Putting The Pieces Together: Collaborative Research

As I mentioned yesterday afternoon, we hiked ourselves over to VKS once again (this time, without getting ourselves lost! VICTORY!) this time, to discuss collaborative research with Jan Kok, a senior researcher at VKS and IISH and Stefan Dormans, a postdoctoral researcher. Their lectures discussed the mechanics of collaborative research. Jan's presentation, "New Media in the Humanities: The Case of 'e-social History'" discussed the role of ICT in researching social history, defined by Jan as "the history of labor movements and social action". We know what kind of role new technologies play in scientific research, so what is the role of ICT in humanities research? First, with the advent and increased usage of online databases and archives for documents such as demographic or other municipal records from Paris in the 1930s, for example, research has become easier, in a sense, and the collective knowledge base has dramatically increased.

Another advantage of the digital age is the ability to collaborate with the guy at the next desk over, or across the world. With platforms like PBWiki (the platform we're using for this project) where you can create a wiki for your project and upload documents, pictures, multimedia, &c. for everyone to view and edit, together. Pretty cool, right? No more e-mailing, faxing or (g-d forbid) UPS overnight'ing documents back and forth - with the click of the mouse and a few keystrokes, you're working together: across the room or across the country. Anyway. Jan and Stefan's discussion on new media and technology in humanities/social science research was enlightening, and certainly helped us get a feel for how our projects will soon be assembled.

After their respective lectures, we were given a somewhat lengthy tour of a small portion of the IISH archives. Cold, drafty, musty archives. Not an experience I need to repeat. See, I'm all about old books and libraries and bookdust, but that's a little bit different than rotting clothes from 1980s squatters and decaying microfiche. Ew ew and ew.

So um, now what?

Conducting Research
(or Now That You Know What You Want To Know, How Do You Figure It Out?)

Our morning started off in its usual way: we got lost on our way to class, at the Virtual Knowledge Studio (VKS). Amsterdam is gorgeous city, but it could seriously benefit from some signage; none of the streets are particularly well labeled - this is definitely a city of landmarks, not street-names. We left twenty minutes early for a ten minute bike ride, arriving ten minutes late (that would be 10h10) because we missed the first, crucial turn because the street is apparently unnamed in reality, but has some long complicated Dutch title according to the map. Exciting, no? Six of us (yes, nearly half) eventually made our way there, on our bikes, in the rain (although I'd love to evoke some pity, it was actually quite warm), without being horrendously late (though we all felt terrible, to be sure), settled our drowned-rat looking selves our seats with a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and enjoyed a perfectly timed lecture from Sally Wyatt on data collection, through the specific example of her recent research project on the Internet and Healthcare in Brighton, England.

Dr. Sally Wyatt, Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Digital Cultures in Development at VKS, provided us with a fabulous insight into the realm of research within the field of health sciences. By explaining her project on the impact of the internet on healthcare and the informed patient in Brighton, she was able to take us through the step-by-step process of research: formulating a question, creating a project, (applying for funding), collecting data, processing and analysis, and a final presentation of your (team's) findings.

While she spoke specifically on her methods of data collection (surveys and interviews, primarily) she provided a thorough overview of the entire process of data collection, analysis and presentation, applicable to nearly every type of data. For those of us who had absolutely no idea what were doing, what our next step would be, and how we were supposed to take all of this STUFF and make it sensical, intelligible (and intelligent) and presentable - this was perfect. I know I have certainly benefit from this lecture, though I daresay Emily S and Lauren made off like intellectual bandits as their project, like Wyatt's, was related to healthcare/information access. I would be jealous, but then Dr. Leon Deben's lecture was pretty much a synthesis of my project, so I really shouldn't complain!

After returning from the lecture and grabbing lunch, Jenny and I spent the afternoon at the Waterloopleinmarkt, and picked up some last-minute groceries on the way home.

Progress: Data Collection

Googlemap, geotagged for our group:

View Larger Map

My Progress/Recent Activity:

1. Narrowed focus of research question: how does [the square surrounding] de Waag function as a conduit of social activity?
2. Researched history of de Waag to gain better understanding of construction/circumstances (physical and historical)
3. Observed (both actively and passively) the goings-on of the plaza surrounding de Waag
4. Recorded video and taken still photographs of de Waag and activities/events occurring there (weekend market, for example)

Jenny's Progress/Recent Activity:

1) changed my research question
2) decided on focusing Albert Cuyp and Waterlooplein markets
3) went to both markets at least twice
4) conducted a few interviews at each market & attempted to contact the organizers of the Albert Cuyp market
5) taken videos and observed the function of space in the markets
6) observed both markets after they've closed

Mimi's Progress/Recent Activity:

Gay Pride Festival
Jul 31st--Attended Manoeuvre (Gay Pride Chorus), Lutherese Kerk; Photographed the performance.
Aug 2nd—Attended Gay Pride Parade; Photographed and videotaped the event.
Aug 3rd—Attended “Geloog, Hoop en Liefde” open-air church service; Photographed the event; Interviewed with the organizer from Evengelische Roze Vieringen (ERV) and the organizer from Gay Business Amsterdam.
Aug 6th—Visited Gewoon Anders! (Just Different!) at the Cobra Museum, photographed the exhibition.

Kwakow Festival
Aug 9th – Attended the festival from 3pm to 7pm; interviewed the information stand staff; interviewed with one NGO worker at the cultural shop; had casual talks with participants of the festival; tasted traditional Surinamese food; photographed various food stands, dances, singing, religious ceremony, soccer match, and etc.

De Parade
Aug 11th – Attend De Parade theater festival; photographed the setting in the park; recorded show schedule; photographed show ads and theater tents.

Bijlmermeer: Defining Public Spaces

Researching Public Spaces: Streets, Pavement, Sidewalks & Parks



Our final morning lecture, given by Dr. Leon Deben, senior university lecturer and associate professor of sociology and anthropology at UvA and part of the research team "Urban Geographies and Social Interactions".



What is public space?



Public space is defined as "space that is not privately owned and cannot be claimed by one person, or group of persons, exclusively," according to Dr. Deben, it is "a reflection of how a society is organized." You do not need to obtain permission to enter this space, spend time there, conduct business, &c. Day or night, man or woman, you are free to use this space as you choose.



Semi-public spaces are just that, 'semi-public', they are do not afford the same freedoms as a truly public space, but they are certainly a part of the public domain. They are characterized by time restraints, membership requirements perhaps, tacit (or perhaps not) rules governing behavior and conduct. Shopping Malls, therefore, will forever remain semi-public.



Three Domains of Space



The private domain is the home; characterized by the intimate interactions of a specific group/individuals, a freedom of behavior, attitude and ideas not available elsewhere. Interaction with strangers is extremely limited.



The next step out is the parochial domain, or the neighborhood; a familiar community network of friends and family, the people you ride the tram with to work every morning, the baristas at the cafe on the corner. Interactions with the unfamiliar occurs, but there is some sense of ownership and pride in this space, you have some vague idea of who belongs or who doesn't.



Of course the public domain is a realm of strangers; while locations are largely familiar, the sea of faces endlessly shifts and changes.



Diversity and Freedom



“In a village, when you look out the window, you are looking in the mirror. In the city, when you look out the window, you see the world."



By forced meetings (in public spaces), tolerance becomes a part of everyday life, developed more and more each day. It is impossible to exist in a city environment, interacting (if only briefly and superficially) with individuals from every walk of life on a daily basis, and remain intolerant. It may not always be the most pleasant experience, but if you were to remain completely intolerant, you would either never leave your house or leave the city and move to a gated community where you never have to see anyone outside of your fixed social stratum and environment.



Theoretical Perspective: Erving Goffman



Dr. Erving Goffman: former president of the American Sociological Association and professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, University of California - Berkeley and University of Pennsylvania. He was awarded Doctor of Hebrew literature/language from the University of Chicago and Doctor of Laws from University of Manitoba, a Guggenheim Fellowship (1977-78), In Medias Res (International Communication Award, 1978) and the Mead-Cooley Award (social psychology life achievement award, 1983).



Dr. Goffman developed the idea of "symbolic interactionism" which focuses on the constructive, creative aspect of human behavior: not passive, but based on interpretations of the environment. He stresses the strategic, calculating aspects of social interaction. Sees the world as backstage (your language/vernacular) and main stage; in each situation there is a seen and unseen component. Backstage is the difference in behavior in public spaces versus private spaces; how you behave at home versus how you behave in Dam Square. Backstage is more informal and familiar; the 'true you' so to speak. You conduct yourself differently in the privacy of your own thoughts and home than you would in a shopping centre or public park. Dr. Goffman also notes the "anonymous privacy" afforded by public spaces and the concept of "civil-inattention and nonpersons", you don’t see the homeless or the crazy pigeon lady, you turn away. If you give everyone attention, you will not be able to walk through the city, or keep your sanity.



Territories of the self applied in research of the public area and domain

Used Space

The Turn

The Sheath - the skin that covers the body, the clothes that cover the skin

Possessional territory - purses, bags, umbrellas

Personal Space

The Stall - establishing your space. Setting a bag on the chair next to you on the tram to prevent intrusion of others into your perceived 'bubble'

Information Reserve - things that are always present, even in public, but are still unknown to others. The contents of your pockets, for example.

Conversational Reserve



Privatizing Public Spaces: Symbolic Transformations



According to Dr. Lyn Lofland, a student of Dr. Goffman and research professor of sociology at University of California - Davis, you cannot cope with thousands of strangers, you must develop strategies for existence and survival. By reducing the complexities of an anonymous life and by turning public spaces into a private place, so as to avoid this ‘world of strangers’. By knowing a city, by filling in our mental maps, we become more comfortable with the city/world around us. Privatizing public space is an individual act; a locational transformation to avoid the world of strangers.



Home Territories are places where you are among your compatriots. A piece of public space that is taken over by people who want to maximize encounters with the personally-known. A “home away from home”, which makes the urban world safer and easier. Invites "host-like" behavior towards strangers.



1. Casual knowledge (customer)

2. Familiar knowledge (patron)

3. Intimate knowledge (residents)

4. Public Space knowledge (colonizers)



The customer has a casual knowledge of a place, looks at it as somewhere to meet friends, to see and be seen. The Patron has familiar knowledge based on a regular relationship; a privileged link with employees, which also contributes to the spatial segregation of strangers. Upperclassmen always know new students, and there is some discrimination based not on socio-economics, but sheerly on the amount of time you have spent in a space or set of spaces. Residents know everything via permanent relationship; can recognize strangers. An alteration which transforms a world of strangers into ‘home’.

Finally, colonizers turn public spaces into home; a ‘full-time job’ for seeking private purposes. An action which depends on the approval of other people and authorities; unlike the privatization of public space, which is an individual action, this is a group act.



Villages



The Urban Village is a personal world in urban anonymity, based on solidarity and/or security. The Concentrated Village (neighborhood) a mix of unity and autonomy which remains fictional. A way for inhabitants to avoid the adaptations to the ‘world of strangers’; an extreme example is a gated community. 10-15 million people in the United States live in gated communities, turning their backs on society; an anachronism in our cosmopolitan world.



Amsterdam is an important mix of all of these spaces and territories: there are 80-85,000 residents in the city itself, and on any given day between 80-100,000 people living and working in the 8 square km of the city.



Now, onto Bijlmer and a short history lesson...



Bijlmermeer



History:

1622 - Reclamation of Bijlmer lake

1672 - Marshy polder flooded

1678 - Drained again

1702 - Flooded during a storm

1825 - Drained again

1846 - Owned by Weesperkarspel

1960 - Cooperation with Amsterdam. To realize housing plans (to combat post WWII housing shortage), began discussions on building up Bijlmermeer.



Bijlmer was designed to be a "Functional Town": a town in which living, working, traffic and recreation are separated (like old German industrial town) The Bijlmer was designed by Le Corbusier and based on his "Voisin Plan" for Paris (1925). He founded CIAM, in 1928, and invited 28 European architects to join this international congress for the design of modern architecture. In 1934, they wrote the Charter of Athens (1942) which dictated the planning of new cities based on the proceedings of CIAM meetings from 1933-1941. While the Bijlmer project was conceived in the 1930s, it was not realized until the 1960s.



The Potential Plan

High-rise Apartment Blocks (8 floors/each)

18,000 apartment units, 13,000 in the High-rise

Deck access apartment blocks

Honeycomb Pattern

Large green spaces in between



The Effective Plan

Budget Cuts

Remained incomplete

The "covered street" or raised highway was set at 1st floor-height

Storage at the Ground Floor (a bad thing; must have watching eyes on street level to reduce crime)

Number of floors was increased (10/11 stories)

Number of lifts decreased

Galleries were too long

Cavernous spaces in car parks; from day one, they were not used properly because there was a fee. Residents removed the gates and parked for free, only to find their wheels missing the next morning.

Subway realized later; initially it was a bus system connecting Bijlmermeer to the city.



Reasons for failure

Too expensive; the idea was to build the Bijlmermeer, and then be able to renovate the 19th C girdle of the city. Never happened.

Unsafe carparks.

Insufficient shops/retail locations

A menacing atmosphere in the public area: because all of the highways were elevated, underneath them, these cavernous spaces were no-go areas at night and are the ultimate in sketch.

Nuisance in the Blocks

Rapid Turn Over

Faulty Social Structure; in a way, this became the place where, if you could not get a home in Amsterdam proper, you moved to Bijlmermeer.



Further problems caused by external forces

National policy created ‘overspill towns’

Slower population growth than anticipated,

Relatively high rent throughout the country,

Combined with this situation: negative residential climate around the Blocks, too many units left empty,

Fewer families living in the blocks (single parents, partners without children, individuals)



1975 Surinam (Dutch Guyana) gained its independence, and these immigrants like to live in the same communities, this filled the empty Bijlmermeer.



1992 El Al freighter crashed into one of the apartment blocks; unfortunately, there were so many illegals living in the area that the actual death toll is unknown. There is a memorial erected in Bijlmerpark to commemorate this tragedy.



Census of Resident Participation:

25% liked the High Rise Blocks

25% wanted to leave

25% wanted the Bijlmermeer to be renovated



Buildings have been torn down and rebuilt, others renovated, others still remain unchanged. The campaign for a new Biljmer: clean, whole and safe: restoring the quality of life.



Population:

Surinamese - 25,000

Antillians - 4,500

Turkish/Moroccan - 2,000

Non-Westerdn - 16,500

Dutch - 22,500

Western Origin - 6,500

-----

Total: 77,500



The Bijlmer Renewal Project



To be completed by 2010, the Bijlmer Renewal is hailed as the "Society of Tomorrow" and anticipated to increase the population in Amsterdam Zuidoost (southeast) from 77,500 to 90,000. They'll be removing the raised highways, renovating or rebuilding the remaining apartment blocks from the 1960s, and have renovated the extremely sketchy metro station (now a clean, aesthetically-pleasing, contemporary structure of glass and steel). They will also be constructing a new music dome and entertainment center with hotels, shopping, a discotech/club, and 3D/IMAX cineplex, in hopes of turning Bijlmer into Amsterdam's new center for the arts and entertainment.















Religion is extremely important to residents of Bijlmer; while there is no official church, all of the protestants (the majority of the inhabitants) attend services and whatnot in a shared building, where all communities peacefully coexist. Bijlmer, too, is the largest employment center in Amsterdam, filled with skyscrapers: the symbol of modern industry.



A few of us hung around Bijlmer for a few hours and explored the city center before returning to Amsterdam proper where a few of us went out for dinner and re-explored the city at dusk.

...and that's a wrap

Well, our first week has officially come to a close! Today was a pretty awesome day; the weather was mild (high of 72F/22C but 22mph wind gusts coming off the Atlantic and only like 55% humidity - the lowest it has been all week. We had the morning free to research or convene at will, or some less proactive individuals (like myself) chose to sleep in.

Digital Humanities & Virtual Knowledge

We met at 12h30 and took a short bus ride to the Virtual Knowledge Studio and reunited with Dr. Paul Wouters, Dutch native who recently achieved professorship (a pretty big deal in Holland, not at all like the US) who originally received his degree in biochemistry. The VKS is housed in the same building as the International Institute of Social History(IISH) which focuses social movements throughout history.

VKS is purely interested in the humanities, as defined by Cathy Davidson & David Goldberg:

"The humanities engage three broad sets of questions: those of meaning, value, and significance. Meaning concerns interpretation of data, evidence, and texts. Value ranges over the entire field of cultural, aesthetic, social, and scientific investments. Significance, implicating both the former two, raises questions of representation, in the sense of accounting for (explanation) and of capturing, in the sense both of offering a faithful rendition (description) and of making broad claims (generalization)"

VKS operates by "changing (ICT) practices, telling stories and building tools," according to Dr. Wouters, "Turning philosophical questions into empirical ones."

Three Dimensions of VKS' work

1 Building and Designing (collaborating with Universities and other scholarly bodies)

2 Analysis and Reflection

3 Brokering and Interface

The VKS' characterizes their team (of 12) as follows:

Everyone plays - that is, every member of the team (including management staff) are working on research projects. The entire studio is extremely interdisciplinary, and everyone has a diverse background in several fields (usually not relating specifically to the humanities, like geography, chemistry or economics).

Let's begin by defining some key terms: IT (Information and Technology) or ICT (Information, Communication and Technology) are two of the fastest growing fields and degree programs (in the US). According to Dr. Wouters, these two fields can broadly be defined as "part accessibility, part analysis, part visualization."

Lay Participation: Service or Disservice?

With the rapid development of various ICT fields, tools, techniques and theories, the availability for public scholarship and participation by those not directly involved in the world or academia (lay participation) raises several issues. Which fields can or should be open for public scholarship? Which should remain in the world of academia? After a brief discussion, we decided that while the humanities are fair game for public research, the hard sciences (physics/chemistry/biology) should remain closed, due to their highly technical nature. Now, more importantly, how does public scholarship affect the integrity of the research? Is it more important who discovered it, or the discovery itself? This questions is somewhat unanswerable at this point, but perhaps in the near future we'll be able to determine whether or not public scholarship is a benefit or detriment.

Three Perspectives on ICT

1 Conservative: ICT as a neutral container; separate from the data with which it interacts. That is, ICT are simply media through which data is transferred, stored, analyzed and synthesized.

2 Pragmatic: ICT as a tool; the data is a part of the technology and vice versa.

3 Critical: ICT as a control technology; not only is the information a part of the ICT system, but so are the researchers and their tools.

In any case, we finished our lecture with Dr. Wouters, who introduced his final pet project: Research Dreams, an online forum of sorts for sharing narratives on the future of science, information, communication and technology. I encourage all of you to check it out! (That means now!)

We returned to our dorms (again, via bus) only to find that the construction team across the street accidentally cut power to the entire complex. Yay. First, no hot water for four days, now no power. It's kind of like camping, but the food is better. We finished up the evening with a lovely group dinner, thanks Jessica and Clifford!

Radical Islam in the Netherlands

Well. The Prostitution Information Center (PIC) was inexplicably closed yesterday, so we hung out in the Red Light (RL) district for a few hours, got a little lost, played with latex sailor suits and furry handcuffs, then parted towards separate dorms. Clint, Dylan and I grabbed dinner at a tiny but fab Indian restaurant in the RL district and had another intriguing conversation on group dynamics and interactions, in general. Very interesting. Anyway, today we're discussing Islam in the Netherlands and taking public transportation to a mosque where we will be having lunch.

Radicalism and Extremism: Islam in the Netherlands

Our guest professor, Dr. Atef Hamdy, born and educated in Egypt, finished his graduate work at UvA; he is culturally proficient in Dutch, Coptic (Christian-Egyptian Orthodox) and Islamic cultures. He identifies the conflict as "A cultural gap, that must be bridged, between Westerners and Easterners, not Westerners and Muslims." His research is on the left-wing political/socio-economic criticism of radical Islam in the Netherlands as a "campaign against Islam and Muslims" which will only contribute to the marginalization of this community.

He defines Radicalization as "a process in reaction to a specific context (perceived as negative/a threat). He distinguishes between fundamentalism and radicalism, claiming that fundamentalism is society oriented, whereas radicalism is society and state oriented. There are nine steps of radicalization, the last three steps of which are create an environment for violence and are classified as extremism, which is forbidden by Dutch (post 11-September). Extremism is rooted in the perception that you, your family, or your community are being marginalized; that you are in a bad context, losing your identity, culture, values, becoming corrupt &c; losing your religion. He notes that this process occurs in a sort of 'vacuum of migrant communities' because they are somewhat isolated, culturally and/or physically, and there is no external interaction, discovery or information being exchanged. The chance of radicalization will develop is exponentially increased in isolated contexts. If you are interacting with your Dutch neighbors on a regular basis, you realize that they are not 'out to get you', they are not discriminating against you - they have, in fact, supported you.

Nine Steps of Radicalization/Extremism

1. Perception of a threat, negative context; that your community is being marginalized

2. Holding someone responsible for this negative context: Dutch politicians, the USA as a corrupt superpower

3. Holding your own religious political figures responsible for this marginalization

4. Islamization - yourself, community, state, country & world

5. Religion becomes the center of your life; it has permeated every facet of your existence

6. Having seen this context, felt this perceived marginalization, forcing someone to choose sides:

- This is the defining moment where radicalization (which is legal) becomes extremism (forbidden)

7. Extremism occurs whenever an individual withdraws from society into the perceived 'utopia' of Islam, strictly applying this context to everyday life.

- Selective reading/understanding: searching the Qur'an for buzz words like jihad, which is Arabic for 'to strive' or 'to struggle'

- Empty use of concepts; but only seeing one interpretation (the negative, polemic, violent interpretation)

8. Speaking in terms of 'you against us'; waging war on the enemy

- We are right, we are moral, we are following the only real religion. Double morality is also present: I cannot steal because I am a good Muslim, but I can steal from the amoral and corrupt nonbelievers. I cannot have a boyfriend because I am Muslim, but if he is a nonbeliever, I can use him.

- Hate speech: go and (begin jihad/claim our rights by force) in (this place) against (these people)

9. Choosing undemocratic means (violence/force) to implement the utopia/ideology, freedom from marginalization. Declaring
war against those who oppose you, 'cleansing your community' of those who cooperated with the enemy (the state)

Th-th-that's all folks! We're headed off to a Turkish Mosque at the moment and then heading back for a relaxing evening in de Dam!

In Short...

A summary of my project, thus far-

The Exterior as Interior:
public space in amsterdam

Investigating Form and Function:

Objective: Determine the role and/or purpose of public spaces in Amsterdam. In what ways does the exterior function in the same way as the interior?

Context: While the United States is sadly devoid of public squares, open markets and other public, exterior (architectural) spaces that have a social component or function, Amsterdam is not. These spaces, despite their nature as exterior, outdoor spaces, function in much the same as interior spaces. These are the spaces where we meet friends to "hang out" in and around shopping malls, I am interested in finding the Dutch equivalent of these spaces, as manifested in public squares, markets and plazas.

Conceptual Framework:

Following Mieke Bal in “Telling, Showing, Showing Off”

- Connecting Culture and Space
- How the design / form of a space affect its cultural role / function

While I have been sitting atop the proverbial fence for some weeks now in regard to incorporating Benjamin and the Arcades project, I have ultimately decided that while I will keep it in the forefront of my mind, I do not think I will formally include it in my framework at this point. Of course, once I cross the Meridian, all bets are off.

Methodology:

Observation
- a la Jacobs: detect clues to the nature of activity in a space and the level of intensity
- observe the use of space, noting relationship between form and function, design and culture
- is there an aspect of a space that is ineffective, misused or under-used?

Survey
- Brief, informal surveys (positive/negative)
- Ex. Do you often visit this space? Why/Why this space over another? What makes this space unique? Would you change anything about this space? Why/Not?

Th-th-th-that's all folks!

Public Scholarship & the Academic Lexicon

First, I would like to verbalize my absolute excitement about my enrollment in Professor David Domke's class fall quarter - I was unsure what to make of him as, prior to reading this article, I had no previous connection to him; now, I am stoked beyond belief. Talk about a passionate professor!

Publication Methods:
-Digital Media (YouTube, this blog [or another dedicated to research])
-Print (Submitting an article to an academic journal, but more likely, to a 'lay publication' like Architectural Digest, or more importantly, writing a book designated for the general population; a publication of this nature will reach a much broader audience than a simple academic essay/article/book) This is public scholarship, it should be accessible to everyone from third graders (although I doubt they'd be interested) to doctoral students to your grandma.

In terms of my presentation, it is most important for me to be mindful of jargon; when you are so familiar with a subject and its associated terminology, you often forget what is jargon and what is not. It is important to keep the audience in mind (even at a scholastic conference).

Armed with this knowledge, I hope that when it comes time to present my findings from this project, I'll be able to assemble a presentation that is engaging, informative and humanistic. The Academic Paradox: you may have just had the most brilliant and mind-blowing idea in the history of mankind; but if you cannot effectively communicate your thoughts to others, it is as if the idea never existed.

FOaM

Fashion, Objectivity and Mythology.

Roland Barthes was born in Cherbough, Manche, Lower Normandy, France
He is a semiotician
He studies semiotics
Semiotics is the studies of signs and their interpretation
Signs are a combination of the signifier and the signified
He died in Paris in 1980
He was run over by a milk truck.


Language is the grander structure; a tool of human communication. Speech is individual; it is written, spoken, screamed, etc.

Signs, as I mentioned, are the relationship between the signifier (Sr) and the signified (Sd):
Sr / Sd

In my previous post, I described physical appearance (primarily, my clothing) from third person (limited) and first person perspectives; but in describing myself in the third person, I wondered: can anyone ever be objective? About anything? I look at myself in the mirror, and I describe my appearance based on how I would describe someone else, but I can only describe anyone, anything, anywhere, the world at large, in one way: as I see it. And I see it from my own unique perspective on the world, based on my worldview, my past and present experiences, thoughts, observations. Even in describing something as simple as an outfit, can anyone be objective? Get outside themselves and speak? I don't think so. Because if you are not speaking as yourself, not thinking as yourself, not describing acting feeling as yourself, who are you? Who are you impersonating if none of us can get escape ourselves? I experience through the lens of my worldview; so do you, so does your mother, your brother, your sister, your friend, your boss and your gardener. So if I am attempting to be objective and get away from myself, to view the world without bias or pretension, exactly whose worldview am I assuming?

In discussing research: how does ones provide objective (or authentic/impartial) data? If authenticity is allowing that which you are speaking about, to speak for itself as much as possible; it grants integrity. How does authenticity (objectivity) apply to the interpretation/inference of data? If viewing authenticity as an extension or component and integrity, which implies ethics, then it can be, at the very least, suggested. However, if you try and remove integrity, ethics and morality, you are left with two seemingly separate worlds; authentic and impartial data collection may imply but does not propose or create authentic or impartial results. This is the nature of interpretation.

"Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me?"

Entering a cafe, your eyes alight on a petite brunette standing a few feet back from the register. Her curling hair reaches just beyond her shoulders, glowing gently in the soft lighting, the color reminiscent of espresso, streaked perhaps, with caramel. Perhaps these analogies are only present because of circumstances, but whatever the case, these associations seem to fit. Tucked into her hair a pair of plastic, unbranded Jackie-O style sunglasses perch atop her head, catching the light as she turns her head. As she reaches up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, you note small glowing pearl earrings studding her ears. She is wearing a sky blue polo shirt, collar laying flat against her shoulders, neither tight nor baggy. Like many, she is dressed for the newfound summer weather in a pale-wash jean skirt, coming to halfway between her hip and knee, definitely not qualified as long, but not fashionably short, either. You note her well-manicured nails adorned with a pale shimmering pink polish and, following the line of her pale untanned legs, you note matching polish on her toes and slightly worn brown leather sandals, not quite flipflops but not any other high-fashion style either. Overall, her appearance is on the preppy side, all of her clothes of a simple, classic style that borders on elegance - if such is possible with jeans and cotton. She could fit in almost anywhere: on campus, on the street, at the beach, in a cafe, driving with the top down.

I am a creature of comfort. While I give care to my appearance (I style my hair every day, I put on makeup, etc.) I don't get dressed every morning with the express purpose of looking good at all costs. I make sure that all of my clothes look good on me (if they don't look good I get rid of them), and I wear whatever is most comfortable knowing that I at least look decent. However, my hair, make-up and clothing are all carefully composed to look natural. My makeup is all natural tones, bronzes, browns, neutrals and transparent shades; denim is a staple of my wardrobe, and I hardly wear t-shirts, choosing instead polo shirts, though more often another type of semi-fashionable blouse or shirt. I take care, too, to always seem... put together. If my hair won't cooperate - not necessarily achieving perfection - I'll put it up. If my nail polish is starting to crack and peel, I'll either take it off or reapply instead of walking around with fragmented color, however unnoticeable or minor. My personal style, which frequently deviates from mainstream, leans towards casual, understated elegance. Pearls, jeans, polos - brands are not a necessity, but these timeless styles seem to find their way into my wardrobe.

Technological Revolutions

The Information Revolution: The Origins of the Personal Computer and the Internet
The history of computers (and later, the internet) is unique; from the room sized over-grown calculators of the 1950s and the Cold War era, complete with punchcards; the feared tool of military-industrial complex in the 1960s; the development of the mouse, icons and drop-down menus by Xerox at Palo Alto in the early 1970s (and of course, a laser printer), this technology however, was not as profitable to Xerox as they had intended and they chose to sell it to a team of researchers in Silicon Valley. In 1977, these researchers (Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs) produced the Apple II computer, followed by the Macintosh which utilized these technologies that Xerox had discarded, also including a floppy disk drive and Apple's signature streamlined design. In 1983, IBM introduced the first Personal Computer with spreadsheet and word processing software, earning it the prestigious title of Machine of the Year from Time magazine. IBM used a new technology created by William Gates called MS-DOS, marking the trailhead of the careers of both Bill Gates and his Microsoft Corporation. It was at this point that the U.S Department of Defense funded the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to create an intercommunication/interconnection system that could survive a nuclear holocaust called ARPANET. In 1971, ARPANET became so central to computer use, the core of interconnectivity even and was renamed the Internet. As they say, well, the rest is history.

From military technology designed to survive a nuclear war to user-based, user-defined webpages: the Internet has had a remarkable journey.

The Digital Revolution: Web 2.0
In his short webvideo, now all over YouTube, Mike Wesch, Professor of Digital Ethnography and Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University concisely and effectively explains Web 2.0, that is, how text and hypertext have evolved; how the very construction of web pages has transitioned from HTML to XML, creating a user-defined, user-operated digital world that puts millions of bites of information at our fingertips. I was absolutely captivated by this short, and could not picture the presentation in any other way. Had this been presented in text (hard copy, digital, &c) it would not have been nearly so effective. Not only was video extremely interesting and much less difficult to traverse than black and white, but by using the media (the internet) he was describing as the method of presentation, it truly demonstrated and exemplified what Professor Wesch's point: The Machine Is Us/ing US

Michael Wesch's webvideo:


A response to Web 2.0



The Genetic Revolution: Round I (1870-1920)
Philip Thurtle, professor of Comparative History of Ideas (CHID) at the University of Washington, has introduced his latest book The Emergence of Genetic Rationality: Space, Time, and Information in American Biological Science, 1870-1920. While I have not had the opportunity to read this text, I cannot help but feel that it will be captivating (as much as Professor Thurtle's lectures) and offer a unique, insightful, thorough look into the history of genetics. While I have been in the audience for several of Thurtle's digital presentations and, while they were effective and educational and I was for the most part engaged, I cannot help but feel that Thurtle is perhaps more comfortable with text, and further, that the material he is presenting is in fact much more suited to text. I cannot give any specific reason why I feel this way, and I really have no evidence either.

Critical Critique

Conversations in Religious Spaces: The Role of Religion in Amsterdam
Ruben & Emily Cernak

"What is the role of religion in Amsterdam?"

Methods:
- "Close Reading" of textual materials provided within churches/synagogues/mosques
- Interviewing these spiritual leaders
- Attend and Observe services at a church, mosque and synagogue

While Emily and Ruben have developed fantastically appropriate research methods to answer this question (for example, the close and critical examination of publicly distributed materials), however, I find the topic incredibly open-ended (not a bad thing!) a potential problem. It would appear to me that they will have to be very aware that they are only examining a single church/mosque/synagogue and, if Amsterdam is anything like the US, these specific institutions will not be representative of each religion as a whole - these are specific examples, which may or may not be exemplary.

Availability of Dutch Healthcare for Islamic Women:
Emily Sands & Lauren

Since the healthcare system has transitioned from a nationalized system to semi-privatized; how has this affected the availability of healthcare to specific minority groups (Islamic women) based not necessarily on financial barriers, rather cultural ones.

Methods:
- Surveys and focus groups to collect data

This group will certainly be facing the greatest challenge: both from the IRB and through the very nature of their project. It will be exceptionally difficult to find appropriate questions that do not compromise/pose risk to the individual or their family, but that will also be able to actually get at the heart of the issue and provide relevant information. I also see a potential issue related to the time constraints of the program: we only have a month to complete these projects, and while this is certainly a very intriguing topic, I am uncertain as to the feasibility of completion.

The Culture of Squatting: Culture vs Subculture vs Counterculture
Fiona, Isaac & Cassie

Squatting is the legal (in the Netherlands, but not the US) occupation of an abandoned space for habitation.

Fiona: Investigating the aesthetics of the squat: how do you personalize these spaces? How does this affect the culture/subculture/counterculture of squatting?
Isaac: Examining the gastronomy of squatting (the study of food and drink) and how does this affects the culture/subculture/counterculture of squatting?
Cassie: Exploring the socioeconomic background of squatters

This topic is really interesting and I will be curious to see how Cassie, Isaac and Fiona will execute this project. While squatting does not appeal to me in any way, shape or form, this seems like a really unique topic to be explored.

Blah blah Ethics blah blah Morality blah blah BLAH

Just kidding. I'm keeping it simple today; and by 'simple' I mean 'blunt'.

Preliminary Research Question:
How do people interact with architecture? How is behavior dictated or influenced by the physical design of a space? How is space used/misused?

Mmm. Yummy.

Methods:

Observation:
-Who uses this space?
-How do they use it?
-Does this comply with the original intent?

Survey/Interview (anonymous):
-(After observing how an individual uses this space) Why?
-How do you feel you should behave in this space? Why?
-Does your actual behavior reflect this perception? Why or why not?

Online/Library Research:
-Investigate original purpose of space/architecture. Is this reflective of present use? I.e. does function follow or deviate from form?

Toodles. I'm exhausted.

Syne...Synech...SYNECDOCHE!

Gesundheit. Merci-todah.

Synecdoche: (sih-nek-doh-kee) a figure of speech used to represent part-whole relationships. Okay, yeah, that's nice, so what does that mean? A synecdoche is essentially, a semi-specific, one-word metaphor; it can't just be any metaphor, of course, the two things (objects/people/places/concepts) must be related in a part-whole kind of way. Examples:

Synecdoches:
- Part-Whole Relationship: My parents got me a new set of wheels; I need a KLEENEX, for a tissue (also an example of brand integration)
- Characteristics of a Species: Gentlemen prefer brunettes; He's a freshman.
-

Metonymies: the use of a word to represent a thing which is associated with the thing originally denoted by the word. Whew!
- Word, Meaning, and Metonymic use
- The Press, the Printing Press, the Media
- Sweat, Perspiration, Labor
- Knife, Tool That Cuts, Surgery

Asyndeton: removal of clear or annunciated transitions; think: hopscotch.
- "I came, I saw, I conquered"
Physical Representation: The Underground Railroad; it connects two places without traversing the institutionalized venue for railway transportation.

A synecdoche for my research project: de Bijenkorf, (Dutch for "beehive") roughly the Dutch equivalent of Nordstrom. Essentially a classy department store whose flagship was built in 1870 on Dam Square, Amsterdam.

Online Manifestation: Dutch Architecture, Public Spaces, Form & Function

Resources:
Architecture of Amsterdam
Amsterdam Centre for Architecture
Social interactions in urban public places
Netherlands Architecture Institute
CENTRE DE CULTURA CONTEMPORÀNIA DE BARCELONA

Research Topics

I changed my mind. Most importantly, I want to look at people + spaces. Namely, how do people interact with physical spaces/architecture? How do they use these spaces? Is this use different than the purpose for which the space was designed? I still really like how individuals interact in public spaces, but I am, I think, more interested in how these individuals interact with their environment first, and each other within that environment, second. 

'Submission' & 'Fitna': Islam in the Netherlands

This is an opinion piece. Kthnxbye.

     Submission: The film that started it all. An assuredly avant-garde endeavor, Theo Van Gogh blows open the issue of female oppression in Islamic culture. Van Gogh uses the camera as a character in itself; the camera is the object to which the women are speaking, in this case, they pleading to Allah. Garbed in faux-robes and veil, designed to preserve modesty in this case, provides just the opposite - all gauze and silk, her robes are translucent from neck to knee, she kneels - face covered by an opaque veil, only her piercing eyes locked on the lens. This short piece is an intimate intrusion into the private world of prayer, exploited to show the abuse, oppression and general mistreatment of Muslim women. It is intensely disturbing because it is personal; though we know absolutely nothing about this woman except that she is young and she is Muslim, we feel as if we know her; the way in which she presents these horrifying scenarios - stories of her past - is powerfully disturbing. Interestingly enough, despite your internal alarms blaring, there is no judgement made by Van Gogh or Ali; while there is this sense of pleading and want for change, it is only implied. The subtext, as I understand it, is that these women are so devoted to their religion that they, too, are in disbelief of these goings on and further, this is not a unique occurrence. Islam is not the only culture - religious or otherwise - in which these horrific events transpire, nor is it the only culture wherein these events are hidden away, thrust under the rug. 

     Fitna: Geert Wilders' response to Submission, released 27 March 2008 to Liveleak, but removed the 16 minute film from the site after reporting threats to their staff. It was reposted on 30 March 2008 after increasing security measures. This short film, in sharp contrast to Van Gogh's piece, is anything but artistic. It quotes the Qu'ran, shows media clips of the bloody and violent aftermath of extremist Islamic attacks around the world, and other clips from Muslim leaders supporting these equally violent quotations and proclaiming war on the world, death to all non-believers. Essentially a spiffed up slideshow, this short 'film' takes quotes out of context, shows violent connotative images, shown to incite an emotional response and disregard logic.  This film evokes a very intense emotional response, but it is not the least bit intellectual; it does not present any new information, merely highlights the actions of radical groups that are not the norm, are not the standard of behavior. The extremists ARE frightening, there is no denying that , but not every Muslim is an extremist and the way in which Wilder encourages the audience to 'overcome the Islamic threat' is much the same as the extremist leaders who want to eradicate non-believers. Where Submission attempts to promote awareness of an often hidden aspect of Islamic culture, something no one wants to admit to or claim ownership for, with the goal of changing something, of making progress - Fitna is no better than the extremists they are trying to destroy, advocating, essentially 'Destroy this extremists group! Listen to OUR extreme opinion!' They blame an entire culture for the actions of few; a very loud, frightening few, but few all the same. 

     To say the least, while I was impressed and disturbed by Submission, for its bold, yet somewhat subtle, attack on Muslim culture and the advocacy of women's rights; Fitna disgusts me and, in my opinion, is a contradiction in and of itself. 

iStructure? iRaspberry!

     After perusing the entire collection of 2007 blogs, I settled on my first impulsive choice, Julia Hamilton (aka Agent Xi) whose blog likely captured my attention for two reasons: the brilliant colour and her continual updates, including dozens and dozens of photographs. It is somewhat frustrating to note that most of these blogs have been sorely neglected, with posts ending in May or June; I think this is the most intriguing facet of Julia’s blog: her continuity and consistent activity. 

       Julia’s blog, one of the few to jump with colour, is a very feminine, witty and all together entertaining venue for reporting both her research and her experience in Amsterdam (and the surrounding area) at large. She makes this intimidatingly pre-formed and generic space her own; her ‘profile’ picture is colour-coordinated to her template, even her URL (iRaspberry.blogspot.com) indicates the tone of the blog. Like most of the Blogger-provided templates, designed by Doug Bowman and Co., there is little room for customization in terms of the actual page elements included in the template framework (without editing the CSS [cascading style sheets] which governs these objects). I am consistently annoyed by the archiving system provided, as it only allows for a chronological scroll-down of the blog posts, but does not allow for the selection of specific posts by date, subject or within the chronological flow of the blog as a whole. 

            Agent Xi uses her space as well as she is able; with classical text on the small-side, she effectively utilizes the space available to her (the centre ‘post’ column) while, despite the pink frou-frou-y template, maintaining a somewhat professional looking piece. She formats in dozens and dozens of photographs, creating a uniform pattern: introduction, short caption, photograph (lather, rinse, repeat) and concluding summary. She establishes this pattern early on and, seeing its effectiveness, or at least efficiency, sticks with it. 

       Within the framework of Lynch’s A Walk Around the Block featuring the collective adventure of 27 Bostonians (or pseudo-Bostonians as the case maybe) and their narrated walk around one square block in Boston, MA., Julia is certainly able to carve out her own space within this bland and generic canvas, and create a sense of structure and even rhythm, to which her writing conforms, flows and flourishes. In effect, she creates her own sub-template.

Close Reading

While in the past I have enjoyed the close reading and analysis of both poetry and prose, I have never thought to apply this tool to my written communications. Given this assignment, I was (and still am, to some degree) apprehensive about the close-reading of such a casual exchange.

This e-mail, from my RA on behalf of HFS, is a simple check-in regarding those effervescent red emergency packs given us at the beginning of the Fall Quarter. The tone is casual, noted not so much by the somewhat inconsistent punctuation, but primarily by the witty side-comments included in parenthesis throughout the message. The message conveys her speaking-style quite clearly, using typical Michelle-vernacular, from her habit of saying "Hey guys!" to the intriguing subject line 'Remember that red backpack...' and opening line '...you were given?' that is just so English major, she uses her casual tone to invite us to respond to a rather dull question which, if otherwise presented, probably would not have elicited any sort of response. 

Acting as HFS messenger (a dangerous task) she was able to turn one of those horrid ‘Please visit this link and respond regarding ’ messages into a simple correspondence from our almost-friend asking for a quick response which may be as brutally honest as we choose. Because of its casual and friendly nature, typical Michelle-style language and tone, this message was infinitely more effective. From her tone, however, you also gather that she knows this and is almost trying to make the best of a bad situation: you can tell she is obligated to send this message, not entirely thrilled about this prospect, but wants to elicit a widespread response instead of a few non-committal replies.

Though I do not think I could misread this message or misinterpret the subject, this is likely due to the very straightforward, unembellished nature of this correspondence.