Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Chapter 9 "Mixed Blood", Jeffrey M.Fished

When Professor Gaunt said that this chapter was without doubt the most amazing from the book, I totally agree with her. From my personal experience I completely felt what the author talked about and what she meant about the American way of classifying people into race.

First of all, when I came here, most of the people asked me where do I come from and which nationality I am. Considering myself as half French and half Italian it was hard to explain that I was an Italian from my dad and French from my mum. Obviously I am a “Mixed Blood” and like to consider myself as being kind of half and half. However, this was not the only fact that surprised me.

Indeed, when it was clear enough that I could be both French and Italian at the same time, countless students or persons that I met were surprised of this “mix” as I “really look like Russian, Swedish or German”! “But you don’t look like a French girl you know?” Wow! I never had so many nationalities at the same time. Blond, tall with almond shaped eyes made them thought that it was not possible that I was French and Italian. I should have been brunette, have a darker skin and a curvy body maybe. And for my French part, I don’t know which physical traits I should have.
Anyway, I was amused by how people can classify me just by looking at my physical traits. Of course I do have some what people call “north east blood”, if I can say so as my grandmother is Polish, but does it make me Polish as well?! Can people know from where I come just by looking at me and taking a guess?

Another experience that I had concerning my “race” was when I had to fill out papers to apply to universities. Am I black? No. White Hispanic? No. Asian? Neither. So what am I? None of the options available could fit or represent what I am. So I asked someone and he told me that I should put others. That is interesting… I am others. But what does it mean to be considered as others? Should I be offended by it? Of course I was not and I am not. It was just that I was not used to it, at least not yet.

Another aspect of “Mixed Blood” concerning the “race” that I would like to link with the chapter on language and communication is names. Indeed, we classify people into races just by studying their physical aspect, but we do the same when looking at their names. For example, my first name is Charlene, which origins from Germany; and my family name is Scavetta, which is Italian (I could also use my mum’s name which is Baranowski). Then, what do my names mean for people? Should I be German? Italian? Wait a minute; she is French and Italian with a German first name and an Italian family name. She definitely falls into the category others.

I think that it is easy to assume and to categorize people into categories that they are not necessarily into just by looking at them or guessing from their names. But do we have to fit into a pattern? French? Asian? Russian? Is there a prototype of what French or Asian girls have to look like? What about if I had dreadlock?

I feel like “Mixed Blood” is the epitomize of what could be a definition of anthropology. Because culture is shared, as well as language through communication, religion and others, “race” just not and can not exist. It will erase the idea of us as being unique and tend to shape us into a pattern that is not real in order to be classified into a specific “race”.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Chapter 13 "Baseball Magic" George Gmelch

When I first saw the title of the ethnography and the subject matter of the chapter which is religion, I was curious to see how baseball was related to religion. Then I read the introduction and got hocked by it, although it took me a while to see the link between the example and the word religion.

In "Baseball Magic", George Gmlech uses the example of baseball players to give us the possibility to approach religion in a different manner. I really thought at the beginning that the ethnography would be based on a specific religion e.g. Catholicism, Judaism or other ones and maybe related it to baseball (even if it seems like it doesn't make sense). However, while going throughout the text especially with the paragraphs of routines, I thought that these baseball players were crazy to think that because they do such thing or eat such thing before a game, it will help them to win. What about if the tuna fish sandwich that Dennis Grossini (p 126) eats before each match has a different ingredient that day? I started to think about all these questions. But then, I definitely reconsidered my opinion and pictured myself having also "weird" rituals. As an example, when I have a test I take a particular attention on how I write my number question. I must write for example 1) and not 1/ because I know this will help me to understand the question and to answer it correctly. I know this appears to be completely absurd (and it is) but I can't help myself on it. It is like my little thing to give me confidence during a test. I have to admit most of the time I am convinced that it works and do not try to show me the contrary.

What it is even more interesting is that I am sure that I have many other rituals that I do daily, but they are so established in my routine that I am not even conscious about.

Taking also into account the paragraph on taboo, I wondered if taboos are also what the society forbids or not, what is “ok” to talk in public, what is not and so on... I think that each culture and person has her own taboo that gives her limits in the way of thinking or behaving. What if we all do whatever we want without having fears or anxiety about it? Like if everything was accepted no matter what, just because it is what I believe in. Anyway, to give an example of a taboo in the domain of marine, I know that if you are on a boat it is strictly banned to say the word "rabbit" because it is bad luck and the boat might sinks. In the same way, to give to someone the salt from hands to hands, might creating troubles between you and this person. In France, we have numerous taboos related to superstition. It gives people to the possibility to have irrational answers for things that they can not control. Therefore it is reassuring. I am afraid of what I can not control of course, and having some explanations or "tricks" to take control over it, gives me confidence.

However, I do not have fetishes or material objects. I am more a routines and rituals person I guess. Maybe my fetish before taking an exam or doing something important is my dad! Lol. But I would definitely say that talking with him on the phone would be more a part of my ritual to give me confidence.

Finally, what I enjoyed the most in this chapter is the fact that through the example of baseball players, the author made me think "outside the box". Yes, religion is not restricted by the God in whom I believe but mostly by my own beliefs. How do they interact in my daily life as well as the roles they play during specific moments of my life. Religion is what I believe, what gives me power and strength to move forward.
So far “Baseball Magic" is my favorite ethnography because I could relate these examples to me and have a new approach on what is religion. It opens my way of thinking.


Bibliography
Gmelch, George. “Baseball Magic”. In Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology, 12 ed., ed. Spradley and McCurdy. Allyn & Bacon, 2008, 126-135.