Fast as lightning...

Kung Foo Fighting....

When we think of the Asian Identity in film, we often think of the martial art stereotype; or the ninja.  Lego's latest range of children's toys , Ninjago,  perpetuates this stereotype  to younger generations. Shah (2003) in the article, "Asian culture and Asian American identities in the television and film industries of the United States", discusses that, "Mass media as important sites for the production and distribution of cultural symbols, can be understood as central not only to the policing of symbolic boundaries of difference between, for instance, acceptable and unacceptable people and human characteristics, but also as complicit in policies to segregate and degrade those deemed different," (Shaw. 2003. pp.2).  Thus it is seen that marketable ideas such as the ninja, are used by mass media in, the toy, film and media industries to encase a racial group into a stereotypical form that is intriguing and different from western cultural attributes. This ninja stereotype however is quite restrictive and with the ever increasing globalisation of our world, we come to know it as one dimensional. There needs to be a greater force in the world of media to propagate and celebrate global identities; that are not restricted to a stereotypical form.

Reference Work:

Shah. H, 2003. Asian culture and Asian American identities in the television and film industries of the United States.Studies in Media and Information Literacy Education, vol. 3, no. 3, pp.1-10.

Overcoming Obstacles...

The image comes from an annonymous

source, it describes 19th century America where a controversial marriage took place between a Protestant and a Catholic. Numerous years later, the couple eventually passed on- and still their relationship was not truly accepted, and they were not able to be buried in the same graveyard. So
instead we have this lasting monument to love, and the passion people have for overcoming the obstacles that people place in their way.

 In the text, "Aboriginal Spirituality in a New Age"- Sutton describes a Wik man of Cape York- Silas Wolmby and his spiritual journey combining Christianity and traditional Indigenous beliefs. Sutton states that, 'He was at one with the two roles, inside both scripts, in a profound state of serious play. There was a complete absence of self-objectification,'(Sutton. 2010. pp.71).  Australia has a 'black' history, a history of colonisation that was both bloody and damaging to an Indigenous culture that is regarded as the oldest on this earth. Yet here we have an example of an individual who is at one with the duality of modern Australia; Wolmby has incorporated two very different spiritualties and made them his own.

Throughout history differences in religious beliefs or spiritualties have caused wars, dominant cultures have imposed beliefs and traditions and blood has been shed. Differences in beliefs are only overcome by the individual's acceptance of their true self. Finding ways to express this, that push, but not break the boundaries of the social order is often a struggle but as Silas Wolmby has shown, not impossible. 

References:

References:

Sutton P. 2010. Aboriginal Spirituality in a New Age. The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 21(1):

71–89. RL.

Image Source:

Annonymous

Where does one seek the truth?

Where do we seek the truth?

In recent times media publications and the federal government of Australia have portrayed those who identify as Muslim in an increasingly negative light.  Hopkins states that, "a recent survey of Islam in the media has shown that, when it appears in  mainstream media representations, Islam is usually treated negatively (Dunn, 2004) and is often associated with terrorism, war, fundamentalism, and the repression of women", (Hopkins, 1998, pp.43). In teaching a Modern History curriculum unit, based on asylum seekers and immigration, at a Brisbane based high school; media bias has never been more prevalent. When asked the question: where does your information on refugee's come from, is it the media? 100% of the senior Modern History class raised their hand. Their beliefs conformed with the stereotypical statements Hopkins address above, that Islam is associated with terror, war, fundamentalism and the repression of women.

Throughout the course of the unit it was the teachers aim to transform student understanding of asylum seekers and the negative connotations delivered to them by the government and media publications; through correct information and  the systematic deconstruction of media bias; an objective and balanced viewpoint was reached. When the idea of religion was touched on in one particular class,  the Westbro Baptist Church, in relationship to Islamic fundamentalists was compared. It was then found that each religious community has their own extreme group and that media publications will only ever focus on what they believe will get the most ratings or sell the most newspaper, even if its not an entirely truthful representation.

Reference list:

Hopkins. L 2008. Muslim Turks and Anti- Muslim discourse. Australian Journal of Communication. vol. 35. no. 1. pp. 42-55.