Monday, February 22, 2010
Oedipus resistance
I recently told a 21 year old Indian male about Freud's notion of the Oedipus complex. He seemed appalled and said that such a concept was very typically an intriguiging textbookish theory and nothing more. While for a newbie this idea seems quite unplausible, authors have continually pointed to echoes of the Oedipus in Indian mythology. Those who are well versed with these texts seem to have their resistances towards this and thus fail to notice the apparent representations of the complex. Examples are discussed by A.K. Ramanujan in The Indian Oedipus. Parvati cursed Ganesh with everlasting celibacy when he expressed his wish to be married to someone exactly like his mother. A folk tale recited in North Karnataka is that of a girl with a curse on her head that she would marry her own son. She eats a mango on which a passing king has urinated, is impregnated and she gives birth to a male child. She abandons the child into a stream. He grows up in the nearby kingdom and eventually marries his own mother. Ramanujan has found various variants of this story in the neighbouring areas. A recurrent motif in South Indian folktales is of a man returning after a long period of exile to find his wife in bed with another man. He attempts to kill the man until he realises that the man is his own sn who has grown to manhood during his long absense and is still sleeping innocently in his parent's bed. Indian culture even today is shaped such that families live in single bedroom and children continue to sleep in the same bed as the parents well into adolescence. Community bathing is very common and the pivotal position of the mother has been variously documented. Despite this the idea of incestous love is very repulsive for most in the Indian context.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
SUMMARY AND REVIEW
This is a review on chapter of book TRIBE, CASTE AND FOLK CULTURE,(1998) by CHITRASEN PASAYAT, he discuss the culture of tribes of orissa, their struggles against the urbanisation, and the debates of issues related to tribes and the Urban's.
The first chapter of the book called "concepts of folk and folk culture: Reexamined in the Indian context", where chitrasen discuss about the definitional problems and the conceptual problems of term folk and tribes. I will give a summary of the chapter,
Folklore is refered as oral literature handed down to as from generation and generation through oral tradition, through art, dance, songs literature, folk tales, tradition and myths. the folk culture is carried out.Folk culture is everyday life include cos tomes. settlements, cookery, notions, symbols, medicine, play and arts. Chitrasen discuss on the origins of folk culture which is problematic, because the folk culture is taken through the oral tradition where their is no written records, and even it takes in different levels, even the folk dance and songs are seen in rural settings which makes difficult to distinguish between the tribal culture and rural culture. Difference between the elite culture and tribal culture. Elite culture in Indian context is about the Hindus who take higher stratum in the society,(caste based) and where as tribal who are at lower stratum of society. who differs in their culture from the upper caste groups. Even Marx as tried to define the folk or tribal, According to Marxian philosophy tribal are nothing but peasant group, where he majorly divides the society based on the class ideology. So in Indian context the tribals take position of peasant, the division is based on the ideology of caste(purity and impurity), but understanding the tribal group based on the hierarchical structure of society gives an misconception about the tribal group. and even it is complicated in Indian context because of the caste system, which is been misinterpreted by outsiders(western). Rural culture and tribal culture, some scholars have assumed both share some of the characters tics, but research have shown the difference between the both the cultures. Main difference we can see are the tribals are nature oriented people, they are highly depended on the nature, their settlement, social, economic and political system is created based on the nature. where as rural community is referred as the system which is similar to the tribal system but they are considered as cultivators, and rural community as certain social order which is regulated by macro system of caste and other social factors. In simple words we can say that tribal community is micro community and rural is macro community.chitrasen as also discussed on the sanskritisation and tribalisation, where both the terms refers to the following other culture, it is a adaptation of the culture of others to ourselves. Lastly he discusses on the how urbanisation is effecting the tribal community.
I would like to discuss some of the issues and the questions that I have about the concept of folk, tribes and cultures. The question that I have about the concept to what extent we can say that the folk culture is carried away through oral tradition? if we need to understand the tribal culture we need to understand them through their culture itself. the tribals are given the term, concept of folk are used to understand their culture, which are given by mainstream society, where the culture is been recorded in a written form or in any other medium. It would be mistake if we say that tribal culture is passed through generation to generation through oral tradition, their may be other mediums, and other components which play role of passing on culture to generations. my point of view is using the term folk is a mistake to identify the tribal and rural cultures. Another issue is about the Hindu and other group of caste in Indian society. Its said that Hindus are at the higher level and tribals are the bottom down group in the hierarchy of the caste system. my concern is who is the first is it the Hindus are the origin's of the Indian society are the tribal group? this would be the question which raise issues about the hierarchy, the originality's of the Indian society, in later discussions i would try to answer. Lastly talking on rural culture and tribal culture, apart from the living styles I would see both the communities as similar. till now I have discussed sociological perspective about the tribals and rural society. I have started to raise the question about the tribal minds by looking at the larger picture of the rural and tribal society. in simple words macro level to micro level.
The first chapter of the book called "concepts of folk and folk culture: Reexamined in the Indian context", where chitrasen discuss about the definitional problems and the conceptual problems of term folk and tribes. I will give a summary of the chapter,
Folklore is refered as oral literature handed down to as from generation and generation through oral tradition, through art, dance, songs literature, folk tales, tradition and myths. the folk culture is carried out.Folk culture is everyday life include cos tomes. settlements, cookery, notions, symbols, medicine, play and arts. Chitrasen discuss on the origins of folk culture which is problematic, because the folk culture is taken through the oral tradition where their is no written records, and even it takes in different levels, even the folk dance and songs are seen in rural settings which makes difficult to distinguish between the tribal culture and rural culture. Difference between the elite culture and tribal culture. Elite culture in Indian context is about the Hindus who take higher stratum in the society,(caste based) and where as tribal who are at lower stratum of society. who differs in their culture from the upper caste groups. Even Marx as tried to define the folk or tribal, According to Marxian philosophy tribal are nothing but peasant group, where he majorly divides the society based on the class ideology. So in Indian context the tribals take position of peasant, the division is based on the ideology of caste(purity and impurity), but understanding the tribal group based on the hierarchical structure of society gives an misconception about the tribal group. and even it is complicated in Indian context because of the caste system, which is been misinterpreted by outsiders(western). Rural culture and tribal culture, some scholars have assumed both share some of the characters tics, but research have shown the difference between the both the cultures. Main difference we can see are the tribals are nature oriented people, they are highly depended on the nature, their settlement, social, economic and political system is created based on the nature. where as rural community is referred as the system which is similar to the tribal system but they are considered as cultivators, and rural community as certain social order which is regulated by macro system of caste and other social factors. In simple words we can say that tribal community is micro community and rural is macro community.chitrasen as also discussed on the sanskritisation and tribalisation, where both the terms refers to the following other culture, it is a adaptation of the culture of others to ourselves. Lastly he discusses on the how urbanisation is effecting the tribal community.
I would like to discuss some of the issues and the questions that I have about the concept of folk, tribes and cultures. The question that I have about the concept to what extent we can say that the folk culture is carried away through oral tradition? if we need to understand the tribal culture we need to understand them through their culture itself. the tribals are given the term, concept of folk are used to understand their culture, which are given by mainstream society, where the culture is been recorded in a written form or in any other medium. It would be mistake if we say that tribal culture is passed through generation to generation through oral tradition, their may be other mediums, and other components which play role of passing on culture to generations. my point of view is using the term folk is a mistake to identify the tribal and rural cultures. Another issue is about the Hindu and other group of caste in Indian society. Its said that Hindus are at the higher level and tribals are the bottom down group in the hierarchy of the caste system. my concern is who is the first is it the Hindus are the origin's of the Indian society are the tribal group? this would be the question which raise issues about the hierarchy, the originality's of the Indian society, in later discussions i would try to answer. Lastly talking on rural culture and tribal culture, apart from the living styles I would see both the communities as similar. till now I have discussed sociological perspective about the tribals and rural society. I have started to raise the question about the tribal minds by looking at the larger picture of the rural and tribal society. in simple words macro level to micro level.
kiran kumar ctl
Monday, February 15, 2010
SUMMARY AND REVIEW
hi
This time I will be discussing on my topic tribals, rural and folk minds. In following paragraph I would like to share some of the ideas about a kannada movie called BHOOMI GEETHA, which is state award movie. later I will discuss on the first chapter of the book written by chitrasen pasayat.
As I already mentioned that I would began with summary of the movie, which according me a beginning for my future discussion of the topic. BHOOMI GITA (1997), released in karnataka as won state awards, cast atul kulkarni, vinay prasad, and other theatre artist, music illayaraja, director haravu kesari.
Movie is an narration of the displacement of the tribal group living in southern karnataka near to the bank of river thungabhadra, the government officials who come over their to construct a dam across the river, which effects the living of the tribal community. The clashes and the troubles of tribal group is pictorically narrated in the movie. The movie depicts the psychological, social, economic and political arena of the tribal group. It shows the daily living of the tribals, their culture, art, traditions, rituals and the system where they will be dependent on the nature. the movie also depicts the difference between the tribal system, closer villages to the tribal group their communication witht he tribes, an rural system and the relationship with government official, where it shows the three different categories of the people, at the end of the movie tribes will be displaced because of their own ritualistic traditions. which is nicely depicted in the movie. Some of the major points which I am interested share through this summary is how movie as given an identity are explained the tribals. The movie depicts the TRIBALS as nomadic, barbaric and still in an infant state of society. the sociological theory of evolution of society explains nomadic society is the beginning of the evolution of society. Even still dependent on the barter system of earning some of the practices as hunting to mary a girl, not using slippers inside their region of living. such things are very interested and raise the questions about the tribal mind settings. what is that made them to come up with their own way of their living? which is different from urban and as well as rural which are closer to them. this also raise question about the evolutionary psychology of man. movie perspective it is very simple and self explanatory movie. sociologically it raise lots of question and kind of revolutionary movie against SEZs and other government policy. psychologically that i would look into the movie as a key to define the tribes, understand their behavior through their everyday life practices, rituals, costomes and behavior.
kiran kumar ctl
This time I will be discussing on my topic tribals, rural and folk minds. In following paragraph I would like to share some of the ideas about a kannada movie called BHOOMI GEETHA, which is state award movie. later I will discuss on the first chapter of the book written by chitrasen pasayat.
As I already mentioned that I would began with summary of the movie, which according me a beginning for my future discussion of the topic. BHOOMI GITA (1997), released in karnataka as won state awards, cast atul kulkarni, vinay prasad, and other theatre artist, music illayaraja, director haravu kesari.
Movie is an narration of the displacement of the tribal group living in southern karnataka near to the bank of river thungabhadra, the government officials who come over their to construct a dam across the river, which effects the living of the tribal community. The clashes and the troubles of tribal group is pictorically narrated in the movie. The movie depicts the psychological, social, economic and political arena of the tribal group. It shows the daily living of the tribals, their culture, art, traditions, rituals and the system where they will be dependent on the nature. the movie also depicts the difference between the tribal system, closer villages to the tribal group their communication witht he tribes, an rural system and the relationship with government official, where it shows the three different categories of the people, at the end of the movie tribes will be displaced because of their own ritualistic traditions. which is nicely depicted in the movie. Some of the major points which I am interested share through this summary is how movie as given an identity are explained the tribals. The movie depicts the TRIBALS as nomadic, barbaric and still in an infant state of society. the sociological theory of evolution of society explains nomadic society is the beginning of the evolution of society. Even still dependent on the barter system of earning some of the practices as hunting to mary a girl, not using slippers inside their region of living. such things are very interested and raise the questions about the tribal mind settings. what is that made them to come up with their own way of their living? which is different from urban and as well as rural which are closer to them. this also raise question about the evolutionary psychology of man. movie perspective it is very simple and self explanatory movie. sociologically it raise lots of question and kind of revolutionary movie against SEZs and other government policy. psychologically that i would look into the movie as a key to define the tribes, understand their behavior through their everyday life practices, rituals, costomes and behavior.
kiran kumar ctl
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