A common assumption maintains that the global outreach of mass media inevitably leads to deleteri... more A common assumption maintains that the global outreach of mass media inevitably leads to deleterious consequences for native communities. Indeed, different scholars have argued that awareness of the outside world from television results in the homogenization of local cultures. However, images viewed through the electronic peephole radically transform not only an understanding of the outside world, but the way indigenes define themselves and their relationship to each other. By presenting subaltern audiences with an idealized other, television compels the emergence of an objectified self. "Who are 'we'?" would not have been asked-or asked in the same way-were it not for the "Who are 'they'?" necessitated by the introduction of television. In this article, I examine a particular group of subaltern viewers who reassign the roles of "self" and "other" in order to preserve, defend, and construct their own selfhood. Because they look...
International journal of business and social science, 2010
The tradition of anthropology is rooted in an effort to make sense of the “other.” In fact, the W... more The tradition of anthropology is rooted in an effort to make sense of the “other.” In fact, the Western concept of the primitive is what makes anthropology intellectually possible. Anthropological literature literally abounds with “our” interpretations of “them.” For all its intentions of neutrality and objectivity, the anthropological gaze has generally traveled in only one direction. Rarely did researchers stop to consider that the objects of the gaze also have a tradition with which to make sense of their “others.” Perhaps my most radical contention in this article is also the most basic: they do to us what we do to them. The key difference, of course, is that perceptions of whites by Indians are not widely expressed, overt, and systematized but suppressed, covert, and internalized.
A common assumption maintains that the global outreach of mass media inevitably leads to deleteri... more A common assumption maintains that the global outreach of mass media inevitably leads to deleterious consequences for native communities. Indeed, different scholars have argued that awareness of the outside world from television results in the homogenization of local cultures. However, images viewed through the electronic peephole radically transform not only an understanding of the outside world, but the way indigenes define themselves and their relationship to each other. By presenting subaltern audiences with an idealized other, television compels the emergence of an objectified self. “Who are ‘we’?” would not have been asked—or asked in the same way—were it not for the “Who are ‘they’?” necessitated by the introduction of television. Paradoxically, contrary to most fears, television actually helps to create rather than destroy a cultural identity by forcing subaltern viewers to re-define themselves in a dialogical relationship to the dominant society.
Drawn by the tropical weather and pristine beaches, significantly lower cost of living, and proxi... more Drawn by the tropical weather and pristine beaches, significantly lower cost of living, and proximity, South Koreans are now the top tourists in the Philippines. Besides the short-term tourists, more than 100,000 South Koreans have chosen to permanently reside in the Philippines, making them the largest immigrant population in the country. Recently, a tenuous relationship between these two groups has emerged marked by mutual antipathy. I have overheard many Koreans describe Filipinos as impoverished, lazy, and socially backwards. They appear to have internalized a racial hierarchy whereby they perceive their darker-skinned Asian counterparts as ranking lower on the pigmentocracy scale. Conversely, Filipinos complain incessantly that Korean immigrants and visitors alike are arrogant, rude, and provincial, refusing to learn Tagalog or appreciate, much less respect, local customs. The exclamation, “Fucking Koreans!” has become a familiar refrain by Filipinos in response to being treate...
This article is based on data gathered for a research project titled “Digital Repatriation in Vie... more This article is based on data gathered for a research project titled “Digital Repatriation in Vietnam: Towards an (Alter)Native Media Tradition” that was funded by a 2010 ASIANetwork Freeman Student Faculty Award. The research team consisted of Sam Pack, the faculty advisor, and five undergraduate students from Kenyon College (Michael Eblin, Eliza Leavitt, Jean Mougin, Carrie Walther, and Said Zagha) as well as a group of Vietnamese translators (Ly Huong Nguyen, Mai Thu Doang, Le Quyen, and Truong Thanh Nhon). The information for this project was collected through numerous discussions, interviews, focus groups, and observation sessions, primarily taking place in Bao Ha village in northern Vietnam, in addition to the nearby village of Nhan Muc, Hai Phong City, and in the capital city of Hanoi. Informants consisted of individuals from wide ranges of age, backgrounds, occupations, and levels of involvement with tourism and water puppetry. Government officials from different ministr...
This year marks the forty-year anniversary of the publication of Through Navajo Eyes: An Explorat... more This year marks the forty-year anniversary of the publication of Through Navajo Eyes: An Exploration in Film Communication and Anthropology (1972). This seminal study has profoundly impacted not only what would become known as the anthropology of visual communication but related fields such as psychology, sociology, and media studies, among others. The book has since been adopted into the visual anthropology canon, and it occupies a familiar niche at the end of most bibliographies in the field. Rightfully hailed as a classic, the Navajo Film Project's findings have largely gone unquestioned-until now.
Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies
Children are often the victims of armed conflict. One way in which international law seeks to pro... more Children are often the victims of armed conflict. One way in which international law seeks to protect them is by prohibiting their recruitment as child soldiers. Once recruited, however, the question arises as to whether they may or should be targeted and killed in the same manner as an adult in the same position. In this respect, there is relatively little discussion as to what the law is, and – aside from a 2013 think-piece by Frédéric Mégret – even less about what the law should be. This article attempts to kick-start that debate. A survey of international law confirms that child combatants and participants in hostilities may be targeted in the same manner as adults. Mégret’s proposed reform, whereby child soldiers would only be targetable while participating in hostilities, is problematic, but child soldiers should arguably be entitled to some form of additional protection. As such, this article proposes that child soldiers under the age of 12 only be targetable in self-defence,...
... 47Among television audiences, ethnocentrism usually takes the form of a "love/hate"... more ... 47Among television audiences, ethnocentrism usually takes the form of a "love/hate" relationship with media figures ... case of Erica Kane, a popular soap opera villain, one of the informants envied her but (or as a result) also felt the need to disparage her (Seiter et al. ... Adra, Najwa. ...
Filipinos are avid consumers of exported South Korean media products. Teenagers and young adults ... more Filipinos are avid consumers of exported South Korean media products. Teenagers and young adults know the lyrics and dance moves of their favorite K-Pop performers while older viewers are engrossed in the weekly Korean television dramas (known in the Philippines as ‘Koreanovelas’). There exists, however, a fundamental disconnect between the idealised images disseminated in the media and their everyday lived experiences that are characterised by mutual antipathy. My objective in this research project was to examine how Filipino consumers negotiate these conflicting messages by exploring the correlation between the consumption of Korean media products and the consumerism of Korean non-media products by Filipino fans of the Korean Wave.
In a pedagogical climate of racial and socioeconomic homogeneity, I have often found it difficult... more In a pedagogical climate of racial and socioeconomic homogeneity, I have often found it difficult to explore issues of race and class with students openly and honestly. In response, I have developed an interactive class activity that utilises popular culture and mass media to juxtapose real events with hypothetical scenarios in order to address the ethics of representation experientially. �
A common assumption maintains that the global outreach of mass media inevitably leads to deleteri... more A common assumption maintains that the global outreach of mass media inevitably leads to deleterious consequences for native communities. Indeed, different scholars have argued that awareness of the outside world from television results in the homogenization of local cultures. However, images viewed through the electronic peephole radically transform not only an understanding of the outside world, but the way indigenes define themselves and their relationship to each other. By presenting subaltern audiences with an idealized other, television compels the emergence of an objectified self. "Who are 'we'?" would not have been asked-or asked in the same way-were it not for the "Who are 'they'?" necessitated by the introduction of television. In this article, I examine a particular group of subaltern viewers who reassign the roles of "self" and "other" in order to preserve, defend, and construct their own selfhood. Because they look...
International journal of business and social science, 2010
The tradition of anthropology is rooted in an effort to make sense of the “other.” In fact, the W... more The tradition of anthropology is rooted in an effort to make sense of the “other.” In fact, the Western concept of the primitive is what makes anthropology intellectually possible. Anthropological literature literally abounds with “our” interpretations of “them.” For all its intentions of neutrality and objectivity, the anthropological gaze has generally traveled in only one direction. Rarely did researchers stop to consider that the objects of the gaze also have a tradition with which to make sense of their “others.” Perhaps my most radical contention in this article is also the most basic: they do to us what we do to them. The key difference, of course, is that perceptions of whites by Indians are not widely expressed, overt, and systematized but suppressed, covert, and internalized.
A common assumption maintains that the global outreach of mass media inevitably leads to deleteri... more A common assumption maintains that the global outreach of mass media inevitably leads to deleterious consequences for native communities. Indeed, different scholars have argued that awareness of the outside world from television results in the homogenization of local cultures. However, images viewed through the electronic peephole radically transform not only an understanding of the outside world, but the way indigenes define themselves and their relationship to each other. By presenting subaltern audiences with an idealized other, television compels the emergence of an objectified self. “Who are ‘we’?” would not have been asked—or asked in the same way—were it not for the “Who are ‘they’?” necessitated by the introduction of television. Paradoxically, contrary to most fears, television actually helps to create rather than destroy a cultural identity by forcing subaltern viewers to re-define themselves in a dialogical relationship to the dominant society.
Drawn by the tropical weather and pristine beaches, significantly lower cost of living, and proxi... more Drawn by the tropical weather and pristine beaches, significantly lower cost of living, and proximity, South Koreans are now the top tourists in the Philippines. Besides the short-term tourists, more than 100,000 South Koreans have chosen to permanently reside in the Philippines, making them the largest immigrant population in the country. Recently, a tenuous relationship between these two groups has emerged marked by mutual antipathy. I have overheard many Koreans describe Filipinos as impoverished, lazy, and socially backwards. They appear to have internalized a racial hierarchy whereby they perceive their darker-skinned Asian counterparts as ranking lower on the pigmentocracy scale. Conversely, Filipinos complain incessantly that Korean immigrants and visitors alike are arrogant, rude, and provincial, refusing to learn Tagalog or appreciate, much less respect, local customs. The exclamation, “Fucking Koreans!” has become a familiar refrain by Filipinos in response to being treate...
This article is based on data gathered for a research project titled “Digital Repatriation in Vie... more This article is based on data gathered for a research project titled “Digital Repatriation in Vietnam: Towards an (Alter)Native Media Tradition” that was funded by a 2010 ASIANetwork Freeman Student Faculty Award. The research team consisted of Sam Pack, the faculty advisor, and five undergraduate students from Kenyon College (Michael Eblin, Eliza Leavitt, Jean Mougin, Carrie Walther, and Said Zagha) as well as a group of Vietnamese translators (Ly Huong Nguyen, Mai Thu Doang, Le Quyen, and Truong Thanh Nhon). The information for this project was collected through numerous discussions, interviews, focus groups, and observation sessions, primarily taking place in Bao Ha village in northern Vietnam, in addition to the nearby village of Nhan Muc, Hai Phong City, and in the capital city of Hanoi. Informants consisted of individuals from wide ranges of age, backgrounds, occupations, and levels of involvement with tourism and water puppetry. Government officials from different ministr...
This year marks the forty-year anniversary of the publication of Through Navajo Eyes: An Explorat... more This year marks the forty-year anniversary of the publication of Through Navajo Eyes: An Exploration in Film Communication and Anthropology (1972). This seminal study has profoundly impacted not only what would become known as the anthropology of visual communication but related fields such as psychology, sociology, and media studies, among others. The book has since been adopted into the visual anthropology canon, and it occupies a familiar niche at the end of most bibliographies in the field. Rightfully hailed as a classic, the Navajo Film Project's findings have largely gone unquestioned-until now.
Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies
Children are often the victims of armed conflict. One way in which international law seeks to pro... more Children are often the victims of armed conflict. One way in which international law seeks to protect them is by prohibiting their recruitment as child soldiers. Once recruited, however, the question arises as to whether they may or should be targeted and killed in the same manner as an adult in the same position. In this respect, there is relatively little discussion as to what the law is, and – aside from a 2013 think-piece by Frédéric Mégret – even less about what the law should be. This article attempts to kick-start that debate. A survey of international law confirms that child combatants and participants in hostilities may be targeted in the same manner as adults. Mégret’s proposed reform, whereby child soldiers would only be targetable while participating in hostilities, is problematic, but child soldiers should arguably be entitled to some form of additional protection. As such, this article proposes that child soldiers under the age of 12 only be targetable in self-defence,...
... 47Among television audiences, ethnocentrism usually takes the form of a "love/hate"... more ... 47Among television audiences, ethnocentrism usually takes the form of a "love/hate" relationship with media figures ... case of Erica Kane, a popular soap opera villain, one of the informants envied her but (or as a result) also felt the need to disparage her (Seiter et al. ... Adra, Najwa. ...
Filipinos are avid consumers of exported South Korean media products. Teenagers and young adults ... more Filipinos are avid consumers of exported South Korean media products. Teenagers and young adults know the lyrics and dance moves of their favorite K-Pop performers while older viewers are engrossed in the weekly Korean television dramas (known in the Philippines as ‘Koreanovelas’). There exists, however, a fundamental disconnect between the idealised images disseminated in the media and their everyday lived experiences that are characterised by mutual antipathy. My objective in this research project was to examine how Filipino consumers negotiate these conflicting messages by exploring the correlation between the consumption of Korean media products and the consumerism of Korean non-media products by Filipino fans of the Korean Wave.
In a pedagogical climate of racial and socioeconomic homogeneity, I have often found it difficult... more In a pedagogical climate of racial and socioeconomic homogeneity, I have often found it difficult to explore issues of race and class with students openly and honestly. In response, I have developed an interactive class activity that utilises popular culture and mass media to juxtapose real events with hypothetical scenarios in order to address the ethics of representation experientially. �
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