For this blog report I chose “The Signs of Wonder” by Homi Bhabha. What I found interesting about this article was how communication was connected to English colonization. There is a book that Bhabba talks about throughout the writing that talks about things such as he right way to act. This book has to be the Bible. The Europeans who were colonizers were known to spread (force it on the people) Christianity wherever they went. They forced people in places like India and the Americas to practice Christianity. This book (the Bible) would be used for turning “wild” or uncivilized people into to civilized people. The Europeans believed that anyone who wasn’t Christian was uncivilized. I found it interesting that the Bible was a way of communicating to others if they were civilized or not based on if they follow what it says.
Carolyn Pena Blog Post Week #4
In Elizabeth Eisenstein book “Defining the Initial Shift” on page 233, she wrote, ” Many-valued texts were barely preserved from extinction; untold numbers failed to survive.” When I read this, it made me think of history books because of the old historical texts that we are taught. Although as you get older you realize that a lot of information is missing in these textbooks and we learn about past history more from oral communication. One major example is just simply the founding of America. You can ask children the question “Who found America?” in which they will tell you “Christopher Columbus” because that’s what it tells you in history textbooks. My whole life until high school I was taught exactly this and then I learned the truth about history and found out that none of it was in textbooks. If this is the case with a lot of the history, why aren’t textbooks rewritten? What is the value of these texts and the value of oral communication? This also makes me think about our future and how what we went through is going to be translated into the future and what is going to be important enough to be taught in the future. I just find it amazing because I don’t really know what I value more, what is shown to me via text or what is verbally told to me and why?
Elizabeth Eisenstein. “Defining the Initial Shift: Some Features of Print Culture.” The Book History Reader. eds. David Finkelstein, Alistair McCleery. Routledge, 2006.
Clary Capellan, 9/21, Week #5
This week Homi K. Bhabha’s “Signs Taken for Wonders” stood out to me the most. This reading made it apparent how communication ties into colonization, as communication is used as a tool for colonization. One of the quotes that stood out to me was “The discovery of the book installs the sign of appropriate representation: the word of God, truth, art creates the conditions for a beginning, a practice of history and narrative. But the institution of the Word in the wilds is also an Entstellung, a process of displacement, distortion, dislocation, repetition4-the dazzling light of literature sheds only areas of darkness. Still the idea of the English book is presented as universally adequate: like the “metaphoric writing of the West,” it communicates “the immediate vision of the thing, freed from the discourse that accompanied it, or even encumbered it” (Bhabha 147). It is apparent that “The book” that is being referred to was the Bible. Although it has such a righteous significance in the western culture. It also represents a sort of darkness and oppression when enforced in the “wilds”. Correct me if I’m wrong but to my understanding the wilds refers to the “uncivilized” or nonconforming countries to the western ideals. In the guise of this civilizing mission so to speak, the Europeans stripped the colonized nations of everything, taking away their culture, beliefs, religion, lifestyle, etc and imposing their own. However, even though the bible was used for this atrocious purpose it is still “universally adequate: like the metaphoric writing of the West”.
Refrences:
Bhabha, Homi, Signs Taken for Wonders: Questions of Ambivalence and Authority under a Tree outside Delhi, 1817
Anesiya Rivera Week 3
I read Essays on Media and Society by James W. Carey.
I actually read majority of the essay because it was interesting. I wanted to challenge some of the thoughts that were articulated. “ We have barely seen these advantages as opportunities to expand People’s power to learn and exchange ideas and experience”. This quote is pertaining to how printing and technology has become a form of communicating, And what it’s like to communicate as a culture. I think that is interesting Because it’s 2018 we have all these apps that we use on technology to meet up and hang out with people , But when we get together we have the problem of physically communicating because were so wrapped up on our phones ,on our computers in our emails we tend to forget people are within our surroundings . We have social media that allows us to keep in contact with people and stay up to date with what they’re doing but in the same breath something James had mentioned was computers have allowed people to see what society is currently doing we all know where and what people are doing and when they are doing. So the question that I create from this is
The more that technology advances does humanity lose their freedom ?
Perspective of Adeyemi Oloruntoba’s Veteran Narrative by Victor Afolabi for NYPL project
I’ll start by interpreting the individual’s first name Adeyemi to “The crown is fit for me”. This explains his saying, “ Wherever you put me I could make a life for myself.” [18:06] This can amount to the source of his confidence, which seemed almost arrogant as he expressed his proficiency in the business of finance and lack of fear for joining the Air Force, coming out strong, and always willing to accept a challenging tasks in his latter years. Nigerian culture takes pride in the naming of an individual and one’s parents would often choose, “something great” as the name their child because of the need for survival in the environment. It’s like an adrenaline; reminding you were born to overcome whatever obstacles may come your way in troubled times.
I understand Oloruntoba’s story clearly as we’re both form the same culture and speak the same language. A lot of his milestones actually remind me of stories my father shared about risks Nigerians take being fascinated with the idea of American Nationalism. Remaining in American territory included of those things and explains his reasons for joining the military instead of returning back to Nigeria.
Military experience is often associated with discipline in Nigerian culture. The structure of society forces especially men to prove they are Alphas. Joining and enduring through the military and transferring into politics to gain more power is a perfect illustration of how to prove one’s dominance.
It was easy to empathize with the lack of care veterans received as they return from war. It is true some become homeless, have psychotic challenges because of their military service. However It is quite harsh for Oluruntoba to say everyone should join the military to learn discipline. It’s not possible because not everyone is physically nor mentally capable to survive in that atmosphere.
We should improve in the manner of treatment towards our veterans and our veterans should also think more towards their future endeavors. That aspect of management is crucial on their end so that programs established for veterans can adequately support their returning from service.
NYPL Oral History
TingFung, Chu
09/20/2018
For the NYPL Oral History assignment, I choose the Bob Bozic’s interview, who is the bartender has been working in Soho for almost 20 years. Throughout his interview, he talks about when the first time he got into the bar “Finalle” at his age of 26, he mentions how the difference was Soho changes in 1980 and the present. Also, since he has been working the bar for so long, he talks about the history of his working place that he views as home. Furthermore, in the interview, he mentions he lives in Tribeca in Downtown Manhattan where he can conveniently straight heading to work by walking for him. Basically, he mostly speaks out how much he loves the work in the Soho neighborhood and he is so passionate about his work.
While I was listening to his interview, it’s not a problem for listening to the whole conversation. However, with typing the words he speaks, that will be a little bit hard for me since I am not a native English Speaker, I needed to very concentrate for what he said and typed the words really fast and some of the words that I had no idea, which is kind of messy. In addition, sometimes I heard the people voices in the background or their eating sound he made, that would be hard to catch the word he said. In the end, When the interview is finished, I rolled the transcription up to check it again, a lot of nonsense words like ” to heaven can look in”, some silly sentence I type. And, you found the script did not make any sense as you read it one by one. To sum up, this assignment/ project is like an exercise that let me feel how to work as the typer who types the text out in the TV news program.
NYPL Oral History Project
Anthony Sierra
9/20/18
NYPL Oral History Project
For the NYPL Oral History Assignment I had decided to transcribe the interview between Aden Seraile and William Seraile. Throughout this interview, Aden Seraile reminisces about his early days growing up in Harlem in the height of the Crack Era and watching it evolve into the neighborhood it is today. I resonate so much with this interview because I grew up in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn, which was one of the roughest neighborhoods in the borough. Then over time I have witnessed Bushwick become one of the most gentrified areas in the entire country.
I truly found the assignment interesting because I had picked an interview that I can relate to so easily. Aden and William Seraile both spoke very articulately, making it easy to transcribe. One of the main concerns I had with the assignment was the tutorial, I feel like it did not offer much help, meaning that I had to figure out the process on my own. Switching between windows, constantly having to pause the audio was a nuisance, but once I had it figured out it became extremely easy. All of these audio interviews are relatable in its own way, and it’s easy to get invested into the story being told. The freedom to choose the interview we wanted made this assignment more entertaining, while remaining informative.
Brieya Walker 9/20/2018 NYPL Oral History Assignment
For my NYPL Oral History project I chose to transcribe the story of Brittany Myaa who was interviewed by Alex Kelly. When I seen the title “Visible Lives” above her name I had a feeling she had a disability which I found interesting because I’m interested in learning about people’s disabilities and how they overcome them. I also enjoy seeing how they maneuver through their lives and navigate through everyday challenges. The process was more hard than easy for me because even after watching the tutorial I still wasn’t exactly sure of what I was doing. Once I figured it out, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Because the interviewee had a disability, many of her answers went off on a tangent and weren’t as easy to transcribe like the answers of interviewer. I often had to click between windows, pause it, and rewind to re listen to some of her answers. I personally believe the interviewer asked her many questions that would be difficult for her to answer which is why her some of her answers came out the way they did. Overall, I think the process of transcribing is interesting and I connected it to tv shows where I’ve seen court scenes and there’s the person who has to literally type every word exchanged between everyone. One thing I’ve learned about it is that it definitely takes a lot of focus and dedication.
Anthony Dyce NYPL Oral History Post
For the NYPL Oral History assignment I chose the Deborah Morgan interview by Clara Galvano. In this interview Deborah talks about living in Washington Heights for over 50 years in the same apartment building. During her lifetime, she has witnessed many changes to the neighborhood. What was once an area with a large Jewish population is now a melting pot, home to people from many different cultures. Deborah loves Washington Heights and cannot imagine living anywhere else. I have a lot in common with Deborah Morgan because I too have also lived in the same home and same neighborhood for my entire life. I’ve witnessed changes throughout my neighborhood. East New York is primarily an African-American, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhood. It is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. But now it’s becoming different through gentrification. Now there is bike lanes, coffee shops, new stores and new faces.
I thought this project was very interesting and informative. It enabled me to learn from different perspective and listen to the conversation and it how came together. I must admit, didn’t like editing part but I did notice the grammatical errors. The hardest part of this project was I had to keep on going back and forth with the audio and never getting it to the correct place where I left off was also pretty hard as well. Overall, I enjoyed this project it was intriguing and different.
Jailene Mangome, NYPL Oral History Assignment
For this project, I chose to transcribe an interview Danny R. Peralta conducted on Carlos Tony. The interview was mainly Danny getting Carlos to tell him about what it’s like living in the Bronx and just his life in general. I found that there was no main subject aside from that and as the audio went on I realized Danny was kind of just letting Carlos talk and didn’t ask too many questions. Overall, I found this assignment to be quite fun. I’m someone who actually likes editing papers and what not- but also get frustrated when there are so many grammatical errors. We’re all human so we all make mistakes. Half way into editing the transcription I got very angry and just completely lost it because I messed up. I got super confused at this one point because I thought Carlos was going to talk about a time when he was 18 years old because that was what the next line was saying, so I was just deleting so much and transcribing everything before that very line. It became so much that I was trying to figure out if there was just a way to add lines. At this point, I decided to put my glasses on and I saw that the next couple of lines were sort of saying everything I had just typed out and I realized what I did. To say the least, I was pissed.
To make things easier for myself, I opened up a doc on my laptop and copied and paste everything I had previously wrote onto it, rewind the audio clip of the interview and just rewrote everything I had already done. So this assignment took a lot longer to do because when this happened I was going a bit crazy and kept getting frustrated about it so I just kind of stared at my laptop. After I just got over it, I kept doing the transcription and couldn’t stop laughing cause of the amount of times these guys said “y’know”. I’m so used to hearing people say “like” so much that I couldn’t help but laugh about it. Aside from this, I didn’t really find dong this difficult. The pace they were speaking at was pretty good and there were only two or three words that I just didn’t know what they were saying because they had mumbled it. I thought this was a really cool thing to do and I’ll definitely be checking back on it to see if any of my corrections were verified.
