My inner senses

I can "see" the pictures I want to paint, they are ready in my mind. Sometimes parts of them are ready and I adapt these parts to make a whole. Sketches of parts may be seen here, in my ThruOut The World blog. I only sketch what I want to remember, the theme, but not the colors. The colors come by themselves, practically in my dreams. I learned how to make these vision stay in my brain, aka remember. It took me years to acquire the ability to direct my dreams into a direction I wanted to explore, or not. I let dreams go, when I think, I should learn something about my subconscious. So the idea came up, I would want to paint my daddy in a very old manner, like Van Eyck did or the other painters from the Netherlands. I mean the technique, here. Then the picture changed: I will rather express what I feel about my dad and put a solid color construction under it. I do not really want to paint daddy in a naturalistic way, because there are many photos, videos and audio files available. What makes the picture essentially focussed on expression is what I understand from the movements of feelings and thoughts I have. The love, the thankfulness, the sorrow and grief.

Since I wrote about my inner eye, I would like to add my inner ear, too: These days and with an 8-track computer program, it is possible for me to materialize what I hear with my inner ear. This is how I composed the Song for John Lennon in October 2005. For his birthday, to thank the world and vibes and molecules never ending (and therefore have no beginning and end). It takes me some days to finish a song. Well, I thought this short text might help somebody´s inspiration. I will come up with another blog post about inspiration.

I get used to ...

... the Open Source software. I learn php-scripting and today I managed to configure some files on MySQL server. Anyway, the Open Journal Software does not yet work, I could not define the ReadMe properly. I enrolled to participate in the support forums, to install my journal. I implemented a cms system to my commercial site, some hours went by until I realized I have to place a line of code rather above the other definition rows. Tomorrow, I will design some banners and buttons, plus merge my gallery with the osCommerce software: Many useres have stored their contributions and updated them. I browsed thousands of them, recently, although I did not find a template I liked. I will change colors and the frontpage text and - sufficiently in html. For now. I will write about how to deploy php-files, properly, I find the documentations quite confusing for beginners.

This somebody on screen I know

A colleague from the University inspired this post, perhaps it is useful to my readers. I first will post my comment on Andrea´s post:

Dear Andrea, it is not strange: People on video or TV or on a stage are like you and - well - me. Just ask yourself: Did you have this feeling, when you met me? No, you didn´t, because you did not know I was on TV, on stage or in videos. It makes no difference, most likely. It will happen to you more and more, because videos on YouTube and the like will be a standard in the future. Do you have this feeling, when you meet somebody, who has a website? Probably, no. And this is only a broadcast, too. See? You ARE one of the broadcasting people, too! It doesn´t even adhere to money or richness or reputation: It is nothing, when you are not payed for your work, I tell you. It is a job like every job else. ... Kind regards, Sybil

In fact it is so, that all those stories are not true. Whatever story, one might think, "Well, she was an actor and she was on TV" or "She has recorded two LPs"; I take these examples from my experience. I do not know what is strange by "seeing" somebody on the screen, you know. I am used to people, who treat me differently, because in a moment they know this or that, let me say, "I know your dad, he was a talented musician". The point is, that it makes no difference, to perform means to work. It is a job like every job else. It is not even better paid.

My motto always was, "Be famous and rich, not a bitch", this is a line of a song text performed by Hannes and my brother, and their band. Just strat your acting course or perform with your band and try to think, "What you see is what you get". This is what I did. People would destroy you, if you were all open and what they would call great. Hundreds and thousands of people attempted to perform, if this is the magic ... I was in Hollywood, because I believed in me and what I did, and you know something? The best police in the world, the officers of the LAPD Hollywood did to help me out! You know, Andrea, everybody is a little human being in this world, a menshlyne, somehow. Do you think it is a kind of courage you assume yourself to have a lack of? Do you adore creativity, somehow? Andrea and all other readers, be it as it may, you have your life and you are your own boss ... this is what I wanted to add. Have questions, go here to the forum, I will answer as good as I can.

Announcement of Domain

I would like to announce my domain, today: Finally, I got one! It is called sybilamber.com, because I would want to use it for commercial purposes. My start page is not yet the one I wanted, I have to get used to SQL with PHP and several Open Source software. I still "fight" with some installations and files, plus I have to learn how to get prospective consumers for my shop interested. I setup a forum and a gallery, recently. I learn embedding *.php - files and I try to setup the OJS software. Anyway, it does not work. Does somebody out there have an *.sql - file to configure the database on MySQL? I found a wiki called VAnthropology, which stands for Virtual Anthropology in the widest sense. I appreciate your guestbook entry or discussion ... I will design some banners and buttons, as well. I hope you like my site and work. 

And the chase is hotly followed

Arigona is fighting for her right. She is under age and fled from - the Austrian governmental minister Platter. She sent a video, which was broadcasted in the ORF. Well, in the sense of Genf contracts, she might not be a "refugee", for whatever reason. To me this is not the crux of matter: The matter is, that the familiy lived and worked in Austria for five years approximately and this fact alone would make them eligible for citizenship - in other countries. Arigona is a young woman in adolescence, she feels desperate. She said so. She uttered, she would commit suicide and she felt forlorn in a hopeless situation. I can understand her and I know, that she is only 15 years old and left outside alone.

This is not extortion, as many think. This is a case to show lenience, brotherhood and sisterhood, and humanity towards Arigona and her family. Additionally, I would consider the Human Rights Declaration in these respects, http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html:

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 16.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

I am not familiar with the processes, that led to the order for uniformed officers to deport this family in the middle of the night after the family has lived and worked in Austria for some years, already. Which kind of persecution did they suffer from? Did they want to change their nationality?

Questions over questions and the right to choose residence is not even touched, yet ... oh yeah, and the brotherhood and sisterhood of men ... imagine ...all the people living life in peace ...

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Okto: AnthrOkto?

Some weeks ago I attended lectures at Okto. Two colleagues of Social and Cultural Anthropology studies were there, too. We had a little talk about Ethnowelle, afterwards. The lecture held by Mr. Jungwirt focused on various forms of the application of rights in the media. Since I plan to start my own media projects in the near future - I got to make a living and pay my bills - I began to read about copyrights and more applied laws relating to visual media and boradcasting. We discussed some quite interesting points of publishing, i. e. YouTube content and copyright laws, or the causes of difference in European and U. S. laws, as for intellectual property rights. I plan to attend more lectures to start my program.

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Frankenberg

In the night police transported a part of a family, I would rather say deported, from Frankenburg, Upper Austria. The ORF had it in the news headlines, that uniformed police officers pushed off some family members in the middle of the night. My first thought on DDR - STASI methods was confirmed, when I heard that Mr. Wolf stated, that another part of the family having stayed in Austria for five years already, was send to Kosovo some hours before that. One young girl disappeared, because she fled in time. Mr. Wolf said laconically, that the ORF has information about more chartered flights to Kosovo. Mr. Truebwasser of the Green Party speaks about a scandal, the Green party has started a petition campagne, recently.

 

The society that was built on female slavery (Yoko Ono Lennon)

The Feminization of Society was written by Yoko Ono in 1971. The article was published a. in abridged version in New York Times, February 1972, and b. in an unabridged version in Sundance Magazine in May 1972. It is now 35 years ago, that the text was published, and to me it did not lose topicality and relevance. In contrary, parts - and these I cite below - have a very close relationship to nowadays society in neo-liberal daze. I have the impression, that we live in an age, in which female freedom defined by men was alienated to "STARS", because financial freedom equals individual freedom, nowadays. Some kind of "hyper-feminine chimera" are imitated nowadays. I mean the always-young, surgically re-conditioned and nubile tableaus poising in preciosity.

Yoko Ono Lennon (1971/1997) explains:

The aim of the feminist movement should not just end with getting more jobs in the existing society, though we should definitely work on that as well. We have to keep on going until the whole of the female race is freed.

How are we going to do this? This society is the very society that killed female freedom: the society that was built on female slavery. If we try to achieve our freedom within the framework of the existing social set-up, men, who run the society, will continue to make a token gesture of giving us a place in their world. Some of us will succeed in moving into elitist jobs, kicking our sisters on the way up. Others will resort to producing babies, or being conned into thinking that joining male perversions and madness is waht equality is about: "join the army", "join the sexist trip", etc.

The ultimate goal of female liberation is not just to escape from male oppression. How about liberating ourselves from our various mind trips such as ignorance, greed, masochism, fear of God and social conventions? It´s hard to easily dismiss the importance of paternal influence in this society, at this time. Since we face the reality that, in this global village, there is very little choice but to coexist with men, we might as well find a way to do it and do it well. [...]

We are in a serious identity crisis. This society is driven by neurotic speed and force accelerated by greed, and frustration of not being able to live up to the image of men and women we have created for ourselves; the image has nothing to do with the reality of people. How could we be an eternal James Bond or Twiggy (false eyelashes, the never-had-a baby- or-a-full-meal look) and raise three kids on the side? In such an image driven-culture, a piece of reality, such as a child, becomes a direct threat to our false existence.

The only game we play together with our children is star-chasing; sadly, not the stars in the sky, but the "STARS" who we think have achieved the standard of the dream image we have imposed on the human race. We cannot trust ourselves anymore, because we know we are, well ... too real. We are forever apologetic for being real. Excuse me for farting, excuse me for making love and smelling like a human being, instead of that odorless celluloid prince and princess image up there on the screen.

Most of us, as women, hope that we can achieve our freedom within the existing social set-up, thinking that, somewhere, there must be a happy medium for men and women to share freedom and responsibility. But if we just took the time to observe the very function of our society, the greed-power-frustration syndrome, we soon would see that there is no happy medium to be achieved. We can, of course, aim to play the same game that men have played for centuries, and inch by inch, take over all the best jobs and eventually conquer the whole world, leaving an extremely bitter male stud-cum-slave class moaning and groaning underneath us. [...]

We are now at a stage where we are eager to compete with men on all levels. But women will inevitably arrive at the next stage, and realize themselves as they are, and not as beings comparative to or in response to men. As a result, the feminist revolution will take a more positive step in the society by offering a feminine direction.

In the past two thousand years of effort, men have shown us their failure in their method of running the world. Instead of falling into the same trap that men fell into, women can offer something that the society never had before because of male dominance. That is the feminine direction. What we can do is take the current society, which contains both masculine and feminine characteristics, and bring out its feminine nature rather than its masculine force which is now at work. We must make more positive usage of the feminine tendencies of the society which, up to now, have been either suppressed or dismissed as something harmful, impractical, irrelevant and ultimately shameful.

I am proposing the feminazation of society; the use of feminine nature as a positive force to change the world. We can change ourselves with feminine intelligence and awareness, into a basically organic, noncompetitive society that is based on love, rather than reasoning. The result will be a society of balance, peace and contentment. We can evolve rather than revolt, come together, rather than claim independence, and fell rather than think. These are characteristics that are considered feminine; characteristics that men despise in women. But have men really done so well by avoiding the development of these characteristics within themselves?

Already, as I catch a glimpse of the new world, I see feminine wisdom working as a positive force. I refer to the feminine wisdom and awareness which is based on reality, intuition and empirical thinking, rather than logistics and ideologies. The entire youth generation, their idiom and their dreams, are headed in a feminine direction. A more advanced field of communication, such as telepathy, is also a phenomenon which can only be developed in a highly feminine climate. The problem is that feminine tendency in the society has never been given a chance to blossom, whereas masculine tendency overwhelms it.

What we need now is the patience and natural wisdom of a pregnant woman, an awareness and acceptance of our natural resources, or what is left of them. Let´s not kid ourselves and think of ourselves as an old and matured civilisation. We are by no means mature. But that is alright. That is beautiful. Let´s slow down and try to grow as organically, and healthfully as a newborn infant. The aim of the female revolution will have to be a total one, eventually making it a revolution for the whole world. [...] It´s good to start now, since it´s never too late to start from the start.

I feel happy, that I have grown up in a part of society to take equality as a fact and given. Emancipated women introduced me to liberation and writers like Betty Friedan, Alice Schwarzer or Rosa Luxemburg. Notably my parents stressed equality in their three childrens´education free from religious or similar oppressions. In school we learned lots about emancipation and womens´ lib, and how hard it was for women to be admitted at the University or professional work, and why. In Rahlgasse High School we were instructed to bear in mind, that this High School was the first to establish women in higher education via the Frauenbewegung. To me, equal rights and duties in all related issues, are self-evident. I concede equal rights and duties to men and women everywhere in the world and I am free of religious regulations, too. Human dignity was and is still infringed in this world. Acceptance and respect should be promoted to make a difference in our minds. It saddens me, that in some societies, and some members of society, still hang on assumptions,  like "women do the chores". I feel embarrassed and indignant with stereotypes, like this or that would be "exemplary for women". Generally I think, scientists should participate in discussions in the media and here especially reinforce gender related issues. The topic is so virulent, that the University Vienna has this Gender institution and a focus on Gender Studies. 

Quote of the Day: Sharing money is what gives it its value. - Elvis Presley

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Is: Cultural Diversity

The multi-cultural project has become a synonym for social failure and halfhearted sissyness of politicians, that rather restrict, than support social and cultural variety. I dwell, that I use mutli-culturalism and the multi-culturalist project in reference to miscarried politics in this (con-)text. If people use the term multi-culti or call for a multi-cultural leadership, something else is meant, as far as I am concerned. To me, they mean the playful and winning variety of a society from an emic view, from the inside, that lives in peace and who does not question for civics to prove who one would be; or which color of skin one had; or which religion one had chosen to believe in; or to which nation one belonged to; or which language one spoke; or how much money one had; these are all signs and symbols used to make a difference. I do not want to spin my discussion into Eco - istic semiotics, now.

If culture, after Geertz, is roughly a system of historically acquired/collected and interpreted symbols, the perception of variety and diversity supports people, who respect each other, because of differences explained, savored and respected. The multi-culti adjective stands for the joy and pleasure of respected differences. Authors or organisations calling for a multi-cultural society mean, that their and other cultures, societies and human beings should be accepted and respected and they speak from an emic view. From an emic view here, I mean, for instance, an author, who lives within a small-scale group within a dominating culture, who writes about a Multicultural Age. Id est Joana Bordas´s Salsa, Soul & Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age, that will be presented in a Signing Event September 26, 2007.

I stress, that with the muticultural project(-s) I mean the failed implemenations of coherent laws and institutions in - not only Western - societies, and therefore I suggest a new approach by the means of cultural diversity and variety. I think, that a broader perspective of variety should bear acceptance and respect corresponding to cultures and resulting social issues. The discussion is not about multi-cultural tolerance or the finding of differences: The quest goes for respect of differences, even if they were not uttered, and for acceptance of otherness, be it Black, white, religious, poor, gender-related or any other sign or symbol of otherness. If a model of diversity and variety counteracts single-minded lines of thoughts and weak agency, these categories will be good enough to allow debates. The fact or quality of being diverse connotes cultural diversity, which denotes a noticable cultural heterogeneity: Human beings do not have to follow ideologies of some theory, because there are Human Rights to hold egalitarian societies together. I want to refer to recent discussions about building mosques: The media did not inform the public, correctly, which is the case quite often. Take the Viennese example: A given house is to be refurbished. One room will be equipped to say one´s prayers. So why do parts of the local population demonstrate against renovation and a religious center? I think the following is an outline:

1. I think the public was informed wronlgy. It is not a big mosque they were talking about, it is a small place of spirituality.
2. Parts of the public do not know about democracy and the religious freedom so many people fought and died for.
3. Xenophobia: Fear from extremists and fanatics turned into hate of the mass (media).

To me the question arises, if enlightenment in all fields of society is at stake. It is, I am sure. I am looking forward to critique and comments. Moreover, I appreciate actions to support Human Rights and respect. Cultural diversity offers a range of possibilities, whereas mutliculturalism in my opinion rather limits opportunities by referring to only some notions of being human. So it matters, I assume, to talk about Cultural Diversity and manifoldness, and not to limit (endless) variety to multi, a countable number.

               

 

 

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Quote of the Day:
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. - Albert Einstein         

Addendum Breaking News 8.20 PM: Now, I saw Andrea was blogging about the Islamic Youth http://andreabenlassoued.at/?p=229, additionally there is an initiative out, by the Concerned Anthropologists!

Art and Anthropology in practice

Although I do not know what is meant by this question, "What happens when artists and anthropologists are asked to do something together rather than talk from the safety of their own practice?" by Anna Grimshaw, the CAA Workshop offers documentation on Art and Anthropology, as well as on featured objects. Artists and anthropologists connection is a fruitful entanglement, I think. Whether artists be inspired by science and anthropologists´ knowledge, like stories or other narratives, or anthropologists process their minds into artwork, the dialogues and communication, the dialectics of inputs and outputs create an area of prolific tension. So, do we speak of methods and approaches, or of results and effects? Or will we grasp the process of communication of artists and anthropologists and document what was produced? What does saftey of practice in this context mean? This essay On Art  and Anthropology with a foreword by Pavel Buechler explains in Amanda Ravetz´s words, that "The challenge as I saw it was to enable participants to open up and explain their practice, while at the same time engaging as equal partners in an active process that would result not in art work or anthropology work so much as lay bare the kernels of each approach."

Long have artists adapted anthropological information in some way, see Gaugin, for instance. The artistic movements of the beginnings of the 20th century, too. Jazz musicians. As much as I remember there was Herbie Hancock playing with Burundi Black from Africa, back in the eighties. The scientists Sowah Mensah, David Fanshaw, ... Cultural fusion in music is called world music, nowadays. On the one hand one can easily find examples, namely artists referring to anthropology, on the other hand, when it comes to scientists applying or using art - ?

 

           

What: Benin - Kings and Rituals. Court arts from Nigeria Many of these superb works of art are also important ritual objects, valuable symbols of status, or nuanced historical documents that illustrate court ceremonies, versions of which survive to this day. When: Dienstag, Oktober 2, 2007 5:00 to Sonntag, Jänner 6, 2008 6:00 Where: Musée du quai Branly 37, Quai Branly Paris, 75007   France

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Qualms

It is hard work to study Social and Cultural Anthropology and to a job. There are seminars to teach students the basics and academic levels of quantitative and qualitative research- they last one semster. Students have to learn how to write in scientific / academic style, plus there is a seminar about how to work scientifically. Professors insist, that students should acquire additional skills. Be it, as it may, studies are hard and lots of knowledge have to be compiled and managed by students, themselves, and I am not the type of person who is satisfied with good lecture notes and one must-read book. I got to delve into what I study to fully experience my interest and subject.

Each book is like a little universe opening the mind. It does good to have a comfortable couch, tea and a soft blanket. Listening to music, like Mozart´s piano concerts, or to Mahler´s romantic compositions, or some Jazz. By now, I mean music, that is not new to my ear, so that I do not have to listen closely, like The Beatles, or Jazz by Louis Armstrong or Errol Garner. Many Jazz musicians - from the beginnings on - have adpated classical music for instance by Bach. More and more I consider the functions of music in the world. Well, there are many, and the entertainment factor is only one. Music accompanies various situations, like birth(-days) or other rites. So it is with every piece of music - it opens a little universe.

I listen to the Approximately Infinite Universe music, over and over. Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band present thoughts and critique on society with music. Yoko Ono writes about the Feminization of Society and what I think of nowadays society is written in this text, which was published in 1972: "This society is driven by neurotic speed and force accelerated by greed, and frustration of not being able to live up to the image of men and women we have created for ourselves: the image, which has nothing to do with the reality of people."

  

                                 

 

Thought provoking 21st century

1 About 21st Century Anthropology

Please read this post on antropologi.info: Keith Hart and Thomas H. Eriksen: This is 21st century anthropology and the associated texts, like the speech.

2 About Mainstream

I would like to start my reasoning with a citation of the IG-History at the University Vienna. "In der Gesellschaft gilt das Dogma, dass Heterosexualität in allen Lebensbereichen die Norm darstellt und dass Abweichungen gegen diese Dualität nicht nur unerwünscht, sondern sogar bedrohlich sind. Gerade was die menschliche Sexualitaet anbelangt vertritt der Mainstream extrem verlogene Ansichten" (Institutsgruppe Geschichte under Antiheteronormativ). This says, that mendacious dualisms concerning sexuality adhere to the Mainstream of society.

I would not want to anthropologically investigate the mainstream. Society has enough of mainstream sources and testimonials, I think. And especially the Central European public I mean with it. I felt embarrassed having had a lecture about Swedish XMas decoration, some years ago. This is certainly not what I expect from Social and Cultural Anthropology. It is not, that I don´t like Sweden, I have learned Swedish for one semester, I admit - I only can read it, not speak - but: White, catholic or other christians and well living?

Nope. I prefer to learn and write about people, unheard and unseen, whelmed with bias. Well, just some thoughts... probably relationships and communication...

Center for 21st Century Studies: http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/21st/index.shtml   2007-09-03 5:21 PM

Atheism

One of the best resources online is published and updated regularly by the Internet Infidels: http://www.infidels.org/ - the Secular Web offers a drop of reason in a pool of confusion. There is the News Wire for freethinkers, and internet radio by the Infidel Guy, also. The pamphlet provides a description for the services and this list is international.

What is Atheism? I explain atheism like this: Atheism is the absence - but not the lack (atheist do not lose religion or miss it) - of religion or religious behavior. It is the non-existence of belief in entities, a diety or more, often associated with the imagination of (the) supernatural(s), (a) "soul(s)" or "spirit(s)" in material things or symbols or intangible assets, or the non-presence or voidness of any religious acts or agency. Atheism to me is not only agnosia and the denial of a belief in god(s) or similar entities, it is a state of mind, an approach and a view of life without the performance of such.

Beliefs are projections of human thoughts into human environment, beliefs represent assumptions of accuracy of human thought and human existence in the world. Human thoughts are insofar true, valid and inherent, as human communicative processes, and therefore languages, too, are systems to create and to adopt human reality called life. Communication makes human reality together posessed experience and knowledge. Religions are cultural phenomena, here are some explanations at Wikipedia, Durkheim´s theory of the sacred and the profane or the AnthroBase papers tagged Religion.

Events: There is for instance the 2007 AAI "Crystal Clear Atheism" convention online: The Atheist Alliance International promotes a life free from religious intrusions and offers the opportunity of debate about the philosophy of atheism, online. The 2007 Conference of the Center for Inquiry takes place at The New York Academy of Sciences to report about reason and secularism in America. Student freethinkers, scholars and others will speak about Secularism through History, A Time of Challenge and Opportunity or Science and the Public.

Related Links

Atheism http://groups.yahoo.com/group/atheism/ 2007-09-01 6:40 PM

Atheist_Coalition http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Atheist_Coalition/2007-09-01 6:40 PM

AtheistsConnected http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AtheistsConnected/ 2007-09-01 6:40 PM

AtheistsUnited http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AtheistsUnited/ 2007-09-01 6:40 PM

atheist-talk http://groups.yahoo.com/group/atheist-talk 2007-09-01 6:40 PM

Center for Inquiry http://www.centerforinquiry.net/ 2007-09-03 2:11 PM

Secular Humanism http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Human_ism/ 2007-09-01 6:40

 

     

Scientific Thought Production

1 Read, re - read, read again, and - !Bibliographies: Read everything your professors suggest. Many of the faculty publish bibliographies, librarians also provide services on questions. There are some kinds of reading being applied to science: Reading from top to bottom, looking for phrases, like my theory is... And, of course reading each line to get the deeper sense of a text. I read everywhere, I always did, but for scienctific reading newcomers I would suggest to carry a book with you, whenever, wherever. Read in the bus, in the subway, read waiting for somebody or on the couch. You will get used to it.

2 Collect Ideas: Always carry a notebook with you, or record your thoughts.
Collect these notebooks. Ideas and other notes might be seen from a different view weeks, months or years later. Watch TV or surf the net, browse book stores, talk to people you do or don´t know: Opinions and thoughts shared often produce a flow of thoughts in new directions. Brainstorm on paper at least once a week. Record association chains, write down your dreams. Keep these collected data safe, in boxes, books or store them on CD.

3 Write a blog: Writing a blog will give you the opportunity to write on a regular basis. Also, reflecting about style and developing an own style is supported by this kind of writing. There are many books out on the market about writing. Read them. Write. Otto Kruse wrote this fantastic book called Keine Angst vor dem leeren Blatt: In eight chapters he describes the obstacles often experienced and he explains how to start best. He says, that the prospective author has to be open to write down nearly everything. He then suggests to write for two weeks, every day. Clustering is a method commonly known in creative work. Pick a word, it does not matter which one, like fear, book, wood, picture, or research, and write it into the middle of a white sheet of paper. Then build strings around it by associating each string with more and more words, untile the sheet of paper ist full. I have an example for you, on poverty: See picture!

Train this weeks, months, this makes your thoughts visible. I have to admit, I was an excellent writer in High School, but not on scientific grounds. Scientific writing is learning and doing step-by-step, first collect ideas and thoughts. Then think about what you want to do with the text. Then - Kruse calls it - transform your structured notes, ideas, and thoughts into clauses. And so on. Thilo Baum´s walkthrough in thirty minutes serves another purpose of writing, namely Journalism. Free-Writing is offered by Lutz Werder in Kreatives Schreiben: This is a very easy technique, just write for five minutes without stopping. Whatever comes to your mind, consequently. Although I work on laptop often, paper gives me this feeling of having all collected information at once: Sheets of paper may be spread all over the table. More and mor blogs are suggested to support psychological work, too. I do not want to reaveal a list, please research yourself.

4 Research
I research all the time. I have this software called History Collector, it help. I tend to suffer information overload. If this happens to you, urge yourself to rest for two to four days.
The internet, books, catalogues and databases serve information gathering very well. Try to find out, what services your local library or University offer. Talk to colleages, and record or write the most important issues into your notebook.

5 Sources
Baum, Thilo (2005) 30 Minuten fuer gutes Schreiben. Offenbach: Gabal (2nd edition)
Kruse, Otto (2005) Keine Angst vor dem leeren Blatt. Frankfurt / New York: campus concret (11th Edition)
Werder, Lutz von (1992) Kreatives Schreiben von Diplom- und Doktorarbeiten. Berlin: Schibri

© Amber, Sybil 2007 Anthropo Logic Journals.

 

              

                                                                                                                                        © Sybille Amber: Intellectual Property 2005/2006/2007

Town Talk

Theory and research were presented in Vienna, July 17 - 19, 1982; the volume Town-Talk resulted from this coop to publish results on a worldwide level. Walter Dostal was the chair of the Vienna Institute, then, as is André Gingrich, today. The introduction prefigures The Global Approach, which is "the analyses of urbanism and urbanization on a worldwide level"  with regard to The National and Regional Processes of Urbanization and Aspects of Urban Culture (Ansari/Nas 1983: 3 f.). Several papers explain various scientific approaches, "The approaches of the contributors cover a wide range of the study of urban urban phenomena: action-behaviourist, politico-economic, dependency and underdevelopmental, world systems, symbolic and aesthetic." (Southall 1983: 6) Aidan Southall formulates his interest in "Cities in Time and Space" (Ansari/Nas 1983: 7), and later he writes, "I would argue that in the post-industrial age urbanization is still concentration, but in a new sense, at a new level. It is no longer a local concentration contrasting urban and rural areas, but a global concentration corresponding to the global scale of the world capitalist system, in which even socialist countries are partially involved." (Southall 1983: 19) The author then explains what he means, "The concentration is no longer one of buildings, or bodies, or even of face to face relationships, but rather a concentrated network of electronically mediated relationships."(Southall 1983: 19)

Oshomha Imoagene analyses 1 The nature of West African cities, 2 Patterns of migration in West Africa, and 3 Urbanization and underdevelopment in West Africa. West Africa has long history of cultures, and so in urbanization, where with i. e. Yoruba, "In this places land was communally rather than lineage owned and individuals had rights to their share as long as theirs crops grew."(Imoagene 1983: 68)

Joyce Aschenbrenner and Kathryn Skinner present a paper about art traditions in urban communities of the  U. S. A., where the suburbs were striken by poverty and development programs supported political and economic life, "For the artists in our research, the distinction between art and other areas of life is not clearly delineated; several noted the artistic values expressed in clothing and decorating onself and one´s house, in cooking and other mundane activities."(Aschenbrenner/Skinner 1983: 116).

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Contents

Introduction (G. Ansari and P. J. M. Nas)

1. Towards a Universal Urban Anthropology (A. Southall)

2. New Directions in Urban Anthropology (P. C. W. Gutkind)

3. The Struggle for the Third World City (W. J. M. Prins and P. J. M. Nas)

4. Charcteristics of Urban Growth in the Gulf States (G. Ansari and I. Qutub)

5. Urbanism, Urbanization and Underdevolpment: The West African Experience (O. Imoagene)

6. From Pre-Industrial to Modern Igbo Towns (A. A. Dike)

7. Viable Traditions in Urban Japan: Matsuri and Chonaikai (K. Aoyagi)

8. Family Art Traditions in Contemporary Society (J. Aschenbrenner and K. Skinner)

9. Divorce and Development in Kuwait (A. H. Hussein)

10. The Historical Development of Urban Anthropology in Venezuela (M. Suárez and R. Torrealba)

11. Urban Anthropology in the U. S. A.: Current Work and Directions for the Future (L. Plotnicov)

12. Past, Present and Future of Dutch Urban Anthropology (P. J. M. Nas and W. J. M. Prins)

Contributors

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Ansari, Ghaus/Nas, Peter J. M. (Editors) (1983) Town-Talk. The Dynamics of Urban Anthropology. Leiden: Brill.
  

Recently, I found some tests referring to Urban Legends: This is a field, which interests me lots. Talking about Urban Legends, I noted, that many of my friends reflect on some of these legends. Anyway, About.com has a domain on Urban Legends and Folklore, which suggests to research this vast field by applying scientific knowledge about mythology.

Amber, Sybil (2007) Anthropo Logic Journals.   

A Riddle is a Paradox, indeed

Baumann localised his book on Rethinking National, Ethnic and Religious Identities, and states: "To solve the riddle, one needs to rethink what is meant by nationality or the nation-state, by ethnic identity or ethnicity, and by religion as a basis of culture." (Baumann 1999: vii) Multiculturalism for him is a riddle, "Having reviewed a multiculturalist vision uncritical of the nation- state and another seemingly multiculturalist one that reduces people´s culture to their religion at birth, let us turn to the third reification that must be overcome: the reduction of people´s culture to their ethnic identity." (Baumann 1999: 103)

I think, that multiculturalisms are theories, that are too weak to translate them into everyday practice. In reference to the fact, that human beings may be members of several cultures/cultural groups (rf. Baumann 1999: 99 f.), I think, that 1. people do (re-)define cultural communities, over and over;  2. (multi-)culturalisms of any kind and theory would not practically have an effect in reality, because people wouldn´t let themselves be reduced to their religion, nation or else. So the question arises, how is cultural identity constituted? To make a long story short by assuming, that culture is system of symbols (rf. Geertz), then groups of people would be better understood, if their symbols were socially understandable or explained. If the origins of identity are culturally influenced, because cultures are shared by many, then cultural identity has to do wih communication. From this it follows, that societies in nations or nation-like groups, like for instance the E. U., i. e. their representatives, should reduce their attempts to formulate what culture would be, in a way, that makes respect and tolerance complyable with an (individual´s) human condition(s) and the Human Rights, plus ammendments. A manifold society and multifaceted cultures would respect and accept particularities of individuals or groups. Cultural identities change permanently, communication filtered the cultural divide.

I don´t know how many Anthropologists are comissioned in the E. U. executive boards, I mean, how many Social and Cultural Anthropologists - specialists for cultures - are employed to solve problems relating to culture(s). And: How can tensions relating to culture(s) be resolved without specialists for culture(s)? "How can we award the same universal recognition to an ever-widening variety of mutually exclusive designs of authenticity and identity, especially when these involve a politics of (stressing) difference?" (Baumann 1999: 108)

As for Baumann pluralisms were inconclusive and the meaningful exclusivist in extreme. Professor Gingrich offers the dialogue as a medium to communicate social and cultural conflicts to achieve respect and tolerance. The Respect Project offers scientific and lawful standards, they have a database online.

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Contents

1. "I Have A Dream" - but Who Os It For? Civil Rights, Human Rights, or Community Rights?

2. From Dreaming to Meaning: The Multicultural Triangle. National Culture, Ethnic Culture, Religion as Culture

3. The Nation-State, I: Postethnic or Pseudotribe? Why Nationa-States Are Not Ethnically Neutral

4. The Nation-State, II: Business or Temple? Why Nation-States Are Not Religiously Neutral

5. Ethnicity: Blood or Wine? Not Immutable Heritage, but Positioning in Context

7. Culture: Having, Making, or Both? From an Essentialist through a Processual to a Discursive Understanding

8. Multicultural Theory, I: The Sales Talk and the Small Print. Are You Same ENough to Be Equal?

9. Multicultural Theory, II: The Values and the Valid. What Is It Prof. Taylor Should "Recognize"?

10. Multicultural Praxis: The Banal and the Best. From Culti-Parading to Multi-Relating

11. From Dreaming to Meaning: A Summary. Multiculturalism Is A New Understanding of Culture

12. From Meaning to Practice: What Students Can Do. New Understandings Require New Projects

References

Index

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Baumann, Gerd (1999) The Multicultural Riddle. Rethinking National, Ethnic, and Religious Identities. New York: Routledge.

  

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Quote of the Day:
If we find a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

China: Blogger imprisoned for writing about his thoughts

heise online - Chinesischer Internet-Dissident in psychiatrische Anstalt gesteckt: This article reveals, that He Weihua was imprisoned in psychiatrists for writing about changes in price of meat and corruption in the Communist Party in the Boxun website blog. The group Reporters Sans Frontiéres protested against this action, the focussed Boxun network provides an English version to practise press freedom. The newsletter section of Reporters Without Borders dates back to 1999, membership for € 15,- a year leaves the option to spend a little more to support the group´s work.

Anthropology goes public?

Which sense does it make to transport scientific knowledge to a wider audience? What are public intellectuals? What do public intellectuals do?

As for me, the answer is surprisingly simple: I write Blogs and I publish my (undergrad) work on my u:net website (the University webspace for students in VIE). What happens to me oftentimes is, that people in the subway, in the bus or on the street address me directly (yet, I don´t know why this is so). Today while going to work, an elderly woman blurt out in the subway elevator, she wouldn´t be able to cope with this or that. This happens every day. It became a kind of task of mine to listen and advice.

Blogging, posting to newspaper lists or forum discussions are also a mode to go public. I endorse media work: Perhaps more anthropologists should “come out” in TV debates, like they have them in the ORF – here my question is why the directors or producers would not invite anthropologists for themed discussions on i. e. magic, religion, environment et cetera. I definitely miss this, not personally I, but it seems that only a sample of scientists would be employed by media.

What would public intellectuals attempt to transport in understandable terms and speech? Anthropology is a key science to me and public intellectuality has little to do with theory, I think, but is more a question of comprehensibility and tangibility. Intellectualitiy itself does not run for publicity for some reasons, by portability and inimitability. Scientific language needs information, like vocabulary, well-chosen verbalization and efficient restatements. Only a small percentage of the world population studies and belongs to the academic ivory tower. So academics should think about the dialectics of information translation, I should call it, a. to the academic community and b. for the averagely,  in the sense of acquired knowledge, educated public.

How could academics acquire competencies in communicating verbaly skilled? In my opinion, each student of Anthropology - talking of Social and Cultural Anthropology - should go through psychological tests, like having analyzed structures of personality or psychological disposition. This and the new tenets, i. e. at the University Vienna, for a so-called orchid-like science would help to strengthen its position and status. As a consequence Social and Cultural Anthropology would produce a greater effect on society by generating pools of interest and knowledge of people, about people. The better the training for acceptance and tolerance, the better promotion of democratic assets will mesh.

This short text was inspired by the EAnth mailing list. I hope, that as an undergrad I understood well and produced scientific comment and thought sharing in respect of what I am able to read and learn by participating. The idea of Public Anthropology I found first some two years ago on this site: Public Anthropology.