The Politics of French Culture

Personal Video

The Au Pair Diaries

Establishing Rapport and Obama Innuendos

Further Rhetorical Analyses of French Advertisements

Advert #1: yes you can!

This is an advertisement from the town association of Saint Germain-en-Laye (it's a suburb of Paris) to the people of Saint Germain-en-Laye to pick up after their dogs. For those of you who have been to Paris, you may know that there is a LOT of dog poop on the sidewalks here. Apparently the obsession for pets and the lack of green space in the city are not the greatest combination for our shoes. As a result, you are always having to watch where you step. It happens so often though (that you step in it), that it is said to be "good luck" if you step in it with your left foot. Gross, I know. Anyways, apparently the town of Saint Germain-en-Laye doesn't care about our luck (nor do I), because they want people to pick up after their dogs. This is really more of a plea to the public than an advertisement to sell something but I guess one could argue they are trying to sell the idea of picking up the poo?

Okay, so now that I've explained the background details, I'll get onto the analysis...

Kairos: This poster was on a bulletin board in the center of downtown St. Germain-en-Laye. As you can see, the board is full of other events and advertisements...all which relate specifically to this town. It was strategically placed right across the street from a bus stop. That's actually where I was waiting when I took the picture. It's also on the corner of a street with a really long traffic light. This makes the "audience" pretty much anyone who is walking through the town, waiting for the bus, or in their car waiting for the light to turn green. That's a lot of people!

Logos: The really bright green and yellow colors stand out in contrast to the rest of the adverts on the board and immediately drew my attention to this particular one. Next I glanced at the cute little dog,which makes sense to have a picture of one because it is about dogs. I am not a huge animal lover, but I suspect for those who are this giant dog would make it stand out even more. Next my eyes were quickly drawn to the text above the pup, which is surprisingly in english! "yES I cAN?" (I love the caps letters where the inflection should be) "I cAN what?" Then I look down and read "J'aime ma ville, je remasse." This means "I love my city, I pick up"...pick up after my dog, that is.

This is kind of a little side tangent, but before I go any further, I want to point out what this reminds me of....anyone have I guess?

Bingo! My thoughts exactly...Let me tell you one thing, it is loads easier being an American in France right now than it was a few years ago. I was here in the summer of 2007 so I know from experience...the French are a LOT more appreciative of our current president over "he who shall not be named." Seriously, they reeeally like Obama. Maybe even more than their own president right now. Take a look at this picture that's on the front of an art shop around the corner from me.

Yep, that's Sarkozy. I'm not as up to date on the politics in France as I should be so I don't really want to try and get into what this is referring to...but I'd say the box over the face is negative enough to get the message across.

Pathos/Ethos: Back to the point, I think this doggy advertisement is definitely a play on their affection for our beloved Barack and the sentiments attached to this particular image/phrase combination. They are taking the idea of something really big...the hopes and dreams for the future of an entire nation...and putting it with something really simple. "Yes, it seems nearly impossible...but CAN pick up after your dog! And we can have beautiful poop-free sidewalks!"

Advert # 2: interactive advertising

The second advertisement I chose was because of its uniqueness. Have any of you ever been to an Ikea? It's actually a Swedish furniture/household-item megastore with super low prices because you have to put everything together yourself. I went with my host mom like my first weekend here to get some things for my room and it was QUITE the experience. They have little rooms set up with different themes and it actually looks like you could be in a house that someone lives in. All the details are there down to the little things like kitchen utensils and alarm clocks. I was honestly upset that I had forgotten my camera because it was almost like a tourist destination within itself (for me anyways). No matter though, because Ikea is doing a new campaign where they are bringing the stores to the people of Paris...by means of metro.

This may look like the inside of a living room or study, but it is IN FACT the quai for line 12 in metro station Madeleine. Pretty cool, huh? In each station, they have different backdrops, each featuring different chairs or sofas. You can even sit on them while you wait for the metro...which is a much more comfortable alternative to the stiff plastic chairs that are usually there.

Logos/Pathos: I think the backdrop picture with the shelves all over-crammed with books, cds, and videos sort of gives the feel of a “real” media room. It’s not all perfect and pristine...it’s a little bit off, just like real life. The sofas are also “homey” looking. They are not really nice or anything but they look comfortable and worn-in. They even add the touches of the mock hardwood flooring and the floor lamp to make it look more realistic.

Kairos: The metro in Paris is widely used by people of all social classes and situations, but for the most part it is the transport of choice for the working class and young people in particular. This is the perfect target audience for the nice-looking-but-also-low-priced furniture found at Ikea! They may not reach the upper-class, designer-wearing men and women who prefer to take private cars or taxis...but these are not exactly the people who would buy their furniture there anyways.

Ethos: The whole idea of “interactive advertising” is one that really stands out and makes the audience remember the advertisement. I also thing it's a good way to establish rapport between the company and its clients. I don’t know about everyone in Paris, but a lot of the time when I am taking the metro, it is the end of the day and I am tired and my feet hurt. Instead of showing a picture of a sofa that you wish you could be sitting on, Ikea is actually allowing you to sit on it. This makes me feel like they understand me and I really appreciate that they took the extra time and man power to bring me a comfortable place to relax while waiting for my train to come!

Calling all future au pairs!

Okay this is for all of the girls who said they are interested in learning more about the wonderful life of an au pair. I think I am going to arrange a little picnic/meeting or something with a few of my friends this weekend to sneak in some interviews and I was wondering if you had any suggestions as to what I might ask them. Obviously I have a few ideas, but I'm not exactly positive what direction I want to take with the video. Since I've been here so long and know the whole thing inside and out, I'm scared I might leave out something that seems obvious to me...but you may be curious about. I just thought maybe a little outsiders perspective might help if you don't mind. Thanks a bunch!

My First Video!

Everyone did such a good job with their videos that it inspired/scared me into messing around with iMovie and see if I couldn't figure out how to make my own. This is actually more of a montage of every picture I have taken since arriving in Europe rather than a video...I don't really have enough footage to make a film yet. There is also the problem of the song, which is unfortunately copyrighted so I won't be able to use it in my final video. It's called Scenic World by Beirut and the label is Ba Da Bing Records, just to give appropriate credit. Hope you like it!

Tropos of Digital Photography

Ohh goodness...I definitely have my work cut out for me in terms of learning how to shoot video! I've been messing around with it a bit more this week (trying to shoot lots of b-roll footage) and it is tricky stuff! My camera was stolen earlier in the year so I had to get a new one that unfortunately isn't as good. Now if I could just remember where I put that manual...haha here is some of what I have gotten so far!

As you can see, my camera doesn't have the best zoom. I tried to start with a wide-angle shot to place the action, which takes place in front of the Invalides. Then I zoomed in to the rugby players and tried to follow the ball...however, I kind of failed at the end there. Maybe I'll just cut that part off haha. As for the tropos, my decision to take this shot was kind of in line with the last post I did about how the Parisians live right there among all the grand architecture and history. I don't know why this fascinates me so much, but I still can't get over it. For example, the little boy I look after has soccer practice on the Champs de Mars, which is the park underneath the Eiffel Tower! No big deal...Anyways, I'm not sure I will have the time to say anything about that in my video, so I want to show my viewers through images.

This next shot was taken to show the typical Parisian scene of couples walking along the quai's of the Seine. Sighhh...how romantic. I tried to leave space in front of the walkers for them to walk into and also applied the rule of thirds, showing a bit of the river to put the shot in context. At the end there, I followed the bridge across to the other side of the river, but I'm not sure I'll include that in the film because it's a little shaky. Next time maybe I'll also get a close up of a couple holding hands or something, but I'm thinking I might have to hire actors to get up close shots seeing as my zoom is so bad!

I will definitely explore the digital photography resources further to help improve my video quality but I have two major challenges I will have to overcome. First, I need to figure out how to hold the camera steady. It really does make SUCH a big difference! I'm not really sure how to go about getting a tripod for a tiny digital camera like mine plus I doubt I'll actually have it with me when I need it. I get most of my footage when I'm out and about...on the way to class, lunch, shopping, etc. Maybe I could just find something stationary to place it on? How is everybody else handling this? Secondly, I need to get over my fear of what people think about me filming them! A major part of these videos is just going to be showing people in their natural environment. I'm just always so scared somebody's going to yell at me, haha. I've seen it happen to other people and I get a little flustered when people start shouting in French. Ahh well, c'est la vie, I suppose!

Plans for My Final Projects

In the video portraying my cultural experience abroad, I am going to focus on the Parisian culture rather than the greater French culture. Of course the two will overlap, but after visiting other towns in France, I’ve found that there is something distinctively different about Paris. I think the urban atmosphere plays a large role in this. Just as Manhattan is different from the rest of New York. Of course its beauty and its history are not to be discounted either. I will try my best to capture the Parisian atmosphere as I have experienced it. I already have a shot list of about 40 different buildings/monuments to include in the video. This is going to be my hardest one to condense into five minutes because there is just so much to cover!

Since I have been working as an au pair for the past six months, I am planning on focusing on this in my professional video. You may not think this seems like a very "professional" job, but I actually have met people that are doing for a living (at least until they reach the legal age limit) and a cheap way to travel. There is a lot more to it than I ever imagined (going about getting our visas and social security, french laws protecting our rights, and so on) so I certainly would have enough to say. I also think it could be a good resource for students who are looking to take a gap year abroad. I’ve already asked some of my fellow au pair friends for some interviews and I think it could turn out very interesting and provide good insights for people contemplating the job.


For my third and final project, I have been toying with two ideas: immigration and the absurdly large amount of strikes they have in France. I haven’t decided yet because I am probably going to get into some immigration policies in my au pair video so I may have to see how that pans out first. But France has a big problem with its immigrants not assimilating into the population and the government changes its policy on this every time a new leader is elected to office. Quite confusing. The strikes, or greves as they call them here, are another big issue. I’m pretty sure if I looked for statistics I would find that France has more than any in the world. It’s most obvious on Paris’ public transportation system because it affects SO many people, so this could also be another interesting route to take.

Visual Literacy

In a previous unit, we learned that the amount of time we are spending online is most likely affecting the way our minds work. We are shifting away from long articles in newspapers and moving towards information outlets than can provide "instant gratification." Photographs are a great way to do this. If you have a well-photographed picture, sometimes that can display the entire aim of a news article (or at least the theme) in a single shot. However, it is necessary that the photographer and reader are both visually literate to be able to grasp the message. For example, I have seen several recent pictures on CNN that completely capture the pain and despair caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti. Visual literacy is being able to produce and interpret the messages in the pictures and images we see around us every day. Syntax (pictorial structure and organization) and semantics (the way the pictures relate more broadly to the world to gain meaning) are both a part of visual literacy and that is what I am going to discuss in my pictures below.


First I want to address the "theme" of todays posting. For me, one of the hardest things to get accustomed to in France was just being among all the history and beautiful architecture. It's no big deal for the French to pass by a gothic cathedral on the way home from work...or for their closest supermarche to be located on a medieval alleyway. Just all in a day's routine. Paris is truly a modern-day city located in an ancient setting. BUT I want to make sure I emphasize the word modern. Along with its historic beauty, the city is also known to be at the forerunner of many visual industries such as fashion, design, and art--and this is evident in their city landscape. They mix the old and the new with effortless ease and the contrast can sometimes be quite interesting.

I was trying to point out that very idea in this picture of a modern sculpture in front of the gothic/renaissance church, Saint-Eustache. I love how the children are playing on the statue too because that just further emphasizes my point that it's no big deal for them. I had to take the picture from a distance (and vertically) to get the top in and I also took it from a low angle to make the church seem more imposing. The small people give the viewer a reference so you can see how big both the sculpture and the church really are.

This next picture was taken for my McDonalds assignment a few weeks back. It's not a full shot of the front of the building. In fact, you can't see much of the actual restaurant at all...but the tiny little golden arches on top of the awning is all you really need to recognize good ol Micky D's. What I was trying to capture in this picture was the proximity of the cheap, american, fast-food restaurant to the beautiful Arc de Triomphe, one of the greatest arches in history commemorating centuries of French soldiers. I also wanted to be sure to get some of the sidewalk in the shot so you (the class, my audience) could get a feel for how heavily trafficked the Champs Elysees is. I just think these little tid-bits help put it all in context.

Here is another picture of a church, this one called Saint-Merri. What I was trying to capture here was the graffiti that is creeping its way onto the church walls. The first thing that catches your eye is the bright red door and I like how that is placed over slightly to the right (rule of thirds). I didn't have to put the entire church in the frame...I just needed those one or two stained glass windows to let the viewer know what they were looking at. This is also why I had to shoot the photo horizontally instead of vertically.

Haha this is one of my favorite pictures I've taken here so far...but probably just because I had so much fun at the event. This was a techno parade that I went to back one of the first weekends I got here. By techno parade I mean there were dozens of giant floats parading the streets of Paris that were carrying celebrity DJ's spinning their favorite techno tunes...accompanied by a whole lot of strobe lights and smoke machines. This is like the Parisian version of tailgating. When you heard a song you liked, you jumped in behind the float and danced your way down the road as people watched on. Total madness. Anyways, the ending (grand finale for all the floats) was at the Place de la Bastille, which is where the Bastille prison stood until it was stormed and later destroyed during the French Revolution in 1789. The Colonne de Juillet, which is the large structure you see on your left, commemorates the events of the July Revolution in 1830. So you see the square holds a lot of historical significance. I thought it was really funny that the onlookers started climbing up the statue in attempts to get a better view of the floats, so I went to great pains (traveled through that humongous mass of people) to get an angle where I could get both the floats and the monument in the frame. I think timing is another important part of syntax because I caught this guy on the float at a good time, when he was lifting up his arms to try and "pump up" the people on the street below. 

Like I said, I'm pretty sure Parisians are totally unfazed by beautiful architecture. How can a building this beautiful be a supermarket! It would literally be named a historical monument in the US. Yes, the sunset in the background certainly adds to it's beauty but that was kind of the point when I took the picture. The frame had to be vertical to get the top of the building (the most important part) in there, but I left some room to the side to showcase the beautiful natural lighting of the sunset.

Here is another graffiti picture. I like graffiti. I also really like Paris rooftops. I think they are so unique and really represent the city for me almost in the same way the Eiffle Tower does. I've still yet to figure out what those little wiry things are (I'm thinking satellites/telephone lines?) but nevertheless. I like the contrast of colors in this picture. Bright green and purple against a neutral background and a gray sky. Again, I have the subject off-centered and I don't have the entire building in the picture. I don't need it. The frame is tight (to make the graffiti legible) and I just sort of played around with it until I found something I liked.

Digital Photography Comparisons

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a very visual person, so photography is something I really enjoy. I love taking pictures and am always carrying my little digital camera with me in case the opportunity arises. Since I have never been able to take any kind of class, I was very excited to get some tips from Clemson's photographer Pat Wright.

I have been in Europe for about six months now, so I have had ample opportunity to take many many photos. One thing I like so much about a photograph is that it instantly takes me back to the moment I took it. So many details are recalled through that one shot...where I was, what it looked like, who I was with, what we were doing...even what I was thinking!

Here are some good and bad examples of how to follow Pat Wright’s tips and my rationality behind the shots.

Compariston #1: flash vs. natural light

 

As mentioned in the video, you have to know when to use certain settings on your camera. I took this first picture on the way home from Christmas eve dinner. My family and I were walking across the Seine towards our apartment in the Marais and the back side of Notre Dame was lit up so beautifully. My first picture still had the flash on from when we were inside at dinner. As you can see, the picture is a fuzzy gray and the flash picked up some raindrops, which kind of interfere with the picture. I quickly realized my error and turned off the flash and I think the second picture came out much nicer.

Comparison #2: using different angles

 

These next pictures were taken at the Nasch Market in Vienna. My Austrian friend recommended it for breakfast, so I was wandering around the stands one morning when I came across this group of school children ogling the candy booth. I thought they were cute, so I wanted a picture. The first one was taken straight on. I like that the merchant is smiling at them, but the facial expression of the boy on the left is not my favorite. I kept walking and took another picture from a side angle that I like a lot better. I think it has more depth, showing a little more of the outdoor market scene and how many kids there actually were. I also like how the little girl in the corner is standing on her tippy toes to get a look at the candy.

Compariston #3: near vs. far

 

When I was in Prague, I took the Sandeman’s New Prague castle tour and I totally recommend it. We went to places I would never have found alone and heard a bunch of interesting stories. One of the things we saw was this dripstone grotto wall at the Wallenstein palace and garden. I took two pictures of it. One is from far away with people and trees in it for scale. The other is a close-up detailed shot of the faces hidden among the bumps and lumps. You should go see it yourself to hear the story behind it! Prague has been my favorite city in Europe other than Paris, so far.

Comparison # 4: horizontal vs. vertical

 

These pictures aren’t really of anything in particular...I guess I was just recognizing the pattern of the lamp posts and I liked how they looked. The setting for these photos is above the famous Musee du Louvre. I like the vertical frame for this picture for a few reasons. First, I think there is too much extra “noise” going on in the horizontal picture. The vertical frame makes the subjects of the lamp posts much more obvious, therefore creating depth in the photo. Secondly, the vertical frame doesn’t cut off the roof of the building like in the horizontal one. And lastly...I just think it looks better.

Photography is very subjective so you may all have totally different opinions than me. I’d love to hear some feedback!

ENVY Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis of an ENVY Magazine Advertisement

Kairos (context): This advert was on the wall inside a metro station underneath the Champs Elysees. This is a very famous boulevard with lots of shopping and heavy heavy traffic...meaning LOTS of people will see this advertisement. Perhaps on their way to or from shopping. The placement of the ad is hitting the right audience (see below).

Logos (logic): As we all know, fashion is a way of life for many Parisians so it makes sense that they have her digging around in a shopping bag. Lots of people can relate. Also, the fact that you cannot see her head makes it easier to picture yourself “in her shoes” so to speak. 

Pathos (feeling): Well this ad is for a celebrity fashion/gossip magazine (it’s like our equivalent of People or Starz), so there’s not a whooole lot of emotional appeal to work with. I suppose the ad has kind of a flirty tone...with all the bright colors and the girl wearing tight pants, red heels, and kicking up her leg. This woman is tres chic (what so many Parisians strive to be) and the ad is suggesting that these are the kind of people who read their magazine...and maybe what you could become if YOU read it too.

Ethos (ethics): The caption for the advertisement reads: ”Ne cherchez plus, toutes vos envies sont dans ENVY.” This roughly translates: Don’t look anymore, all your envies are in ENVY. Here they are establishing themselves as the authority on all things we want to know and we should want to know...at least in regards to the celebrity, fashion, and gossip world.

Vive McDO!

With some of the highest culinary standards in the world, it seems like the French would snub the likes of fast food (gastronomical blasphemy I tell you!), but many of the french have come to embrace McDO, as they’ve so lovingly named it. I am also an avid lover (of McDonalds and all things fast food for that matter), so I was more than happy to have an excuse to go this week. They have locations all over Paris, but I chose the one on the Champs Elysees. 

The Arche de Triomphe and the golden arches living side by side in harmony.

The first thing you should know about McDonalds in France is that it would never by any means meet the American standards for “fast” food. I wish I had a picture to demonstrate what a catastrophe the enormous queue was, but the big man in the black suit wouldn’t let me take one...he was probably ashamed of how crazy it was in there. The French are typically a civil group on the whole, but when it comes to lines at McDonalds and department stores during the soldes, it's a whole nother story.

Another thing you should know is that the menu is notably smaller in France and so are the serving sizes (yet unfortunately not the prices). Rest assured they still have the McMuffin and le Big Mac, but that’s pretty much it in terms of specialty sandwiches. When I visited the french webpage, I actually laughed out loud because the first thing that popped up on the screen was a big block of cheese on a wooden cutting board. It is an advertisement for their new “Premio au Parmesan” burger, a limited-time-offer in France right now, which is basically just a hamburger on fresh bread with parmesan cheese sauce. I got the “menu” which included FRENCH fries (pommes frites) and a large coke. Yummm.

They also add a few other touches of French flair to the menu such as the Croque McDO, chocolate flan, and even macaroons.

Leave it to France to turn a McDonalds into an art museum, huh?

To make things even more interesting, i went to do my investigating with one of my au pair friends from Austria...and she wanted to make sure I added a little tidbit about her country as well. She says that in Vienna, McDonalds are like the cool hangout spots where people go to chat with their friends over a coffee or just chill out and take advantage of the free wifi...kind of how we think of Starbucks back in the states. She also said that most of the ingredients are organic and they use the color green instead of red to reinforce that in their logo.

Now for The Rhetorical Analysis of the French McDonalds Website

Kairos (context): I guess this one is pretty obvious...the French McDonald’s website is intended for a French audience because it’s in the French language and only pertains to French customers. Should I say French again? French.

Logos (logic): The design of the website is very simple and sleek with pictures/adverts on rotation for you to scan as you please. It looks like it’s trying to be more sophisticated (at least more so than the US site) which makes sense because, in France, food is nothing to mess around with. I noticed that the sections for children are aimed less at “kids” and targeted more towards “family.”

Pathos (feeling): If you look down at the bottom of the screen, on one of the tabs is the phrase “venez comme vous êtes” which means come as you are. Since most people in France tend to dress up for meals...well, actually they tend to dress up all the time...I think this can be interpreted as a friendly gesture by McDonalds saying, “Don’t worry. We won’t judge you if you’re not wearing Chanel or Dior.” Just kidding. But seriously this is one of the only places I don’t get shocked and disturbed glares when I’m wearing my Mountain Hardware fleece.

Ethos (ethics): In many ways, McDonalds represents American capitalism so this might not be seen in a favorable light in France. In fact, people were really upset when the first chain opened here (back in 1972). In order to counter this negative reaction, the McDonalds in France make a big deal about their produce coming from French cows and French farmers. There is also a big ethical appeal through the environmental and hygiene information available on the site. For those of you who didn’t know, France is a VERY environmentally conscious country, which is great. I took a look at the site map and “environnement” was the second largest (of eight) sections! There is also an entire section devoted to explaining the hygiene regulations that keep McDO a sanitary establishment. From the looks of it, they are going to great lengths to overcome their dirty stereotype here.

Compositional Mediums

Prompt #2: Nicolas Carr tells of Friedrich Nietzsch’s typewriter, which allowed the eye strained Nietzsche to touch type and write with his eyes closed. Carr explains that “...the machine had a subtler effect on his work. One of Nietzsche’s friends, a composer, noticed a change in the style of his writing. His already terse prose had become even tighter, more telegraphic. “Perhaps you will through this instrument even take to a new idiom,” the friend wrote in a letter, noting that, in his own work, his “thoughts’ in music and language often depend on the quality of pen and paper.” “You are right,” Nietzsche replied, “our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts.”

After a bit of reflection, I have found that I definitely reserve certain compositional mediums to communicate certain things...and I think these mediums also influence how I communicate through them. In other words, the medium I am using to compose affects the WHAT and the HOW I communicate.

When I use scrap paper, my writing is usually messy, disconnected words or lists used only to jog my memory and later be disposed of. When I’m writing on stationary or a post card, my handwriting is noticeably better. The content is generally heartfelt, structured, and well prepared because I know there’s no undo button and I would have to start all over again if I messed up. Even the type of pen I’m using makes a difference: the nicer the pen, the harder I try to make my handwriting look nice.

Pretty much all of my other compositional mediums are on the computer. I prefer to take notes and do all school assignments on a keyboard because I am a faster typer than writer and I know that I can always come back and organize later. This can make for some seriously unorganized class notes (at first), but it works for me. I prefer to use use email for all things school or job-related and then keep in touch with friends through Facebook or Twitter. This helps me keep my professional and social lives in separate categories.

I’ve never really thought about this before, but the very nature of these social networking sights affects how I communicate on them. There is such an expectation to be "witty" with your posts or album titles that I often find myself at a loss for words. Also, because of the limited space you have to work with (I think it’s 140 characters on Twitter), I find myself getting straight to the point with my posts...using abbreviations or sometimes even omitting words. Actually most of my fbook status updates are usually only one word (i.e. “Prague” or “snow”).

On the other hand, we have an unlimited amount of space on our blogs. The content is mostly academic, but I find myself rambling more on here than I probably would if I had to turn in these assignments on paper in class. I guess that’s because most of the blogs I’ve come across before have been pretty stream-of-consciousness, almost like diary entries...but you also have to keep in mind that you’re writing to a larger audience so it’s important to keep things light.

Photos and videos are a good way to accent our blogs...and these are also forms of compositional mediums in themselves. I am a very visual person, so to me a picture really is worth a thousand words. I just think I can communicate better through images than through text. Since everyone has their own imagination (think of all the books-turned-blockbuster disappointments), I find it best to have a picture to refer to if you don’t want something left open to interpretation.

For instance, take this picture of the Centre Georges Pompidou...I mean honestly I wouldn't even know where to begin in describing this building to somebody. I just don't have the vocabulary. Since many of us abroad are immersed in completely new cultures, we are going to be seeing completely new things and having completely new experiences. I'm sure there is going to be a bunch of "uncharted territory" that a camera may come in handy for in our explanations.

Films are even better because they include sound and movement. I'm not very good at this, but here is a short video I shot of some Parisian street performers in the 6th arrondissement. Street performers are a big part of the culture here so I've taken several pictures of them since I've arrived. I'm glad to have a video now though because a picture hardly does a song justice!

Assignment #4--The Cross Cultural Experience

During my time here, I have made several friends from different countries around the world. In the picture above is Aimee from Canada, Martina from Austria, Lucy from England, Nicole from Germany, and that's me on the end (US of course)! This has been my first experience living abroad, and I was honestly quite worried about making friends...Where would they be from? Would we have enough in common? It was quite a relief to learn that most 20-something year olds from several countries (the ones I've met at least) are pretty similar...at least similar enough to be able to relate. Of course there are the occasional things we have to explain to each other about our own cultures while we are telling stories and such...probably similar to what I would have to explain to an exchange student coming to live from abroad.

One of these things is football. There is always big confusion between American football, football, soccer, and rugby when I'm talking with my international friends. This is a good example of the difference in nomos, or the way cultures name different things. If you are going to be an exchange student at Clemson, you've got to know that "football" to us means American football (what everyone else calls it), which is sort of similar to rugby. Also, soccer is our name for the sport that the rest of the world actually calls football. They say this is more obvious because the game is played with the foot. I know it's confusing but these are very important to keep straight as sports are a pretty important part of the Clemson culture.

Sororities are another thing I've had to explain a hundred times since I've been here...even to my American friend (who went to a small Christian school in the north that didn't have them). Sometimes people will understand what a fraternity is and I can just say it's the female version of that. Sometimes I have to go into further detail...explaining that it is a group of girls who get recruited based on shared interests and people they know...who then perform community service and attend social functions together...eventially growing into close friends or "sisters" in a large network that can be a good source of contact for life. It's actually quite complicated when you think about it because there are so many different important elements. This would be considered an example of ethnos because we are a group that share visual (we have certain colors and symbols that represent us), oral (chants and cheers), and textual (sorority letters) meaning.

Moving down to my hometown, Charleston, there are a million more things left to explain about my people and culture. A good example of techne are the sweetgrass baskets you can find at the Slave Market and along the highways in rural Mount Pleasant and Awendaw. I actually brought my French host family a little sweetgrass basket when I got here to share a piece of my culture with them because I thought it was such a good representative. For those of you who don't already know, sweetgrass baskets are a traditional art form brought over by slaves from West Africa and have been passed among family members for generations. These baskets are handmade, and if done correctly, are supposed to be able to carry water! Now they have become more a piece of art or collectors item rather than used for utilitarian purposes, but they tell a story that is a really big part of the Charleston culture.

Mythos is cultural expression through stories, legends, or histories, that are part of the substance of the groups identity. Another thing I've found myself explaining a lot (whether it be to a friend or to try and scare the kiddies) is the ghost story culture in my town. Charleston is an old city rich in history (at least in comparison to the rest of our country) so there is obviously going to be a ghost tour market. My eighth grade english teacher, Ed Macy, actually writes books with another famous author, Geordie Buxton, so I've heard quite a few of the tales. Whether you believe them or not, the culture is quite important to the tourism industry in my town, so it's important to know about.

Last but not least, we have archon, which is learning about culture through the publicly displayed artifacts with cultural significance. If you look closely at the sign in this picture, it says "FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS EAT IMPORTED SHRIMP." I took this picture a few years ago in my grandparents hometown, McClellanville, SC, which is the location for the annual Lowcountry Shrimp Festival and the Blessing of The Fleet. I think it's a good example of the pride the Lowcountry takes in their cuisine, which happens to be particularly important to us! Haha call me a seafood snob, but I wouldn't even eat it when I was four hours from the coast in Clemson!

For more on my thoughts on Gerfsteed's Cultural Dimensions, see last week's post...I guess I kind of got ahead a bit.

Pictures Sources:
http://bradley.chattablogs.com/archives/2008/03/
http://kristenknits.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/41-days/
http://www.batterycarriagehouse.com/ghosts.htm

Assignment #3 Part II--Cultural Literacy

I really enjoyed this weeks videos! It was interesting to think about all the ways we stay/become culturally literate without even realizing what we're doing.


One of the biggest resources for improving one's cultural literacy is obviously the internet. Since I don't often watch the news on TV or read the paper, I started setting my homepage to CNN.com a few years back to keep myself up to date with current affairs. If I ever don't understand something I'm reading or want to know more on the subject, I "wiki" it. Hopefully this confession won't backfire as I glanced ahead in the readings and I'm pretty sure the next one is about Google "making us stupid", but I think Wikipedia is awesome. It's really taught me so much.


Another way I have become culturally literate is through my education. "As a consequence of the fact that we learn most easily when we attach the new to the old, people who already know a lot tend to learn new things faster and more easily than people who do not know very much." This sentence from the Hirsch excerpt really stuck with me because it reinforces the need for education and how important learning is in all aspects of life.


In my opinion, travel and experience is always the best way to educate yourself. Like a lot of people, I learn much better hands-on and retain the knowledge waaay longer than if I just read about it in a book or am "talked at" during a lecture. Take my french for example. I took french in high school and a few semesters when I first got to Clemson, but I basically had to start from the beginning when I got here! Pretty embarrassing to admit, but I think it's just because I didn't practice enough...or the language part of my brain just doesn't work (I'm starting to lean towards this theory). 


I think the language barrier is definitely the biggest obstacle to me becoming culturally literate in France. Unfortunately, I'm not able to practice here as much as I'd like since the main point of me being an au pair for my family is to teach the kids english. However, my french host family is still my greatest resource for cultural knowledge and I am asking new questions every day.

In this lesson I learned that cultural literacy can be highly valuable to anyone engaging in any kind of social interaction. Carrying on conversations with peers, catching onto cultural references in class, reading the newspaper, etc, are all examples of this. Understanding what is going on in the world around you enhances your ability to communicate and create bonds with people, thereby opening doors and opportunities and gaining you respect in the community.