Visual Sociology in India

Hi everyone.

Well, it's been another long day or so. We LOVED Haridwar with its crisp clean air, beautiful rocks, walk-able paths, and, of course, the green, green Ganges running through it. We wandered down to the river upon arrival...to be greeted by Indian students who were also on a trip. How many photos can we take of one another? A LOT!

Some of the BU SOCIOLOGY majors headed away from the group (what's new, right?) and we found a lovely little beach complete with beach cow and beach dog. It was fun to stick our toes in the water but, brrr…. cold! After lunch, many of the women enjoyed getting their hands hennaed and we all did a bit of shopping as we walked around town. After a lovely and relaxed afternoon, it was off to the ghats for a night-time deepmala ceremony and more time shopping at the local market. Oh, the stories I could tell! But, heck, I'm tired, so I'll let your sons/daughters tell you about their adventures that night.

We had an early night back at the hotel (9pm) so we could pack and have dinner. Have you ever heard of room service calling you back and saying "The mac and cheese is bad for you. Your order has been canceled?" Well, such things happen in India as Marti, Heather, and Taylor can attest. Again, good spirits prevailed although, sadly, back up room service didn't make it!

Today we left Haridwar for Delhi and a visit to the lovely B'ahai temple. Shaped like a giant lotus, it's hard to believe something could be so solid yet so light and airy. Too much to say about this so I’ll try to let pictures (or students) do the talking. We make a fast stop at McDonalds and S'barro. The food many of us never eat--scoff at, even--suddenly tasted like a bit of heaven. (Do I hear a haiku ode to french fries, anyone?) I think this means we must be ready to go home? Then, we made a stop at Fab India where, even I the non-shopper shopped. I'm not sure, but I think it's India's equivalent to Old Navy!

After one last dinner and a send off from our guide, Raj, students headed back into the bus on their way to the airport. (If all goes well, I'll post pictures of the day soon...but will probably need some settling time. Who knows what kind of airport wireless there is, so don’t be nervous if you don’t hear anything until folks are back in the states on the 9th.)

So, so much to say about this trip, but I really must go now. I do want to send a special shout out to the sociology majors who wrote me such funny, wonderful, haiku. You really cannot know what this gesture--and you--mean to me. Thanks for helping me have such a great time in India. And, for pushing me to be better as we do the work that we do.

Finally, special thanks to Maggie Monteverde for all her help getting our trip organized. (You cannot believe the effort she gives to this task. Really, she is an unsung hero!) To Paul Chenoweth for helping make this blog happen and to the UMAC folks (April, Jennifer) for getting the word out!! To Raj, our guide, as well as our driver and “helper” who made sure we got where we were going and who kept us safe and comfortable. To Geeta at New Age Travel who arranged our trip and who helped me, personally, tonight. (Thanks, Geeta!!!) To everyone at CCSA, especially Robin who was always so helpful and prompt and to Suzanne who helped us all with our travel (and, especially mine!). And, of course, how could we do any of it without Mike Klembara? We couldn’t! Thanks to my Associate Dean (Thom Storey), Dean (Bryce Sullivan), our President (Bob Fisher), and everyone else (including parents!!!) who support study abroad at Belmont. India is a tough country to travel, but it is so, so beautiful in so many ways. This trip has changed our lives and we hope we can show you how in the months to come. (Look for a VISUAL SOCIOLOGY dvd and convocation coming soon.)

Now we can say we’ve gone from here to India!

PS: Look for a few student blogs in the coming days...once they are settled in.

Posted by Dr. Andi Stepnick at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It’s January sixth and we’re on our way to Haridwar, one of India‘s holiest cities in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Theoretically, it’s a 6 hour drive from Delhi, but as we’ve learned, the (bumpy) realities of the roads probably mean this trip will take 10 hours or so, maybe longer. (In fact, as I look at my watch, we’ve been on the bus 5.5 hours and we’re only half way there! But, as Chris has already stated, the journey is the destination!)

Over the past few days it seems almost everyone has developed a cold. A few folks have had various stages of Delhi belly, too. Luckily, while we all could feel much better, we’re troopers and almost everyone has been able to join in our field trips to the Ganges, embroidery factory, Sarnath (site of the Buddha’s first sermon), and on a cyclo-rickshaw tour through Varanasi which was pretty mind-blowing and which offered a very different perspective on Varanasi street life than we would ever get from our elevated tour bus.

I continue to be wowed by the students who, although tired and somewhat sick, are still eager and willing to carve out 20 minutes here and there as we can to talk about our course materials. Lately, most of our discussions have dealt with the ethics of our field. What is our role as visual sociologists? How and what can/should we document and what is the best route to accomplish our task. Should we be neutral observers? When, if ever, should our goal be to persuade? When, if ever, should we intervene in the scene? How do we rectify our sometimes conflicting roles of the individual and the researcher? For example, we talked about who did and who did not take photos of Banu, the seriously disabled child at Mother Theresa’s orphanage. How did students come to make those decisions? Some chose not to take Banu’s picture since they could not be sure of his consent. Others had ‘conversations’ with Banu in which he was not only responsive, but joyous. And, they felt, it was important to photograph him to ensure he was given equal treatment as the other children. This situation is representative of others we’ve encountered as we’ve entered into people’s lives here, if only in passing. Do you take the photo of the hungry child? What is your motivation or intention in doing so? What do we hope is gained by having/sharing such an image? Does the photo commodify the child? Or, is it merely documentation of a social reality? How do we portray the difficulties of the poor AND their dignity, strength, and beauty (much as Dorothea Lange was able to do with her migrant photos during the depression)?

One of the students’ guided journal questions a few days ago asked them to reflect on the quote from famed photographer, Robert Doisneau, who said: ‘It’s better, isn’t it, to shed some light on those people who are never in the limelight?’ These are important questions they are considering. There are no easy answers. No clear cut solutions. But the fact that they are grappling with these issues speaks volumes about who they are.

Posted by Dr. Andi Stepnick at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We just stopped for a quick bite and while having ‘class’ outside an Indian man took our photo. The timing couldn’t have been better as we were, again, discussing the “guidelines” of visual documentation. On a whim, I decided to ask the man why he wanted our photo. Luckily, our guide Raj was able to translate. It turns out the man is from a “famous” Hindi paper (the name of which doesn't come to me right now) and wanted to put our photo in it. Since 26/11, many people-especially Americans-have canceled their trips to India and the economic influence will be felt by many. He wanted to show his readers that some of us are still coming to see India.

We’re not sure the photo will make it into the paper, but if anyone feels like googling, have at it! We told him we were from Belmont University. And, as I think of it, it makes Belmont’s ‘From here to anywhere’ seem pretty darn appropriate!

BTW, in an effort to amuse ourselves on the bus, we began to “write” haiku about our journey. Here are just a few…about our stomach woes, the lack of paper towels in bathrooms, one student’s birthday, our guide, Raj, who seems to know everyone and a sweet if somewhat awkward room service interaction that ended in a hug.

Posted by Dr. Andi Stepnick at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We road in rickshaws from our hotel through Varanasi and down to the River Ganges. This is a very authentically Indian form of transit. Because we spend most of the trip traveling by bus, it was nice to be on the back of a rickshaw feeling a part of the hustle and bustle. I enjoyed the rickshaw ride especially because because it was nice to be on the same level with as everyone else--it's a bit awkward looking down on everyone from the window of a tour bus. However, it's also very heartbreaking at the same time to have a man in front of you pedaling you around and knowing that the little tip he gets is his livelihood.

After about a 15 minute ride, we arrived at the River Ganges to witness some traditional sunset ceremonies. The ceremonies along the river only occur from dawn till dusk so we came back the following morning to see some different ceremonies and cleansing going on. That evening we went out on a boat and watched many things happening on shore. Varanasi is a holy city in India with many cremation cites. Ashes and candles are places in the water after cremation. Everyone in our group lit a candle and sent it floating down the river in honor of a wish or someone's life. Every evening along the Ganges the ceremonies are concluded with prayer and music. we watched this through a layer of fog and listened to the bells being rung--the whole experience was surreal. I think it will take a while for what we witnessed to really set in.

Posted by Liz at 11:00 AM | Permalink

I just woke up here on this train in India en route from Jaipur to Varanasi. Besides the 30 to 60 minutes in the cold wait station, it's been surprisingly fun and not uncomfortable! I think we're about to start the choreography for our Bollywood dance number any second now, to the annoyance of the other car passengers. I will make no comments on the restrooms, because we have varying opinions on if it is in fact the worst we have come across so far, nor will I pay any attention to Taylor's trying to blame me for all of the crumbs falling on his bottom bunk.

Yesterday we got to spend a few more hours in a market, which was just so great. I didn't buy anything; I'm still getting along just fine with my Punjabi suits that I bought (hand tailored) at the last bazaar. Earlier that morning we went to mother Theresa's home, and we played with the kids and met some of the beautiful people who stay there. I'm glad it's there, but by American standards it was a medical nightmare. Wonderful but heartbreaking. Exactly why I'm going into nursing. More later…

Posted by Esme at 03:30 AM | Permalink

HI all,

We've made it back to Delhi for a night's rest...after a lovely two days in Varanasi...which Liz is going to blog about any minute now. (We had a bear of a time getting internet connection there and, of course, there was no internet on our 24 hour train ride. BUT...it was a good opportunity to live out our motto of MOFA: mishap = opportunity for adventure! )

So...I'm back tracking a bit here...

January 1st was a day of contrasts…perhaps symbolic of the peaks and valleys you might experience in a typical year. We started out on the road to Agra and along the way made a quick stop along the roadside to see a ‘brick factory.’ Really, it was just a handful of people, mostly children it appeared, hand patting mud together into brick form. We could see into the fields rows upon rows of gray bricks. The moment we stepped off the bus a few children ran up to us, then more children, then even more children….as if a pied piper (this time in the form of a tourist bus) was calling them.

Chris, wanting to be kind to the kind, offered some of his cookies purchased at a recent rest stop trip. Immediately, kids wrestled for the bag. As we tried to pull them apart, the strength with which they held on was startling. All the while one of the men from the village was photographing us watching it all unfold as if nothing was unusual or significant. That we, in fact, were the thing to be noted.

From a distance, poverty can look deceptively beautiful in the form of colorful shantytowns and saris. However, when it’s a small child with dried mud on their face and hands, it‘s hard not to consider what it all means, particularly from ethical, sociological, and political perspectives. The sociology students have been quite insightful regarding the poverty we’ve witnessed. We can understand it, theoretically, but here in the ‘safety’ and comfort of our bus, as we head to yet another meal, this stop reminds us not to idealize the slower pace of India or the poverty that exists here. Life may be slower here, but it also seems much, much harder. It has left us speechless and weeping and wondering about our obligations, as individuals and as a nation.

From there we went to lunch and then to the Taj Mahal. It’s hard to explain the astounding beauty of the place. We’ve all seen photos of this ‘seventh wonder of the world’ but as we entered the gates, I cried for the second time that day. I am still wondering about this day of ugliness and beauty and while I am not capable of summarizing it in my current sleep deprived, got a cold kind of state, I’d like to offer you today’s ‘quote of the day’ from our syllabus.

‘Adventure is the path. Real adventure..self determined, self motivated, often risky forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way, you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing again will ever be black and white.’ (Mark Jenkins)

Good night folks. Know that we love you and miss you and are so grateful for this experience even though difficult. It’s real and it’s powerful and we are privileged to have it. And, I'd add, it's been an incredible experience to be here with our students. People may lament the state of 'kids' today but these young people fill me with great hope.

Posted by Dr. Andi Stepnick at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our last day in Agra was absolutely fantastic. We spent the morning at the Missionaries of Charity - Mother Teresa's Home, where we spent time with children and some mentally/physically handicapped adults. The lessons were immense, and the people we met (not to mention the consequential experiences) were nothing short of amazing and life-changing. After playing with one of the infants in a crib, who loved her small tambourine and played it very well on rhythm, as well as giggling uncontrollably at presence, I went to the next room over. Beyond the steel, low lit passageways, I came to a room of about twenty beds, of which about six were filled. I sat on the floor next to a boy named Banu, a patient with cerebral palsy who touched me so deeply. He had a beautiful spirit, and when Dr. Stepnick, Heather, and I were hanging out with him, and with Bariani (the girl in the photo that Dr. Stepnick is swinging), when we would say his name "Banu" he would smile and laugh ever so deeply. And some construction workers were cutting down a tree outside the window, and when it fell, we all jumped, and Banu just laughed and laughed at us.

We also ventured over to the mentally/physically handicapped adult section of the Home where we met some incredible people who loved to have their picture taken. We just all laughed and talked about things for the few minutes that we had together.

We drove over and toured around the Agra Fort, where we saw another view of the Taj Mahal in the distance and learned of the area's rich history.

During the evening, we walked around the market areas of Agra searching for things for our friends back home and getting a small taste of the night atmosphere in Agra. After dodging taxis, motorcycles, bikes, and cows, we made it well throught the evening without a scratch... although we smelled and saw some very interesting things along the way.

We were scheduled to board a train to Veranasi at 11:30 PM... But, as India public transportation is known for its lax time schedules, we boarded a little after 12:30 AM. The supposed 11-hour train ride (to which were to arrive around noon) turned into a 22-hour train ride, due to fog and a whole list of other circumstances that we're not really quite sure about. Haha, but the journey is the destination, is it not?

We passed the time making conversations, catching up on journal entries, or succumbing to and enjoying lots of Benadryl-induced sleeping. We jumped in the Hotel India in Varanasi around 10:30 PM, got some spring rolls via Room Service, and now I'm on the way to bed.

Coming up, we will be attending some Hindu ceremonies on the Ganges River, both at sunrise and sunset (in which some of us might be taking a spiritual dip in the river) and a few other adventures. Stay tuned.

Cheers,
chris

P.S. No doubt. I know it's sad but I am actually kinda missing the Wendy's late night double stack with cheese at this very moment. 2 AM and Wendy's dollar menu: a college kid's dream for sure.

Posted by Chris at 04:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Incredible India is what they call it, and it is indeed. I am amazed by the sheer beauty of the people and the landscape. It's a sight I could never grow tired of. However, the beauty of this region is matched with a share of darkness. India is characterized by intense poverty. It is most evident in the faces of the children. We come face to face with the effects of this disparity every time we exit the bus. Our giant white bus labeled tourist across the front windshield causes an uproar as it moves down the street. When we stop, we are greeted by the hungry of India. In desperation women hold their children up, begging for a photograph in exchange for rupees. It is an image that I wish did not exist. Children rush to us and signal their hunger by moving their hand from their mouth to their stomachs in a repetitive motion. They ask for pens, chocolate, shampoo, and rupees.

At the market, I found myself surrounded by the children, all asking for the same thing. My heart sank and my head dropped. What is the appropriate response to such a situation, I will never know. I have handed out rupees to some, but that leaves others hungry. I have also walked away from them all. (Our class talked about possible options the other night…to give nothing, to give food, to give money, or to give to organizations dealing with such problems. There is no one size fits all answer.)

It is impossible to come across this level of desperation and not beg the question of where the cause lies. In the US, we look upon the poor and the homeless with disdain. It seems evident that their current condition is a consequence of their choices. If only they had worked harder, stayed sober, held their job, etc. We are content to pawn the consequences upon the individual. The larger social trends that create such poverty are often left in the dark, unexplored. Here in India they are impossible to ignore. The level of poverty is obviously the result of a structural flaw and the government's inability to meet the needs of the people. (And, according to a fellow classmate, it may also be in part due to U.S. policies, such as those concerning rice subsidies to US farmers.) Although I am currently unaware of the complex root causes of this poverty, I am committing myself to finding the answers.

Posted by Marti at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

New Year’s Eve in Jaipur was nothing short of incredible. We spent half of the day at S.O.S. Villages where I had one of the best days I can remember. As we entered and hung out for a little bit and were led around by a guide, the children weren’t quite sure what to think of us. As our group of about fifteen walked down the sidewalk, I remember one boy, probably age four, just standing still a hundred feet from us, trying to decide what he thought. After a couple minutes of a quick tour, the guide said, “Okay, go ahead.” Many of us were kind of scratching our heads, because the children still weren’t quite sure what to think of us yet, and many of us went different directions.

After about a minute, one little boy came over and started to throw ball with me, and quickly, about a half dozen others joined in. After a couple minutes of that, they said, “Football?” and then (> to get a soccer ball. About twelve of us played soccer in the main field for a about an hour, and it was amazing. They taught me Hindi words and I taught them handshakes. After the soccer, many of the kids played around with my point-and-shoot camera, taking pictures of myself and themselves (a type of visual sociology that I will address in a bit). Then, a couple of the kids led me up to their “house” where their house mother made me a cup of the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life, and they walked around and took pictures and we all danced to some Hindi tunes on the radio. The rest of my time was spent trying to learn how to fly kites, playing hand games, running around endlessly, wrestling, or spinning them while they latched onto my back until they were uncontrollably giggling and I was near a state of puking. The day ended with some quick camera lessons, hugs, a kiss on the cheek I received from 4-year-old Mori, and lots of happy new year wishes.

That evening, after some time at the Observatory (where we heard the beautiful sounds of the Muslim call to prayer in the air), we went to a Bollywood film at one of the best movie houses in India. The lobby was very ornate and decorated, much like the theatre inside. Most of us bought cokes and popcorn, all for 40 rupees, the U.S. equivalent of about 80 cents. I also bought a KING TAT bar, very closely related to its cousin, the Kit Kat bar.

The whole set up and vibe of the movie house was so much different than it is back in the United States. First of all, no one is let into the theater until literally 5 minutes before the film starts, to which we all walk in to find our assigned seats. The few ads are already running, mixed in with public service announcements from the traffic police. The seats all reclined some, and it is really easy to get your knee knocked if you’re not expecting the person in front of you to move theirs! Also, throughout the first twenty minutes of the film, every one was still filtering in, laughing, talking, and answering cell phone calls. Throughout the movie, everyone would laugh, cheer, or collectively moan at different points in the movie. Everywhere you looked, kids were running up and down the aisles screaming, giggling, everyone talking to each other. Yet, throughout the whole thing, if you felt like tuning your ears into the movie, it was quite easy to do. It was amazing!

The rest of the evening, to celebrate the coming new year, some of us class members hung out in the hotel restaurant/bar, where a group of local boys (backed by a piano and drum machine) were playing Enrique Iglesias covers. All of the workers in the restaurant invited us outside to the front parking lot where they were shooting off “crackers” to ring in the New Year. After all the fireworks, some of us in the group tip-toed into the dance party with the rest of the crowd and avoided the twenty dollar or so cover, to which we all danced and danced until nearly 2 AM. We met quite a few students from the University of Arkansas and some other schools were there studying abroad as well, to which we all chimed in to the mix of Hindi and American tunes, like an interesting mix of Linkin Park’: ”In The End” around 1 AM.

As I said earlier, New Year’s Eve was nothing short of incredible, and I’d like to discuss briefly about the Visual Sociology encountered in the orphanage. There is a form of understanding culture that we encountered in our readings for this course called “autodriving”, one of many approaches used by visual sociologists and visual anthropologists as a means of empowering people outside of the ‘intellectual’ community by having them record life the way they see it, especially those with no formal photographic training. In this case, I let some of the kids run around with the point and shoot camera, taking pictures of themselves, me, their environment, etc. And upon analyzing those photos, you can get an insight into their world. A lot of us tried these techniques and were able to see some really great images and gain small insights into life as a child at that orphanage.

We’re on our way to see the Taj Mahal now, and we wish you all a Happy New Year!

Posted by Chris at 08:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)