Studying Peoples & Politics Other Than Your Own: Precautions and Pitfalls

What are some of the disadvantages of comparison?

Thoughts to ponder…

1) How do people define themselves, and when are these definitions politically relevant?

A brief exercise- how many identities are there in this classroom? Divide into groups How many group identities can you find in your group? (i.e. gender-based, sexual, racial, class-based, national, linguistic, occupational, demographic, sports, hobby, professional, geographic etc) Which of these are politically meaningful for you?

The point: identities are fluid “Fuzzy” Communities Intermarriage Shared work, shared space Shared and borrowed custom “Multiple” identities -Gender, Class, Nationality, Religion, etc - When and why do certain identities become politically relevant at certain times?

2) Are places “fixed” in time and space?

Where is the “Middle East”? (CIA, 2003)

Middle East? (From MidEast Web, 2003)

Source:http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps

Where is “Europe”?

Where is this? Photo: http://imagesoftheworld.org/Ephesus/Ephesus.html

The point: Geographic identifications are culturally constructed and vary according to place and time

#3: What is “normal”?

Who (if anyone) is exploited here?

#4: Some actors are more powerful than others (the playing field is not even)

Power Imbalances Military might Economic dominance Colonial legacies The poorest 20 percent of the world's population gets 1.1 % of global income. The richest 20 % get 86 %. (UNDP) About 85% of the world’s trade flows to the richest fifth of the world population Who makes the rules?

What is the best form of government? #5) What are your assumptions about politics, and how often do you question them? What is the best form of government? If a company has the opportunity to improve its efficiency through better technology, should it do it, even if it means laying off workers?

Discourses & Their Hegemony Democracy nationalism Free market Efficiency individuality Are there any alternatives out there?

#6) Is your version of the truth the only one?

Uncertainty of Truth: Which part of the picture are you seeing?

Is the most visible part of the political performance really the most important part?

#7) Language as Shortcut: Are some experiences never adequately captured in words?