Month: October 2014

I spent a few hours studying and drinking tea at Starbucks and literally observed hundreds of people of every size, shape, and color. I could see patterns in fashion choices, tattoos, and hairstyles but I also observed some individuals who were quite unique. All in all it was a fascinating few hours to actually just sit and take it all in. I observed a young woman with an olive complexion whom I assumed to be a student at the university as she was carrying several books and a backpack. She wore fairly standard dark blue skinny jeans and black patent leather flats. I could see a pink sweater peaking out from her raincoat. The most distinguishing element of her appearance was her colorful headscarf leading me to assume she is Muslim. If my assumption about her is correct, she is demonstrating a value of modesty. Although this woman wore clothes that did not distinguish her in one way or another, her headscarf caused me to assume other things about her that might otherwise be invisible. For example, while I know Muslims represent many races and ethnicities, I found myself making the assumption that she is from an Arab nation given her complexion. Had she not been wearing the headscarf, I might have observed her as Latina or Israeli. Since I am Jewish, I am familiar with the laws of modesty as Orthodox Jewish women also cover their heads in a show of piety to God. However, while I very much identify as Jewish, I don’t feel the need to dress in a particular way. I believe the woman I observed has made a different choice for herself.

The second person I observed was a muscular white guy with close-cropped brown hair. He wore black jeans and a snug short sleeved tee shirt. Both arms were covered in tattoos – from wrists to biceps. I did not see any other tattoos but, to be honest, made the assumption he had many more on his legs and other parts of his body covered by clothes. In my opinion, I believe this guy places a high value on self-expression and he uses his body as a canvas. I tried to get a better look at the specific tattoos on his arms, as I believe they can be revealing as to a person’s beliefs or interests but I couldn’t do so without staring or being too obvious about it. It also occurred to me that this guy could be a tattoo artist himself and I think it’s cool that he expresses himself so fully. In addition, given that he is in great shape physically, I can make the assumption that he places a high value on looking good and feeling good. As for these assumptions and how they relate to my own values, I can admire the guy’s tattoos but not feel the need to make such an extreme choice for myself. I have a few tattoos and they have very personal stories behind them but I don’t feel the need to cover parts of my body in them.

The third person I chose to observe was a white woman, fashionably dressed in what looked to be expensive clothes and shoes. Her blond hair looked professionally cut and colored and her nails were beautifully manicured. She wore gold earrings, gold bracelets, an expensive watch and she carried a designer handbag. She was alone but talked on her iPhone 6 the entire time she was in Starbucks only taking a break to order a drink. She may or may not be a student as she didn’t appear to have any books or other school related materials. In my opinion, this is a woman who greatly values her physical appearance and spends time and money on achieving a certain look. The main assumption I made about this woman is that she comes from a wealthy family or has access to financial resources. When I think about this assumption in relation to my own values, I found myself wondering if I would spend money on clothes, etc. in the same way if I had more resources. I love to go shopping for and wear nice clothes, shoes, and jewelry. And a manicure is something I always enjoy. But, I don’t have the ability to spend lots of money on these items since food, rent, and school expenses have to come first. As I thought more deeply about this I concluded that while I might be inclined to expand my clothing allowance if resources were more plentiful, I’m just as likely to add other items to my budget such as travel or going out for nice meals.

Multimedia Essay

Attached is my Food is Art research assignment.

On my aunt’s kitchen wall in Oakland, CA there is a quote by the French lawyer and gastronome Jean Brillat-Savarin that says, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.”  In pondering the question, Is Food Art?, I found myself thinking about this quote over and over again.  I believe what Brillat-Savarin is saying is that food is one of the great indicators of what makes us human – as individuals and in our societal/community roles.  Certainly what makes us human greatly influences our decisions about how and why we create or evaluate art in a particular way.  In this context, it seems to me that food should be considered a form of art.

In her piece, “Food As Art,” Elizabeth Telfer does a great job of framing the prevailing views about food as art and why she has a different point of view.  Key to her view is her discussion of the notion of what is meant by the phrase “work of art” and that it can be used in a classifying way or an evaluative way. (12) Specifically Telfer says, “To use it in a classifying way is to say something about how the work is regarded, whereas to use it in an evaluative way is to say something about the extent to which is merits the label …”(12) In other words, in the classifying sense, a work of art is something the creator of the work, “intended it to be looked at or listened to with intensity, for it’s own sake.” (12) From my own experience as part of a family of “foodies” this is most definitely true when it comes to the creation of meals and special dishes.  Further, in the video clip about slow food, the intentionality with which food is grown and prepared is very much in keeping with this idea.  The food is to be consumed but it is also intended to be beautiful for it’s own sake. (Slow Food)

Since I hold the view that food can be art, the theory that best supports this is what Ellen Dissanayake calls “species-centered.”  Dissanayake defines this as, “ … a more human future society and art will be specifies-centered – that is, will regard all humans as alike and in having the same fundamental needs.” (21) Further, this view of art sees art and the making of art as a fundamental human behavior. (22) Logically then, a key human behavior is our desire to “make special” those things that are important to us as individuals and for our communities. (22).  These important things, including the making of food, “… encouraged and allowed the … oneheartedness of the group so they would work together in confidence and unity.”(24)

So, we have come full circle if we are to believe Brillat-Savarin.  The food we prepare and eat tells us a great deal about our fundamental humanity and our desire to prepare it with intentional beauty is an artistic endeavor.

1. Describe the term paleoanthropsychobiological. Who coined this term?

In her lecture before the National Art Education Association (NAEA) titled “Art for Life’s Sake,” Ellen Dissanayake uses the term “paleoanthropsychobiological.”  She coined this term to help describe her theory that art and the idea of art does not come from historical, Western views of art but rather a mash up of history (as far back as the Palaeolithic era); the study of society and culture (anthropology); and that it has aspects that are psychological and emotional in nature.  Her perspective on art is so different that she created her own word to describe it.

1. What does Dissanayake mean by the phrase “making special”? How does it relate to art and to human survival?

Dissanayake uses the phrase “making-special” to describe one of the many characteristics humans have acquired during the process of evolution.  She discusses the more obvious physicals changes that have taken place in man (posture, hair, etc.) as well as behavior shifts.  These behavior shifts include humans tending towards community, use of language, and to join in on actions and activities that benefit society.  An additional behavior is the human tendency to “make special” those actions and activities that are deeply meaningful to both individuals and to communities. Simply stated,  “making-special” is something that is “different from the mundane, the everyday, the ordinary.” (22) Dissanayake believes that art and the idea of art was formed centuries before our Western definitions and likely was closely related to the performance of rituals.  Further, she notes that it is not surprising that the arts were present during ritual ceremonies because they helped members of a community engage more deeply in the activities and served as a way of sharing all of life’s facets.  The building of community, using art, was actually essential for survival centuries ago because it created a shared sense of purpose.

1. Dissanayake identifies many different theories/movement/periods of art throughout western European history. Name three different theories of art that Dissanayake mentions in her essay. Identify the time period when each theory developed and was prominent. Provide a brief description of the philosophies and ideas that define each theory/movement/period of art. Support your answer with quotes from the reading.

As part of setting the stage to explain her theory of art and the idea of art, Dissanayake takes her audience through the development of the Western concepts of art including the medieval, Renaissance, and modern periods.

While Dissanayake does not go into great detail about medieval art, it is generally known that this period lasted over 900 years from approximately 300 AD. to the beginning of the Renaissance in 1400 AD.  However, Dissanayake does note that during this period, “the arts were in the service of religion, as they have always been, but were not regarded ‘aesthetically’ …” (16) The medieval era consisted of three significant styles all with God, church, and religion as a focus: Early Christian, Romanesque, and Gothic   During the Early Christian period, the Catholic Church was responsible for funding many artistic endeavors including the decoration of churches.  During the Romanesque period, the arts and architecture were quite grand and reflected the growing wealth of the big cities in Europe and the ongoing power of the church.  Lastly, the Gothic period, called such after the Goths who were in power in France, also showcased dramatic art and architecture in cathedrals and churches.  One of the most famous (and from personal experience, one of the most beautiful) is Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris with its famous gargoyles and flying buttresses.  (ArtHistory.net)

Dissanayake goes on from her brief description of the medieval period to introduce the Renaissance.  She says, “Renaissance artists gradually replaced God-centered with man-centered concerns, but their work continued to portray a recognizable world . . .”(16) Beginning in Italy and spreading to the rest of Europe, The Renaissance took place between the 14^th and 17^th centuries.  History tells us that religion and Christianity were not rejected fully as the church supported many artists during the Renaissance.  But, it is also true that artists of the day explored more secular topics and as this shift took place, religion and God became less of the central theme and purpose for the creation of arts.  (ArtHistory.net)

Dissanayake also discussed the modernist art period that occurred between the late 1800’s and the mid 1970’s.  She notes that, “… 18^th century thinkers turned their attention to a subject that came to be called ‘aesthetics’ …”(17) One could surmise that modern art was the opposite of medieval art.  She further explains that this shift created the notion that one had to have a “special frame of mind” (17) for understanding and appreciating art.  And, part of that frame of mind was that individuals needed assistance to understand or interpret art.  As art became less religious and less about the recognizable world, experts had to help explain what works of art meant and whether it was good or bad.   Toward the end of the modernist period Dissanayake points out that, “ what is said (or written) about a work is not only necessary to its being art, but is indeed perhaps more important than the work itself.  There is no appreciation of art without interpretation.” (19)

Ellen Dissanayake’s lecture to the National Art Education Association (NAEA) “Art for Life’s Sake,” is an interesting and provocative commentary on historical and modern assumptions about the role of art in life.  In understanding her audience of art educators, Dissanayake, in professorial style, helpfully takes the time to lay the ground work that informs her strongly held point of view that she has labeled palaeoanthropsychobiological or in simpler terms, “species-centered.” (21) She acknowledges that this term is quite unusual but deems it necessary because it helps explain her view that, “ . . . in order to include human history, human cultures, and human psychology, art must be viewed as an inherent universal (or biological) trait of the human species, as normal and natural as language, sex, sociability, aggression, or any of the other characteristics of human nature.”(15)

Dissanayake’s ground work includes an artistic march through time and an explanation of the Western concept of art including art in service to religion; art during the Renaissance and as distinct from God; a mash-up of societal influences that came to be known as “modernity’; and finally postmodernism. (16-19) The examination of the history of art leads her to conclude that we have it all wrong.  Rather than seeing art as the bastion of the rich and educated or even of those who view it through a cynical or nihilistic lens, Dissanayake sees art as, “a universal need and propensity of the human species.” (21) In other words, art is as basic to our lives and to how we live as food, clothing, and shelter.  It is just a part of us and it is everywhere.

I love that Dissanayake’s lecture was delivered to arts educators – those charged with teaching the history of art, the creation of art, or even the appreciation of art.  And, in pursing their various roles as educators, I wonder if Dissanayake believes they too have it all wrong.  Are they teaching and fostering points of view that contribute to the, “perplexing contradictions, in adequacies, and confusions of both modernist and post-modernist aesthetics … “(21) Further, I wonder what her point of view would be about the ongoing dialogue of the failure of public education to prioritize the study and creation of the arts.

Values Assessment:

Family, health, loyalty, friendship, service, independence, enjoyment, integrity, community, personal development, personal achievement, leadership, creativity, security, wisdom, wealth, expertness, power, location, and prestige.

After completing the values assessment, my top five values are: family, health, friendship, loyalty, and service.  When I think about what is important to me and why I chose these five values, the influence of my family is significant.  My family is the most significant part of my life and as such I place the highest value on them.  In fact, after family the other values can be attributed to what I experienced as priorities growing up.  In addition to placing a high value of physical and mental health, I was raised to cherish friendship and loyalty as well as service to others.

And, while these are the values that rise to the top, there are times when I feel in conflict with these values.  For example, I often find myself sacrificing my own happiness for others.  This is something that I am paying attention to and working on this year.

When I look back over the weekend (rather than just one day) the dominant values were not particularly aligned with my top five. Yes, I was in touch with my family but I also focused on independence, enjoyment, creativity, and wisdom.  They are very different than my top five and yet very real.  In an effort to pay more attention to my own wishes, I spent a good part of the weekend doing things I wanted to do and not what was expected of me by others.  And in going my own way, I enjoyed myself more.  I also worked on a project for a class that called on my creative side.  I enjoy school and my classes much more when I am able to be creative and complete assignments that use more of my artistic side.  Lastly, I did respond to a friend who had a bit of a crisis so my value of service was evident.  But, I can also say that I offered some words of wisdom to her as she worked through her problems.

In A Question of Values: Six Ways We Make Personal Choices That Shape Our Lives, the author ponders the question of whether our values are freely chosen or inherent in whom we are based on our genetic makeup.  Further, the author acknowledges that it is a difficult and complicated subject but notes that, “there is a good deal of evidence that human beings are not primarily driven by genetically determined instincts but are rather free to make their own choices.” (7) I agree with the author on this point and further agree when he makes the point that values are, “. . . personal evaluations and beliefs that propel us to action, to a particular kind of behavior and life.” (7) So, how do humans come to make choices that inform their behavior?  According the to author, the way we come to “know” things also informs the architecture of our values and that there are four ways we come to “know” something:  sense experience, deductive logic, emotion, and intuition.  In addition to these basic mental modes (10) the author also contends that we use two other “synthetic mental modes” (10) that combine the basic modes in a variety of ways.  Specifically the author notes authority and science as the synthetic modes.

My appreciation and agreement with the author’s assessment of how we create our own values is informed by the internship I had last summer working with the Greater Good Science Center in Berkeley, California.  Over the course of six weeks I was able to work with teachers from across the country as they studied different ways to regulate their emotions to improve their practice in the classroom.  While I did not know it at the time, I can say without a doubt that all four mental modes were explored as a way to better know and understand the values the teachers promoted as important for their daily practice in the classroom.  In addition, the synthetic mental modes of authority and science also came into play.

Blog being reviewed:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/09/22/349928619/nfl-looks-to-training-to-prevent-domestic-violence-by-players 

In her blog, “NFL Looks to Training to Prevent Domestic Violence By Players,” Laura Starecheski quickly makes the point that while awareness and training are important steps in preventing domestic violence in the NFL, addressing the culture of acceptance of such violence is paramount.  I could not agree more.

Professional football is a violent sport – that fact cannot be disputed.  But, as the blog notes, there are more violent sports (such as boxing and wrestling)(1) so why is the focus on the NFL and why is it in the news now? The recent and dramatic incidents of domestic violence (against women and children) by several professional football players have forced the issue into the open.  And while the culture of acceptance has existed for decades in many professional sports, it’s the presence of social media and the public’s access to the reality of domestic violence within the organization that have forced the NFL to confront their own culture. For example, the NFL’s leadership could only deny the brutality of Baltimore Raven’s player Ray Rice’s actions against his wife Janay Rice when the video capturing the incident was a secret.  Once the video appeared on television and the Internet, the NFL could no longer look the other way or justify the minimal punishment it had originally rendered.

Starecheski’s insights and those of the experts she cites are significant.   In particular, she notes that many academics have been trying to understand the origins of why people commit acts of aggression against their spouses, partners, and children. (1) Most notable is Rowell Huesmann, a psychologist at the University of Michigan, who believes that violent behavior can be linked to childhood experiences. He states, “Children are great imitators.  Children who grow up with physical abuse and domestic violence are learning that this is a way you deal with other people when you want to make them bend to your will.  You hit them.” (1)  So, if we can begin to understand why people engage in domestic abuse, we can begin to understand how to discuss and prevent it.

Starecheski’s research also shows efforts to educate players about domestic violence, as they are currently conducted, are insufficient and cosmetic, at best.  With only one team (The New England Patriots) regularly engaged in trainings and education about the issue, (1) it is unlikely to have any meaningful impact on players.  What is needed is honest, thoughtful, and sustained dialogue about this issue in the NFL and indeed all professional sports.  The media sensation around domestic violence has caused to NFL to think and act differently than in the past.  Now, they have to make good choices about  the future.

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