Visual Assignment #2 Fantasies of our Travels

When thinking of Germany, I think of a uninviting, mundane clockwork nation that is famous for its engineering and durable goods.  I expected to see a highly industrial country even more so than the United States.  However, this was my perception of Germany.  My perception was mostly formed by the huge presence of the automotive industry and the textbook depictions of the country.

When I first arrived in Germany, I saw empty city streets, closed shops, highly efficient buses and subways, and no people. That had me thinking, I was exactly correct in my presumptions of Germany! Little did I know that it was a Saturday night and that Sundays are typically a day of rest in Germany.  During the week, the true Germany emerged, it was bustling with locals making their way to work or play.  Although this conformed to my perception of Germany, there was a rich culture underneath.  

When we first went out, the graffiti was everywhere.  Although I expected some graffiti in Berlin, I did't expect to see almost every house and building to be covered in it.
I chose the picture of a typical city street in Berlin as an example of the intersection between fantasy and reality because sums up my perception of Germany along with the unexpected.  In the photo, you can see that  it is a typical city street in Berlin, however I didn't expect to find as much graffiti as I found.  It was surprising to find that Berlin had such a large urban influence.  It became more evident as we explored more communities in Berlin.  I found that as a foreign student studying in Germany, it was interesting and exciting to find new and unexpected things and to me, this image represents this experience.

Week 3 In Berlin

In the third iteration of our weekly vlogs, I would like to take you through our least structured week yet!

Our week pretty much went like this.  We had a lecture and the rest of the day was free to roam and wander throughout the city and find what hidden wonders it had in store for us.  As you can see, Berlin is full of surprises, from the most pristine marble buildings to abandoned and run down houses.

--to be continued

Assignment 1 Istanbul Photos

The sun sets in Istanbul

An oasis in the middle of Istanbul

A sight only viewable with technology

Why are these spots lit?

Candy is still candy halfway around the world

Turkish Republic

Gentrification of communities in Istanbul

 During my time in Istanbul, I was able to experience many different customs not available to us in the states.  The buildings and the people were remarkable different and it was unique experience seeing a population as homogeneous as in Istanbul.   In the image you can see that Istanbul does in fact look like a homogenous city evident by the matching red roofs throughout the city.  Homogeny is very important in turkey; they aim to have one type of citizen, a “westernized Turk”.  The new republic established in 1922 wanted its citizens to sever ties to the ottoman past, including islam, and adopt a westernized culture.  This was based on the founding principles of the Turkish republic.  (Ozyurek 3,118) What exactly is a turk? What is so important about being a turk? These are questions that are hard to address.  Migration has diluted the Turkish citizen in a sense.  Now many groups of people call themselves turks, those who are born in Turkey and those who are descendants of Turkish or ottoman descent.  In Istanbul especially, this point is especially muddled.  Istanbul is commonly mistaken as being a bridge between the east and the west, a point connecting the orient and Europe. However, Istanbul can be more accurately described as a path between Europe and Asia and not a bridge.  Through lectures about the history of civilizations in the area and Turkish migration, we learned that the city is not a bridge between east and west but a bridge between the north and south, connecting the Mediterranean and Black seas.  As different empires passed through claiming Istanbul (an important strategic trade check point) different people settled in Istanbul and further complicated the meaning of a turk.  Another interesting point was brought up about migration when we heard a talk from Didem.  We learned that Istanbul could be thought of as a holding area or a transfer point from east to west.  I propose that this may also contribute to the muddled turk definition.  As more migrants move in and bring their own culture, they must assimilate to the Turkish culture or face the same scrutiny the kurds currently face in Turkey.  If these groups do assimilate, we have a even more diluted pool of turks.

The second picture I picked was a photo depicting former urban housing of poor residents.  The government cleverly thought of a way to evict the poorer residents to give way to middle class residents.  These houses would be torn down and a replica would be built in its place and the previously occupying family had to pay a fee they couldn’t afford in order to stay.  I saw this as a representation of gentrification.  However, what I saw was a superficial change rather than a change in public memory.  Like what Orhan mentioned about frequent fires in the area that destroys entire residential and business areas.  Since this happens so often, it is part of the memory rather than forgotten in amnesia.  Similar to the attempt at westernization by the republic, people actually remember the past because the present reminds them of the past.  The physical removal of these buildings does not induce forgetting as evidenced by the remembering of the past by the citizens of Turkey.   Therefore a compromise between forgetting and remembrance is needed for public memory to exist.

Research

Sports have always sparked the imagination of many people.  It has captured the hearts of entire cities, states, and even countries.  Just last July when the US national soccer team was playing in the world cup, I remember everyone was talking about it.  It is amazing what sports can do.  It brought a nation together and gave it a sense of national pride.

            For my research, I plan on investigating the role of politics on sports in Germany, as well as how it has played a role in building the modernity in Berlin.   We all know the Germany is famous for soccer and that is why it is going to be my main focus.  Every year, money is being poured into sports by the government and the general public.  People buy tickets to watch the games and the government has to build the stadiums to house the games.   As a result, sports (or soccer) have become a multi-billion dollar industry.  However, sports have broader implications that just on the economy.  I believe that sports are not just purely for entertainment.  It can have an effect on politics and vice versa.  It can be used to integrate a community; it can be used for nation building; and it can be used for youth socialization.   The government in a sense has a lot of ruling power in sports.  For example, sports are emphasized in schools through physical education and the government funds stadiums and athletic development for elite athletes. 

            Besides the political and economic aspects, I find that sports are an important fixture in culture.  Not only does it provide entertainment, it provides a social scene.  Soccer in Germany is huge and it would be interesting to study the cultural impact of sports in addition to the political implications.  I think it would be interesting to find out if soccer actually plays a role in culture and politics in Germany or if it’s strictly for entertainment purposes. 

Secondary Sources

Bairner, Alan. "The Cultural Politics of Remembrance: Sport, Place and Memory in Belfast and Berlin." International Journal of Cultural Policy. 14.4 (2008): 417-430. Print.

Schiller, Kay, and Christopher Young. The 1972 Munich Olympics and the Making of Modern Germany. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010. Internet resource.

Wagner, Eric A. "Reviews -- More Than a Game: Sports and Politics by Martin Barry Vinokur." Contemporary Sociology. 18.4 (1989): 601-602. Print.

Reflection: Guests and Aliens

The title guests and aliens brings thoughts about the problem of illegal immigration in the United States.  It reminds me that everyday, hundreds or even thousands of illegal immigrants cross the border and enter our magnificent country.  They steal jobs away from hard working Americans, they steal tax money for welfare without even obtaining a US citizenship.  And worst of all, they don't pay taxes when we Americans pay Uncle Sam up to 40% of our income.  These are just a few of the things I think about when I think about immigration. Very anti-immigration, but most of you probably feel the same way.


"Migrations were not simply an indiscriminate flow from poverty, as suggested in the imagery of "mass invasions." If poverty were enough to produce emigration, the the developed countries would indeed be threatened with massive invasions."

I feel that this is what I think of when I think about immigration.  However the author, Saskia Sassen, opposes this point of view shared my many people such as myself.  I don't see any other reason for people to move let alone migrate as a massive group, other than to be closer to their immediate family.  I guess this can be considered narrow minded, but having lived in the United States all my life, I feel it's justified because of living in this culture.

"And for much of the twentieth century it has been recognized that refugees were unwilling departees, pushed by circumstances completely out of their control rather than by the desire for better opportunities in a rich country" "Refugees are now often seen as individuals in search of better opportunities in a rich country"

Sassen mentions that the view of refugees has changed over time.  And according to Sassen, I am one of those poor souls who believe refugees truly seek a opportunities.  But she points out that if this were true, the number of immigrants flocking to rich countries would be truly massive, leaving behind the poverty in would-be deserted poorer countries. Although this statement makes sense, I still can't help but imagine if the US-Mexico border was open, millions of Mexicans immigrants would invade our country, creating chaos in the States.  That being said, I know that my view of immigration is one shaped by the society we live today.  But at the same time, it doesn't make sense that people immigrate solely for the reason of seeking refuge and not money.  In Sassen's article, she presents a different view of immigration, a more informed view.  So what I can take from this is that I shouldn't always come to conclusions based in my own information or personal biases.