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    Globalscapes by Appadurai

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    Understanding Gobalscape

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    Globalscapes by Appadurai

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    Hafez Assad
    11 views26 pages
    Understanding Gobalscape

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    Understanding Gobalscape

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    Download as pdf
    11 views26 pages

    Globalscapes by Appadurai

    Uploaded by

    Hafez Assad
    Understanding Gobalscape

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    aby ey Wain ini n itton ‘Spenco ep lotto owe mn Saloonwatit simone gh Thaker Niccolo — Ihloapl congenic ogee leeteaGan ape es gQoor.0sa6 Siwictnd me ate Setar Se a CONTENTS, 1 vtodution: Working i the Prsent Richard G. Fox 2 Ambropology and the Savage Slt ‘The Poetics an Pits of Otherness Micel-Rolph Troullot 3 Engaging Hisorcism Jean Vincent 4 ori: Resoluely Late Modern aul Rabinow 5 Rewriting Culture ‘Graham Watson © Fora Neatly New Culture History Richard G, Fox " 6 9 B Chapter 10 GLOBAL ETHNOSCAPES Notes and Queries for a Transnational Anthropology Arjun Appadurat Tay tite, 1 use the term ethnoape This neoogsm has cenain anbigules deliberately ui no ie ers, fst the dermas of erepcine and sprsetation ht ll echnographers mst confront and {ads shat (sith landscapes in vila) triton of peeepion tnd perspective, a well as aration in the stuaton ofthe observers may ect the process and product of reeset. Bat Valo inte this te to uncate hat tere are sme ate facts abot the wor of the went century tht any ethnography must confront. Cel among these facts the changing soi, erst and cultura epoduction of foup ident. As groups migate esoup in new locaton, econstuct thei stores and reconfigure thei et "projets the co in th- ography takes on a sippery. noclized qu. 1 which he desrip- the practices of anthology wl have to respond, The lnduapes of {oup Wdentiy—ihe ethnoeeapes around the wold are no lng al Et anthropological objects, Instr as roupe are no longer ily tee tora sptially bounded, history unsefeoscions, of culully Homogenoas. We have fever cults Inthe wold and more "nema cultural debates" (Parkin 1978). By etnosape, mean the lndscape of persons who makeup the hile Ing worl in whch we ve: tours, migrants, rege, exes, gues Workers, and other moving groups and persons constute a een Feature of the world and appear to alles the polite of and bxtwee rutions t a hitherto unprecedented degee. Ths not to say that no where are there relatively stable communities and networks of Kinship, friendship, work, and leisure, aswell as of birth, residence, and ther fate ors. Buc isto say hac dhe warp ofthese stalk vey. ‘whet shot trough withthe woo f human meson, as ore persons tad reaps deal wit the vealiteso having eo move rte fantasies of wanting to move, Whats more, bth these vais and these fantasies now ane tomo large sles, a men andl women from vilgs tn India tink not Jt of moving to Poona oF Madkss, but of moving to Dua and Howson, fand refuges from St Lanka find themselves in South India a well a in Canada; al the Hrnong are driven wo London a wel s Pile AS the neds o international eaptal shift, as production and technology gen- crate diferent consumer needs, a natlonstates change ther pois on relugee populations, chese moving groupe can never afford to lt tht Imaginations res oo lng, even if they wished 0" Tm this paper seek, through series of notes, quriss, and vignestes ‘o reposition some of our disciplinary conventions, while trying to show thatthe ethnoscapes of today’ word are profound interactive ALTERNATIVE MODERNITIES AND ETHNOGRAPHIC COSMOPOLITANISM. ‘A cent challenge for current anhropoogy it study the cemopolian (Babinow 1986) cultura forms ofthe contemporary werd withot log «aly or chronologically presupposing ether the author ofthe Western ‘experience or the modes derived from that experience. Te seems impos sible to fruity study these new csmopolianss without analysing ‘the transnational cull os within which they thrive, compete and feed off one another in ways that defeat and confound many vertics of the human sciences today. One sich very concern the link between space, stably, and cultural reproduction, There at wget need to focus om the cultural dynamics of what now alle deterioration. This term applies not only to obvious examples sich as transnational Corporations and money makets, bt also to eine groups, sectarian movement, an politial formations, which Ineteasingl operate ns that transcend specifi tertonal boundaries and identities Deters. ization of which I offer some ethnographic profes in another secsion of > complex ditspors), het trnsational manipulation of currencies and other ors of wea ac Invest, and the sages of sates. The loosening othe bonds benwoen people, wale, and errors fundamen- tally ales the bass of cura eprdcton. Detesitarialsaton is one ofthe central Gores ofthe modern word, since it brings laboring populations into the lower-class sectors of rel tively wealthy soieses, whe sometimes cresting exaggerated and inten ‘fed senses of eric of of attachment to, poli ih the home state Detertorializaton, whether of Hinds, Sikhs, Plesinzs, or Ukranian, 's now atthe core of a vanety of global fundamentalism, including [slam and in fadamentalis.t the Hind ese or exarple (Ap [paral and Breckensge in pres) 1 clea thatthe overseas move ‘ment of Indans has ren exloted by a varity ofiterests bth within tnt outside India to create complicated network of Branets ad eh ows identfcaons in which the problem of cultural reproduction for indus abroad has become tied othe politic of Hind fundamentalism athome. ‘At the same time, dterttoralzaon creates new markes for fm companies, impressaros, and uavel agencies, which thrive on the need of| ‘he relocated population for contact wth ts homeland. Bu the homeland ‘sary verted, existing only nthe imagination ofthe dteretorized foups, and ican sometimes become so fantastic and one-sided thei provides the fuel fr new etic cones. The ies of detertovilation may aso be apple to money and tance, as money manages seck the best markets for thei investments, ‘dependent of national boundaries tn trn, these movements of mois ar the sss of new kinds of conf, a8 Log Angelenos wotry about the Japanese buying up thee city. and peopl in Bombay worry about the ick ‘Arabs from the Gall Stes, who fave not only tansfonined the pice of ‘mangos it Bombay bu have alo substantial altered the prof of hoes, "staan, and other series inthe eyes ofthe local population —just ‘they ve in London. Yet most resents of Bombay are ambient ahout the Arabs thee, forthe fp side of ther presence Is the absent {sends and Kinsmen earning big money i he Middle East and bringing, tuck both money and hry eommasties to Bombay and other ie a Tria Such commodities tanafrm consumer ste i hese cts. They ‘olen end up smuggled through at-ad seaports and peed in the "gay" markets of ombays streets. In these gray markets (a coinage which a Tows me to capre the quis-lga chitacterstcof such stings), some ‘members of Bombay’ middle cases and ofits lmpen proletariat can tay good, ranging kom carton of Martboro cigaees wo Cid Spot shar ve sarap Aoonlighing silos, plats, and sitine sevandese, who get move inant of th counsy rely, ee the ry mak of See bay Mars and Clute! with ood ot ony ts ae ak from the idle ast Hong Kong, and Sipps to eee PPolesiona wansens who ae incexingy imple tee "atonal spread of dacs, thls of whch ADS eth ele ground of deren, wh money, com ‘odes, and persons unendigly che each ter sind he oot thatthe group ingens of he den wo fad fr aac oh famed oun Forth dad images pode yea iv oe ar only para gus tothe poo and Capers ee worzed populations tafe o one anaes Nae bln Sim nda Cabrel in reer deal anube ston) ee the male loop ef his facture dettoalston ss youre ooo barely compen in Bombsys mpc tz conc see a tunes thee cabaret dance and ota excaning see ts wth dance fnnas dived wt rom te pret dane case Hindi fn. These sens ero dan des ato Wesernatl scan women and ter loses dancing provides way cee fo thse gil, Some of thse gts come Ker wher anc and the pomogrphic lm meaty hve Hossomel, pany eae ‘othe pues and sts of Kersten fom ie eae the dap ves ay fom women dot te ey ene hee teltons teen mena women nigh fe: Thos sega tae sent cul ei be repeal othe lio Japanese and Gran se touts tT and the tape a wade in ng, and in sir ops hate peter anes aborce Oe, the conveniences an sons of te hc eooone ged tad, a te let ass tt dominate end pals a rs of Asia the worl at ae ‘The von of uansnatna auralsudes suggsted by te discus son so far appears at sth to ive oly te sca anhropolgit radon approche oculte In my wits hee 4 genuinely cosmopolin elmogaphic pace apes at mop ton ofthe trai of clu stain the United Sts edn ea the sats of antropoloy within such aera (CULTURAL STUDIES IN A GLOBAL TERRAIN Since this volume concers anhropoogies of the pres, maybe in Portant to as about the status of anthropology inthe presen any ‘particular, about its now-embattled mononly ee he ee ae om now on, who ston mrs). The follwing cussion st the sage forthe erque of hogy comand Insert Asa tpi cure hs many Bors, some diary, some that loncton ouside the cde. Wine deny reas ca i fences ween dip nthe de to wh cal has ben ah exphit tpi of rvesgto. an ihe eget whch thas bean sake today nthe soc nes. snap opal Une ‘Ses ess England) hema alr cena ence dng ita some sat of human substnee even though Mes aout hs stance hve shied, ove the cause of cera. uly fom Tyen eas about easton fo Geran kas aout meng ste anhopo. {$95 have wordt seaming gen ole hae Bes ‘ier fo thal embers har a nu oa dey ‘A the same tne the ther soal sce have ot been mesncen ‘ih cular: scl Max Webor sense of wrsten and Sil ‘arouses have meted between the rman peo Kaan Aes of ihe ne niece cnr and scopy asa socal slence deine ‘AS inmany other css eure fe now subi ith soil ae the Aer Socog Asc fas ptmsed hs seen hy renga subunits he scala ofc were pons concerned ‘ih the prodoction and dein of eure especialy en Western Seung, ay ey aot wh one anche Atte centr fate dats nan abou clr, any diese sans fw ino asl rather ube terthe many ptr atsms(agelyFrenel)oftacn, Deel, Foul uri and ht imany subschoos, Some ofthese sins ne lfconciws about an fue thet meas and ther model ot Tess, The cer mt Plety ofthat nds th tee weds mang oust te Should belles tone that we ae nt only ae of Bel se Gn S80 ea ek), uw na Pecilar sate hat1 woud Ike wo lj urin.* Which eu tens has—hppin my pining way sharp debts ao ‘he word the word. and he estonstip betwen them tn ths pst lr lr, crcl to nce that the high round has been seized by English crue Gs dpe) in peta and by teary sles in ene This hens wher the won tea iene my en a ko thesery ng ola tend. Foran ahvoploi inthe Ute Se ay ‘what rt sting st hc st dc the cde rte hye of cuftace by Uncen shadiee though wee tenes hat, © te iliac, flower) with many feral debates about texts and antes, reference and structure, theory and practice, Soci scents lok on with bel: Geement as thr collegues In Englsh and comparative iterate lk Gand fight about maters which, until as recently a fiten yeas ago, ‘would hase seemed about as relevant to English departnens s,s. {quantum mecharis. “The subject mater of earl tudes could roughly be ken asthe ‘elalonship berween the word and the world. 1 understand these two term in thee widest senc, 0 that word in encompass al forms of tx tualzed expression, and wold can mean anything for the means of ‘production and the organization of ife-words tothe globalized relations ‘of cultural reproduction discussed nth paper ‘Cultural studies, conceved this way, could be dhe bass for acoso: polit (loa macro? transloca?) ethnography. To arse the wxson erween the word and he world ito a preductive ethnographic strategy requires anew understanding ofthe detertoriized world that any pesons inhabit and the possible ives that many persons are aay ale to Envision. The terms of the nepoistion beeen inagind lives and deter "oralzed words ave complex, and they surly cannot be captured by the lcaizing strategies of traditonsl etmography alone. What 4 est ye ofthnogrphy can do sto captre dhe pact of detertitoralization fon the imaginative resoures of lived, local experiences. Pot another way, the ask of etnogaphy now becomes the unraveling ofa conundeu: ‘what the nature of lay, ved experience, na globalized, dete ‘torialized world? As Il sugest inthe next section, the beginnings of 2 answer to this conundrum le in a fest approach to the tle ofthe ‘imagination in soci ie “The master natrauves tat cutely guide much ehnogeaphy all ave Enlightenment oo, and al have been ald int serious question Fu ‘aul searing crtgue of Western humanism ad ts hidden epistemolo- es has made fc to rein much ath nthe dea of progres" in ‘sanyo and new manifesutions. The master narative of evolution. ceniral to anthropology in the United Stites, sles fom 2 profound gap between is short-run, culturally elented vesions asin the work of Mat- win Hates) and its long-run, more appealing, but less anthropological ‘ersons such asthe bogelogcal able of Stephen Jy Gould. The “emer gence ofthe indval as a master narrate sles not only frm the ounterexanpes of our major twentist-century totalitarian experience, ‘bucaso from the many deconstructons ofthe dea of, person, and ‘gency in philosophy, sociology, and arubropology (arc 1986, Giddens ‘1970. Carrithers. Collins, and Lukes 1985). Master narratives of the “ron cage’ and the march of buraucateraonaliy are constantly refuted by the ial, contradiction, and seer brutality incteasingly ice able the pathologies of the modern nation state (Nandy 1987) aly, nowt versions of de Marist master narative nd themalves embated {2 centemporay epitalism takes on an ncressingy“dsoranced” and ‘ecerrtarilzed lok (lash and Urry 1987) and as cultural expressions refuse to bend tothe requiemens of even the last parochial Narxst Approaches (ee the debate betwen Frederic Jameson and Aja: Abad in Soria Text [Jameson 1986; Ahad 1987). ‘Costopoltan ethnography, or what might be called macroethnog: raphy. kes on a spec urgency ghien the ailments of these many pest Elighenment master nantves. Ui dificult be anything but Exploratory about what such a mscrcthnogaphy (and its ethnoseapes) right lok ike, but the following section seks, by ustation o point IMAGINATION AND ETHNOGRAPHY ‘We livin a wor of nay kinds of el, some maga, some soci Sore capitals, arid ome that are yt oe mamed. These generic elms fave thir provinces of org: magia realism in Latin American tion in the las two decades sci els nthe Soviet Union of the 1930; fd capitals elm, a erm coined by Michael Schudson (1984), n the ‘land vere hetorieof contemporary American adversing. In Imuch aesthetic expression today, che Boundaries between these varios realism have been blurted. The controversies over Salman Rushdie’ The ‘Satanic Verses (Pale Cate, vol 2 fll 19892), over the Robert Map Plethorpe photographic exhibtion in Cincinnat, and over many other Urorks of at in other pats of the world remind s that arts are increas ingly wing to place high takes on tei seseof the boundaries between their art andthe polis of public opnin, Mote consequent for our Purposes is thatthe iagiation has now chute a singular new power msi Me, The iagintion—expressed in dreams, songs antastes, myths, and tris—has aways Been par of| the septate, in some cltrally organized way, of every society. But thece isa peculiar new fre tothe imagination i socal Me wday” More persons in more parts of the word consider a wider set of “posible” Tres than they ever did before” One important source of this change is the mass media, which presenta rich, ever-changing store of posible lives, some of wh enter the ved gations of edary people more socesflly than others. Important alo are contacts with, news of, and > @ ‘uo about others in ones sock neighborhood who have become in babtants of thee faraway worlds. The importance of media ey uch a dict sources of new images and scenarios fe Me postin but as semioc dacs of great power, which slo inlet seal cone with the metropolitan world elite by ther channels ‘One ofthe princi! sis in the global ctl onder, created by finema,tision, and VCR ehnology (and the ways in which they frame and energize other, older medi), his to do with the rele of imagination in socal Me. Unit recenly. whatever the loce of cod change, a ese could be made that soci fe was lngly rua ha traditions provided a tlatively inte st of posible tes, and tag {xy and imagination were eal practices, confined wo special posers ‘rds, restrict special moments or paces Ingen toys atidotes to the finde of social experience Inthe lat tao denen oe the deteitoniization of persons, images, and ideas hs taken on nen forests weight has impercepby sited More person ihmagiot world ce the ves though the prisms of the possible ves fered bass medi in al thet fr. That as thaw a Sol practce mers 8 st of was no the breton of socal ear a People in many societis | should be quick to note that this a hero obsrvation, intended to imply that the word nw harps lace with more “choices” (nthe uatarian sens) for more peopel ‘with more mobility and mote happy endings ‘Wat simple is that even the meanest and most hopeless of ives the most brutal and dehumaniig of eteunstances the hecho of eed {equalities snow open to the pay of the imagination, Prisoners of oe selene, child laborers, women who til inthe fields lator word, and others whose lois harsh no longer see their Ines os es utomes of the svenness of things, but ofen a the ioc compromece between what they could imagine and what soca ie wil pore the botraphis of ondinary people, thus, ate constructions (or breton) in which the knginion plys an mporant rae. Nori thistokes spe mater af escape (holding steady the conventions that govern the sag ‘octal ie, for itt the grinding of gears beeen ung vee ‘heir imagined counterparts that a vanety of “imagined commie (Anderson 198) s formed, communis ht generate new lind sl pl "is, new kinds of collective expression, and hew nese lor eal line and surveillance onthe prof ees, Al this has many conte and implications that cannot be pursued ‘ee Buc wha dest nply for ethnography? Ie mpl that ching hes can na longer simply be content wth he “teh” hey rng ‘he loc and the parc, no can they assume tt they approach the loc. they approach something mae eemenaty, move eee ad thus mre “ea” thane scent ger sae peopetes, Foie 4 real about oaiary hess nw ea in many mis tet ange ee sheer coingncy fides andthe vgs compen ap talent that dsingush persons nal sce ote ee fea ‘dle exposed and draw upon nthe onday ee : These compen, pry imine Ine as taf he bdck of cthuorapy, kas ofthe sof elngaphy ta wishes sea srl ee noi, ei nl Tor ne wer othe again in he bso osc es np tedp wh mt nd orate a ee na en moved around by the welds of mass eta. Thur, sade ‘ual eeroducon ike stand Engl snow an endangned ey tha sueceds ely by cescious deg and ple wl hee ie ceeds atl ded, where sun fom the are wr seas tse ten succesful ad the eof the pla inghaton fell ane iar eoplein pas ike Abia, Hor Keren, tnd Baran ‘Som oasis ane amend oa a Contains within ithe poslity ofthe gnc and toy han ofa Pol Foca oflngrepresed desis for etigu ret aoe sees ing in Albu nl Nanna (ura ths paper bong wes The ise theo, nn ow eno wrt a ds ona wider range fiery mode, mode wich too olen ee te dean tion between the ie o tion ante fctnlaton af Int ba fgur-outa way inwhich the ae he ination teal Hc

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