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Some thoughts from Latin America
I’ve been travelling in Brazil and Argentina with my partner for the past two weeks, and will spending another ten days here before heading back to Canada. We spent the first week in Florianopolis, Brazil, at an Intercultural Research conference, the second week in Buenos Aires, and the final phase is being split between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero. Here are a couple of thoughts on this trip.
1) I am continually amazed, impressed, humbled and awe-struck at how little the North American mind-set understands the outside world. I have been saturated for years with a steady diet of how the US rules the planet, and how every small manoeuvre in the US of no consequence must be the only thing worthy of fertile discussion anywhere. Although I am intensely interested in things other than the US, including languages, cultures, politics and peoples, I am always taken aback at how much I learn elsewhere. This isn’t to say that I should be surprised, only that the learning-curve seems to be so enriching and enjoyable. In a nutshell, it is wonderful to be outside of North America, to interact with people, to talk with them, to exchange ideas, to see the good and the bad, to accept that there are many commonalities and differences, and, especially, that the US is but one small, albeit relevant and important, part of the human experience.
2) As an extension to the point above, why does Argentinean television—all of the mainstream channels—spend four solid days covering every detail of the Michael Jackson death? Why is that singular event so important for the world? More important than the obvious poverty that one can see everywhere in every country? Is globalization about everyone cluing into US culture at the same time? Could most people—including myself—name one important Argentinean artist?
3) The economic crisis in North America is obvious but the social inequities in the US have been obvious for centuries. The economic dislocation in Latin America is also not new. We stayed in a “recuperated” hotel in Buenos Aires, one that had been taken over by the employees. What a wonderful experience and expression of the human condition! Is it possible to think of another economic space outside of the wisdom of Wall Street? Indeed, it is not only desirable but necessary (I would argue).
4) Brazil and Argentina have much to offer (as do other places and spaces). There is much sagesse, humanity, and epistemological grizzle to grapple with. Why is the North good, advanced, sophisticated and humane, and the South bad, backward, awkward and uncharitable? Ultimately, there are many Norths in the South, and many Souths in the North? The periphery-center theories that held a few decades ago need to be re-visited and re-modelled. The elites in Argentina and Brazil have more in common with the elites in the US and Canada, at one level, and the poor in the North probably have more in common with the poor in the South than they might think. Gramsci’s theory of hegemony is quite helpful in explaining notions of superiority and inferiority.
5) At a human level, we have had a wonderful time. Our friends in both countries have taken care of us, shown us the good and the bad, spoken frankly about life in the most intricate terms. We have visited the butcher, a rather key personality in the carnivorous lands, danced the tango (I will not pretend that I am very good; the idiom that “it takes two to tango” is inaccurate as it took three of us to get it right, Gina and I and a guy literally on my back telling me what to do); rode the subway in Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo, both of which systems are highly effective, efficient and enjoyable; visited the Japanese quarter in Sao Paulo (we all know of Chinatowns but Japantown dates back almost a hundred years when there were large waves of Japanese migration to Brazil); visited Germanic areas in Southern Brazil (indeed, German is a major language for many communities here); walked all over, which was very pleasant; and shared many good times. I was invited to a College and University for talks about critical pedagogy, and notions of power and change were discussed with many colleagues.
6) In Florianopolis, our Brazilian colleagues spoiled us with the usual hospitality; I do not want to insinuate that there is no crime (there is), there is no racism (there is; this was the focus of our keynote address at the conference, and many Brazilians--especially of “color”--embraced us afterward, which was an extremely moving and emotional moment), there is no poverty (one cannot help but be affected by seeing and interacting with people who are hungry and homeless), and there is no disaffection (people are complicated).
7) But we do see the more complex, more nuanced, more indelibly humane side of society as well. We cannot help but be more sensitized to the reality that we know so little yet we have so much to learn. Perhaps this is what I have learned through critical pedagogy, that the “lived experience” of “others” cannot be trivialized. And, and this is a big And, that peace is better than war.
De la tierra del Sur, les deseo, a todos y todas, la paz.
Peace!
Paul
PS. A few other idol thoughts: like everywhere else, the children here are wonderful; it’s Winter here, and nights can be cold (the beach is possible but the water is probably not accessible); you can get a long way in Brazil with Spanish; I’m not sure that I have the inner sustenance to drive here yet; there is universal agreement that spending a lot of time with the police is probably not the best use of time (is this a universal theme?); football (soccer for Canada and the US) rules, and dividing fans with sections of empty seats is quite normal; TAM airlines is better than Air Canada; scholars are doing some really interesting work in Latin American; and, some trivia for people like me who find this kind of stuff interesting and important: which country in Latin America is officially bilingual?........Paraguay; which languages?........ Spanish and....... Guarani.
Hasta luego.
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Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your experience Paul. I have been meaning to respond to your post but could not find the right time to sit and reflect.How wonderful to hear about your experience in Latin America. I really enjoyed reading your post. It is wonderfully written and reflected.
You mentioned the Argentinean coverage of Michael Jackson's death, this reminded me several things related to developing countries, imperialism, cultural debasezation, dehumanization and bourgeois culture. In Turkey with the 1980 coup, pop and rock music were used as a torture method against those who were opposing against capitalist exploitations and injustices; in a small cell stuffed with too many people and very high volume of pop music (exposing the victim to too intense stimuli) is giving as an external stimuli. Couple years ago I read a book about the Argentinean Dirty War. One of the torture victims was telling his/her story so vividly during the Gentleman’s coup. Its image is still in my mind; night fell in Buenos Aires; some part of the city with colorful bright neon lights getting ready for the discos and tourists, on the other side of the city was getting ready new kidnapping, extrajudicial killings. While rich people’s youth dancing in the discos until the down with Travolta’s Saturday Night fever or Grease on the background, thousands of others were going through torture chambers. I think what I am trying to say is that in developing countries, for the oppressed, Pop and Rock represent the culture of the oppressor and the compradors. For the oppreesor or the dominant ideology pop and rock are entertainment, control tools, and torture materials.
Pop-culture and wealth accumulation
Hi Ilhan,
Thanks for your comments and insight. I had not really thought of pop music as being a tool of torture but your Argentine example is quite compelling. I think that the notion of propelling a couple of people to the top of the mountain, as is the case in the arts--music, film, sports, culture, etc--is a way of neutralizing all of the other worthy projects and, at the same time, demonstrating that, supposedly, "anyone can make it" in the neoliberal version of reality. I am always stunned when I hear working-class folks who barely scrap by argue in favour of paying one athlete $20M in order to make sure the home-team is well-placed. Perhaps this should not be surprizing to view the commodification of sports and arts this way. If one "under-privileged" kid can make it, and 10,000 don't, this must prove that the system is working, and that "anyone can make it". This could fit into part of Gramsci's hedemony. The question I have for myself is: could we have music, film, arts, sports, etc. without concentrating massive wealth into the hands of a few? Talk about surplus production, labour, profit...
Peace
Paul