"Separation of Spheres" Defined on Screen

It's fortuitous that right at the beginning of this semester I began watching the TV series "Mad Men" on AMC. For those unfamiliar, the series begins in 1960 and focuses on an advertising agency, Sterling Cooper,  run almost exclusively by white males. The workplace at the time was obviously not what it is today. They drink on the job, they smoke on the job, and they adulter on the job. I could write a separate post about any of the issues portrayed in the show, from the misogynistic way the important people (men) treat women in the workplace to the racism that pretty much everyone exhibits. Instead what caught my attention was an episode from season 1, "Shoot" which so clearly articulates and problematizes the separation of spheres we've talked about in class the past two weeks.

Up to this point in the series, it isn't much of a secret that Betty Draper, wife of the main character and advertising savant Don Draper, is less than happy with her home life. The viewer rarely sees Betty out of the house; Don doesn't like the way she drives and mostly fears, I suspect, for their car. When she is out and about she is usually found hanging on her husbands arm while he meets an important client. She cooks, cleans, and takes care of the children (though it is worth noting that Don occasionally pitches in with the kids). She begins to suffer from uncontrollably shaking hands, for which she sees a psychiatrist, who, go figure, reports everything in their meetings to Don. She feels so trapped in her home life that she vents her profound sadness to the nine year old son of her neighbor out of a lack of anyone else to talk to. In short, Betty Draper is unhappy.

Betty (January Jones) and her husband Don (Jon Hamm)

This is all for background. In the episode in question, Don's professional skills are courted by a rival agency, who also coincidentally offer Betty a chance to model in their Coca Cola ad. For the first time in the series, Betty's smile is radiant instead of forced. She brags to her friends that she's modelling like she used to before she met Don. Her husband is less than thrilled. Though he tiptoes around the issue, Don clearly isn't a fan of Betty leaving the house and shirking her homemaking duties. When Don gets a raise from Sterling Cooper and turns down the offer from the new agency, they inform Betty that their ad has somehow changed to make her unsuitable for the job (which, of course, Don knew would happen). Betty rationalizes this to herself and her husband, resigning herself to commitment to family, childrearing, and homemaking. In the course of one episode, the viewer is exposed to the exact definition of separation of spheres and just how challenging it is to shake this ideal. The show producers use this is an opportunity to force us to think about how we want to view this issue in our own lives and what it truly means to have a happy home. Clearly, the Drapers do not.

To conclude the episode, we see Betty Draper march out to the front yard with what is I guess a small caliber rifle. Earlier in the episode, the Draper's next door neighbor threatened to kill the family's dog for eating one of his pigeons. Throughout the hour the viewer is smashed over the head with symbolism. At least three times we see his flock of birds flying over the idyllic suburban front yards, suggesting that perhaps Betty really does have the freedom to be unchained from her home and husband. Now though, cigarette hanging from her mouth, Betty practices her marksmanship on these flying metaphors. Maybe she's really at peace with her role as home embodied. Or maybe she only thinks she is.

Figuring out my Identity in the Places and Spaces of the Apartheid

Although perhaps too young to understand the implications and impact of the Apartheid, and although my experiences pale in comparison to those of the black South African youths during my time there, my own identity has been undoubtedly affected by the space and place, and the power relations intrinsically woven into it, of Transkei, South Africa - The place I called home for six years.

Transkei (Now Butterworth) today

Despite moving to Transkei at the tale end of the Apartheid (Transkei had been granted “independence” the year before), I lived a dual life.  My home-life was surrounded by mostly black friends, neighbors, and playmates as my parents worked and resided in one of the only black colleges in the area.  Because my dad looked “Chinese”, and all Chinese men were assumed to be wealthy businessmen, I was able to go to a prestigious elementary school, which of course, was predominantly white.  This was complicated more by the mere fact that my family was considered “expatriates”, and thus, whether we liked it or not, we were treated differently.  In things that really mattered, it was “us” versus “them”. 

I did not have the understanding or language to go along with my experiences back then, but our discussions in Social Geographies on space and place, and the rules that make up these spaces and places, have brought me back to those six years in Transkei. 

Me in my school uniform

As a Filipina expatriate kid with one foot in the black college my parents worked at, and another at the white school I attended, there were unspoken rules that I quickly learnt to follow.  At school, I unconsciously made myself mold into the shy, book-smart Asian role, minding my own business and not daring to stand up for the “dangerous black people” my white classmates would tell me about.  Little did they know that those “dangerous black people” were my neighbors, my friends.  At home, despite the fact that I identified more with my friends in this place, I still spent my energy trying to convince them that even though I went to the “white” school, I was not one of them.  I would swear my loyalty to their side, joining in their pretend toi-toi (protest dances) and never practicing my Afrikaans in the presence of my friends. 

Me and my sister celebrating with friends

These spaces I occupied mandated certain roles and required me to function within a different set of rules.  Conforming to them was exhausting and I wonder if that is one of the reasons I seek change.  I fear being tied down to a set of rules and I feel my only escape is change.  Reflecting on this, and having the insights brought about by Social Geographies, I realize that the space and place of Transkei has impacted my own struggles with identity and belonging.  The unspoken rules, the use of place to control those I loved, and the different roles required of me, made me uncertain of my own place, of my own identity.

I’m still trying to digest everything, but let me end with this:  Fall quarter last year I chose to do one of my research papers on the Apartheid.   I wrote a poem, The Black on My Skin.  Surprisingly, it brought me a sense of peace.  Why? I didn’t know.  However, since learning about the language and the social constructs of space and place, and since recognizing how it has affected my own life, I now wonder if that peace was a result of the space I was given to push back in my own way... Twenty some years later.

The Black on My Skin

Why Are Churches Still Racially Divided?

Why are churches still racially divided?

Being from the South, I won’t begin to discuss the idea that racial prejudice has ended in our country. I have vast memories of racism from my childhood as well as new memories here in Athens. Racism is alive and kicking in America. With that being said, however, I would like to acknowledge the fact that racial prejudice is beginning to be less apparent in our country then it was fifty or sixty years ago.

Although racial prejudice has changed dramatically since the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s, the racial divide has not. The most apparent racial divide in our country is found within churches. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is quoted as saying, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 o’clock on Sunday morning” (Hill, 2013). Dr. King brings up a valid point.

 

My curiosity on this subject builds from my impression that racial prejudice has gotten much better in our country but racial divide hasn’t. We can see this divide on college campuses amongst the array of social and institutional organizations, within sports, and at local hangouts. More so, according to Dr. King and others, the racial divide in America is more visually apparent in the church. Why are churches still racially divided? Is it the music being played, the sermons being taught, the location of the church, or the homogeneity of the congregation?

With regards to our class discussions, I will discuss the role of homogeneity in the congregation as being the factor of racially divided churches. Race, as we have discussed in class, is a societal construction built to categorize people in order to benefit certain groups. At the foundation of what racially divides the church, in my mind, are the differences in doctrinal practices. According to E.K. Bailey, “African Americans lean toward a social emphasis, the white churches lean toward the evangelical, especially in the South.”(Gilbreath, 2002). Basically, the fundamental differences between white and black perspectives are what guide the racial divide in churches. Even though I agree with E.K. Bailey in some ways, isn’t it true that whites and blacks read the same Bible? Harold Myra writes “despite differing rhetoric, they do read the same Bible and ultimately proclaim the same goals: equality, dignity, and justice. But their strategies and priorities can differ dramatically” (Myra, 1995).

What steps are being taken to ensure that this racial divide is being subsided? According to Harold Myra, “the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and the National Black Evangelical Association (NBEA) started 1995 off with a convocation on racial reconciliation” (Myra, 1995). The idea here was to bring the two races together through community outreach programs, the glue that holds the church and the community together. If the two churches are attending different events in the community, this portrays segregation within the churches. As part of my thesis research, I’ve spent copious amounts of time reading literature pertaining to the diffusion patterns of protestant denominations. In some of the literature, there is mentioning of the idea of megachruches, huge churches created to preach the gospel to massive congregations. Pertaining to my research, these churches have aided in the spread of Protestantism across the U.S. Stepping aside from my research; however, I began to think about these churches and my history with them. Attending a few in my past, I’ve noticed the diversity of race within them. That being said, I wondered what role could megachurches play in diminishing the racial divide in churches across the country. I’ve attached an article that specifically asks and answers that question. Read it and see what you think about the role of megachurches and the racial divide found in churches. 

 

Here is the link about Megachurches

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1950943-1,00.html 

 Work cited:

Gilbreath, Edward. "Sunday colors: Dallas churches continue to challenge the racial divide." Christianity Today 46, no. 6 (May 21, 2002): 41-318.

Hill, Jarret. “Losing My Religion Over…My Religion.” The Huffington Post. Jan 8, 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrett-hill/losing-my-religion-over-my-religion_b_2412996.html. (accessed February 4, 2013).

Myra, Harold. "Racial Reconciliation Begins with You: Let's Break down the barriers that divide us." Christianity Today 39, no. 3 (March 6, 1995): 18-19.

Reality TV: Exploitative or A Medium to Promote Acceptance?

The class reading entitled, The Normality of Doing Things Differently: Bodies, Spaces and Disability Geography, by Nancy Hansen and Chris Philo, examined the way in which society behaved towards individuals considered to be "disabled." Interviews with disabled women revealed a shared feeling of pressure to "pass as normal, to perform in a manner as closely corresponding as possible to an able-bodied way of doing things" (Hansen and Philo, 495). A common theme being ridiculed, chastised and belittled emerged from the accounts of the differently abled women. Basic manners preach the importance of not staring and respecting the privacy of others, yet, this rule doesn't appear to count for those unable to meet the norm. 

In recent years, an interesting trend has grown in popularity in the form of reality TV shows. Programs such as,“My Giant Face Tumor,” “Little People, Big World,” and “The 1,000 Lb. Man” are just a few of the several series and specials on national networks like TLC, National Geographic Channel and Discovery Fit & Health. It seems as though every week a new show featuring individuals with physical or mental abnormalities is being advertised. In fact, these shows are wildly popular and often lead in ratings for the network. 

Not only are television networks benefitting from the challenges and altered lifestyles of disable persons, but social networking sites are also a platform for similar content. Excerpts from a xojane.com article expand on this movement.

"In general, videos of people with unusual disabilities are view magnets on YouTube. One video of a 13-year-old girl with a terrible growth on her face has 10 million views, while another of two 16-year-old conjoined twins has 44 million. Long ago folks would pay 5 cents to see the "freaks" hiding behind a circus curtain, but now the same experience comes for free through a YouTube search."

The most important questions is what effect this exposure has on those who put their lives and disabilities in front of the camera. What is the motive? Is it to gain easy ratings and attention without considering the potentially negative effects on the participants? Or, are producers and at-home video uploaders truly attempting to promote awareness and acceptance of individuals with unique conditions?

As Hansen and Philo describe in their article, “impaired bodies—somehow ‘broken,’ ‘crumpled’ or ‘disfigured’—have always risked being regarded in some ways sub-human, pre-human, ‘freak,’ ‘mutant’ or ‘monster.’” (Hansen and Philo 496). In this age of modern technology, are we becoming more accepting of disabled individuals or merely exploiting them?

http://www.xojane.com/issues/adalia-rose

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Exploiting-extreme-reality-TV-s-new-sport-4158461.php

Race and Place: Carmel, Ohio

Segregation is no secret in American history- place and space have been restricted to persons of color since the country’s beginnings.  In the 19^th century when people were labeled as being one of three races, there were also the Melungeons. Melungeons are people of mixed ancestry who are believed to have origins of European (mainly Portuguese), Native American, and African descent.  Because they could not fit into any racial category, they experienced great difficulty throughout history.

Labeled as “Free Persons of Color,” Melungeons were heavily restricted from enjoying the same privileges as the white population.   They could not vote, work, and were unable to purchase land in many southern states.  This prompted many families to locate within Ohio to search for employment and create a better life.  However, as many racist social attitudes and laws persisted in Northern states, these people continued to be forced into living in small hamlets away from the rest of the population.  Carmel, Ohio, is one example of such a place.

The area surrounding Carmel was originally given to veterans who served in the Revolutionary War.  Since slavery was banned in all states in the Northwest Territory, some settlers from the South brought Melungeons to work on their farms. Due to their appearance, farmers kept them from becoming socially and economically mobile by refusing to pay decent wages. They were forced to reside in Carmel and became known as “Carmelites.”  Carmelites were not able to attend school with white children and many establishments in surrounding towns did not permit them to enter; outside of Carmel, the Carmelites had literally no freedom. Carmel was created as a place for segregation to continue within Ohio.

 Growing up near Carmel, I always found it to be a peculiar place. Now the town is nearly extinct; it has a population well under one hundred and no businesses, school, or active churches. Before I understood the town’s history, it always made me wonder why someone would have ever moved to Carmel in the first place. Throughout the 19^th and into the 20^th century, Carmel was used as a place to keep an exploited labor force out of sight from the white population. Today, it only serves as a relic of Ohio’s segregated past.

As of recently, people of Melungeon heritage are reconnecting and developing their history.  Melungeon, once a derogatory term, now is used by these people to identify themselves and their multicultural heritage.  To read more, check out http://melungeon.ning.com/