Another World is Possible, A World of Many Worlds
Midterm Ideation:
I have chosen to focus on the evolution of Pakistani social structures. I have no doubt that most of this research will lead me to the caste system in India. To be quite frank I don’t know a lot about caste history so a lot of this will be new territory for me, however, I think it will play a really important role for me in understanding my own identity as well as how my immediate community (like my family) identifies other communities within this context.
Notes from the lecture:
-the term “superpower” became a thing after WWII — in reference to USA
-post-WWII era is known as the Cold War era
-the Bandung Asian-American Conference (of 1955) was essentially fail in a lot of ways
+none of the non-aligned nations could come up with a third way (or any other way) to make “socialism” possible
+this conference eventually paved the way for the Non-Aligned Movement (of 1961)
+note that there were countries not present at this conference (like some countries in Africa (and Latin America?))
+the biggest reason for this conference was this idea of a new world — coming together to make a different world
late 19th/early 20th century
Readings:
Martin Holbraad on cosmogenic events:
+ we should be reading against the dominant narratives (hero stories) and looking further into the everyday events around such big events (the hero’s wife, children, soldiers, etc)
Arturo:
+ enabling as many different kinds of worlds within our single world
+ designing different worlds
+ the relationship between design and the patriarchy
+ capitalism is more than an economic system; it is also a social/cultural system
+ so, what is the WORLD VIEW that enables capitalism — heterosexual patriarchy (Christian-hetero patriarchy)
+ capitalism main belief: an “Adamistic” cosmology; meaning if you are wealthy, it is because of YOU and your work and your smarts, strengths, political views, etc.
Terminology:
Ontology — what something is; what is the essence of the nature of something? (ex: the ontology of race/gender? what is gender? what is race?
Epistemology — how you know; knowledge
Cosmology — the way you ____ your relation with the work
Phenomenology — the study of lived experience; subjective experience (the experience of the body and mind; the dimensions and aspects of experience like the
FUNDAMENTAL TO FUTURE STUDY (look for details in slideshow):
- the future cannot be “predicted” because “the future” does not exist
- any useful idea about the future should appear to be ridiculous
- we shape our tools and therefore our tools shape us