Lingual Olympics

- Temitope Olofintuyi 

While delivering one of my favorite rap lyrics, I was quickly interrupted by a friend who asserted that I must never feel the need to utter those words again. I felt disappointed in myself—that I could not code-switch into African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) as smoothly as I would have liked. Yet I have always felt discouraged from using AAVE, as it is thought to be an inferior, constricting, and a rather invalid form of communication. I wonder, however, what makes one form of communication more legitimate than the other? After all, at times, where I have failed in communication with Standard English (the existence of which is questionable), I have succeeded with AAVE.

It’s a question well worth the exploration from various perspectives, though personally, understanding the function of code-switching required me to take an even more individualistic approach. Within my social parameters are many Nigerians, most of whom are of Yoruba descent. As an individual who was born in Nigeria, but grew up in the US, it is not uncommon when greeting relatives (all of whom we call aunties or uncles) or friends of parents to hear the perpetual joke about my inability to speak Yoruba fluently and I find myself only getting by with a rough mix of half Yoruba/half English. The joking never fails to remind me of an undeniable truth: without better command of the language, I am further from understanding the complex cultural roots and significance that define the ethnic group I identify with. The original ideas and experiences once/formally existed in full validity without the need for any operative- now standard- English. Accordingly, Yoruba cannot be denied full entitlement to its legitimacy as an effective form of communication, particularly within the group of people who share the common experiences that call its use into relevance.

Likewise, the experience that predicated AAVE cannot be... continue reading 

International Solidarity with Palestine

After a recent discovery of a solidarity page on Facebook with the title of “International Community to save Palestine” which at this moment in time has over 8,000 likes, the problems with international solidarity with the Palestinian struggle must once again be addressed. Although those that liked this page may well have good intentions, the term “save” carries many dangerous connotations and should not be accepted whatsoever. Since the very beginning of international activism, there has always been a fine line between solidarity and victimisation, especially when it comes to the Palestinian cause. When internationals begin to learn and understand more about the horrendous acts of colonial Israel, it may motivate several to mobilise in order to shine more light on these crimes against humanity; however that does not make any international a spokesperson for the Palestinians, nor does it mean they should continue to treat Palestinians as inferiors .As a Palestinian, it must be made clear: we have a voice of our own and we do not need people to speak on our behalf, we are not mute and we refuse to be silenced. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand that by taking a position to speak on behalf of the Palestinians one is also committing the act of silencing Palestinians. If you want to show solidarity, then act as an echo rather than a voice for the call of liberation and justice.

As a Palestinian comrade once stated before, Palestine is not a charity case. The continuous act of the international community of behaving as spokespersons for the Palestinians is very similar to the colonial tactics to further inferiorize the Palestinians. Similar to Israel’s attempts to show the world that it knows what’s best for the Palestinians, it’s crucial for the international community to not follow in such colonial footsteps.

Holding the microphone

If you become one of the many internationals in solidarity with Palestine, it is vital to grasp an understanding of the various attempts made to speak for the Palestinians and what should be done in its place, to show appropriate camaraderie. If as an individual you do want to hold the microphone, then do so in your home country against the normalisation your governments partakes in with the apartheid state, or against the blind funding for Israel, be it by your government or companies that bare your nationality. If you want to hold the microphone, do so as an individual speaking out against colonialism, speaking out against apartheid and speaking out against the complicity of all those who remain silent. Conversely, do not do so through making the Palestinians seem like helpless victims in desperate need for international mobilization, as if the only way to liberate Palestine is when the international community does it. Hold the microphone because you’re against injustice, not as a representative of the Palestinians. By having a paternalistic outlook on an entire population and by disregarding its resistance movements by believing the road to liberation lie elsewhere, you are not expressing solidarity; you are expressing a white saviour mentality.

Proof of humanity
Furthermore, as an international in solidarity with Palestine, it is not your duty to prove the humanity of Palestinians. The urge to attest to the humanity of Palestinians is…continue reading

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This Gendered World

Women walking on the street get whistled at, why don’t men? Women are often asked to, or voluntarily choose to give up their careers to be caretakers of their children. Why don’t men do the same? Women often feel unsafe walking home from work at 10pm on a weeknight. Why don’t men?

We live in a gendered world. The words gender and sex are often used interchangeably, but there is a critical difference between the two. The male or female sex is simply a biological or physical trait. The word gender, however, carries with it a strong socio-political connotation.

For a more clear definition and example of gender, read what the World Health Organization said here:

Definition:"Gender" refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.

Examples of gender characteristics :

-In the United States (and most other countries), women earn significantly less money than men for similar work
-In Viet Nam, many more men than women smoke, as female smoking has not traditionally been considered appropriate
-In Saudi Arabia men are allowed to drive cars while women are not
-In most of the world, women do more housework than men

As you can see, these roles have nothing to do with biological restrictions or attributes. Earning less money, for example, does not have to do with how a male or female is structured.

When examining gender roles around the world, we see that women have been oppressed in different ways since time immemorial. Mustering up courage after centuries of inequality, women gained political freedom in a number of democracies. It wasn’t until 1920 that women gained voting rights in the United States. Men, of course, had the original and unquestioned right to vote. Why was there this difference? Why does this difference persist? And why is this difference so pervasive in all walks of life?

Yes, the crux of this article is feminism. Not the bra-burning, man-hating type. That’s actually not at all what it’s about. Feminism isn’t anti-men, it is pro-women. There’s a stark difference. Feminism is a way of life. It’s a light into a dark, dark tunnel. It opens your eyes to the realities around you. On reading political theories of Machiavelli, Rousseau and even contemporary theorists like John Rawls, we find that either women do not constitute a part of the canon at all, or they are treated as inferior.

We might disagree with some of the more extreme feminist arguments, but there is a high possibility, no, a surety that we will agree with a large part of them. Feminist writing has the power to make women around the world feel more enlightened, more aware of the injustice, stereotypes and biases we suffer from today. (Find examples of great feminist writing at the end of this article)

Why is Isabella Swan, the lead character from the Twilight novels, in constant need of being saved? Why does she need protection from her beau? Why is she portrayed as a meek, weak, irrational girl? Why is she so indecisive? Her character feeds into the stereotype for many women today. There are countless examples from popular culture that highlight characters like this but where’s the girl power we keep talking about? Why don’t we see enough of it in books and movies?

It is clear that women are at a disadvantage in some cases and that much of these embedded stereotypes are so ingrained that they are hard to fight. It is clear that there are systems to blame and governments to criticize. However, let us not be fooled into believing ourselves helpless. The sad truth is that we can not ignore that women themselves are often perpetrators of this very stereotype. In order for these stereotypes to discontinue, there has to be some level of effort and cooperation- be it at home, at the workplace or even at school. If at every turn, women refused to play into oppressive gender roles, those roles would be scrutinized and eventually done away with at a faster rate. We have to take some accountability as well, because we create stereotypes and we create society. In situations like these, where we as women continue to feed into backward thinking, we are also accountable for creating some of the misery around us.

Fortunately, Democratic power and the freedom of speech have given us the power to protest, share opinions and gain insight. We have the tools to make a change, so what are we waiting for?

The key is education, so take time to learn more about these stereotypes and what feminism really means (forget what you’ve heard). Here are a few links and recommended authors to get you started:


-http://www.carolhanisch.org/CHwritings/PIP.html

http://autof.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/butler-judith-gender-trouble-feminism-and-the-subversion-of-identity-1990.pdf

- http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3963&context=flr






-Disha Brara is a proud jumbler currently pursuing an MBA at Mumbai’s Welingkar Institute of Management. She is an alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi where she studied Political Science. Disha writes only to share, not to be published since she has little inclination towards journalism. She is looking to pursue a career in Marketing.

Go Big or Go Home

What car are you driving? Or if you’re in the transition period, what cars have caught your eye lately, and why? It’s probably safe to assume that one of the requirements for your car is space and comfort, right?

There’s a current car advertisement running that got us thinking. The ad is for the new Buick Lacrosse, and it’s celebrity promoter, or “size authority” as they refer to him, is Shaquille O’Neal. From start to finish, the entire ad highlights one main component: space. Buick boasts that the 2012 Lacrosse is spacious enough to comfortably fit even a giant like former Magic/Heat/Lakers/Suns/Celtics ( you get the point) player Shaq, who claims to have “shoes that are bigger than most hybrids”. Clearly, size and space are extremely important for Americans when it comes to cars. In fact, Americans have a “space” complex in general, but we’ll touch on that more later.

Today, the cars we drive are seen as an extension of who we are. Needless to say, we associate the brand names with certain standards and class. If you canvas different countries, it is interesting to see how certain cultures view cars. Across Asia and Europe, cars tend to be smaller and more fuel efficient. Most of these cultures, compared to the United States, tend to have a more advanced public transportation system that helps avoid using cars all the time and most of these countries emit (relative to population size) less toxins and pollution when it comes to cars alone. There are, of course, some exceptions in those continents, but the U.S. is definitely behind in waste management and the like.

Shaquille O'Neal: "I have shoes
that are bigger than most hybrids"

So why aren’t we crazy about smaller cars? It feels like hybrids and mini cars are constantly being talked about in America, but somehow not yet winning over the masses. Some years back, the Smart car was all the rage. Well, it certainly was the object of much joking and commentary. Americans weren’t accustomed to the tiny vehicles, and they couldn’t go unnoticed in between the Hummers and SUVs that surrounded them on all sides. Undoubtedly, the unflattering view of the cars lead to its declining popularity. People, men especially, would be less inclined to buy a smaller car because the stigmas associated with these vehicles aren’t particularly masculine or strong. In general, this creates an aversion to them in particular demographics. When our car is an extension of who we are, the reputation is very important.

For example, today the Toyota Prius comes with a certain reputation linked to the “green” lifestyle, as if anyone choosing a Prius is also a vegan or intense Greenpeace advocate. In all honesty, one of the greatest selling points of a hybrid car is the cut in cost and mileage, which is definitely a big advantage, even if you ignore the benefits to our environment.

So, despite these advantages, what is it that drives the lust for bigger, more expensive cars? Even in the throes of such a devastating financial crisis, the unquenchable American thirst for big cars could not be affected. It probably boils down to personal space. In general, Americans have a psychological “complex” about space. This, of course, is bred in the individualist society. Compare the U.S with countries like China and those within the African continent and notice the differences.

The other countries are “collective” societies, which, briefly explained, value and highlight the group over the individual. This is reflected in many aspects of the lifestyle, but an easy example can be found in the food culture. In those countries, eating off of the same plate or ordering meals for the table as a whole is the norm, contrasted with the American who orders a plate for him or herself when dining in a group. Furthermore, when finances allow, American families give each child his/her individual bedroom, computer etc. Much of this has to do with the societal norms that push everyone in different directions, but it is still interesting to note the difference.

A dog gets it's own seat in the car,
dozes off on a long car ride :)

The same phenomena is found with cars. Since plenty of Americans live in suburban areas with limited public transportation, it is vital to keep the flexibility that comes with having one’s own car. In families of three, both parents tend to have a personal vehicle. Add a pet or two, and that family of three will argue the necessity of a large van or SUV to accomodate the dog’s bed on long trips and the occasional carpool of a child’s friend. All jokes aside, the truth is, it’s more about habit than anything else for the majority. If it were required, a good percentage of families with SUVs could easily get by with a smaller car for the daily activities. The sale of SUVs and trucks are often to those who factor in only the occasional family road trip or home improvement venture requiring space, not simply those that actually use any of that space on a regular basis.

Alas, it doesn’t seem the small car craze will be catching on in the States still after all this time. For Americans, it’s go big or go home. Many take pride in their choice for SUVs or trucks, claiming that it’s within their right to choose to pay more for gas if they want. For some, it’s nationalism as well, since big cars have come to be a symbol of America and small cars are left for the “softer” Europeans.

I’m not sure, however, that the jumbler* generation will always be opposed to smaller cars and I can see many of them sticking with their smaller sedans instead of upgrading to SUVs for no particular reason. Perhaps in a few decades, we’ll all have grown accustomed to smaller cars and hybrids. If that happens, our environment will thank us as well.

N.W.S & F.E.A


*"Jumbler" is a new term more directly describing the age-group between the open-ended “young adult” and the broad “adults”. A jumbler is an intellectually sound and aware 17-27 year old with opinions and genuine concern or interest in the world around him/her as well as the issues affecting its communities.

This blog, JumbleTalk, and our news source website www.jumbletalk.com are completely run and written by jumblers, giving them a voice and outlet that reflects their influential, relevant opinions and their strong abilities and skills.