Year of China Events

The first event I attended at Reinhardt University for the Year of China was a small festival called "Year of the Dragon at Reinhardt."    This festival was held in the middle grassy area between the campus lunchroom called "The Gordy" and the campus library.  The festival was an eight to ten booth event focusing on everything that had to do with Chinese Culture.  Music of China was played over loudspeakers from the campus bookstore during the event. 

Many of the booths at the festival had games and crafting including taspestry that you could design with your name written in Chinese lettering. There were also booths selling Chinese tapestry made laptop bags, chimes, shirts, earrings and much more. One booth was handing out Chinese cookies and candy for that little bit of Chinese charm in your mouth.

In the Gordy lunchroom, they were serving a special chinese meal for the event.  The Chinese food was amazing, and I wish that they would have it more often. 

 Click below to see a festival hightlights video made by Reinhardt's very own Video Production Staff

 

 

 The other event, I attended for Reinhardt University's 2012 "Year of China" was the Photography Exhibit held in the art building.  Professors Pam Wilson, Larry Webb, and Dr. Gregory among others, showed their best photos taken during a trip they went on together to China this past summer. 

 

I really enjoyed seeing the array of photograghs that came from the professors who taught me here at Reinhardt.  Pam Wilson's amazing photos concentrated on close-up shots and depth of field shots that both showed a great use of contrast and lighting.  Her best works were two close-ups of Chinese children, capturing China's youth in the form of a portrait.  The way the photos were composed was so good you could connect right into the eyes of the subjects.  There was also a photo of an older woman with a beautiful lined face that had much depth.  However, Larry Webb, concentrated on medium shots that showed Chinese rituals in action.  In these shots, you could see what they wore, how they danced and their facial expessions during their meaningful ceromonies.  The bright use of colors and framing are the skills at play in Professor Webb's photography.  I did like the other professors' photography, Dr. Linquist and Dr. Gregory, but Larry Webb and Pam Wilson seemed to understand best how to capture the essence of the Chinese culture in the photos, while also understanding basic elements of composition and lighting.  There was one photo that was of a woman holding her child in a field where she worked that was very impressive.  As I looked at these pictures, I could see the bright use of color in the clothing, the beauty of the land and mountains, the importance of ritual and family, and the strong work ethic in the faces.

Economic and Political Systems and Their Effects

Nathan Schulman
November 12, 2012


This blog entry will look at economic and political systems and their effects on today's consumption and globalization.  I will first discuss Annie Leonard's video on "The Story of Stuff," followed by Barbara Miller's dicussions of political anthropology and economic systems.

I watched a video online called "The Story of Stuff."  It was very cleverly put together, with animation behind the speaker, Annie Leonard.  She did research on our economic system in the United States and its affect on globalization. 

Leonard broke down the systems within globalization and American consumption.  The first step was extraction (pulling resources out of the ground).  Leonard said that we Americans use too much stuff, and we are running out of  our natural resources in the U.S., so, we are using "stuff" from Third World Countries.  The next phase is production that uses toxic chemicals, hiding them in household common goods like personal computers and pillows.  This actually creates human pollution.  The third step was distribution of products (selling, buying, importing).  An example given for this was a $4.99 Radioshack portable radio; it would cost more around the globe in various areas to get the parts needed to make the radio and ship it to the store.  She brought up externalized pricing where the people who made the parts that go into a product and the people who shop for the products by paying taxes help pitch in to making it possible for product price deductions.

Then Leonard discussed "use."  She said we are a nation of consumers, and that 99% of the stuff we buy is trashed within 6 months.  This is called "planned obsolence" and it occurs so that we will buy more stuff.  She also mentioned "perceived obsolescence" where we are made to think we need the newer improved product or updated packaging when our existing product is still quite functional.  Next came disposal, which creates more and new toxins.

The point of Leonard's video presentation is that our whole system of economic prodution is in crisis.  Recylcing helps, but it is not enough.  She ended her presentation with the idea of sustainability and keeping it green as we create a something new. 

I really did like the way Leonard explained everything.  It is clear to me that we need to make huge modifications in our economic system to protect our natural resources.

Chapter 8 discussed political anthropology, the study of power relationships in the public domain and how they have evolved through different cultures (from foraging communities with minimal political organization all the way to the state, which is an organized political structure that is more complex and possesses power).   This chapter also mentions legal anthropology which studies cultural variation in social order and conflict, and norms and laws in different cultures.  Legal institutions often maintain social inequality and injustice. Anthropologists study international organizations such as the United Nations to see their role in peacekeeping and conflict resolution.  I am glad I live in a country that has many freedoms.

Chapter 3 discussed the different levels of economic systems which include foraging, horticulture, pastoralism, agriculture and industrialism.  Each of these systems become increasingly complex.  In Annie Leonard's presentation, it became clear that economic globalization is changing livelihood, consumption and exchange around the world.  An example given in Miller is the work of Katherine Milton who studied indigenous foragers in the Brazilian Amazon.  Western goods, like steel machetes, axes and cooking pots were left for the Indians.  After using these goods, they were unable to think of returning to daily life without them.  They then had to work to earn money or make goods for trade so they could purchase new items.  Now time is devoted to production instead of other traditional activities.