Accepting "Y'all"

Yankee Doodle source

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When I was eight, I moved from New York to North Carolina. Prior to our move, I knew little about southern culture, so little that I was surprised when I heard someone say “y’all” because I thought that southern accents were a thing of the past only existent in old westerns and history (clearly not so). When we moved, I felt like an other myself. A girl in my third grade class called me a “Yankee,” and I didn’t know what that was—I just knew we rooted for them.     I also felt like an other because I was the new kid at school. Feeling like an outsider among my peers led me to otherize southerners, mostly in middle school, when cliques ruled. I went to a middle school that seemed to be run by blonde cheerleader clones and jocks, none of which I have ever been. They all had thick southern accents and ribbons in their hair, and it seemed clear that I was not like them. The reason that I would never be like them was because I was from the north, I thought, and I did not go to elementary school with all of them. I thought that middle school in New York must be very different, and only there would I fit in. I was wrong. It was just the school and the age. After 7th grade, I transferred to a school that focused on the arts and had a more eclectic student-body, and I flourished there. I still think southerners are different than northerners in some ways, but there are all kinds of people everywhere, and culture is not confined to location.

Mean Girls

Growing up always feeling like the odd-girl-out, I learned at a young age to embrace my quirky individuality.  I didn't always do it in a healthy way though, especially in middle school.  I always acted as if the "popular girls" were really the weird ones, I made fun of them, and I criticized them for qualities I had no proof of (intelligence, promiscuity, etc.).  As I grew up and became more comfortable in my own skin, I realized that not only was I otherizing the "popular girls", I was also making myself the "other" by setting myself apart from everyone else and only associating with people who were like me (quirky, awkward, liked a certain music).

Otherization is extremely prevalent in our society, from movies like "Mean Girls" to sports team preferences to racial profiling.  The movie "Mean Girls" is a perfect example of otherizing, particularly when the main character, Cady, is introduced to the cliques of the high school, particularly the "plastics".  Janis, another character tells her all about the "plastics" - how they're cold, slutty, and "bitchy".  This otherization is just one example of many in the movie.

A Temporary Home After Hurricane Katrina

A Flooded School after Hurricane Katrina

     After Hurricane Katrina, my family was temporarily relocated and I had to attend a new high school. It was the beginning of my freshmen year, so high school in general was a new concept to me. I went from a suburban to a rural area, and the people were quite different than what I was familiar with. I grew up with most of the students in my high school and had a group of close friends, whereas I didn’t know anybody at this new school. I was approaching the situation with a negative attitude because I did not want to be there.

An "Old" Desk with Cubby Hole

     There were issues here that were not present at my old school. The desks were old with cubby holes inside of them, a few of which had cans full of chewing tobacco spit. Everybody smoked, which wasn’t a big deal, but the bathrooms were full of cigarette smoke. I had to wait in line for the bathroom because students were in the stalls smoking. The curriculum that we started with had been covered in my junior high school. I separated myself from the situation and people as if I were an “other” in an “otherized” place. It’s interesting how the “other” can work both ways.

I had a Similar Reaction. 

     After a week or two, I noticed more positive aspects of this transition. I met nice people and realized that the faculty was in a semi-stalemate with students to prevent smoking in the bathroom. In retrospect, I otherized this new high school and town as being “hick” because it was not MY high school or town. When I was placed in a position that strayed from my normal standards, otherizing was almost a form of defense to handle the new environment.

Belligerent Activities

Whenever I go out to a bar,  I find that I am constantly "otherizing" people who act different than the norm.  Now when I say different than the norm, I mean people who get really loud and belligerent and dance with rambunctious, uncoordinated mannerisms.  I can't help but stare and laugh as they continue to carelessly embarrass themselves.  I always find that no matter where I am, I always single out anyone who acts like this in the bar and spend the whole night randomly staring and laughing and continuously judging them.

This is where the story gets funny.  Recently it was brought to my attention that whenever I'm out and "feeling good," I turn into one of the very people that I continuously "otherize."  Through what my friends have told me and pictures, I learned that I not only act completely ridiculous, but can be very similar to those that I continue to judge while being out.  It's funny for me to think about now because I finally understand how they so carelessly continue to act the way they are acting without stopping to think what other people might be thinking of them.  Whenever I act this way, I just go on living my life and don't care how crazy I am acting.  I become an other, a part of the group that I continuously "otherize."

From Buzzle

 

Preppy Girly Girls

                Have you ever watched a movie or TV show where the setting is in an all-girl private school or boarding school? If you have you notice sometimes they present the girls as rich girly girls, well sadly I believed them. For years I watched those movies and TV shows and assumed that was how the girls were. It wasn't until I was in high school that I realized how wrong I was.
        In my eighth grade year I had to look for a high school to attend the following year. I had charter, magnet, and public schools on my list to learn more about. As I am looking at these schools my parents added all-girl private schools to the list. When I realized this I argued with them about the choice, I did not want to go to an all-girl school. The idea of going to an all-girl school where the girls where preppy girly girls was not an appealing to me. In the end I had no choice.


Ursuline

        Well the following year for high school I ended up at Ursuline Academy, an all-girl school. I entered the year with the stereotype that all the girls there were preppy girly girls. I spent the first week of school watching the girls in my class and distancing myself. In the time I was watching the girls I realized that not all of them fit the sterotype that I had formed in my head about them, sure there were one or two that did but the majority were not. I felt like a fool for assuming that all the girls were like how some movies potrayed them.
          By following a stereotype that I had learned from movies and TV I had "otherized" a group of girls I did not know. By "otherizing" those girls I also made myself the "other," because I made it so I did not fit in with them. Once I realized this I made more of an effort to get to know the girls better and became friends with them. Four years later I graduated from an all-girl school and still am friends with those girls. Its funny how a stereotype can have people "otherizing" each other but learning the stereotype is not true in the end is the best part about it

Football Fanatic

Good old American football. My mind couldn’t help but think of this first as the prime manifestation of “otherization” that I continually partake in. Every Sunday (sometimes more than even just once a week) I find the best TV, with equally boisterous and opinionated friends and being the hour and a half berating session of anyone NOT going for my team. This berating can be minor…in the event that I feel a bit conflicted over which team to root for. Or this can be an all out verbal assault complete with obscenities, name-calling and plenty of curse words.

            I’m not sure what age this became protocol because I was born into a football fanatic family. Since I can remember there have been football parties decked out with buffets of delicious finger foods. How can you resist this awesome fanatic otherizing that guarantees endless parties, cheese trays, buffalo wings and once you’re 21 or sneaky, BEER?!
           Humans have competition rooted in their cores. Their desire to conquer obstacles and prevail in first place is at the center of this kind of sports driven otherization. Sometimes traditions and old habits die-hard…or rather die NEVER. Even instances such as last year’s LSU/Alabama fan tea bagging scandal don’t do much to quell the perpetual and sometimes vulgar rivalry. One thing is for sure, Americans love their football. New Orleans Saints fans remain loyal to their “Who Dat” Nation no matter who next Sunday’s “other” will be. ROLL TIDE.

          

What Happens When You ASSuME?

via shutterstock

My freshman year in high school my grade got three new students.  One was a girl and the other two were guys.  The girl was short with black hair and kind of cute in my opinion.  One of the guys was tall, skinny, and had red hair with freckles.  He was quiet and reserved while the other boy, who was a little bit taller than the girl, was loud and made his presence known as soon as he walked into a room.  He drew attention to himself not only with his loud comments, but also with his attire.  He dressed in bright clothing that seemed a little too tight for him, and was sometimes on the borderline of feminine in my opinion.  He spoke with a slight lisp as well, and because of all of these things I made the quick assumption that he was gay.  I never treated him any differently because of this assumption, except for the fact that I would get slightly awkward whenever we would all have to change for P.E., so the subject of his sexuality never came into discussion.  I just had it in my mind that there was a difference between the two of us, he liked guys and I liked girls.

One day in the locker room all of the guys were talking about the new girl that had joined our grade.  The girls had played volleyball in P.E. and as we were walking in from outside they were still in their uniforms.  Comment after comment got exchanged as everyone threw in their input into how good the new girl looked in her volleyball uniform.  Not too long after the conversation had started, a loud voice erupted amongst the rest.  “SHE IS SOOOOOO FINE!!” the new kid who I had assumed was gay belted out.  When I looked around the locker room I could tell by the surprised facial expressions that I was not the only person who had made this assumption.  I leaned over to the kid and whispered in his ear, “You think she’s hot?”  He nodded rapidly grabbing my shoulders and shaking me, trying to get me to understand his excitement.  I burst into a fit of laughter, thinking about how silly I had been this whole time with my assumption.  I dapped him up and kept why I was laughing to myself.  Everyone in the locker room continued with the conversation and I learned a lesson that I had been told a thousand times over, not to judge a book by its cover.  I had otherized this kid simply because of how he dressed, talked and acted.  I had assumed we were completely different just because we weren’t alike in every way, and I was wrong.   

Otherizing: Greek Orthodox Church

A number of years back, I attended a Greek Orthodox Church as a guest of a friend. This was a new experience, as I had only been to Catholic Churches. I knew it would be a different experience, but I wanted to see what other religions were like. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful and unique the outside of the church was designed. I kept staring at the church as I was awestruck by the sheer beauty.

Once we entered the church, I kept looking around. I did not know how to proceed into the church and felt a little apprehensive. Again, the art was breathtaking and the altar was stunning. I did not know whether to stand, sit, or genuflect as I was entering the pew. I kept glancing around me to see what other people were doing. This is when I really started to feel uncomfortable and realized that I was the “other.”

Since the service was in Greek, I could not follow the sermon and my eyes began to wander around the church. I noticed that I was staring at “other” people to try to see what I should be doing. I noticed that they did the sign of the cross a little different from the way I was used to. The first thought that came to my mind was that “they” were doing it wrong. It was perplexing to me. I then realized I was observing all the rituals of the Greek Orthodox religion and trying to compare it to the Catholic rituals I was used to. The comparing of the two separate religions was how I was “otherizing” the people in the church. I realized the best action I could take was to observe and appreciate a different religious culture and gain a better understanding of what different religions have to offer.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

 

Hollywood Hype

            When I hear the word “empire” my mind immediately jumps to scenes from the movie Gladiator. I think of Spartan-like men in breastplates, heads bowed reverently to their emperor, ready to march out in battle at a moments notice. The movie Gladiator deals with the Roman Empire, but thoughts of the Ottoman and Byzantine empires also cross my mind.  My general connotation with the word ‘empire’ is not one of strong emotion. I attribute this neutrality to empires being  a very  historical idea to me. It is not something that I feel passionately about because it is something that just simply was and is not anymore. A positive association I make with empires is the great courage men showed in fearlessly serving their emperors, but at the same time I am struck by the heinous acts they committed in the advancement of conquest.   One definite negative connotation I have with empires is the hierarchal rule of one man above all. An elite class held power and others would toil endlessly with hope of advancement.

            Empires definitely had a strong since of self and other because within an empire citizens were required to have a strong sense of patriotism and respect for their leader. The constant race to expand made all outsiders either a threat or an impediment to progress. If you were not for the empire, you were the “other” because you were not cut from the same superior cloth. If you were for the empire, but from somewhere else you were a lesser man.

            Empires were established in a time of many new technologies and tools were coming into being. Those left behind in a less advanced or civilized state were often considered Barbarians. Men of a different nationality who spoke different languages were considered to be lesser and of a barbaric nature.

            My ideas on empires and barbarians are almost completely shaped by Hollywood. The majority of the exposure I have had to these topics has been though movies. 

When I think of the word "empire" I think of a society with a hierarchy. This certain society is always well structured and has a strong military, also, I when I think of an empire I think of a place that is powerful and has connections with other empires. Within an empire there is a king or someone of extreme power who have people working for them, kind of like a hierarchy within a hierarchy. I connect the word "empire" to countries like Greece, Egypt, and Rome due to what I learned in high school about these empires. Also, when I think of an empire I think of a place that eventually falls into ruins. An empire directly relates to the idea of the "self" and the "other" in two different ways. The first is within an empire there is always a king of higher power, who is essentially the "self" and the rest of the empire can be considered as the "other" (or the other way around, the king being the "other" to the rest of the empire). The second way is that the entire empire is the "self" and other empires and countries are the "other".

For me "barbarians" are the "others" of a modern society, they are people who are ignorant of the modern society and are considered to be "dirty" and uncivilized to outside societies. I think that my ideas of these words came from what I have learned in school about modernity and what I see in the media.

"Empires" & "Barbarians"

     When I think of the word “empire” I think of a powerful, thriving civilization. The first things that come to my mind upon hearing “empire” are Rome, Alexander the Great, and big, very successful businesses. I relate the word to both its historic and contemporary meanings. I think of ancient times with powerful emperors and strong militias. When I think of these highly successful and well-built civilizations, my immediate second thought is their downfall. The word “empire”, to me, is something of great power but also impermanence. I guess it’s the whole Spider Man thing, “With great power comes great responsibility”. I just feel like most of the time, such immense power is abused causing the empire’s own destruction. Power is not something most people can handle (correctly) and often times leads to their own defeat. I think that when an empire becomes entirely about self and not about others, that’s when problems arise. To most big businesses, we are the “others”, faceless, mindless consumers. I think that when companies understand and care about the individual (self) and don’t just focus on profiting from the general public (other), that’s when they truly achieve, and can keep, power. I think my current understanding of the word comes from what I have learned in history classes and in film. Learning of Alexander the great and powerful, ancient empires. The film industry has influenced my understanding as well, showing the lives of famous people who have gained great wealth and power—created their own “empires”.

     To me, the word “barbarian” suggests a savage, animalistic being. I think of unintelligent, uncompassionate cavemen; a being lacking education or basic consideration for other beings. I relate the term “barbarian” to those who are very cruel to others or disregard human emotions. As a child, I watched many movies that painted certain cultures as “barbaric”. Lots of films display foreign civilizations, like the Indians for example, as the “barbarians”. One of the things that really made me think about the term “barbarian”, is learning about Christopher Columbus and his voyage of, what he thought was, the Indies. His exploration in the foreign land and learning about the foreign people really made me think. Do we simply otherize these people thus deeming them “barbarians”? Is it just because we don’t understand them? I think such things as language barriers and the fact that many cultures are just so different from our own is something most people just can’t understand. I think we sometimes otherize foreign people out of fear or frustration that we feel we cannot connect with them. I believe that sometimes we label others as “barbarians” without truly taking the time to understand their culture and customs. I really try to gain a clear understanding of foreign people and try to see from their own perspectives rather than simply regarding them as uncivilized without even trying to get to know them. 

 Arnold Schwarzenegger:
Barbarian/Terminator/former governor of California

Barbarian and Empire

When I think of the word “empire”, it brings to mind the movie “Scarface” starring Al Pacino.  Not because of the drug kingpin situation, but because Tony Montana was able to build an empire from nothing.  He went from being a “nobody” immigrant, to the boss, a leader.  Being at the top of an empire to me is being in supreme control; making the decisions as the person in charge.  Tony Montana, the character known as “Scarface” played by Al Pacino, built an empire, although they were fronts to launder money, Montana opened and ran several companies while avoiding problems with other gangs. He started from selling drugs and opened several businesses Montana managment, Montana real estate, Montana records, and Montana Legal to name a few.  Empire to me means a vast network of command that has a leader with the power to protect, build, and overcome other rivals, whether businesses or civilizations.  Empire is related to the concepts “self” and “other” because what we see as an empire to our selves, could be perceived as an “other” depending on who’s looking at it. When I think of the word “barbarians”, I picture a savage and ruthless Genghis Kahn type. I portray a barbarian as big, ugly, uncivilized, and almost animal like.  I feel like my ideas about these words primarily came through media and possibly even some life experiences. Also, ‘Scarface: The World is Yours” for Playstation 2 is an awesome game; a true classic if you play games.

A whole question of being civilized

All of the pink was all controlled by a small city on the coast of Italy

                                                         
     At the first mention of the word "empire" I begin to conjure up ideas of massive and powerful civilizations that ruled for an extensive amount of time. The basis on which I usually form my opinion of empires comes from the great Roman Empire. It is the most well known today for their advancements in technology and the hardships that followed their demise.
     The Roman empire started out of the turmoil of the fall of the Greek empire. Starting out as a small city in the Mountains of Italy, the Roman empire was able to conquer and hold a major portion of the Western side of the known world. Not only did they conquer this section of the world, but they held control over it through many different emperors.
     Because of this association to the Roman empire, I tend to associate the word empire with structure and prosperity. The Roman empire maintained its borders much longer than anyone of the time. Therefore, the Romans made many scientific and philosophic advancements. But after the Empire collapsed, the western world turned into chaos and was forced to rebuild itself all over again.
   The idea of an empire being a view between self and other can be based upon the idea of calling yourself a part of an empire. Anybody who says that they belong to the same empire as another citizen no matter the distance has something major in common. Whereas someone who comes from a completely different group has no association to the citizen of that empire and are therefore seen as an outcast to that region.
     A barbarian can be seen as anyone who does not live in the empire and instead has fought off and chooses to stay away from the empire. The only interaction that the barbarians have with the empire is when they are attacking them for goods they need because they know that the empire has an abundance of these goods. The controllers of the empires usually give a very bad image to the barbarians making it seem as if they are uneducated and uncivilized compared to the empire.

                                                   A stereotypical image of barbarians

A standard Roman legion during the height of the Roman Empire