What is Knowledge? (Learning Analysis)

The best way to describe my experience taking Women’s Studies 488A is by comparing it to a roller coaster ride.  I started this course with a lot of anticipation, excitement, and fear, much like a person who gets on a roller coaster for the first time.  I was nervous and curious about the different highs and lows and twists and turns I would encounter in this class.  I knew just like a roller coaster ride that I would enjoy some parts more than others.  I also knew that I would appreciate the not so fun parts as well, because they’re a part of the entire experience.  As with any new experience I attached fear to the exploration of the unknown that I knew I would be forced to encounter.  I would have to defy the laws of gravity by challenging how I have been conditioned to think.  I would be questioning everything I believed to be true and wondering why I believed the things I believed and why I gave authority to those who passed on this knowledge. 

            Knowing I had to face these uncomfortable challenges I felt an incredible sense of panic, because this process would take me out of my comfort zone.  I was so used to believing in the stories crafted by those in “authority” that I forgot to be analytical along the way.  This course would force me to question words, meanings, understandings, and supposed truths, which is where my nervousness was stemming from. 

            How could I, a person who always thought within parameters and believed in boundaries, think beyond those lines?  Then I became worried that in an effort to think outside the box, I would be more focused on alternative knowledge just because, without really understanding what I claimed to understand.  I was afraid I would have a superficial understanding of the different concepts introduced in class in an attempt to keep up, instead of falling behind. 

            Despite my concerns and fears about the different ups and downs, twists and turns, and the unknown, I knew I would love the experience and feel a sense of accomplishment for having taken the ride.  I knew there was a great possibility that I would feel a sense of failure, but I wanted to take this course instead of the senior seminar on immigrant women, a subject I am very familiar with, because the concept of examining reenactments appealed to my sense of curiosity.  So I took this course for the same reason a person gets on that roller coaster for the first time, for the shear experience of it. 

            Women’s Studies 488A has been the most challenging course I have ever taken in my entire academic career.  In fact this course has challenged my entire academic career and my entire knowledge base.  Instead of completing assignment after assignment, like a trained robot, we were asked to challenge ourselves.  We were told to ask questions and to think beyond conventions.  The title of this course “Feminism and New Knowledge Environments: Examining Reenactments” speaks volumes about the content of the course.  Initially, I focused only on the word reenactments and thought of historical reenactments like the ones in “The New History in an Old Museum” by Handler and Gable.  I thought reenactments were only historical recreations used to educate and entertain. 

            After taking this course I now understand the enormity of reenactments.  Reenactments can be applied very broadly to include how the video games and virtual computer worlds that Steven Johnson talks about in “Everything Bad is Good For You” are also reenactments and more contemporary ways knowledge is passed on.  More importantly after weeks and weeks of agonizing over the word “reenactments” I finally understand that this course is not about dissecting what the word “reenactments” means, but rather dissecting and explaining what it represents.  I was so obsessed with understanding the literal meaning of the word I forgot to focus on what the point was in using the term reenactments so liberally. 

            I have now learned that reenactments are a medium through which knowledge is both passed on and learned through a wide range of avenues.  This course is about recognizing the different types of reenactments that occur in life and how knowledge is created, passed on, and learned through these actions.  This course is about questioning our intensive values and the extensive values of others and how they interact. 

            During the first couple of weeks of class we were asked to visit the “Hall of Mammals” display at the Smithsonian.  I had no idea how this could possibly be linked to reenactments, because I was still in the beginning stages of conceptualizing reenactments.  At the “Hall of Mammals” I became very aware of how the displays played on people’s senses.  Everything in the museum was visually appealing and presented in ways that created a sense of familiarity with the animals.  There were sample sound stations that played on my sense of hearing and some displays were available for touching. 

            I revisited the museum after completing Steven Johnson’s book, because I was beginning to understand the connection between the “Hall of Mammals” and reenactments.  The point of the trip wasn’t about learning about the different mammals and their environment.  The trip to the “Hall of Mammals” was about observing the various methods employed by the museum to make me believe what they said was fact.  In “Past into Present” Stacy Roth says, “Museums communicate with visitors in many ways; through exhibits, multi-media programs, special events, brochures and hooks, labels, guided tours, and more recently-especially over the last thirty years-living history interpretation” (9).  The “Hall of Mammals” created an environment that provoked an individual’s many senses to cause a synesthetic experience.  So the trip to the museum was about recognizing how the museum’s affects on our sensorium alter our knowledge. 

            The museum appealed to my senses because they knew that my readiness to believe in certain “truths” was connected to my senses.  I finally understood that I have an important relationship with my senses.  They weren’t just things or functions.  My senses helped me to reject or accept “truths.”  If I could touch, hear, see, or smell something I knew it to be real, but this course taught me to look beyond what my senses told me.  This course taught me to question the things my senses could and could not identify, because things exist in altering conditions, not a vacuum.  This understanding helped me to recognize how my life and the knowledge I had acquired up until this point were a result of how I had been socialized and trained to think.  So the next step was to question how I had been socialized and who and what agents affected me and why I let them. 

            Addressing these questions was difficult, but reading “Remediation: Understanding New Media” by Bolter and Grusin helped.  They said, “No medium, it seems, can now function independently and establish its own separate and purified space of cultural meaning” (55).  This reaffirmed the notion that nothing was independent, but rather everything was connected.  All the “knowledge” I had acquired were extractions and combinations of processes that related to each other, not independent thoughts.  My thoughts, no matter how original I think they are, were created as a result of all the experiences I had and the information I had acquired over time, which have all been influenced by numerous elements.  These prior influences have shaped the way I think and feel and how I create knowledge as well. 

            My acquisition of knowledge and behaviorism both conscious and unconscious all exist within a system of cultural, social, and economic exchange that are constantly being affected and altered through remediation.  Remediation reforms by improving upon the mediations it is mediating.  In Steven Johnson’s “Everything Bad Is Good For You” he says many people “discuss the social value of media, when they address the question of whether today’s media is or isn’t good for us, the underlying assumption is that entertainment improves us when it carries a healthy message” (13).  The video games and virtual realities that are gaining popularity have many positive outcomes.  They teach individuals how to become more efficient decision makers and provide alternate realities that sometimes reflect the realities we desire. 

            In “Past Into Present” Roth says, “What medium can completely portray the past?  None.  Not books, not film, not guided tours, not even multi-media exhibits can produce an unbiased, true-to-life compelling product that will appeal universally to all learning styles or leisure proclivities” (26), yet “people of differing backgrounds continuously and routinely interact to produce exchange, and consume messages” (Handler, 9). 

            In “The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness” Donna Haraway says, “we are training each other in acts of communication we barely understand.  We are constitutively, companion species” (2). 

            All of these texts helped me to understand my relationship with the world and how my actions both purposeful and accidental are a part of cycle that continuously creates knowledge.  My actions affect others, while their actions affect me.  Nothing in life happens within a vacuum, so everything I say and do have been infiltrated by elements that I may not even be aware of.  Things that I perceived to be a part of nature might in actuality be a part of culture. 

            Prior to this course I had separated nature and culture into opposite categories.  In my previous world things were the way they were as a result of either nature or culture, but never both.  I now understand the significance of naturecultures.  This course has taught me to recognize the futility of separating nature from culture, because there is a constant interaction between life’s many elements.  There are symbiogenetic changes that occur in response to new emerging environments.  If these mutations occur to increase survivability within a new space then how can we separate nature from culture? 

            In the “Companion Species Manifesto” Haraway says dogs are considered the first domestic animals.  Some believe this domestication is a result of the relationship between humans and dogs.  Different types of dogs exist in response to how humans have trained them.  By assigning specific dogs to specific tasks, such as hunting, fishing, farming, breeding, etc…these dogs could have over the years undergone a symbiogenetic change that helped them adapt to their newly created environments.  Understanding the concept of significant otherness helps to define humans and dogs in this instance.  The relationship between dogs and humans signifies roles of power and purpose. 

            Understanding the concept of significant otherness is important to feminist studies, because both ask questions about power, how things work, and why things are the way they are.  They relate to emerging naturecultures and what role social environments play in development.  Significant otherness helps to explain the location of different social markers.  Judith Butler said heterosexuality depends on homosexuality for its cultural meaning.  Without homosexuality, would heterosexuality matter?  The existence of both is necessary to create meaning for one in relation to the other.  What would it mean to be a woman without a man?  Would other comparisons surface?  In “Remediation” Bolter and Grusin said it was necessary to include all aspects of a medium when focusing on one aspect to understand the medium in its entirety, because the individual aspects gained meaning through interactions with all of the other aspects. 

            Remediation has helped feminist in their work to examine the inequalities that exist in society.  Film is one medium that has been used by feminists to critique the male gaze.  The portrayals of women in film by men are a reflection of the conditions women have and are facing.  The reenactments in this case are the theatrical actions of the people within the films.  Considering the theatrics involved in film made me reevaluate Colonial Williamsburg, because I wanted to know why I was more readily accepting of the theatrics involved in the reenactments of Colonial Williamsburg, while more hesitant to believe the theatrics of films.  What was it about Colonial Williamsburg and other historical reenactments that disarmed my skepticism?  Then I started to examine the words associated with Colonial Williamsburg.  I began to understand how important words are in creating knowledge.  Etymology is a critical part of how we form knowledge.  By labeling Colonial Williamsburg as “historical” reenactments I automatically associated it with truth, while the words movie and film were automatically associated with fiction, unless the words “based on a true story” were provided. 

            These realizations forced me to explore the meanings behind words and how they assist the various reenactments that occur all around us.  Studying the etymology of various words lead to my exploration of past events, because having a social consciousness that explores the past is important to a search for the “truth.”

            In “Why Marriage? The History Shaping Today’s Debate Over Gay Equality” Chauncey says many people have forgotten about the past struggles the gay community has faced.  Recognizing these past occurrences are necessary to understanding the present struggles and discrimination the gay community is forced to grapple with.  The importance of the past to the present is evident in Laurie King’s “The Art of Detection” and Gates’ African American Lives.”

            In Laurie King’s novel the past is the key to the present.  Having an understanding of Sherlock Holmes’ life makes the story of the novel more satisfying.  King’s use of real locations and events within the novel are significant because they tell the story of the forgotten past Chauncey talks about in his “Why Marriage? The History Shaping Today’s Debate Over Gay Equality.”  The use of a homosexual female cop as the main character without focusing the main plot on her sexuality is significant because it shows the humanity of women.  Yet, the reader can learn about the history of San Francisco’s gay life through Kate Martinelli and Billy Birdsong, while also learning about transpeople in the 30s and 40s in San Francisco. 

            The documentary film “African American Lives” also brings significance to past presents.  The individuals in this documentary are searching for answers to their ancestral pasts.  In their quest, their genealogical pasts and DNA composition are revealed to show what is really truth and what is fiction.  Much like the participants who are shocked to learn their pasts are not what they had thought, this course has shocked my understanding of knowledge and truth. 

            I am still trying to process all of the concepts presented in class, but at least I no longer have the initial fear that prompted my panicked state.  I understand the role I play in the world and how my very existence is a part of a cycle that continuously creates and absorbs information and knowledge.  I also understand the relationship between nature and culture in a more sophisticated way that guides my understanding of how all things are related.  I realize that my previous coursework in other Women’s Studies courses affect how I approach other Women’s Studies courses and my understandings of sex, gender, religion, race, and other constructed social markers. 

            More importantly Women’s Studies 488A has taught me to be more inquisitive.  In “Everything Bad Is Good For You” Johnson says, “Probing and telescoping represent another—equally important—tendency in the culture: the emergence of forms that encourage participatory thinking and analysis, forms that challenge the mind to make sense of an environment, not just play catch-up with the acceleration curve” (61).  Studying reenactments forced me to question the validity of what was being carried out.  It also forced to me to ask questions about why specific actions were taking place and who decided to include those actions.  It also made me question my own biases and why I was more open to some ideas, but closed off to others.  I also became aware of how much power individuals have and how careful I have to be when processing information and events, because my thoughts and actions would ultimately become a part of the cycle that continuously creates and absorbs knowledge. 

            This course and the classroom has been my community of practice.  The conversations between classmates and the different perspectives and approaches to various concepts and ideas have helped me to conceptualize the purpose of this course.  I now realize the importance of Johnson’s words in “Everything Bad Is Good For You” that “It’s not what the player is thinking about, but the way she’s thinking” (60) that’s important.  The mediations, remediations, and various reenactments are important because they elicit a level and form of thinking that is participatory and inquisitive.  Prior to understanding these concepts I had a very superficial understanding of various subjects, because I believed everything I was told.  This course forced me to think outside the box for the first time.  Although, the box has not been completely removed, I am a lot more open to alternative knowledge, because I now question why some things are considered truths, while others are considered alternative knowledge. 

                 

References

Bolter, J.D., & Grusin, R. (1999). Remediation: Understanding New Media. MIT

 

Chauncey, G. (2004). Why Marriage?  The History Shaping Today’s Debate Over Gay Equality. Basic

 

Gates, H. L., Judd, G., & Farrell, L.D. (2006). African American Lives [DVD]. PBS Paramount

 

Handler, R. & Gable, E. (1997). The New History In An Old Museum: Creating The Past At Colonial Williamsburg. Duke

 

Haraway, D. (2003). The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness. Prickly Paradigm

 

Johnson, S. (2005). Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. Riverhead

 

King, L.R. (2006). The Art of Detection. Bantam Dell

 

Roth, S. F (1998). Past Into Present: Effective Techniques For First-Person Historical Interpretation. North Carolina

 

Genealogies

So I watched the DVD African American Lives by Gates.  I really really really enjoyed the film, so much so I watched all four hours all the way through. 

 Anyways, the film follows the lives of 9 different prominent African Americans and their journey in unraveling thier family history and DNA composition.  It was interesting how the experts traced the ancestral backgrounds of all the participants and what their family composition was like. 

Scientists also completed DNA testing on all the participants to determine the “racial” background of all the participants.  It was interesting to see the different reactions they had to their results.  Quincy Jones and Gates for example were shocked to learn about their European background.  Another participant was shocked to learn she had ancestral ties to Asia, while another was disappointed to learn she had no ties to Native Americans. 

One thing I didn’t like about the film was how they conveniently tied in certain stories about certain people.  For instance, investigating Oprah’s family history revealed that there were educators in her family.  The show and Oprah used this fact to indicate that as a reasoning for why Oprah loved education and educators.  I thought this was stretching it, because this same logic can be applied to criminals.  If a couple of criminals exist in a family does that mean members of that family are all now criminals? 

Despite a few problems I had with this film, overall it was pretty good.  It was interesting to see how science was used to explain the past. 

 One thing I kept thinking about during this film was the idea of social constructions.  If things are a result of how we constructed them, then how do we know that what science tells us is true?  How do we know that these DNA results are truth?  Scientific experiments are about repeatability through step by step procedures that tell you to do things a certain way, so if I detract form those instructions are my results just as valid?  These were some of the questions I started to ask myself while watching the film. 

 I know it might sound stupid, but how do we know what we know is real? 

Dogs

So this week we’re reading Donna Haraway’s The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, And Significant Otherness.  From what I understand Haraway is saying that nature and culture should be viewed in context with each other, because they do not function separately.  She says dog writing is a branch of feminist theory and vice versa because both refuse to think in binaries, reject typical thinking, relativisms, and universalisms.  I’m having some difficulty grasping her ideas, especially when she started writing about cyborgs. 

 One thing I’ve had to do is look up a lot of terms she uses in this book.  I’ve never heard of terms like symbiogenesis, prehension, interpellation, semiotic, etc…  I find that I’m using wikipedia a lot for this class, which is good, because I’m learning new terms. 

I’m still trying to understand the concept of significant otherness. In my mind I understand there is a relationship between nature and culture, but I’m having a hard time expressing it out loud in words, which means I don’t understand the relationship as clearly as I would like. 

 Anyways, I’m only halfway through the book right now, I still have to finish reading before class tomorrow.  Hopefully, as I read along I’ll understand Haraway a little better. 

Oops

I posted my midterm on reenactments, but I don’t know where it is.  I’m not a very good blogger.  Anyways, here it is AGAIN. 

Wikipedia defines reenactments within a historical context describing recreations like the Civil War or some other event or time period from history.  Most people think of reenactments in the same way.  They think of places like Colonial Williamsburg or Mount Vernon where participants act as if they’re really from that time period.  These living histories allow the audience to experience what life must have been like in the past.  The participants in these living histories dress and act the part of the characters from the time period they are reenacting.  Although, these living histories are some of the most recognizable reenactments, there are other less recognizable reenactments occurring in our daily lives.  These reenactments have a tremendous affect on how we think, act, and react everyday as we encounter the many facets of life. 

Reenactments occur everyday in many ways even though we may not realize it.  It affects the way we think and how we’re socialized.  Reenactments exist in our schooling, television shows, conversations, social settings, and in many other forms.  Knowledge is learned and shared through reenactments.  As we acquire and process new information from our surroundings and interactions we both consciously and unconsciously change our way of thinking.  This change is expressed and filtered back into society as we exchange experiences and information with those around us both consciously and unconsciously.  

Reenactments occur on many different levels and in many different ways.  For instance simulations in the gaming world is one type of reenactment.  In Everything Bad Is Good For You Steven Johnson says, the gaming world has created new ways of thinking that can be applied to everyday life.  He says, “games are, on the whole, more complex than most other cultural experiences targeted at kids today” (32).  These games offer instant rewards and foster an ability to make quick decisions.  Johnson says, “It’s not what you’re thinking about when you’re playing a game, it’s the way you’re thinking that matters” (40).  He focuses on the process that is developed while an individual plays these games rather than the games themselves.  The ability to think critically while developing new skills is important because they are applicable to everyday life.  These newly acquired thought processes and information constantly shape and reshape people.  As technology advances people have more opportunities to engage others while developing greater analytical skills. 

With the increasing advances in technology people have easier access to different resources.  The media’s influence on society has been increasing with advanced technology.  Information is shared more quickly and can reach a wider audience.  Although, many positive outcomes have arisen due to the broadening reach of the media, many negative outcomes have arisen as well.  In many ways, people have become more isolated.  An obvious gap exists in terms of social class between those who can and cannot access information through the internet or other expensive resources such as satellite and cable television.  Advanced technology has affected the way knowledge is both learned and shared and has created conditions on who can and cannot access this information. 

Another field where access to advanced technology is creating a gap is in the medical field.  Those of a higher social class have easier access to better health care, while those of a lower social class oftentimes find it difficult to get any type of health care.  Reenactments occur within the medical field as well, through the popularity of specific medical procedures.  These reenactments are representative of the class hierarchy that exists in society.  The popularity of cosmetic and plastic surgery is only salient for those of a higher class.  When individuals opt to have these costly procedures that are not necessary for sustaining life they are sending a message to society that they belong to a higher social class.  Their ability to pay for these procedures indicates a different way of thinking as well, because they have the luxury of spending money on superfluous activities.  Individuals who cannot afford to have these procedures done may not even be entertaining the idea of cosmetic or plastic surgery, which is an indication of a different set of values and beliefs. 

The act of obtaining cosmetic and plastic surgery can reveal many things about people and society.  It shows how different procedures within the medical field can determine the social class of an individual and how these representations are reenactments of the class hierarchy that exists in society.  By undergoing plastic surgery an individual expresses to society his/her social standing, because he/she can afford to have the procedures done.  Individuals living in poverty would not be able to pay for these procedures let alone regular life sustaining procedures, so issues surrounding cosmetic and plastic surgery are more salient for a higher classed community, because of the high costs of the procedures. 

Over the years cosmetic and plastic surgery is a field that has been garnering a lot of attention.  The popularity of cosmetic and plastic surgery has resulted in shows like Nip Tuck and Extreme Makeover, which have in turn brought more attention to the field as well. 

Cosmetic and plastic surgery is a thriving business in the United States and throughout the world.  The number of people who are willing to go under the knife for double eyelid surgeries, breast augmentation, calf reductions, face lifts, chin sculpting, liposuction, lip enhancements, nose jobs etc…is increasing every year.  As more and more people opt to obtain these procedures we have to question why cosmetic and plastic surgery is gaining so much popularity and what that represents.  We also have to examine the types of procedures being requested and the people requesting them. 

With the increasing popularity of cosmetic and plastic surgery there seems to be a more open division between those who are either for or against such procedures.  This division can be clearly seen within the Asian American community, where cosmetic and plastic surgery takes on more socio-political and cultural meanings.  Within the Asian and Asian American community the double eyelid surgery also known as blepharoplasty is the most popular procedure.  Only 50% of the Asian population is born with the double eyelid fold, so many Asians and Asian Americans have been opting to undergo blepharoplasty.  This procedure is at the forefront of the plastic surgery controversy within the Asian American community.  Those who are against the procedure say Asian Americans who opt to have blepharoplasty are denying their culture to become more westernized, white.  There are accusations of racial abandonment and self-hatred, while those who are opting to have these procedures done say race plays no role in their decision-making. 

As an Asian American woman and feminist I have always had an interest in cosmetic and plastic surgery within the Asian American community.  In the past I too opposed these procedures, oftentimes judging the people who opted to be surgically cut and altered.  I assumed they were abandoning their racial identity and giving in to western powers and influences.  As a feminist I assumed these women were perpetuating the idea that a woman’s worth only came from her physical appearance. I was quick to judge these women without questioning my own values and beliefs and what it meant to accuse Asian American women of wanting to be Caucasian. 

After researching this topic I am no longer quick to judge the people who obtain these procedures.  My transformation in thought is a result of finding many sources that contradict the idea that Asian Americans who obtain cosmetic and plastic surgery are in denial of their racial, ethnic backgrounds.  These sources reject the belief that these people are giving in to the objectification of their physical self.  In fact, much of the literature questions why Asian Americans are being accused of wanting to become white instead of wanting to merely look more attractive. 

I chose to research cosmetic and plastic surgery for my paper on reenactments because these procedures are representative of the beauty ideals that exist in our society.  The desire to physically alter oneself is a reenactment of the beauty ideals that exist in society.  Both men and women believe people must look a certain way to achieve success in partnerships, work, happiness, and life.  Surgical procedures that promote youthfulness are an indication of how our society devalues older people.  For Asian Americans it deals with issues about race and power.  By examining how the conversation about surgery is being framed I’ve learned that when Asian Americans undergo plastic and cosmetic surgery their decisions are racialized, not by the patients, but by outside parties.  I’ve also learned that plastic surgery is framed differently for men and women.  Many believe men only undergo surgery to advance their careers, while women undergo surgery for superficial reasons. 

Although, researching cosmetic and plastic surgery for a paper on reenactments may seem like an odd choice at first, I’ve found that power plays a major role in the area.  The way power is both expressed and processed is reenacted through cosmetic and plastic surgery.  The popularity of surgically altering oneself to look a certain way is an indication of what people have been conditioned to believe is beautiful.  The people who opt to have these procedures done also perpetuate the belief that beauty is really defined in these ways.  The racial hierarchy that exists in society is reenacted by how cosmetic and plastic surgery is racialized and framed differently for Asian Americans compared to Caucasians.  The role of gender and the power dynamics that come in to play are also reenacted by how women are judged on a different standard than men when obtaining cosmetic and plastic surgeries.  The popularity of cosmetic and plastic surgery shows how individuals are influenced by socio-cultural values. 

Cosmetic and plastic surgery within the Asian American community is racialized.  Asian Americans have been accused of abandoning their ethnic/racial background by obtaining eyelid surgeries, nose jobs, breast implants, and calf reductions.  It’s as if some believe Asian Americans as a whole are lacking in these physical attributes so much so that instead of wanting to imitate those within their own racial/ethnic background who have these “parts” they are accused of wanting to imitate Caucasians.  This accusation sends a message to society that to be beautiful means to be white.  The belief that Asian Americans are trying to imitate Caucasians shows an arrogance and conditioned way of thinking that perpetuates the higher status of Caucasians above all racial minorities. 

When Asian Americans have these procedures people assume it is an attempt to look white, but how realistic is that accusation?  Can one procedure change the aesthetic of a person so much they can adopt a new racial identity?  Of course not, then why would any person with cognitive abilities believe they could abandon their own racial identity through a medical procedure?  They have to know that their racial identity is inescapable, so then are they really having these procedures to become more white, or are they having these procedures to merely “look better?”  If the people who are obtaining these procedures are doing it to enhance their existing looks, why are Asian Americans accused of wanting to become white rather than wanting to look better?  Who are the people making these claims?  Why is plastic surgery racialized for Asian Americans and not for Caucasians?  These are some of the questions I am hoping to uncover, while examining how knowledge regarding body image and power is both given and received by those within and outside the Asian American community and how cosmetic and plastic surgery is an avenue through which power dynamics and racial hierarchies are reenacted. 

In “Thousands Turn to Surgery to Improve Their Appearance” Sharon Romm says Americans undergo surgery to improve their looks and to look younger, yet Asian women undergo plastic surgery to look more “occidental.”  Romm makes assumptions about why Asian women opt for surgery.  Her assumptions are representative of the racial hierarchy that exists in society.  She makes a distinction between races when she claims that white people undergo plastic surgery to look more youthful, while Asians undergo surgery to look like white people, instead of wanting to look youthful as well.  Romm’s statement is important because she is perpetuating the belief that true beauty can only be achieved by a white person or through the imitation of a white person.  Her article is an indication of how the conversation about Asian Americans and cosmetic and plastic surgery is being framed and who is doing it.  Her assumption also shows an arrogance that many people have been conditioned to believe. 

By assuming Asian Americans are only getting surgery to look white is a reenactment of the racial hierarchy that exists in society.  Why aren’t Asian Americans accused of wanting to look black or Latino? It reaffirms who does and does not have power in society; because being white means having a higher status, while being black, Latino, or Asian means having a lower status and no one would accuse anyone of wanting to be of a lower status. 

In “Sizing Up the Problem: The Politics of Body Image of Women of Color” Charlice Hurst gives a personal account of what it feels like to be a woman of color in a country that expresses the desirability of super slim tall white women.  She believes the media and the fashion industry are responsible for perpetuating images of “genetically unattainable” looks.  These images are harmful to women, because many internalize the messages and images that are considered ideal.  In fact, Hurst says, “It’s a fact that the less I look African or Asian, the more beautiful I am.”  Women of color have it harder because the ideal look in society belongs to white women, so women of color will never truly be considered beautiful.  This is one of the reasons why so many people like my previous self accused Asian American women of wanting to be white.  We internalize the messages that tell us that being a woman of color will never be quite as beautiful as a white woman, so assume any attempts to physically alter oneself is a ploy to look white. 

In “For Asian Americans, The Issues Underlying Cosmetic Surgery Are Not Just Skin Deep.” Joan Chen links cosmetic surgery to issues of race and power revealing the effects of discrimination based on physical characteristics.  The article touches on issues concerning self-esteem and vanity and how they may be linked to power and media representation and or underrepresentation.  She questions what the future will be like if people continue to undergo plastic surgery and points out that cosmetic surgery can in the future, be used to divide people along class and racial lines. 

The underrepresentation of Asian Americans in the media has had a profound impact on body image, but has it prompted these men and women into wanting to become white?  Or are these procedures about wanting to improve upon one’s looks?  In “The Aesthetics of Asian Cosmetic Surgery” Rita Yeon addresses how white people and Asian people prefer to have different outcomes when requesting the same procedure.  She says white people prefer to shrink their noses during rhinoplasties, while Asian people prefer to make their noses bigger.  Yet, white people are not accused of abandoning their racial identity to become Asian, but Asian people are accused of wanting to become white. 

White people aren’t accused of wanting to become Asian because they are at the top of the racial hierarchy and being Asian means lowering their status.  The existence of a hierarchy assumes that there is desirability in being placed at the top of the social order. 

Yet, Asian Americans are undergoing cosmetic and plastic surgery for very different reasons.  In “taking a second look: Is eyelid surgery an exercise in self-hate or a legitimate claim to a “look” that is equally Asian? Dr. Wes Young takes another look at blepharoplasty” Wes Young says after the Korean War, because of the increased contact and exposure to white people some doctors assumed that Asians wanted to look white.  During those times the eyelid surgery was referred to as the “Occidentalization of Asian eyelids” or “Westernization of Asian eyelids.”  This is important because labels have a tremendous impact through their longevity.  These former labels can be contributing to the idea that Asian Americans are trying to look white through plastic surgery.  Wes Young also says many Asian Americans complained their double eyelid creases were too high on their eyelids making them look White, indicating their desire to not imitate White people. 

In Wes Young’s article he gives an account of how one doctor, Dr. Liu, who in his 20 years of practice said only 2 of his patients said they didn’t want to look “Oriental,” so wanted surgery to look white.  Dr. Liu refused to operate and instead recommended they receive psychological help because he only operated on people, who wanted to improve their looks, not abandon their racial identity.  This is important because it shows how much power surgeons have, because they can determine who can and cannot receive surgery and how a patient will ultimately look after their operation.  It shows how a surgeon’s perception of beauty plays a significant role in the result of an operation. 

In “Ethnic Ideals: Rethinking Plastic Surgery” Elisabeth Rosenthal says cosmetic and plastic surgeons need to and are making efforts to change their procedural methods to help minority patients achieve their desired looks while maintaining their ethnic looks.  A surgeon’s perception of beauty affects his/her surgical techniques and in our society to be beautiful means being white.  The doctors quoted in this article say patients don’t want to change their ethnic looks into something different, they just want to improve upon them.  Rosenthal also points out how many of these surgeons have been taught based on white standards of beauty and how it poses a problems for minorities.  This is important because it shows how doctors have applied Western features on their minority patients, not because they requested them, but because that was the only style they were trained in.  This may explain why some minority women have “white features.”  As technology advances and more surgeons are becoming sensitive to their minority patients they are learning how to operate, while preserving the ethnic features of their patients. 

The desire to learn these new techniques also indicates a desire by Asian Americans to preserve their own ethnic looks.  In “The Aesthetics of Asian Cosmetic Surgery” Dr. Bang says he would never perform a surgical procedure the same way for different people of different racial backgrounds, because their faces are structured differently.  Dr. Bang criticizes the idea of westernization through surgery and says, “I’m not trying to make somebody look white…What I normally strive for when I do an Asian eyelid surgery is to make them look like they were born with a crease,” which is desired by the patients as well. 

Despite all these claims that indicate Asian Americans are having cosmetic and plastic surgery to enhance their existing appearance, they are accused of wanting to become white.  In “Beauty to Behold” Mia Perry explores racial identities and issues pertaining to biracial people.  She questions why biracial people mixed with white are considered beautiful, while others are not.  She says society extracts their beauty from their whiteness rather than exploring their diverse multiple backgrounds.  Statements such as “she’s so pretty, because she’s mixed with white” dominate discussions of beauty for biracial and multiracial people.  For these individuals their status is increased through their whiteness. 

In “Racial Seduction: American’s Gaze on Hapa Men” Teresa Kay Williams says media images have a profound impact on a person’s sense of self, more so for Hapas (mixed heritage Asian-descent people) because they have limited representation in the media.  When they are represented, the Hapas are recognized more for their white identity as opposed to their Asian background.  Williams says the power relations that exist in American society affects one’s sense of physical self.  She says, “Beauty can also confer social power, prestige, and privilege.  Images of beauty and ugliness are powerful enough to dictate to the audience how they ought to view and think about these images and their power relationships to them.”  She challenges the ideas surrounding racism, sexism, and classism and asks how we participate in sustaining or breaking down these structures. 

By accusing Asian Americans of wanting to become white, we reaffirm the notion that only whiteness can confer beauty.  Our definition of beauty becomes limited and we give up our power to define what is beautiful.  How the conversation around cosmetic and plastic surgery within the Asian American community is framed is a reenactment of the racial hierarchy that exists in society.  When we accuse Asian Americans of wanting to become white through plastic surgery we send a message to society that being white is desirable when in fact being in power and reaping the benefits of having the prestige and privileges that is awarded to those in power is the true desirability. 

Similarly, cosmetic and plastic surgery is framed differently for men and women.  In “Knife guys finish first” Paul Simao says the conversation surrounding men obtaining surgeries is about career enhancement, while women are accused of obtaining surgeries for vanity.  This reinforces the idea that women are to be valued only for their physical appearance.  By using career enhancement as an excuse to obtain plastic surgery men can maintain their dominant status in the gender hierarchy. 

Why aren’t men accused of being vain when undergoing plastic surgery?  Why are they allowed to use the excuse of career enhancement?  Why does society see a woman’s decision to have surgery as a superficial act for superficial reasons?

By accusing women of vain attempts to look more attractive we emphasize the importance of a woman’s physical attractiveness beyond her other characteristics.  We perpetuate the belief that a woman’s value comes from her physical appearance and not for her own satisfaction, but for the satisfaction and gaze of others, especially men. 

If society decided to accuse men of wanting to have plastic surgery for the same reasons women are accused of having them their status would deflate.  To exhibit behavior similar to women means losing face, because women are of a social status than men.  The different way the conversation surrounding cosmetic and plastic surgery is framed for men and women is representative of what role power plays in gender issues.  Cosmetic and plastic surgery is a medium through which power dynamics within gender roles are reenacted to show which group is and is not in power. 

The pervasive nature of society influences us to think and act in ways that represent and perpetuate inequalities that hurt others and ourselves.  Reenactments are one of many ways messages are given and received.  People learn how to think critically by examining everyday occurrences and by questioning how and why everything happens the way it does.  Examining cosmetic and plastic surgery has revealed how power plays a major role in how people perceive themselves and others.  It affects the way people internalize messages and make decisions, sometimes life altering.  It also determines how people analyze others, which can sustain preexisting social hierarchies.  By recognizing the existence of these hierarchies one can begin to change his/her own outlook on life and change the reenactments that reflect current social injustices into positive ones. 

      

Bibliography

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Davis, Kathy. Reshaping the Female Body: The Dilemma of Cosmetic Surgery. New York: Routledge, 1995. 

Gilman, Sander L. “By a nose: on the construction of ‘foreign bodies.” Social Epistemology, Volume 13: No. 1, 1999, 49-58.

Haiken, Elisabeth. Venus Envy: A History of Cosmetic Surgery. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.

Hurst, Charlice. “Sizing Up the Problem: The Politics of Body Image of Women of Color.” Third Force Oakland, Volume 5: Issue 2, 30 June 1997, 17. 

Johnson, Steven. Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. New York: Riverhead Books, 2005.

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Koff, Elissa and Amy Benavage. “Breast Size Perception and Satisfaction, Body Image, and Psychological Functioning in Caucasian and Asian American College Women.” Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, Volume 38: No. 7-8, April 1998, 655-673.

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Frustrated Writer

When I first set out to write my paper on reenactments I was excited about how I could connect cosmetic and plastic surgery to reenactments and thought I had it all worked out in terms of how I was going to structure my paper and the ideas I was going to present.  Now that I’ve completed my paper I feel very insecure. I don’t feel confident about what I’ve written.  I know I’ve done enough research to understand the different arguments that exist about cosmetic and plastic surgery and the different meanings it has in different communities, but I feel insecure about how I’ve tied it with the concept of reenactments. 

This has been THE most frustrating writing experience I have ever had.  I think my difficulty is a result of not REALLY understanding how broadly I can use the concept of reenactments.  I’m so stuck in my normal understanding of the term that I’m having difficulty allowing myself to apply the concept as liberally as I have in my paper. 

 Hopefully, it’ll work out. 

New Approaches to History

So there’s a debate about whether or not living histories are conducive to learning.  Some believe they portray history incorrectly, because of modern influences.  Others believe they give a more appealing, memorable, and sometimes interactive presentation of what past histories were like. 

Some believe first person interpretations of history are more entertainment than education, so shouldn’t be taken seriously. 

So this debate had me thinking about textbooks.  Granted these books are filled with letters and words not humans acting as if they’re really a part of colonial times, but still aren’t textbooks creations and interpretations as well?  What makes a text book a better medium for learning than living histories?

This reminded me of what Steven Johnson talked about in his book “Everything Bad Is Good For You.”  He said there are a lot of objections to video games, virtual realities, and multi-media advancements because they detract people, especially children from “real” learning material such as books.  Granted books are very important and I’m not advocating for the abandonment of reading, but what’s wrong with computers, games, tv shows, and living histories?  Why can’t we take lessons from all of these different mediums? 

 Our society is so stuck on the value of books we are missing the many opportunities and learning experiences that can be extracted from other sources as well. 

 I just thought the whole topic of living histories and the ongoing debate about the validity of these interpretations were ironic.  No one ever questions the validity of a book.  Some books give false information and quite frankly no medium is without its biases. 

Colonial Williamsburg

You know I never really thought about how Colonial Williamsburg was constructed.  I never really thought about who made the decisions to portray what life was like back then the way it is now.  It’s interesting to see how living histories are played out. 

 Museums play a huge role on how we shape our thoughts and ideas.  The idea of a culture war between “new” history and old history is interesting.  The fact that there is a “new” history is interesting in itself, because it doesn’t seem to make sense to have a “new” past.  But these living histories shape the way people view the past by manipulating present available resources. 

 It was also interesting to learn about how “outsiders” the audience members and visitors to these museums participate in the creation of the museums.  As an audience member, I never considered the power I had in determining what things I would see in a museum, but it makes absolute sense now that I do play a role. 

The “insiders” of the museum world, those “professionals” and “experts” are in constant communication with their audience when they consider what would and would not appeal to the public.  They take into consideration the wants and needs of the consumer.  So these reenactments are a result of individuals and the interactions between these individuals. 

 Reading about Colonial Williamsburg and visiting the Hall of Mammals has helped me to realize how knowledge is created and passed on all around us.  Our daily actions and interactions are part of a process that constantly create “new” and recycled ideas. 

Pop Culture: Games, TV, etc…

So after reading Steven Johnson’s “Everything Bad Is Good For You” I have a different opinion on the impact of games, television, and other technically advanced media outlets.  I was in the same boat as the people Johnson described in his book.  I always saw the negative aspects of gaming and felt that it was too violent and had no real benefits.  After reading his book, I’m convinced that gaming has many benefits.  Yet, I’m concerned that many people are becoming obsessed with the gaming world and forgetting all the other opportunities the world has to offer.  I definitely see less children playing outside.  Instead, most kids are at home on their computers or playing the newest games.  Whatever happened to a good old game of hide and seek?  It’s great that the younger generation is becoming smarter, sharper, quicker, but shouldn’t they also be working on building their social skills? 

 I definitely agree with Johnson that the content of television shows are an indication of how we have evolved into a smarter generation.  Movies and tv shows are becoming more complicated forcing you to actually think about the main plot and subplots. 

 Technology has also allowed us to have easier access to various things, but it has also created a wider gap in class divisions.  Those with more financial resources have easier access to this technology, which helps them to maintain their status and acquire access to other things that may help them attain a higher status, while those in a lower class status are continually fighting to play catch-up. 

Johnson’s book brings up many great points about pop culture and all the different ways we have benefited from it, but it also makes me wonder what we have lost in the process.  I can feel the shift that has occurred in society.  People have so many different ways they can connect to others through cellphones, email, videos, etc…, but at the same time I feel like people are less connected.  Neighborhoods aren’t what they used to be.  I feel like people don’t connect the way they used to. 

Reenactments

So I’m taking a course right now that’s about examining reenactments.  On the first day of this course we were asked to think about what reenactments are and the first thing I thought of was my high school history teacher, because he does reenactments of the American Revolution.  Outside of historical reenactments, I couldn’t really think of anything else that would constitute being a reenactment.  So my professor tells the class to look up words like sensorium and senses and to think “outside the box” when thinking about reenactments. 

Now I’m beginning to slowly grasp how broadly the term reenactment can be applied to the world around us.  I’ve been visiting numerous model homes lately because my family is in the market to buy a new home and it’s interesting how all of these homes are decorated.  The different ways these model homes have been decorated and set up are representative of how traditional family life is perceived in America. 

Another way I examined reenactments is by visiting the Hall of Mammals at the Smithsonian.  As soon as you walk in you’re bombarded with displays of “exotic” animals.  There are markers that tell you the three requirements of being a mammal: hair; ability to lactate; and the existence of certain earbones.  All of the different mammals on display have markers that explain what they are and other tidbits of interesting information.  The displays play on your sense of sight by not only providing physical reproductions of these animals, but by positioning them in ways that are at times welcoming, funny, dangerous, and voyeuristic.  They also play on your sense of hearing by providing stations where you can hear a lion hunting and capturing its prey.  Some displays also allowed you to touch specific items to connect with the texture.  I also had an opportunity to watch the short film they were showing on evolution and where humans fit in.  It was interesting to see how the film presented evolution and it was even more interesting how they never mentioned the word evolution, even though it was the subject of the film. 

 These are just some of the ways I have been encountering reenactments.  Hopefully, as the semester rolls on I will have a better understanding of what reenactments are and what role they play in the way people are educated, especially within schools.