Theory and Methods ARH 411

  Expression of Sexuality  In this week's reading Framing the Question: Positive Imaging and Scarcity in Lesbian Photographs (1991) Jan Zita Grover discusses images and what they “forget” and “remember,” she discusses her person experiences with bias as well as the presence of lesbians in popculture. To begin her writting Grover explains that lesbian images are precieved differently by individuals of lesbian and non-lesbian audiences. I thought it was very bold for her to start out by eliminating some bias, with this statement she acknowledges different people have different feelings when seeing such imagery, which brings any reader of her writing a sense of security. Then Grover spends some time explaining an experience she shared with another, where they were selecting photos for a Nicaraguan exhibition and her partner only was stimulated by photos taken by individuals that were North America or European. The answer to Grovers question of “why,” “why no images from Nicar...

  Indigenous Knowledge and White Western Knowledge In the book Indigenous Methodologies: Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts by Maragaret Kovach she examines the differences between indigenous Knowledge and white western knowledge. In chapter three Epistemology and Research: Centering Tribal Knowledge Kovach evaluates differences in education, values, language, in holistic practices and their credibility.  To begin her writing Kovach explains what exactly epistemology is and it is a theory about knowledge in conjunction with its methods, practices and validity, epistemology is also an investigation of the differences between a justified belief and a personal opinion. The epistemological foundation of both indigenous knowledge and western knowledge are what distinguish the two. Something interesting Kovach mentions is the standardized education system of the western world and how indigenous languages, folk tales and cultivation practices would not be able to be pa...

  The Creator, the Viewer and the Appropriator In the writing Meaning, Identity, Embodiment: The uses of Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology in Art History Amelia Jones describes multiple different type of creator and viewer relationships, how origin and identity correlate all while referencing French man Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s collection of theories and ideals. She starts off her writing with a powerful statement that there is a “.. hallowed notion of the female body as a site of human generation, the ultimate “origin” of life and meaning.. (pg 4).” Ameila Jones begins her writing by discussing the relationship between identity and origin. She talks about how works become the identity of authors. She talks about how the creator or author’s interpretation is exactly a representation of self-identity. Jones makes very obvious assumptions about how a work can be expressive of identity. Then Jones spends the length of her writing referencing Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s works in correlation...

  Third World Women and Inclusive feminism In the article Difference “A special Third World Women Issue” by Trinh T. Minh-ha, who is Vietnamese. She creates films, is a literary theorist, musical composer and professor. She received two masters as well as a PH.D. from the University of Illinois. In this writing Mink-ha discusses the generational and institutionalized sexism and racism around the world, the abuse of the minority and the fact that women who are minorities are discriminated against far more than white women.  Minh-ha starts off her writing by explaining the standards that women are held to. She mentions the “made women(pg 12),” the made women would be one that has conformed, one that follows the rules or social normalities. A made woman knows her place essentially. The irony lies where a women can be made but she could also be an oriental women, african women, or indigenious women and still be discriminated against. Also a woman who is not made is disobedien...

  The Death of the Author, Roland Barthes, and Sherrie Levine In the writing The Death of the Author by Frenchman Roland Barthes the idea that the author is absent from a work throughout the rest of its life is heavily emphasized as well as the idea that an author or creator's message is no longer relevant when a work is in the hands of the viewer. There are a few ideas that are contradictory, one that stood out to me was the idea of enunciation being an unnecessary element of literature.  To begin his writing Barthes explains society's fascination with “the Author.” Society is most interested in the persona of the author or elements of the author's character. Society is also intrigued by the author's lives, their preference and personal interests. Another point Barthes makes is that an author is their work, or their work becomes a part of them almost like a description of their identity. Barthes' most important idea in this writing is the death of the author. ...

The Oppositional Gaze and Black People’s Relationship and Representation in Cinema  In the writing The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators author bell hooks explains the domination of white supremacy engrained in the gaze of black people, the effects of blacks looking and being looked at and the representations of blacks in the cinematic experience. Hooks statements about the white gaze and the black gaze as well as its relationship to many different things is accurate. I think it is important that blacks are represented in a way that does not reinforce white European culture and values.   In the beginning of this chapter hooks talks about the child's relationship with the gaze. When children are young they are told not to stare but they are also told to look at adults when they are being scolded. This control of children’s looking is an example of how making eye contact and not making eye contact can mean and result in different outcomes. Then hooks explains that ...