November 1, 2014 - 20:49
"But when do certain acts become 'culture'?" (Nnaemeka 372)
This question, in particular, struck me as one that can only be answered with an understanding of intersectionality. It called to mind the phenomenon of the white/upper-class fear of "sketchy" neighborhoods--predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods that are thought to be more dangerous (though of course not due to the racial minorities present). In many people's minds, this is reduced to a simple phenomenon of culture: of course that's just how Black and Latino people live their lives, and it is normal and perhaps even desirable for them. What is left out of this explanation is the multitude of factors that make a neighborhood actually dangerous--Are the crime rates really higher? If so, why? Should women feel less safe in such neighborhoods than they would in the "good" part of town? Are there statistics to support this, or is this fear simply founded on racist assumptions? It seems ridiculous to assume that this is a cultural phenomenon, because doing so assumes that individuals in the community really want it to be that way--that there is some sort of order behind this. I would like to talk about this in class, especially in relation to the new, controversial app that allows privileged iPhone users to find and avoid "sketchy" neighborhoods.
"I finally understood that a photograph of Sibdou meant a photograph of her family" (Beach 1-2)
This statement, and the whole passage quoted by Nnaemeka, is clearly part of a very large discussion around cross-cultural notions of the self and self-representation, that I would like to discuss in class. How do different culture's ideas of and preferences toward independence or interdependence shape notions of the self--or at least, how do they affect how we choose to represent the self? Though Sibdou might view "herself" as her own individual body and mind, she chose to pose for her portrait with her children surrounding her. How do different cultural expectations around interdependence shape Sibdou's desire to represent herself as not just a woman, but as a mother, and as part of a family? Does she intend to represent her children as truly a part of herself, or as an indispensible part of who she is?
"Culture should not be dismissed as a negative or neutral factor in development; rather, attempts should be made to find out in what ways culture is a positive force that can serve development well" (Nnaemeka 375)
This idea puts an interesting twist on my initial assumptions of nego-feminism. My understanding prior to this reading was that nego-feminism was employed within a negative, constricting, patriarchal structure--that nego-feminism was the one shining light for women who otherwise would have no way of advocating for themselves. Nnaemeka's above statement confirms that negotiation feminism can come from parts of a society that are actually objectively positive--that there is more hope than the women's work itself.