As I talked to her, you could tell that he was slowly scooting closer and just listening to what we were talking about, until my friend was so uncomfortable enough that she glanced at him, glanced back at me and said "well, it was good seeing you! I'll talk to you later!" As they were walking away, I was tapped him on the arm and said "sorry I kept her for so long", he acted really awkward and said "oh, it's ok". Although I found the experience humorous and there were no hard feelings on my part, I thought about what would happen in India, if I tapped someone on the arm or something, what would happen? This is just non-verbal communication for me, I am just used to doing that to people when I am trying to portray that I am just being friendly, but since I have to be sensitive to the culture, it will be interesting to see all of the things that I will be doing differently in order to not be rude or weird. I think that part of being a participant observer, is being willing to mold oneself to the culture. I love my own culture, and there are few things I appreciate more than when people take it upon themselves to be "hispanically" polite in my house and around my family. I am sure that when I am in India, my second-nature will be to act like my old self, but I think that I will be trying to learn and mold myself to the Indian culture as well, in order to really make true observations and remove myself from the picture, and see things from a different perspective. I think this will be a little more difficult than I anticipate, but I know that it will not be impossible.
In the grocery store, I saw a lot of different people, but I did see one thing in common; everybody was "in the zone", shopping and looking for what they needed. I didn't see any chatting with others, nothing of that sort. When there was someone who was standing over a specific product, like hovering around the price or something, I tried to scoot closer, as to grab something and the person would completely just inch away. I thought this was funny because I personally don't have a bubble or need space or anything when I'm around other people. However, the more I started thinking more deeply, I began to see things from a different angle and tried to think about if that were to happen to me, what would I have done? If I was at the grocery store, and somebody came up right next to me while I was trying to look at a price and everything, I would definitely scoot over too. This led me to think that sometimes I may make an observation about someone or something about them, and make an instant judgement. For example, my first thought when that person moved away from me, I said to myself "I can't believe this person, scooting away from me, like I was some weirdo". Rather, the other person might have been thinking "Oh, they must need something, I should be polite and move out of her way".
That experience stood out to me because there is no way that we don't all have pre-judgments. I want to just collect data and see details as they are, rather than judging the person on that action. When I go to India, and I practice participant observation, I want to make sure that there is no judgments on my observations and that I take my experiences as they are.
Other observations I made that were interesting: I actually ran into a friend when I was there and I decided to talk to her for a bit. She was with a guy, but he just kind of stood to the side. As I talked to her, you could tell that he was slowly scooting closer and just listening to what we were talking about, until my friend was so uncomfortable enough that she glanced at him, glanced back at me and said "well, it was good seeing you! I'll talk to you later!" As they were walking away, I was tapped him on the arm and said "sorry I kept her for so long", he acted really awkward and said "oh, it's ok". Although I found the experience humorous and there were no hard feelings on my part, I thought about what would happen in India, if I tapped someone on the arm or something, what would happen? This is just non-verbal communication for me, I am just used to doing that to people when I am trying to portray that I am just being friendly, but since I have to be sensitive to the culture, it will be interesting to see all of the things that I will be doing differently in order to not be rude or weird. I think that part of being a participant observer, is being willing to mold oneself to the culture. I love my own culture, and there are few things I appreciate more than when people take it upon themselves to be "hispanically" polite in my house and around my family. I am sure that when I am in India, my second-nature will be to act like my old self, but I think that I will be trying to learn and mold myself to the Indian culture as well, in order to really make true observations and remove myself from the picture, and see things from a different perspective. I think this will be a little more difficult than I anticipate, but I know that it will not be impossible.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Annotated Source #6, Monday February 6, 2012
"What Does Hinduism teach about Women?" Sawaal
In this article, I learned about the different beliefs within the Hindu religion that dictate the dharma of women and what they are to be in this life. The article explained that according to Hinduism, women were considered to be a type of energy (shaktiswarupini) and takes the figure of goddesses in her different developmental periods. For example, in her childhood, she is the goddess Durga, as a wife she is the goddess Patni, and can be a partner in her husband's religious duties and as a mother she is the goddess Matrudevophava, worthy of worship by her children. The article went on to talk about the four basic responsibilities of a Hindu woman to her husband. The first, is to be her husband's property and under his custody, the second is to be one to help her husband with the decision making, the third is to be the mother of his children and raise them rightly, and lastly, to do her duty as a wife with intimacy.
As I read this, I thought about the women in Tamil Nadu that I will be spending time with. What are some of their personal beliefs about their duties as wives in their Hindu devotions? When it comes to being the decision makers, that will be something I will have to be especially observant of when I am around them.
The article also talked about how historically, women have been looked down upon in India. Especially those who follow ancient Hindu texts that downgrade women, like the Manu Smriti. I read that this text was not universally accepted as Hindu scripture, although much of it is. Honestly, it is confusing to read all about the different texts and different aspects of Hinduism that dictate the way of life of many women. However, the article did also mention that women are enjoying more freedom, especially politically speaking.
I think that women in India have different living situations depending on the stage that they are in and where they are located, and their social status of course. I personally think that the self-perceptions of women in Tamil Nadu, who live in the village of Chavadi will be different than a woman who lives in an urban place in New Delhi. However, like this article, I do think that there is something that they will have in common, and it will be that they will be predominantly Hindu. The religion and the "laws" that is lays down will all have an impact on how they see themselves. Do they see themselves as goddesses or as suppressed? Obviously, I can't ask these questions directly, but religion is something that hopefully I will be able to address in questions. I hope that observation will help me even more.
In this article, I learned about the different beliefs within the Hindu religion that dictate the dharma of women and what they are to be in this life. The article explained that according to Hinduism, women were considered to be a type of energy (shaktiswarupini) and takes the figure of goddesses in her different developmental periods. For example, in her childhood, she is the goddess Durga, as a wife she is the goddess Patni, and can be a partner in her husband's religious duties and as a mother she is the goddess Matrudevophava, worthy of worship by her children. The article went on to talk about the four basic responsibilities of a Hindu woman to her husband. The first, is to be her husband's property and under his custody, the second is to be one to help her husband with the decision making, the third is to be the mother of his children and raise them rightly, and lastly, to do her duty as a wife with intimacy.
As I read this, I thought about the women in Tamil Nadu that I will be spending time with. What are some of their personal beliefs about their duties as wives in their Hindu devotions? When it comes to being the decision makers, that will be something I will have to be especially observant of when I am around them.
The article also talked about how historically, women have been looked down upon in India. Especially those who follow ancient Hindu texts that downgrade women, like the Manu Smriti. I read that this text was not universally accepted as Hindu scripture, although much of it is. Honestly, it is confusing to read all about the different texts and different aspects of Hinduism that dictate the way of life of many women. However, the article did also mention that women are enjoying more freedom, especially politically speaking.
I think that women in India have different living situations depending on the stage that they are in and where they are located, and their social status of course. I personally think that the self-perceptions of women in Tamil Nadu, who live in the village of Chavadi will be different than a woman who lives in an urban place in New Delhi. However, like this article, I do think that there is something that they will have in common, and it will be that they will be predominantly Hindu. The religion and the "laws" that is lays down will all have an impact on how they see themselves. Do they see themselves as goddesses or as suppressed? Obviously, I can't ask these questions directly, but religion is something that hopefully I will be able to address in questions. I hope that observation will help me even more.
Annotated Source #5, Friday February 3rd, 2012
"Decoding a Hindu Marriage" from: Devdut (website)
In an attempt to understand the women of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, I think it is important to understand the Hindu religion and the element of marriage, since these two significantly alter the life of a young Indian woman.
In this article, a brief description of Hindu marriages was spoke of and I learned that there are different ways to celebrate a Hindu wedding, it all depends on the location. I read that a Tamil wedding will be different than a North Indian wedding and so on. I think that was important for me to understand because I thought that Hindu weddings would all be the same in India because they are all Hindu, but I am glad to learn that Tamil weddings are different and this leads me to want to research more about them.
The symbolism behind these Hindu weddings made me think a lot about how women may perceive themselves, after understanding what the symbolism means. I read that there are a lot of agricultural symbols in the weddings because India is traditionally agricultural society. For example, the man is seen to be the farmer and the woman is seen as the field. What comes about is the crops, which represents the children. Though this may seem a little bit different to a western, modern girl, I can see the beauty of the symbolism and how the woman might feel special because she plays a substantial part in bringing about something so beautiful as children.
Another symbol that I thought was beautiful was that of the last part of the wedding ceremony where the groom is brought into the house of the bride and since visitors as seen as gods, the "god" is given a gift, the best gift, which is a bride.
As I read this article, I wanted to see this from a different angle and see how a woman may feel important because she is seen as a gift. I think that how these women feel about themselves will be somewhat reflective of the symbolism of a Hindu wedding. Marriage and religion will play a big part in my research and in my observations.
In an attempt to understand the women of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, I think it is important to understand the Hindu religion and the element of marriage, since these two significantly alter the life of a young Indian woman.
In this article, a brief description of Hindu marriages was spoke of and I learned that there are different ways to celebrate a Hindu wedding, it all depends on the location. I read that a Tamil wedding will be different than a North Indian wedding and so on. I think that was important for me to understand because I thought that Hindu weddings would all be the same in India because they are all Hindu, but I am glad to learn that Tamil weddings are different and this leads me to want to research more about them.
The symbolism behind these Hindu weddings made me think a lot about how women may perceive themselves, after understanding what the symbolism means. I read that there are a lot of agricultural symbols in the weddings because India is traditionally agricultural society. For example, the man is seen to be the farmer and the woman is seen as the field. What comes about is the crops, which represents the children. Though this may seem a little bit different to a western, modern girl, I can see the beauty of the symbolism and how the woman might feel special because she plays a substantial part in bringing about something so beautiful as children.
Another symbol that I thought was beautiful was that of the last part of the wedding ceremony where the groom is brought into the house of the bride and since visitors as seen as gods, the "god" is given a gift, the best gift, which is a bride.
As I read this article, I wanted to see this from a different angle and see how a woman may feel important because she is seen as a gift. I think that how these women feel about themselves will be somewhat reflective of the symbolism of a Hindu wedding. Marriage and religion will play a big part in my research and in my observations.
Gestures! Monday, February 6th, 2012
In friday's class, I learned that body language and gestures were very important in how we as humans communicate non-verbally. Communication is key in trying to understand somebody, especially a culture. Verbal communication is very important, but even more so, is non-verbal communication, because it is unmistakingly accurate.
I started thinking about all the different gestures that I may have as part of my personality and even my culture. In class, I liked learning about the different ways that one person can communicate from each other. For example, there is proximity, which means that when someone is talking to someone, they really have no sense of space and may stand really close, or the opposite may happen. I can totally relate to this because being Colombian, and therefore Hispanic, we really have no sense of space sometimes and it makes others uncomfortable, and others, like guys, may like it a little too much. It is interesting to see how gender plays a huge role because when we are little, we are taught since we are little that you kiss both and women when you say hello, it is rude to not do so. However, when we are talking to women, we don't necessarily keep our distance, however, when we are talking to men, we are taught that we can be friendly but not too "touchy". Yet, "not touchy" in American standards may still be a little too much. Also, there is kinestics, which signifies how "touchy" you are. I personally don't mind touching people in the arm when we are talking, it is a sign of friendship. In my culture, we also love giving hugs and sometimes not getting the same type of attention, may be a sign of rudeness. I think it is so interesting that someone's perceptions of rudeness may be completely different to somebody else. Ashley shared an example that really kept me thinking. In my family, my mom has taught us that not making eye contact is extremely rude and when she is talking to us, she EXPECTS us to look at her, or else she'll flick our ear or something, or there is an awkward silence... but Ashley was saying that in India, us girls shouldn't make eye contact with men, because it may come across as a come on. That is so crazy!! I am going to have to practice.
I know that the Indian women may communicate differently with me, because they will be talking to another girl. I wonder how they will take it if I hug them or hug their cute little children. I often think about how they will be when it comes to non-verbal communication. This is where observation comes in, which will be a grand part of my research. I plan on asking if I can hug them before I actually do, just to avoid any awkward and disrespectful incidents. That is just one example I have thought about, as I ponder about my experience among those women for three months.
I started thinking about all the different gestures that I may have as part of my personality and even my culture. In class, I liked learning about the different ways that one person can communicate from each other. For example, there is proximity, which means that when someone is talking to someone, they really have no sense of space and may stand really close, or the opposite may happen. I can totally relate to this because being Colombian, and therefore Hispanic, we really have no sense of space sometimes and it makes others uncomfortable, and others, like guys, may like it a little too much. It is interesting to see how gender plays a huge role because when we are little, we are taught since we are little that you kiss both and women when you say hello, it is rude to not do so. However, when we are talking to women, we don't necessarily keep our distance, however, when we are talking to men, we are taught that we can be friendly but not too "touchy". Yet, "not touchy" in American standards may still be a little too much. Also, there is kinestics, which signifies how "touchy" you are. I personally don't mind touching people in the arm when we are talking, it is a sign of friendship. In my culture, we also love giving hugs and sometimes not getting the same type of attention, may be a sign of rudeness. I think it is so interesting that someone's perceptions of rudeness may be completely different to somebody else. Ashley shared an example that really kept me thinking. In my family, my mom has taught us that not making eye contact is extremely rude and when she is talking to us, she EXPECTS us to look at her, or else she'll flick our ear or something, or there is an awkward silence... but Ashley was saying that in India, us girls shouldn't make eye contact with men, because it may come across as a come on. That is so crazy!! I am going to have to practice.
I know that the Indian women may communicate differently with me, because they will be talking to another girl. I wonder how they will take it if I hug them or hug their cute little children. I often think about how they will be when it comes to non-verbal communication. This is where observation comes in, which will be a grand part of my research. I plan on asking if I can hug them before I actually do, just to avoid any awkward and disrespectful incidents. That is just one example I have thought about, as I ponder about my experience among those women for three months.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Lessons from Vankat. Friday, February 3, 2012
Since I am taking a Tamil class, I am learning the language that I will be around so much this summer. I love it so far, although it is very fast and Vankat speaks extremely fast. I am learning a lot but perhaps my favorite thing to learn is what he shares about Indians and India.
When we were talking about the home and how to speak politely to people, he taught us that you never enter a house for the first time with your left foot, and that you don't shake somebody's hand with your left hand. He said "always always use your right hand, left hand is the poop hand" haha although that was humorous, I was really grateful that he shared that. I wouldn't want to accidentally offend anybody.
Another thing I learned that was interesting, is that they don't eat the cow because it is very important for other things in life, and therefore it should not be eaten. Vankat told us that when we go to a house, milk will be offered to us because it is very respectful. He then hesitated a little bit and said that they use cow dung in India to pat down the floors with. The floors are made of dirt in the Indian villages, and so when it gets very hot and humid, the cow dung keeps the house very very cool, he said it almost feels like AC. I thought this was so interesting and I loved the fact that they know what works and what does not. When it comes to development, it is important, in my opinion to look at how a society is working and not alter anything that may be working just fine for them. For example, I would not want to impose my knowledge of AC on them, or say that I have a better way for them to cool down their house, is they found something that is working for them.
Perhaps the most interesting thing that I have heard Vankat say is that women are very revered in Tamil Nadu. The mom is pretty much the boss and "if you don't respect amma, you are in big trouble". He said that men and women make their marriages work and that they don't get divorced. He even taught us a phrase in Tamil that translates to "a wife is a gift from God". I thought that this was so great.
As I do my research and my interviews, I will keep in mind that my cultural values are on a different scheme then the women that I will be spending my time with.
Arranged marriages in my opinion are not liberating, but to them, it might signify something great that their daughters get to do. I am not sure how it will all pan out, but I do know that trying to figure out how the women feel THEY are being treated and perceived, will help me understand them better than me trying to figure out how they are feeling, using my own cultural perceptions.
When we were talking about the home and how to speak politely to people, he taught us that you never enter a house for the first time with your left foot, and that you don't shake somebody's hand with your left hand. He said "always always use your right hand, left hand is the poop hand" haha although that was humorous, I was really grateful that he shared that. I wouldn't want to accidentally offend anybody.
Another thing I learned that was interesting, is that they don't eat the cow because it is very important for other things in life, and therefore it should not be eaten. Vankat told us that when we go to a house, milk will be offered to us because it is very respectful. He then hesitated a little bit and said that they use cow dung in India to pat down the floors with. The floors are made of dirt in the Indian villages, and so when it gets very hot and humid, the cow dung keeps the house very very cool, he said it almost feels like AC. I thought this was so interesting and I loved the fact that they know what works and what does not. When it comes to development, it is important, in my opinion to look at how a society is working and not alter anything that may be working just fine for them. For example, I would not want to impose my knowledge of AC on them, or say that I have a better way for them to cool down their house, is they found something that is working for them.
Perhaps the most interesting thing that I have heard Vankat say is that women are very revered in Tamil Nadu. The mom is pretty much the boss and "if you don't respect amma, you are in big trouble". He said that men and women make their marriages work and that they don't get divorced. He even taught us a phrase in Tamil that translates to "a wife is a gift from God". I thought that this was so great.
As I do my research and my interviews, I will keep in mind that my cultural values are on a different scheme then the women that I will be spending my time with.
Arranged marriages in my opinion are not liberating, but to them, it might signify something great that their daughters get to do. I am not sure how it will all pan out, but I do know that trying to figure out how the women feel THEY are being treated and perceived, will help me understand them better than me trying to figure out how they are feeling, using my own cultural perceptions.
Annotated Source #4, 2012
"A Hindu Primer: Dharma" by: Shukavak N. Dasa
In this article,I learned about what Dharma meant in the Hindu religion and to the Indian people as a society. This term was something I was not familiar with before I read this article, but it makes sense why the Indian culture is the way it is-well, the little I know about them.
In Hinduism and Indian, Dharma is a sacred duty that every one is born with. Children are born with the dharma to listen to their obey their parents and do well in school. Parents have the dharma to protect their children, to teach them and feed them. A police officer has a dharma to protect the people and their community. This principle made sense because as humans in our societies, and especially in the LDS church. We have duties within the church and within our families.
Understanding this dharma concept helped me see and understand why parents take it upon themselves to go and find somebody spectacular for their child to marry.
Just as in any society, there are things that break down a society because people don't adhere to their duties. This is called adharma, which the word alone makes sense.
Graffiti in a city, a police officer not upholding his duty, a disobedient child, all are all examples of adharma.
Each individual has a specific dharma depending what stage of life they are found in. For example, a girl may have a specific dharma, but when she is married, she will have a different one as a wife, and then as a mother.
As I thought about this, I thought that it was interesting that each individual had a duty. It makes me think about the women of the village that I will be interviewing. Since I want to focus on different ages, I think about what the different duties that they will have and how they will keep them.
In this article,I learned about what Dharma meant in the Hindu religion and to the Indian people as a society. This term was something I was not familiar with before I read this article, but it makes sense why the Indian culture is the way it is-well, the little I know about them.
In Hinduism and Indian, Dharma is a sacred duty that every one is born with. Children are born with the dharma to listen to their obey their parents and do well in school. Parents have the dharma to protect their children, to teach them and feed them. A police officer has a dharma to protect the people and their community. This principle made sense because as humans in our societies, and especially in the LDS church. We have duties within the church and within our families.
Understanding this dharma concept helped me see and understand why parents take it upon themselves to go and find somebody spectacular for their child to marry.
Just as in any society, there are things that break down a society because people don't adhere to their duties. This is called adharma, which the word alone makes sense.
Graffiti in a city, a police officer not upholding his duty, a disobedient child, all are all examples of adharma.
Each individual has a specific dharma depending what stage of life they are found in. For example, a girl may have a specific dharma, but when she is married, she will have a different one as a wife, and then as a mother.
As I thought about this, I thought that it was interesting that each individual had a duty. It makes me think about the women of the village that I will be interviewing. Since I want to focus on different ages, I think about what the different duties that they will have and how they will keep them.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Annotated Source #3, February 1, 2012
"Fixing, Helping or Serving?" by: Rachel Naomi Remen
I read this article last semester, but I ran across it again this semester as I was looking for something that would be applicable to my research project in India.
This article is about the differences between fixing, helping and serving. The author explains that when we are focused on serving somebody, we are so absorbed in how we can rebuild something that has been "broken". How all of the sudden, we see somebody as broken, unstable and not whole. Then, she went on to say that when we help somebody, we all of the sudden become aware of our own strength and we want to reach down to somebody, because we have the means and or tools to help them. By contrast, the author explained, serving is totally different because there is no sense of pride. Serving does not require us to reach down, but to reach straight forward. It makes us aware of our wholeness and ability to use our life experiences to bless the lives of others. Even the bad things that have happened in our lives are useful when we serve somebody because we are able to look back on our story, and serve somebody else, who may glean from our experiences.
I love this article because it really puts into perspective what I am supposed to do in India. Sure, I am trying to gain academic knowledge while my project develops, but one of the main reasons, if not the main reason why I want to go, is because I want to live with the people and genuinely love them. I want to make sure that I don't impose my cultural values on them, that I don't go in trying to figure out women's perceptions, to try to make women be better represented; I am not trying to "fix" their system. I am there to serve them and to learn the most I can from them.
I read this article last semester, but I ran across it again this semester as I was looking for something that would be applicable to my research project in India.
This article is about the differences between fixing, helping and serving. The author explains that when we are focused on serving somebody, we are so absorbed in how we can rebuild something that has been "broken". How all of the sudden, we see somebody as broken, unstable and not whole. Then, she went on to say that when we help somebody, we all of the sudden become aware of our own strength and we want to reach down to somebody, because we have the means and or tools to help them. By contrast, the author explained, serving is totally different because there is no sense of pride. Serving does not require us to reach down, but to reach straight forward. It makes us aware of our wholeness and ability to use our life experiences to bless the lives of others. Even the bad things that have happened in our lives are useful when we serve somebody because we are able to look back on our story, and serve somebody else, who may glean from our experiences.
I love this article because it really puts into perspective what I am supposed to do in India. Sure, I am trying to gain academic knowledge while my project develops, but one of the main reasons, if not the main reason why I want to go, is because I want to live with the people and genuinely love them. I want to make sure that I don't impose my cultural values on them, that I don't go in trying to figure out women's perceptions, to try to make women be better represented; I am not trying to "fix" their system. I am there to serve them and to learn the most I can from them.
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