GOOD NEWS! I HAVE A COURSE CONTRACT!!! YAY!!!! So, it's not with my faculty mentor (though I do know who I will use for that as well...) but it is with the wonderful KAREN JENSEN. She is a dance professor here at BYU who went to Ghana several years ago to teach dance to a deaf school in Mampong.
PS. Mampong is literally right next to Wiamoase so it seems like a perfect fit. She is going to help me know how to analyze the dances I see (what I should be looking for, methods I could use, etc). And the best part about it? She was excited too! :)
Now that I have that all figured out, I was able to do some more reading on nationalism. A really fascinating topic this is turning out to be. What I read this week (and more importantly, how it applies to my project) is about the history of nationalism... what factors cause this ideology to appear. One event Anderson pointed out was the Exploration Age of Europe. *cough, cough* also known as COLONIALISM *cough, cough* With this age of expansion came new ways of living... but also a superiority complex. With people to compare to, Europeans developed this idea of "ours" versus "theirs"; "ours is the better way". You can see how this started to create a division between territories (or countries).
Another thing that caused division was the solidity of borders. Before this time, most countries had very fluid boundaries, allowing easy access into the country. But then, kings gained more power, borders became less flexible, thus creating a stronger sense of nationality. I was pondering on Ghana and how before Europe came, there were simply ethnic groups and their lands, though the borders were pretty fluid, not well defined at all. But then, some people drew lines on a map saying "This is Ghana". Now, the people within those lines are attached to a country-- one country.
Anyhoo, that is what I learned this week... I'm really excited about the progress I am making in regards to national identity and trying to piece it into Ghana's history. By doing this, I will be able to gain a better understanding of what I will be looking for when I am there.
Showing posts with label nationalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nationalism. Show all posts
Friday, March 4, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Learning Journal #18:
Okay, so I know I've skipped a couple of Learning Journals but don't worry... I've still be working on my project. I've been reading a lot on nationalism (trying to get a sense of the theories behind it). Currently, I'm reading: Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson (I almost wrote Arnold... hehehe). It is a FABULOUS book thus far and this is what I've gathered... and then I'll tell you how it applies to my project!
1. In Western Europe, there is interesting timing in that the rise of nationalism comes right along side the fall of religion.
2. Nationalism is an eternal idea; one's nation has always existed and will always exist. (Completely independent of it's actual history of course)
3. Nationalism, or "nation-ness" as Anderson sometimes calls it, should be studied as a cultural system NOT as a political idea.
Okay, now how it applies to my project:
1. Ghana's idea of nationalism came out of colonialism, as did their conversion to Christianity. There might be a link between changing of religions and changing identities. This correlates with DANCE and its affects on ethnic identity not so much but it still fits under the whole "the rejection of ethnic practices for a more national (Western) approach to life".
2. Ghana hasn't always existed. Sure, there was Asante and Fante and Ga, etc all before the Colonial Period... but they weren't united like they are now. YET, Ghanaians will speak of Ghana as if it has always been the way that it is. This would have a TREMENDOUS affect on my project. If Ghanaians believe that their nation is eternal, they will be much more willing to conform to one idea- to one identity. For example, in this book, Anderson gives such an example: "Yes, it is quite accidental that I am born French; but after all, France is eternal" (12). It might be accidental that someone was born Ghanaian, but hey.... Ghana is eternal so it must be meant to be.
I hope you can see where I am going with this-- it's kind of hard to put into writing but basically, if one believes that their country is eternal (and that they are not).. that it is the country that shapes your identity, not the other way around.
3. This changes the way I must look at nationalism, and how I will study it. It truly is a cultural phenomenon (just look at the DANCE) and not some ideology that government is seeking to impose on the people. I'm grateful to be focusing on dance because it is one system in which nationalism can be incorporated into... hence why DANCE will be a great mode for observing nationalism (and why Anderson knew what he was talking about).
Well readers, I will continue to read out of this book... and many others to help me get a better idea of what nationalism truly is- and I think it will really help me know EXACTLY what to look for!
1. In Western Europe, there is interesting timing in that the rise of nationalism comes right along side the fall of religion.
2. Nationalism is an eternal idea; one's nation has always existed and will always exist. (Completely independent of it's actual history of course)
3. Nationalism, or "nation-ness" as Anderson sometimes calls it, should be studied as a cultural system NOT as a political idea.
Okay, now how it applies to my project:
1. Ghana's idea of nationalism came out of colonialism, as did their conversion to Christianity. There might be a link between changing of religions and changing identities. This correlates with DANCE and its affects on ethnic identity not so much but it still fits under the whole "the rejection of ethnic practices for a more national (Western) approach to life".
2. Ghana hasn't always existed. Sure, there was Asante and Fante and Ga, etc all before the Colonial Period... but they weren't united like they are now. YET, Ghanaians will speak of Ghana as if it has always been the way that it is. This would have a TREMENDOUS affect on my project. If Ghanaians believe that their nation is eternal, they will be much more willing to conform to one idea- to one identity. For example, in this book, Anderson gives such an example: "Yes, it is quite accidental that I am born French; but after all, France is eternal" (12). It might be accidental that someone was born Ghanaian, but hey.... Ghana is eternal so it must be meant to be.
I hope you can see where I am going with this-- it's kind of hard to put into writing but basically, if one believes that their country is eternal (and that they are not).. that it is the country that shapes your identity, not the other way around.
3. This changes the way I must look at nationalism, and how I will study it. It truly is a cultural phenomenon (just look at the DANCE) and not some ideology that government is seeking to impose on the people. I'm grateful to be focusing on dance because it is one system in which nationalism can be incorporated into... hence why DANCE will be a great mode for observing nationalism (and why Anderson knew what he was talking about).
Well readers, I will continue to read out of this book... and many others to help me get a better idea of what nationalism truly is- and I think it will really help me know EXACTLY what to look for!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Learning Journal #14
"the age of nations is past. it remains for us now if we don't wish to perish, to set aside the ancient prejudices and build the earth" -pierre teilhard.
This idea of nationalism is not new-- Pierre Telihard lived 1881-1955. He recognized the power that resides in national identity and went as far as to warn us against such power. Now, although this quote doesn't exactly correlate with my project, I thought it was a good example of how powerful nationalism can be... and how debilitating it can be for those forced to practice it.
I was able to find several books written on nationalism (that I will spend the next week devouring):
nations before nationalism ja armstrong (1982)
nationalism and the state john breuilly (1982)
social predictions of national revival in europe miroslav hroch (1985)
the ethnic origins of nations anthony smith (1986)
imagined communities benedict anderson (1983)
I'm hoping that these books will give me some more insight on the theories revolving nationalism, how leaders indocritnate it, and whether or not dance has been used in the past. (I know singing has). I'm really excited about the political turn that my project is taking and hopefully I'll be able to fully express my ideas. (Don't worry! I'll keep practicing!)
One way to better express my ideas will be to use the local lingo. We learned, last Friday, one GREAT way to do that..... FREE LISTING!! I got so excited about this method (thanks Margaret!) If you don't know what free listing is, I'll post a definition under the 'methods' tab. But all in all, it'll be a great way to paint a picture of what terms Ghanaians use to describe all things from the government to dancing traditions.
To conclude.....
Ghanaians have a lot of pride in their country, they are very proud to be from Ghana. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be debilitating in its affects on other aspects of their life. For example, the erroding of ethnic traditions. This is what I'll be studying: how government has blended ethnic cultural together in order to mold a national identity (I'll of course be focusing on dance specifically).
This idea of nationalism is not new-- Pierre Telihard lived 1881-1955. He recognized the power that resides in national identity and went as far as to warn us against such power. Now, although this quote doesn't exactly correlate with my project, I thought it was a good example of how powerful nationalism can be... and how debilitating it can be for those forced to practice it.
I was able to find several books written on nationalism (that I will spend the next week devouring):
nations before nationalism ja armstrong (1982)
nationalism and the state john breuilly (1982)
social predictions of national revival in europe miroslav hroch (1985)
the ethnic origins of nations anthony smith (1986)
imagined communities benedict anderson (1983)
I'm hoping that these books will give me some more insight on the theories revolving nationalism, how leaders indocritnate it, and whether or not dance has been used in the past. (I know singing has). I'm really excited about the political turn that my project is taking and hopefully I'll be able to fully express my ideas. (Don't worry! I'll keep practicing!)
One way to better express my ideas will be to use the local lingo. We learned, last Friday, one GREAT way to do that..... FREE LISTING!! I got so excited about this method (thanks Margaret!) If you don't know what free listing is, I'll post a definition under the 'methods' tab. But all in all, it'll be a great way to paint a picture of what terms Ghanaians use to describe all things from the government to dancing traditions.
To conclude.....
Ghanaians have a lot of pride in their country, they are very proud to be from Ghana. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be debilitating in its affects on other aspects of their life. For example, the erroding of ethnic traditions. This is what I'll be studying: how government has blended ethnic cultural together in order to mold a national identity (I'll of course be focusing on dance specifically).
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