#CMC Cultural Studies

As a sometimes researcher and “studier” of people I have to give a name to the study of photographs that I am proposing, in essense this is a cultural study.  This means, according to Wikipedia;
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural anthropology and ethnic studies in both objective and methodology. Researchers concentrate on how a particular medium or message relates to matters of ideology, social class, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or gender.^[1]
Cultural studies approaches subjects holistically, combining feminist theory, social theory, political theory, history, philosophy, literary theory, media theory, film/video studies, communication studies, political economy, translation studies, museum studies and art history/criticism to study cultural phenomena in various societies. Thus, cultural studies seeks to understand the ways in which meaning is generated, disseminated, and produced through various practices, beliefs, institutions, and political, economic, or social structures within a given culture

Furthermore the study of the photographs that I possess is actually defined as:

Visual anthropology is a subfield of cultural anthropology that is concerned, in part, with the study and production of ethnographic photography, film and, since the mid-1990s, new media. While the term is sometimes used interchangeably with ethnographic film, visual anthropology also encompasses the anthropological study of visual representation, including areas such as performance, museums, art, and the production and reception of mass media. Visual representations from all cultures, such as sandpaintings, tattoos, sculptures and reliefs, cave paintings, scrimshaw, jewelry, hieroglyphics, paintings and photographs are included in the focus of visual anthropology. Human vision, its physiology, the properties of various media, the relationship of form to function, the evolution of visual representations within a culture are all within the province of visual anthropology. Since anthropology is a holistic science, the ways in which visual representation are connected to the rest of culture and society are central topics.^{[citation needed]}

To further summarize Banks and Morphy state that visual anthropology state that the focus is on recording visual or visible phenomena and obtaining visual data.  They caution that this broad term may be ambiguous and too broad.  The further go on to state that visual anthropology services that much can be learned from a culture through photography.  Morphy and Banks provide a cautionary note in that we should not over look photography by not considering this medium in it’s totality as a contribution to the study of cultures and that researchers must understand the medium within the context of data itself.  (1999,  Rethinking visual anthropology. Yale University Press.  Banks, Marcus and Morphy, Howard)

Visual anthropology may give some sort of framework to what I am trying to address and it does seem to recognize photos as data, which ultimately I am trying to state..that photos and vintage photos are data to be studied as sources for determining cultural traditions, life, and activities of people.   Sandra S. Lee, Ph. D. conducted an “ethnographic study of old Italian neighborhoods from the 1880's to the 1950's, she interviewed and collected vintage photographs from individuals and families.”  Unfortunately I have the photographs but not he people to interview for a similar ethnographic study.  In order to conduct a study of the photos I must have knowledge of the history of the time period when the photos were taken, a knowledge to be able to judge the time period of the photos, if not dated, and the ability to analyze the photos to extract the period in which they were taken.
I can also solicit comments from people on the web to engage in a discussion or dialogue regarding the photos that I post.  To gain their analysis, knowledge and expertise on providing an analysis of the photos that I post.   I propose to present different photographs to study in the areas of dress, hair styles, jewelry, expression, architecture, cars, and machinery.  As this study evolves there will be different details to study, I will present photos that I feel are most illustrative of the topic.  Please join me on this study! Your in put will be valuable. I will continue to define the context of this study as I learn more about the research methodologies.

My photos for your consideration today are below and are differing styles of architecture:




From Russia photos:














Our churches, our towns and how we have  lived:



This actually is a picture of Boy's Town/home?




You will note that these are buildings being moved:



To contrast a city scape (circa 1950 or 60’s):



An auditorium or arena..I am sure state of the art for it’s time.  Sorry about the dirty photos these are actually slides that are speckled with dust and dirt.  Normally I clean them using Photoshop, depending on the nature of the photo and how I am going to use it:




Another city skyline..very dirty:




Another city view:




I welcome comments, thoughts and ideas! As always more to come!

#CMC11 My creative journey

I have been wondering what this MOOC would mean to me and I think what I would like to do is give definition to the reason why I have amassed a large collection of pictures, images and artifacts of people lives.  This collection come primarily in the form of photographs.  Photographs from all sorts of people at all stages in their lives.  My collection is large I gather these photos from online auctions, thrift stores, antique shops and garage sales.  There is  a term for this..they are called vernacular photos.  Some are taken professionally others are taken by friends, family members, and even strangers.  After all who hasn’t been on a trip when you haven’t been asked to take someone’s photo with their spouse or you haven’t asked someone to do so for you. I saw this frequently on my trip to China. 
At heart I am a researcher of people.  I love they way they chronicle their lives through their photos, it is indeed art, illustrative storytelling.



This picture totally captures this woman’s life.  Her face tells her story.  A widow, yes, note the dark garb, the plain ribbon.  A wit, a captured sparkle in her eye, I think it is there.   A spirit and a dream and high standards they are all there in her face, her eyes and her hint of a smile. It is a fascinating story behind this photo.



The photo above of the three children also came from the same collection as the one of the woman.  I can’t help but wonder ..are they somehow related?  Grandchildren perhaps. You have to love those tense frozen faces..I hope they had a lot to smile about in their lives. Think about the contributions they may have made to this country, having families themselves..maybe they were YOUR relatives.

Having such a vast collection of photos, unplanned, unstaged and perhaps a bit wonky lets you see the world through a different lens than the glossy touched up photos in magazine.  I recently acquired an old set of slides of Russian buildings and other things: (at least I think this is Russian all too often these slides or photos are unmarked)



Sometimes I look at a picture and I wonder what they saw, what was the picture takers story when he/she showed the picture to friends:  (this photo actually did come from a box of photos marked Russia)



Photos are like brilliant flashes of one line quotes, frozen in time, with meaning and a story.  We rush through our lives capturing moments in our minds, and now so freely,
digitally. We flash these vignettes around the world, telling our story.

I understand the story behind the picture below.   I know this man yet I do not know him. But I understand that he was probably a cowboy, that this horse was part of his life and his livelihood, perhaps something he took a lot of pride in showing and riding.

 

Here is my story, or part of I feel this photo illustrates the world from which I came..



So far on this journey of sifting through these artifacts of the lives and stories and people I have been alone, with the thousands of pieces that make up my collection, a collection I started several years ago and fascinates me today.  Only through the context of my experience have I been able to make define the meaning of it, what does it mean to me ..what would it mean to you?

Some of these are of recent experiences:



Examples of a past that is still relevant to our lives today.  The farm machinery above exist as a tribute to the time when machinery that was needed was simple and functioned much upon the strength and hard work of the people who owned the land.
 
This photo below  is a mystery to me ..the Bell in the background is fascinating.. any ideas?  These slides are dirty, it’s going to take some retouching to restore them..I am just starting to dive into this collection.   (the great thing about the web is if you do a google search you will find this is Ivan’s bell in Moscow)…


I visited Mesa Verde this past summer so you can imagine my delight when I found photos such as this one below  in my collection:



You may be scratching you head and wondering..don’t I know what is in my collection and the answer to that is no, my collection is not catalogued or sorted according to any rhyme or reason, it is vast though.   The photo above was scanned into my collection in July of 2007.  Initially I started just focusing on Wyoming and in particular on Yellowstone, wanting to chronicle the changes in that area via amateur photographs.  I have acquired hundreds of photos of the area:







At first I shunned pictures of people, however over time I began to study them, becoming fascinated with them and the storyteller in me started to come out. Questioning and wondering over the lives of the people who came before me to this area, to live their lives, and the contest of their lives.







I love thinking of the surprise of where this road will take me and I hope you as well.  Let’s write this story together.  I welcome your comments, your insight and your guidance as I being to share my collection of photos with you.  I hope this fulfills the purpose of CMC#. Through this we all learn.

#cmc11 Creativity Videos I love!

I did not get a lot of reading done today but these videos are awesome !

Fast Company's top 100 most creative people in business


Some interesting and maybe controversial videos on creativity:

Merlin Mann:

Merlin Mann's Bio

Marlin Mann's 43 Folders website

Discusses Patterns and design patterns !  Fascinating



John Jay!

John Jay's Bio: 


BREAK DOWN THOSE SILOS!





Tom Peters Bio

Educate for a Creative Society






Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan Bio

#CMC11 I am so stealing this!

Came across this on Carol Yeager's blog and decided I am so stealing it!

http://youtu.be/1Daj4x6XnpU

Thanks for sharing!

just a little music

I so enjoy this!
A super video

My MOOC overload #CMC11

Ok I am doing it again!  I thought maybe I had lost my enthusiasm for learning new things in different ways. I don’t think I lost that I think I just couldn’t carve out the time to keep track of all the opportunities.  I am turning into a junky with the latest education initiative and that is a MOOC.    So far I know of at least four interesting MOOCs going on ..two of which I am trying to participate in and two others I am considering participating in at some point.  Right now I am in Change11 and Creativity, Multicultural Communication.  You will find my posts for Creativity and Multicultural Communication on this blog and my posts for #Change11 on www.cathyandersonblog.com and posts of the other classes, if I decide to participate on other blog sites.
This course covers  how to communicate in a social networked world,  the emphasis for this course is on creativity..and also how we can solve problems creatively in a social networked world.    According to the blog about this course we will be learning about how to utilize the concepts of connectivism and connecting with others globally.  
From Wikipedia: 

In contemporary society, different understandings of multiculturalism have resulted in two different and seemingly inconsistent strategies:
• The first focuses on interaction and communication between different cultures. Interactions of cultures provide opportunities for the cultural differences to communicate and interact to create multiculturalism.
• The second centers on diversity and cultural uniqueness. Cultural isolation can protect the uniqueness of the local culture of a nation or area and also contribute to global cultural diversity. The concept of “Cultural exception” proposed by France in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations in 1993 was an example of a measure aimed at protecting local cultures.

Our communication, observations and reactions to other cultures should generate creativity and inspire us as individuals in our thought, actions and artistic activities. Other cultures have an indelible influence on us as individuals, it creates synergy when we work together.

Kate Davies, in her article, Sustainable Minds in the Alternative Journal   identified the following tenets that I believe are pertinent to this initiative:

Creating Learning Communities
First developed in higher education, there are now many examples of collaborations for learning, including spiritual, professional, online and neighbourhood communities. World Cafés, for example, can bring a diverse range of participants together to share perspectives on sustainability issues. Involvement in practical shared tasks, such as creating community gardens or building a transition town, can further stimulate active learning.

Fostering a New Cultural Worldview
A learning society for sustainability could foster the development of a new cultural worldview - one that is based on respect for the Earth and the great diversity of life on which humans depend. With its presumption of human superiority, the dominant Western worldview assumes humankind has the inherent right to over-exploit other species and exhaust the planet's resources. Developing values and beliefs consistent with sustainability will require a shared understanding of the destructive consequences of this worldview, as well as a widely-held desire to create a respectful, long-term relationship with the Earth.

.Embracing Diversity
A learning society would embrace diversity - not only different cultures and ethnicities, but also different ideas, beliefs and ways of knowing. We can learn from people who do not think like us because they challenge our assumptions, beliefs and expectations. We can learn from the wisdom of peoples and communities around the world that have proved their sustainability over hundreds or thousands of years. In the same way that the health of an ecosystem depends on its biodiversity, the sustainability of human systems depends on cultural diversity and a diversity of ideas and practices.
(Davies, K.. (2010). Sustainable Minds. Alternatives Journal, 36(5), 8,10-11.  Retrieved September 17, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2125349971).

I decided to do some research on the term “World Café” and this is what I found, I hope to explore World Cafes further throughout this term:

World Cafe :  http://www.theworldcafe.com/
The Co-Intelligence Institute:   http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-worldcafe.html

World Café Community of Practice:  http://www.theworldcafecommunity.org/
The World Café on Second Life:  The World Café is a conversational process based on a set of integrated design principles. Simple yet powerful, World Cafés can evoke and make visible the collective intelligence of any group, thus increasing people's capacity for effective action in pursuit of common aims. It is particularly effective when people come together across organizational, social or cultural boundaries to foster collaboration.
World Café Community Blog:  http://conversationsthatmatter.typepad.com/world_cafe_community/
I can’t wait to find and share more with you.  The World Café is a model of connecting either physically or virtually and exploring our world together. 

Reflections

I tend to not get too personal in my blogs but today I have spent sometime reflecting back on the past few years and how pivotal they have been. I can say with certainty that these three years will define the rest of my life as I go forward in my future. 

I have lost both of my parents in the last three years, changed jobs twice, and moved three or four times ..I have lost track and not sure what would count so .. let’s just say that.  I have sold two house and bought one ---settled my parent’s estate and moved on.    In all honesty at some point I lost all emotion..I did not react I just did what needed done.  At the time it all seemed right and now I can’t look back I cannot change the past.

I have learned alot .. alot about myself and some of you helped me along the way..some of you know it and some of you may not.  Some things I learned were surprising and still continue to surprise me today.. but what it all comes down to is I love the experiences of life and my interactions with all of you.  

I have gone halfway around the world, something I never would have thought possible!  My trip to China was phenomenal .. here is some of the food and other things:
I also had a great vacation with summer with my husband through Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and home again.  We both agreed it was the best vacation ever..now we are planning the next one.
















I have learned a great deal about the career I have chosen in education, my experiences have allowed me to improve my interactions with others.   I have learned a great deal about the philosophical tenets behind Open Education, the strong foundation and spirit behind People’s University and P2P, and traditional education.   I feel very fortunate right now doing some extraordinary things with some great people in education…always thinking about how we can improve.

I am never bored, time never stands still and I am happy in the present but looking forward to the future. I am happy to be able to see others succeed through education by the work that I do to help them achieve their goals.  I am still interested in virtual worlds for education, online education, and spend some time chatting with friends in Second Life and experimenting in there to see what will happen next.  My latest adventure has been to ramp up my efforts in art and digital art..here is some of my work:



Does the below look familiar?




I have read a book or two.  Top of my list is Speed of Trust and Cold Comfort Farms..a little serious reading and a little fun!  I have   written a few blogs .. but my writing motivation has dwindled lately..hopefully that will pick up soon as I am starting anew class with Stephen Downes, etc.

Just something different

Roy Orbison  Video

Never Stop Learning

Several years ago I was a real Photoshop nut … Now I am finding that I have the time and the means to start dabbling in it again.  Having just purchased  Photoshop CS5 I am once again totally blown away by how much improved it is over  CS3, the first version of this software that I purchased. 

I am also amazed at how much I have to learn.  Just this morning, only half awake and before my coffee, I was watching YouTube tutorial on the improvements in selection using CS5.. and yes the Content Aware feature looks like a powerful one..I can’t wait until I really am able to start applying it to some digital artwork. 
There are many things that I want to work on right now … I have been out taking pictures and it is a beautiful time of year to be doing that… here are some of my favorites:




















Right now these may seem kind of static ..however with the right software you can do much to improve the interest in a photo.  I use my photos for many things, not only as a history of my life but to see into a future or a world that is on the edge.. in other words I like to create digital art.
One such example is this “mixed media” picture that I created using an image of my Second Life avatar and a photo that I took in the Buffalo, WY area and another of a 35mm slide I picked up on Ebay sometime ago:


I feel like a novice starting all over with Photoshop again! I love it …

My next adventure in this digital world is Camtasia Studio.   Again I am just learning.  I did make two attempts at doing some Second Life videos:
My first attempt here:
Thistle Hill, Caledon
By my second attempt I had learned how to remove the annoying clicks from the audio:

Steam Sky City, Caledon .. Second Life

There are still some real “herky jerky” elements I do not care for..but I am ok with my first efforts and now will step back and learn how to fine tune and pay attention to the details.

I really didn’t see You Tube as a part of my Social Networking ..but there is always that chance!