Studio for Southern California History

Meet THIS FRIDAY!

For those of you working with the Studio for Southern California History, there is an orientation and tour this Friday, 2/7/11 at 3:00 p.m. at the Hill Street location. You'll want to allow sufficient time to get to Chinatown (the other side of downtown LA) during a Friday rush hour. There's paid parking adjacent to the studio (I think it's $3.50/flat rate). There's also some street parking.

These initial meetings are ice-breakers, so it's important that you do everything in your power to attend. You'll be more comfortable during future site visits, and our community partners will get the message that we're committed to them and to the project.

As always, thank you for all of your efforts in making these projects succeed!

Families of the Incarcerated

Hey guys, I apologize for the delay in hopping on the blog train. I will start with my most recent experience. On Saturday morning I had the privilege of attending the first session of a six month program for mothers of the incarcerated. I drove down Washington, passing several areas of construction, Factories, Taco shops, LAPD, more urban clutter, and finally found the building squeezed in next to a freeway. After parking in front of what looks like a warehouse building, across the street from a fancy Gentlemen’s Club, I rang the grey buzzer. Amalia Molina, wearing bright blue and a warm smile, escorted me into the building. Amalia is the director of Families of the Incarcerated. She introduced me to the women, Rosa, Lilia, Diane, Nora, Reyna, and Amada, to name a few. I walked around close quarters to a small kitchen where breakfast was served. Shortly after breakfast, we began the session.

“I just need to exteriorize how I feel.” Paranoia, Frustration, closed society, self deprecation, embarrassment, and shame were a few of the things mentioned by the women when they answered to how they feel when they encounter other people. The day before I had heard Amalia tell me that the families carry the prison sentence as well, I then truly understood. We went around the circle introducing ourselves, and listening to introductory remarks. The group then broke off into women that had already gone through the six month healing program, and the new members. The women that had come back went off to work on creative workshops of knitting while sharing valuable conversation. I stayed behind to hear the stories of the women that were new to the center.

Whether it was Filogonia telling us how she pushed her son to paint as a source of strength in prison, or Nora telling us about her son’s one hour of daylight in the shoe, no story went without tears. Some women expressed the pain of losing their son, others of losing their son to prison, and in others both cases applied. One thing was more than clear, and one of the women clearly stated this, it does not matter what side of the tragedy you sit on, pain and grief is something we share. I was SUPER taken back, moved, and all sorts of other crazy feelings in hearing such STRONG stories being told –tears and all flowing of course.

Diane and Bertha were two sisters-in-law present. Diane’s son is currently awaiting trial in the murder of his Father, and uncle –Bertha’s brothers, and Diane's husband and brother-in-law. Their broken voices reflected reflected a broken story. Diane’s son suffers from mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, and she expresses how broken the system is in treating her son, and how he will be eaten alive in the prison system as a mentally unstable inmate. They sob as they share their stories. Yet, however, they recognize the pain they share, and how coming together will make them stonger. Anger is transformed into acceptance. In the picture, Diane and Bertha embrace below a symbolic painting of families of the incarcerated. This is just the edge of something I cannot give justice to in this blog post.

I also heard the story of Lilia Gallo, the mother of Andrew Gallo, charged with second degree murder in the drunken driving incident where the Angels pitcher was murdered. For her it has only been over a year and half, so she is new to the battle. She spoke of the amount of hate she received during the trial, and how she felt she was treated, and seen as an animal. Before I left she handed me a paper titled Surviving Sorrow. Her story is not mentioned in the news. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/23/local/la-me-1223-adenhart-sentencing-2010122

Background checks for Fades for Grades members

Hey y'all:

So to work at LAUSD you need to have a background check. JEP is hosting a company that performs these checks this Friday, February 4th from 8:30-11:45am (and the dean's office picks up the tab). She will located upstairs in the house in the first room on the right when you come up the stairs.
 
They request that the students all choose different times to come so that they don't end up with a long line (the whole process takes about 10 minutes).

Lastly, you need to bring some form of identification. Either a driver's license, state i.d. card, or passport.

Let us know if you can't make it--the alternative is to go through another agency that costs $40.

Nanook and Menand

I love Menand’s description of the one thing all documentaries have in common: “they show you what was not intended for you to see.” The irony of this is that the subjects are exposed to you in such a way that you still are not seeing what is not intended for you to see. This largely has to do with the bias in documentaries that is so clear, it almost tricks you into believing that it is the perspective you should agree with. Menand discusses the difference that between the “preference for the off-camera” and “officialdom.” While it is easier to feel pity or love for those who are not used to being exposed to a camera, filmmakers will go to greater lengths to show those familiar with camera exposure in a less flattering light.

While I agree with Menand’s description of the average filmmaker, I found his analysis of Nanook of the North a little over the top. While it’s deceiving that Flaherty staged so much of his documentary by doing things like building a camera-friendly igloo, Flaherty is honest in his intentions. Menand even says that what Flaherty wanted to show is “the former majesty and character of these people, while it is still possible--before the white man has destroyed not only their character, but the people as well.” Flaherty’s admittance of his goal as showing the former character of the Inuit people nearly negates his deceitful tactics. Had he been making the argument that those filmed were still walrus hunting with harpoons, it would be a different story. The disclaimer that Nanook and his family were portraying traditions that have since been abandoned makes me think Menand needs to cut Flaherty some slack.

Hertzberg + Flower

The Hertberg article in particular was very interesting as it was able to draw many different points of view regarding the subject of community service. However one may define synonyms of this type of social work, its underlying foundation is to benefit or enhance the lives of others who do not share the same opportunities as those in other economic situations. Its not to say that the experiences one may gain in public school vs private school isn't advantageous in certain aspects, but a smaller student to teacher ratio or the offerings of more experienced counselors with connections to certain universities clearly are. Thus, the idea here would be to try to smaller the gap between public and private school for example by providing after school programs, extra-circulars or whatever it may be so that disenfranchised students in worse public schools can have an opportunity to succeed.

Hertzberg has a strange opinion on charity work, mainly that certain kinds of community work are ineffective and do not provide a lasting impact. For example an organization who fundraises money to donate to a school may not be as influential as a arts after school program that helps increase creativity and out of the box thinking for students.

Between, Bickford, Hertzberg and Flower there are different semantics which define community work. Bickford essentially exploring the idea of activism which in her opinion is not something she aligns with community work but more of rebellious stance. Hertzberg explains that the idea of charity, or charitable donations are not community service necessarily as they don't have a lasting impact. Flower on the same note explains that these kinda of donations do not lead to social change and rather have a negative connotation.

Since when does giving back get so complicated? It seems as though almost anything you do, donating money, being an activist, or starting a drive for old clothes for example are only hurting communities and not benefiting anyone in a long term. The issue is that people give back in different ways, not everyone strives to be a social worker, teacher, or hospital volunteer. It is becoming a trend to want help but in a way that is not cliche but has a legitimate longterm benefit. Many students or business leaders who don't have the passion to work one on one with a student are finding a new source of giving back. Social Entrepreneurship is one old phenomenon that is starting to pick up pace and may have a lasting effect.

Oren

Families Incarcerated

Thanks to Will, Amber, Juan, and Efe for making it to the orientation this afternoon. It sounds like you're going to have some terrific options for the final project!

Jay Ruby article

The Jay Ruby article brings up some very interesting points about the logistics of documentary filmmaking, and the conflicting views about processing the documentaries. I believe the article attempted to discuss and gain some ground on the question: "What is the documentarian's moral obligation to the subject being filmed?" There were several examples that showed that the documentarian and the subject's trust level was based on the fact that the subject could view and make comments on the film material before the editing process. I found this to be an interesting approach to documentary making, because as stated by Ruby on pg. 206, the subject might have good reason to include certain footage and exclude others, but if the lighting, camera angles, and sound are not matched properly, the documentary will not look professional. Thus, the final cut will gain the criticism that the documentarian tried to avoid in the first place, and subject may not have the same feeling toward the film after all.

On the other hand, there are those who say that it is acceptable for a documentarian not to ask for connect or even lie before filming a subject, depending on the subject matter. I don't think this is the best approach in most cases, because the sense of trust is automatically lost. In some traumatic or high profile situations, however, it may be necessary to capture using hidden cameras in order to get the truth out, in an attempt to alleviate the problem.

I agreed with Ruby's explanation of the filmmaker's responsibility. He says he is "not suggesting that the filmmakers stop asking for permission or [solicit] subjects' opinions. [He is] arguing that most people lack the knowledge necessary to exonerate the producer." This makes sense to me because 90% of the time the subjects are asked to be filmed, and the subject is often aware of the questions and also knows how they want to be characterized. It is up to the filmmaker to make a good documentary, because he bears the responsibility of authorship. The subjects can have some power, and it is good to gain trust with one another and have a sense of cooperation, but it is important to understand the sense of responsibility that the filmmaker has to be objective and represent the subject in a way that meets the needs of both sides.

Menand's take on Michael Moore

Let me preface this with a relevant backstory: for my senior "Capstone" project in high school (an English AP necessity upon graduation; a thesis paper, if you will), I chose Mr. Michael Moore as my subject. I fancied Moore to be a modern day Thomas Paine, one whose incendiary content was amusing and passions seemed sincere and worthwhile. Two weeks and a few hundred pages of research later, I sincerely despised Michael Moore and felt daftly credulous for once falling victim to his petulantly, gleefully masked propaganda.

Menand doesn't give Moore a complete free pass, but his criticism is wrongly focused on the mere directions of Moore's arguments. He glibly states his own opinions on the motivations behind the Iraq War and how they differ from Moore's while defending his hyperbolic rhetoric, so much as comparing it to the great Errol Morris. The differences between the methods and ambitions of the two filmmakers is not hard to identify; where Morris uses behind the scenes footage to help contextualize his characters and humanize their vulnerabilities to the audience, Moore DEhumanizes them into a vindicated "bad guy," and he does so by any means necessary. He reverses the orders of their interviews, constantly edits their words to respond to different questions than those they were actually asked.

Moore is mostly tendentious towards asking half questions and, instead of answering (since his inferred answer would be a flat out lie), leaving implications through images rather than actual proof. I will not spoil this blog with dozens of examples like these, though I'd be glad to share them with anyone interested, as I've avidly gone out of my way to inform people of his Ophidian morale (a simple internet search or two provides ample information as well; it's all documented, just look at all the lawsuits his own guests have filed against him!). I will just say that Michael Moore attacks specific human beings by ruthless, vitriolic incisions that are almost always fabricated to ridiculous extents. At what point does a filmmaker's message become more important than humans themselves? Is it really alright to martyr innocent people and twist history for the sole sake of making an argument? And at what point do we as spectators accept the responsibility of doing our own research on the matter rather than lazily accepting the specious information that people with ulterior motives preach?

In summary: Ugh.

Nanook and Me Article

I was a little surprised to discover just how staged the documentary "Nanook and Me" was. I realize that we discussed this a little bit during class on Tuesday, but the fact that Flaherty went to such extreme methods as to construct sets for the 'documentary' and even to cast various people as the "family" of the film were appalling. I can't think of why he chose to label it as a documentary when historical reenactment seems a much more appropriate term. It's also quite ridiculous to read that Flaherty had the people in his film re-learn old traditions of their culture merely to get a video record of it, especially cruelly killing a walrus without the decency to adhere to the wishes of the people he was filming to shoot it with his rifle (all of which, PETA would be furious with today). And on another aspect of the 'documentary' is Michael Moore, someone who does in fact record actual events, but does it in such a way that it is made to be unbelievably manipulative, and Moore is involved so thoroughly in his own movies that viewers get tired of him and see him as the extreme manipulator that he is. I think the article makes a great point to show that these 'documentary' attempts are biased in such a way that they indeed transcend into movies. Once the objective aim of a documentary becomes so compromised as it does by both Moore and Flaherty, I think the films can be rightfully seen as movies -- they certainly don't show the truth of the situation. It seems that we now live in a time where the documentary can only strive for a very truthful subjective view, an objective documentary is for all intensive purposes impossible.

Very tentative partners

VERY Tentative partners

Community Garden

*Jackson

*Kelly

*Katie

Families of the Incarcerated First meeting this Friday at 4 at 2049 S. Santa Fe Avenue, LA

*Natalie

Efe

Jennifer

*Amber

Juan

*Cathy

Nick
Jonny
Tiffany

Studio for Southern California History

Blair

*Karla

Evan

*Kristine

Lynda

New Village

Susie

*Hibob

Michelle

*Jackie

Fades for Grades

Oren

Max

Steven

*Nikki

*Melanie
*Briana
Janice

West Adams Meets Wednesdays 8:30 or 10

James

Stephanie

*Lonnie

Abel

*Kady

*Denotes access to IML technology and/or expertise. We want to make sure at least one person per group has these resources.Let us know if we've missed someone who is enrolled in one of the labs.

All the groups will also need to have access to transportation to their sites. When you contact each other, can you make sure that at least one person has access to a car?

online docs

Last I knew, this was a legitimate site:

http://www.freedocumentaries.org/

Blogging about JAY RUBY

Ruby details the issues of documentary filmmaking, all of which will be important to keep in mind when creating our own. There are many reasons to want to make a documentary and there are many effects. Since we are not making one-man video journals I think it’s important to understand the realities of social construction. There is no one authority. In a collaborative piece of documentary journalism one might argue that the subject has the most authority yet the creator holds the power of selection and editing. Ruby explores the idea of allowing subjects to self-censor the filmed material. I think that if a subject knows they are being filmed they have already started self-censoring. Spending time with the subject and building a relationship should allow for enough trust to grow in order for the filmmaker to better understand the subject.

Ruby cites the Canadian project Challenge for Change in which filmmaker Colin Low helps minorities create media they deem accurately represents them. I hope to do something similar and have a project that strengthens the collective identity of the subject.

Here are some of my personal favorite documentaries…

Born Into Brothels

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Super High Me

King Corn

Skid Row

The Up series

Babies

Charity, Social Change and Activism

In Herzberg’s article, I was not expecting his argument about the difference between social change verses charity. I had never differentiated the two ideas – my view had always been that charity encompasses the entire range of actions one can take when working for or with community members and organizations. But by differentiating the two as Herzberg does, it shows the importance of both aspects. One cannot be productive without the other, because we need to work towards overall change in society as well as a change in the lives of those who need it.

I also agreed with Herzberg’s statements about hegemony. I have always known that everyone who is without a home, job or education did not just simply mess up and get what they deserved. It is evident in people who work tireless low paying jobs that they have the termination, but they just have not been led the right way or given the opportunities based on many factors that are not easy to diagnose. However, it is difficult to look at individuals who have been incarcerated or who have not pushed themselves for an education and remember that it is not their fault that they are in the situation that they are in, because that means that I may not deserve to be in the situation that I am in. It is strange to think that others do not have the mindset that I have about working hard in order to gain what I want.

In Flower’s article, the idea of a “contact zone” was not something that I had not thought of prior to reading her article. She discusses the idea that members of community partner organizations may not see our presence as necessary, even though we are there to help or understand them. It is important to ease into having relationships with people at our community partner sites, because they may feel our presence as an intrusion or that we are judging them. It is important to eliminate the idea of “us verses them” but it comes with time. It is not until this differentiation is eliminated that we can connect with them.

I disagreed with Bickford and Reynold’s statement that activism has an extremely negative connotation. As shown by so many public figures, activism does not just mean angrily protesting outside of corporations or courthouse. It is about making serious changes in a flawed society. It is possible that I am naïve in thinking that most people saw activism as I did, but it is crazy to think that someone would consider activism as “against their beliefs.”

I do agree that, although there is a serious need for donating money and for the interpersonal connection of volunteering, these small things are not successful in the long run if activists do not work to change the bigger issues that have led to a need for donations and volunteering.

On Bickford:
I appreciated Bickford's conscious decision to bring up differences between service vs. activism. When I first think of activism, I automatically think of people standing outside of a building or on a street corner holding signs and shouting for people to honk. Overall, when I think about it, it actually seems quite passive. It's like what people in high school would do so that they could sign off their required service hours as quickly as possible. Simply signing up to stand on a street corner for a few hours and putting together a sign with a few words to convey a message, to me, doesn't seem to be one of the most effective mechanisms of change in the long run. In service, however, you are actually engaging in collaborative relationships with organizations and people. That, to me, takes a very raw and genuine effort. Human connection is not an easy thing to establish, let alone cultivate, and that connection is absolutely essential in service. It's hard, but it's real, and it can be an incredibly powerful tool for change in certain cases. Of course, activism and service can indeed both be effective. Certainly, activism is not JUST a passive or even negative thing. But I do believe it's important to consider what these ideas imply and the kind of connotations they have when you first think about them. Generally, I think that those first thoughts can give you a good idea about just how effective and applicable either strategy may or may not be to dealing with a particular cause. Personally, I would like to think that we can use human connection and relationship to solve, or at least approach, some community issues. But I also acknowledge that this may be too idealistic of an approach for every time. Activism does indeed play a key role in bringing about change, and it's important to use it when appropriate, just as with collaboration and human connection.

On Flower:
More than the other things, I really appreciated Flower's discussion of finding active solutions to problems. In class a few days ago, I actually mentioned my concerns for a LACK of this. So many times we try to cure the problem by simply helping out with the symptoms, and we find that at the end of the day we often still have a problem. Indeed, dealing with the tangible and obvious effects of the problem can help temporarily, but it does not address the source. I have to admit, however, that this is not an easy thing to dig out. It doesn't happen overnight, and sometimes we miss it completely. So, maybe that's where these helpful treatments come in. Perhaps, until we can even figure out the problem in the first place and find out how to go about working with them, looking at and dealing with the obvious (the symptoms, the effects, the sadness/upset/etc. that we can see with our eyes as we walk down the street) just helps us get by in the meantime. However, I do not think that we can just settle for "helping out" in the end. We should always be searching, learning, and adjusting our strategies for change.

Activism and Service Learning

I thought this reading pointed out key points about the limitations of service learning and what needs to change in order to bring social change through activism. I never looked at these two words separately but it is essential to understand that activism brings change at the grassroots level for actual community work to be effective. A part of this reading that stood out to me and that was later discussed in class is the question "Why are we doing this?". Why do I want to go out and do "community service" and help others. I found this question hard to answer at first with an actual meaningful answer. I think that everyone should have an answer to this and get involved for the right reasons. There were some points in this piece which I didn't agree with. The piece talked about how "how much understanding can develop from one afternoon's visit to a homeless shelter or a food bank"...I disagree on this point and that one that has never done any form of service can learn alot from just being there and working with others around them. Interacting with others can open there eyes to do this form of service again or not, i think small steps must be first taken in order for greater activism to take place later on and one time visits shouldn't be seen as insignificant.

I agreed with the Bickford and Reynolds point of writing with the community and that the past community service I done through school has always been about what problems, issues and difficulties I had with community service and what I did to overcome it. These types of questions allows for the us versus them barrier that jeopardizes actual change in the community. But it should be about what were the issues of the classroom settings which caused certain behaviors of students. I think their needs to be change in the academic sphere about teaching students at a young age what activism is and so people don't have negative connotations as they grow older.

Transformation through Service

Flower's essay to me really hits a lot of important points. The opening statement in Flower's article is very true in how I personally view community service. "Community outreach brings idealism and social consciousness into the academy. It brings a human face and complex lives into the discussion of issues and ideas," (181). I feel community outreach really should be used in every academic and non-academic class because it really brings a complexity to discussions. Not only from seeing other perspectives, but you are able to understand situations first hand rather than through a book.

In the last section talking about inquiry and transformation, the text really hits home for me when she talks about the contact zone of cultural difference. She says, "...we must be prepared to go beyond contact into the struggle to understand with others in a collaborative intercultual inquiry," (194). This is perfect advice for leading up to our community partnership. even though it may be a struggle, Flower says we must take the step beyond safe distance in order to take our thinking and understanding to the complexity in which service learning is all about. This intercultural learning Flower emphasizes will transform what we know and alter our relationships with others. We must strive for this complexity in understanding rather than merely outreaching to the partners.

Community Service

In Herzberg’s article on community service, he states that students typically strategize their own existence within the world instead of focusing on their responsibility to form a continually improving citizenry. When students are put into uncomfortable situations in dealing with people in need, they form their own superficial opinions about the causes that led to the condition. Herzberg argues that students do not gain a “social consciousness” by simply working among the less privileged. The article focused on a shelter that had residents that were illiterate and/or schizophrenic. I found disturbing the article’s assertion that opinions and decisions were made by educators regarding individual children’s lack of academic potential at a very young age. Young children tend to internalize these beliefs, which often become self-fulfilling prophecies, in which the children become that which they are expected to be. Children grow and learn at different paces, but most are capable of eventual productivity and success. Through inhumane methods, educators have sabotaged the potential success of these children’s futures. The fact that a young child does not score as well on a test as some others, should not be taken as an indication that that they have less potential and should get less support and privilege. Herzberg blames the ideology of meritocracy, which is the idea that the smartest individuals who work the hardest will achieve the greatest success in life. The corollary to this idea is that the poor and needy are stupid and lazy. This view wrongly assumes that everyone started from an equalized place, which is a foolish concept. Clearly, not everyone has had equal access to the same resources, education, or community support. Only when this misinterpretation becomes an accepted part of our national consciousness, will useful help for the poor and homeless be found.

List of Top Docs

Hey everyone:
Here's a very subjective list of the 50 top documentaries. I'm linking to it to give you some ideas for the documentary you'll select for your A1.

The Documentary Blog's 50 Top Documentaries

Dear Epiphany,

Dear Herzberg,

Thank you for your refreshing bluntness. You have exposed some of my most shameful thoughts—thoughts that I did not realize I had. I identify with your students who feel they have been awakened by a social encounter epiphany.

I understand, "there is reason to doubt that the epiphany includes an understanding of the social forces that produce [issues]" (309). I was nodding my head to your descriptions of students like myself until this point. You are right (in my case at least). If I ever had a social realization, I was certainly never tempted to trace the roots of the issue. I accept your challenge to not be satisfied with realization, but to ask and reflect until I understand. •

Dear Flower,

First, let me say that I respect your methodical approach to analyzing students in service-learning. On that token, I believe it would benefit you greatly to have coffee with Herzberg.

I appreciate the examples you provided—particularly Scott’s story. I found it disheartening that Scott’s mentee admitted a disconnect because of different racial backgrounds. I suppose this is expected, but it was hard to hear that relating with our community partners might be challenging. I admit to daydreaming about meeting my community partners and clicking instantly. •

Dear Bickford,

After reading your essay, I feel as though everything I say reveals something about myself that I do not intend to share. However, I can see how guarded my language really is, especially my writing. However uncomfortable, I will work hard to honestly record my initial reactions then step back and really explore what those reactions reveal about myself and my perceptions. I imagine this will expose things that I do not actually want to know about myself, but that is the point after all, isn’t it? •

Sincerely,
Blair

Activism and Documentaries

Some documentaries to watch that engage the questions of collaboration (speaking for, speaking with, speaking about), filmmaking and activism:

Is Anybody Listening?
In My Language

Also, check out this site for short documentaries that raise issues of social justice:

Media That Matters

Flower and Bickford Readings

Similar to Herzberg, Linda Flower, Donna M. Bickford and Nedra Reynolds all questioned the mere act of performing service. Although I was unaware that “activism” had such a negative connotation, I agreed with Bickford and Reynolds, as they talked about how service learning usually ignores what should be the main reasons behind helping others. I feel that as human beings, our civic duties include building our social consciousness through not only action, but also reflection. As Bickford and Reynolds went on about how experience, when accompanied by reflection, can encourage someone to be a better writer or a better learner or, overall, be a better citizen, I also started thinking about how this reflection had the potential to push another in the complete opposite direction. For example, by going to the site and seeing the differences before them, could students see the distinct separation and subconsciously see the community as the others. I think that when it comes down to it, those, including me, who decide to take part in community outreach, must truly question their purpose behind it. This way, when we come face to face with the community, we would be encouraged to see those differences and go beyond “to use the differences of race, class, culture, or discourse that are available to them to understand shared questions” (Flower, 186).