GenericSociologyStudent

In this episode of My Indian Roommate, or; I’m Living with an American… Get Me Out of Here! Shared Meaning and Symbolic Internationalism.

(Warning: If you have not seen the Matrix, then you are living under a rock.)

So my roommate was watching a TED talk on The Future of Education. Being bored of writing my paper I decided to helpfully interrupt him with my always welcome banter: “Hey, what ya watching?”

He helpfully responded with a “Why are you bothering me?” glare. Followed by what I just told you. 

Continuing my engaging conversationalism I said that the future of education was plugging your brain into a computer to learn everything the easy way.

Summoning my best Neo impression: “I know kung-fu.”

His response: “Show me.”

See kids. This is shared meaning right here. While my roommate is a great guy and we get along famously, we have plenty of cultural difficulties when what I think is expected is not what he thinks is expected. 

Case in point: If you ask Indians (or, at least my roommate) he/they would tell you that Americans are far too polite and come off as weird. Think about how your friends get to call you rude names as a term of endearment. It would seem odd if they were like, “Good afternoon Mr. Friend, it is a pleasure to see you this fine day." 

In sociology we call knowing what your friends mean when they call you random terms Symbolic Internationalism. Those terms have specific meaning to the two of you that have been negotiated over time. This is why first dates are hard. You have to negotiate if ‘getting some coffee’ means your date is a caffeine addict or wants to fuck. Things can get awkward. 

Ehh, what was I talking about? Right. The Matrix. 

With the two words 'show me’ me friend was able to communicate a wealth of information; that he understood what I meant, the reference I was making, and that he is a super cool guy. 

This is why understanding foreign cultures, be it Japan or rap music, can be so hard. A lack of shared meaning. It is also the cause of many needless misunderstandings. Like when you tell your roommate you need some 'me time’ and it gets awkward again.

Thanks for tuning in. Next time: The mystery of the vanishing toilet paper <subheading> no it’s your turn to buy it.

So you have probably seen Django Unchained by now. If not, get on it! Minor Spoilers incoming in any case.

So about thirty minutes into the movie, Dr. Schultz informs Django he will be playing the part of his valet in order to fit into the Doctor’s ruse. In the process he is given the chance to select an outfit. And what an outfit! 

Remind you of anything?

Clearly proving that Django is Quentin Tarantino’s homage to the time traveling British secret agent comedy genre. QED. Case Closed.

OK, maybe not.

There is actually a more interesting story going on here.

Look familiar? This fellow is known as the Zip Coon; a racist caricature of a newly emancipated slave trying, and hilariously failing, to fit into white society.

Now surely Tarantino has done his homework and is quite familiar with this character. So why use the image? Why have the newly free Django go immediately to this racist caricature? Rather than try and read Tarantino’s mind, let’s have the film answer the question.

After being freed, and now in a position of power with the good doctor, Django wants to both demonstrate his status, and reaffirm it to himself. Thus an outfit that screams “Look at me! I am awesome and important!” is exactly what he wants. This is hardly a reprehensible desire. Indeed we see the exact behavior today in the poor kids with the $100 shoes. They are proclaiming to themselves and others that “Hey! I’m middle class. Look at these shoes! I must be”. It works the same way for big rims and big hair. Of course we largely have ourselves to blame for constantly reminding the poor and minorities how inferior they are.

Now in the film, Django quickly realizes that he does not need to prove himself to anyone. He takes the literal and cinematic lead and we eat it up. Life, sadly, does not work in neat three act plays. Removing the stigmatic baggage attached to and carried by many minorities will take time and effort. However, I think Mr. Tarantino deserves further applause for simply trying to express the idea that not only are <insert discriminated people of choice here> awesome, but they they need not try and prove it all the time for our sake.

Perhaps you have asked yourself this question in the past. Despite the generous funds poured in by many nations, Bono himself, and that snazzy Red iPod collecting dust in your closet, Africa just can’t seem to get its act together. 

Well, there are a few historical contexts worth exploring.  

Firstly, we have the popular work by one Jared Diamond. If I may butcher his thesis statement, he basically asserts that the geography of an area is rather more important than the populace for determining how civilization develops. The similar climate due to the vast east-west spread of Europe and Asia allowed crops, livestock and techniques could spread easily. While in the more Vertical nature of Africa with its deserts, rainforests, savanna, and so forth meant that crops and techniques learned in one area could not spread easily or at all. In sum it meant that Eurasia could work as a team to develop civilization, while the denizens of Africa were each on their own. And then part two comes.

At about the same time as the rest of the world is working on moving from an agrarian to an industrial society. Africa has that same rest of the world yank something like 80 million of its best and brightest from their homes and cram them on ships bound for conditions normally reserved for the last books of the bible. Beyond the humanitarian toll, it also holds that it is hard to keep your nation moving forward when you are missing a generation or two. Just ask the Ukraine.

I will avoid the current political climate that is Africa for now. But while we are no longer dragging kids out of huts, we have effectively replaced that practice with mineral resources. Namely that iPod.

If you want to read the non-butchered thesis try Diamond’s book: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel

It’s interesting, if a bit long-winded.