Ethnography: the study and systematic recording of human cultures; this term is also used to describe any work produced from this research
“Play with a puppy he’ll lick you in the mouth:” emphasizes the importance of distance; about the danger of falsely assuming familiarity and presuming to have knowledge of matters that had not been revealed (328)
In relation to cultural studies and race, this saying could be about an African-American assuming to be on the same level as a white person, but the white person treats the African American with contempt, thereby emphasizing “difference” and “otherness.”
As bell hooks reads works of literary and cultural studies that focus on race, she finds that white writers often assume the position that they are aware of the African-American views and write outside of white supremacy, but white writers do write as if shaped and informed by the context of white supremacy. She adds that these white writers don’t think they should address the fact that they write within the context of white supremacy. She then adds that scholars (who belong to groups who dominate, exploit and oppress) should be able to look through their work to find areas that imply the context of supremacy without being afraid or feeling guilty (328-329).
In the essay, hooks asserts that cultural studies is the area that seems most willing to include the race issue because it is more contemporary, and many scholars are focusing on “otherness,” post-colonialism, and also feminism (329).
The feminist movement is important in bell hook’s view because it brought about race as a political issue with which she attributes powerful African-American women (329).
She also tells that she is disheartened with the prestige and acclaim denied African-American studies. She is also upset with the way cultural studies programs are run by white men, as some of these programs are beginning to replace African-American studies and women’s studies. Immediately after these statements, bell says that cultural studies is exciting because it calls attention to race and gives academic legitimacy (329).
Later, bell asserts that scholars in the academy resist awkward or uncomfortable situations of diversity. She agrees with Cornel West in his suggestion that the domain of the academy should not highlight “otherness” because it marginalizes those people (330).
She is unhappy with a book (Writing Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography) that admits to giving little attention to new realms of ethnography and with the idea that African-American scholars are not being counted in the field of ethnography as though no one has realized the importance of difference of experience (330).
“Play with a puppy he’ll lick you in the mouth:” emphasizes the importance of distance; about the danger of falsely assuming familiarity and presuming to have knowledge of matters that had not been revealed (328)
In relation to cultural studies and race, this saying could be about an African-American assuming to be on the same level as a white person, but the white person treats the African American with contempt, thereby emphasizing “difference” and “otherness.”
As bell hooks reads works of literary and cultural studies that focus on race, she finds that white writers often assume the position that they are aware of the African-American views and write outside of white supremacy, but white writers do write as if shaped and informed by the context of white supremacy. She adds that these white writers don’t think they should address the fact that they write within the context of white supremacy. She then adds that scholars (who belong to groups who dominate, exploit and oppress) should be able to look through their work to find areas that imply the context of supremacy without being afraid or feeling guilty (328-329).
In the essay, hooks asserts that cultural studies is the area that seems most willing to include the race issue because it is more contemporary, and many scholars are focusing on “otherness,” post-colonialism, and also feminism (329).
The feminist movement is important in bell hook’s view because it brought about race as a political issue with which she attributes powerful African-American women (329).
She also tells that she is disheartened with the prestige and acclaim denied African-American studies. She is also upset with the way cultural studies programs are run by white men, as some of these programs are beginning to replace African-American studies and women’s studies. Immediately after these statements, bell says that cultural studies is exciting because it calls attention to race and gives academic legitimacy (329).
Later, bell asserts that scholars in the academy resist awkward or uncomfortable situations of diversity. She agrees with Cornel West in his suggestion that the domain of the academy should not highlight “otherness” because it marginalizes those people (330).
She is unhappy with a book (Writing Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography) that admits to giving little attention to new realms of ethnography and with the idea that African-American scholars are not being counted in the field of ethnography as though no one has realized the importance of difference of experience (330).
In bell’s view, the picture in the beginning of the post shows the white male as authority and writer and the passive black or brown man.
Questions to think about:
Can the cover undermine radical writing (331)?
Can the cover undermine radical writing (331)?
Is bell just venting?
Why doesn't she ever mention the things she thinks should be heard?
Why does she use absolutes?
Do you agree with her opinions about the cover?
Do you think white writers write about African-American issues blindly?
Do white writers intentionally deny African-Americans the same privileges.
*Note: Instead of merely using her given name, bell hooks (a pseudonym) uproots the ability of others to define her by creating her own identity. Furthermore, and here is where she goes further down the path to linguistic equality, bell hooks does not capitalize the initial letters in the new name: a convention so fundamentally accepted that only ee cummings comes to mind as having also cast it to the proverbial curb. This simple defamiliarization is a constant reminder to take nothing for granted. Is the "b" really more important than either "l"? Or, more significantly, should a name stand above all else in a narcisistic uplifting? (PS I checked for some more info but didn't come across any)
2 comments:
One thing I have noticed in researching for my project is the tendency for "feminist" websites and social communities to include forums for Queer, Gay, and Lesbian issues, as well as African-American issues. The three are in some places inseparable. The common thread among them seems to be their being pushed aside in the larger straight white male dominated community (or a community of Classic Western thought). The goal of these types of interest groups is to HAVE a VOICE. I agree with bell hooks that simply allowing white male academia to talk ABOUT these groups does nothing to progress their situation. Sure awareness is great, but like Cornel West writes, are we only further marginalizing these groups by talking ABOUT them and their OTHERNESS (330)?
I think bell's essay is disheartening. I want to be understood for wanting to learn more about marginalized groups; I don't want to be reprimanded. But I understand that the deeper issue is that the dominate group mediates the terms for the "others'" acceptance.
This all reminds me of living at home. My mother use to sit me and my step-father down and say, "Gary, Leah is angry that you don't listen to her" and Gary would say "Well, when you talk to me this way I can understand why you are hurt." I remember thinking, 'you mean when MOM talks to you THIS way, because my way hasn't gotten your attention yet." Just call me bell hooks and Gary the Straight European White Male Academic. : ) Ha Ha
I agree that feminist theory is inseparable from other theoretical approaches. The interconnectivity of theory is inevitable because these concepts (not limited to African-American and Queer theory, in my opinion) are inseparable within the greater framework of our culture. Queer theory and African American theoretical approaches are particularly connected to Feminist theory because being an African American woman or a gay woman adds a different element to the experience of being a woman.
It was difficult to read this article at times because I, like Leah, want people to accept and understand my appreciation of other groups and cultures. I cannot change the fact that I am white, or female, or heterosexual. (Well, I guess I could change the fact that I am female, but that's an awfully expensive and emotionally difficult process.) I may do my best to adjust my view, but I will never be fully able to read as a man, an African-American, or a homosexual because it is not part of my direct personal experience.
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