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Historiography 21.10.11 — Nationalism

October 27, 2011 in Class Summaries, History at Queens

This might have been one of my favourite lectures thus far in the Historiography module, if for no other reason than the lecturer. He was particularly energetic and engaging 1, even though he deviated from previous classes and lectured for most of the time rather than having student discussion.

He started class talking about history, and the question ‘what makes history distinct from other disciplines’? Which is an excellent question. Historians are fantastically skilled at borrowing ideas from other disciplines, and many other disciplines have to study some history, at least of their field. His answer? Words. Which, indeed, he may have a point. Historians do love their words. A great example, which he gave, is ‘identity’. It is nearly impossible to read any historical book or article these days, particularly studying Irish history, that does not mention ‘identity’. It is a good word, but definitely perhaps overused.  Another word we talked about was ‘nationalism’. Interestingly enough, this word only recently came into academic language in the late 18th century and early 19th century. In fact, it was an even commonly used word at all. So, the question then becomes can you have the phenomenon of nationalism without the word? Particularly since the concept of nationalism is heavily tied to that other word we talked about, identity, some would argue that it is therefore difficult to apply that concept to people who wouldn’t have even applied it to themselves. Definitely a good point to think about. Another important point is that while history has become post-nationalist it is very much still structured around the idea of nations.

Essentially the debate around nationalism centres on a few key issues. First, whether or not nation states have always been with us, that is to say have they always existed in the forms we know them or not. For example, Germany which at one time consisted of many different people groups: were they all ‘Germanic’ or were they different identities? Second, if nations have not always been with us, are they results of maternity? Third, is a nation defined by blood and culture or by its political, legal, and civic structures? As you can imagine, there’s plenty of debate surrounding these issues. The example of Ireland is one that significantly complicates the issue of nationalism. What is ‘Ireland’? Catholics and protestants would have different views of that, those in the Republic of Ireland would have a different view from those in Northern Ireland, some might define irish-ness based on cultural heritage while others might define it based on physical boundaries, still even others might define it by being a part or not being a part of Great Britain. While one could say that we define nations based on political boundaries, this becomes very difficult as political boundaries shift and change with time.

I enjoyed this class because, even though it is an overused word, I suppose I fit in well into my field when I say that I really enjoy studying identity. I think the process by which people form identities, whether that is personal, familial, or corporate, I think it is one of the most interesting aspects of studying history. While we must be careful not to overly define people by cultural identity, I think it is very interesting to study how people come to identify themselves with a group or a nation.

This is a part of my History at Queens series. I am writing on what I’m learning in my modules and as a part of my own research. Hope you enjoy!

  1. For my JBU friends, he reminded me of Dr. Robert Moore a bit ↩

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A Technological Manifesto in the age of Facebook and Twitter

July 23, 2010 in Computers,Technology and Organization

So the topic of technology seems to be brought up frequently these days. I was at a conference in April where one of the speakers spoke on the use of technology. She was an advocate of my generation utilizing Twitter, Facebook, etc to change the world, or at least that was my takeaway from her talk. And of course technology follows us in daily life. I purchased a netbook this summer. And love it. WiFi is easier and easier to find. We just upgraded phones, and I’m pretty amazed how much things have changed in the cell phone world in just three years. I think I’m a part of a shrinking population that does not have internet on their phone, or more accurately, doesn’t want to pay $30/month for that luxury. Still, I have owned four cell phones in my life now, and somehow I just can’t bring myself to believe that.

And of course all this technology becomes the topic of different discussions, especially among my friends. And every time it does, I think I ought to blog about it. Rather ironic I suppose. I was finally motivated by an article by the BBC, which of course, I read online using an RSS feed. Technology. Anyway, the article, which can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10719042, was essentially highlighting the growing popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, etc, and the decline of MySpace and Flickr. I suppose I am no exception to those trends. I can’t even remember when I was last on MySpace, and I don’t know anyone who uses it anymore. I should probably delete my account. Regardless, the article reminded me of these ongoing discussions about the role of technology, social networking, and such in our lives.

More often than not, I find myself wondering how effective all this connectivity really is. Is our society really any more connected than it was before Facebook? Do we network better with Twitter than without? Have iPods really enhanced our lives? Yet I find my professors who refuse to use computers and Powerpoint in class to be a bit strange. And my cell phone has proved quite useful on plenty of occasions. Even the famed iPod I have come to love.

The more time goes on, the more I think the discussion of whether or not technology is beneficial becomes pointless. We can debate the virtues of Facebook, or the vices of Twitter all we want, particularly as Christians, but the fact of the matter seems to be that they are here to stay. Though we can avoid them if we want, what good does that do us? Our society is quickly embracing the idea of new verbs such as “tweeting” and “facebooking.” It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a website that does not have a Facebook and Twitter icon on the page. Or a business who invites their customers to “like” them on Facebook. Speaking from a Christian perspective, I think it is important that we do not ignore these trends. What the BBC article observes is important: social networking is a hot topic.

One of the criticisms some of my friends have of these communication mediums is that they remove real contact with real people. And it is quite valid. I can spend hours on Facebook, and yet have no real idea what is going on with any of my friends. I can catch the latest world news on Twitter, but miss the news in my own neighborhood. I read recently that experts think it is only possible for us to really “know” 150 people in our lives. Most people I know on Facebook, myself included, have hundreds of “friends.” Likewise, another valid criticism is that these sites do little more than give an avenue to promote one’s self. Considering the majority of status updates I’ve seen, I’d say that is quite true. Yet, as I said before, I don’t think this excuses us as Christians to run from technology. Rather, I think the complications demand a reasoned and thorough examination as to why we are using them. A manifesto of sorts. Rather than carelessly using Facebook, why not have a purpose to it? Rather than ignore Twitter, perhaps we should aim to master it and use it intentionally?

Twitter, for me, is a good example of this. I have a Twitter account, and do “tweet” on occasion. And then I go for a while without using it. And then I’m back. I don’t think Twitter serves the same purpose as Facebook. Though it can be an interesting way to keep up with people, I actually see it as perhaps a more “formal” tool than Facebook. One of my first Twitter interactions was after posting about an upcoming IJM event on campus. Someone tweeting from IJM headquarters replied and asked if we needed anything for the event. It was a type of connection that would have never happened outside of Twitter.

As I use Twitter more, I almost see it as a kind of market place, a forum, or maybe just a really big room full of people always talking. A way to exchange information, and interact with people who you may have something in common with. Till today, I had been “protecting” my tweets, as I didn’t like the idea of strangers “following” me. But I think if I am to really use Twitter as a sort of digital forum, that doesn’t really work. Likewise, tweeting about mundane parts of daily life is probably not helpful either. Rather, would I say my tweet aloud in a roomful of strangers? And if I am willing to enter this forum, do I believe that I have something to offer to the stream of information?

Anyway, my real motivation for posting this blog is to see what you think. I always enjoy comments and feedback on my blogging, but I am particularly curious to hear what you think the role of technology is in our lives. Do you Tweet? Why or why not? Facebook? How do you use these social networks? Do you think it is important to use them intentionally? Or should we avoid them? What sort of “manifesto” do you have regarding the use of technology? How might Christians use social networks, or is that really a place to bring in one’s faith?

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The peace of a Christian

December 18, 2009 in My Christian Walk

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

John 14:27

Truly, God offers us this profound peace in times of great trial and great sorrow. To walk this earth without… what a great tragedy. I have been through a trial far greater than most, and I can still say that God’s peace is with me.

The world is full of discouraging news most of the time; there is no peace in the headlines of the newspapers. Whether you lean to the liberal view or the conservative view politically, there is no peace in the discord of politics. There is no peace in the suffering of AIDS victims, there is no peace in the trials of the 25 million humans enslaved in the world today, there is no peace in the plight of those who live below the poverty line. Our world is broken; it has no peace to offer, no peace to give.

In the midst of such circumstances, God promises to be our peace. I can say that He means what He says.

Where does your peace come from?

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The Questions I am Asking.

February 14, 2009 in My Life

What is a friendship worth to you?

Are the people you hang out with important to you, and if so, how do you show that value to them?

I’m a question guy. I spend much of my life thinking about questions, and what the answers to those questions could be. Today, even, someone saw me and asked if I was doing alright. Apparently I looked depressed; I wasn’t, I had just finished a class that covered some of the Holocaust. So I was thinking. Pulling themes from that, books I’ve read lately, and current life. Anyway, nothing to smile over, but I personally was doing fine. Digression aside, my point is that I seem to come up with a lot of questions as I cogitate my life, and what goes on around me.

Continual topic of questions: friendships, and people.

Last week, I people watched. I also blogged about it. Summary: basically I sat in the caf for a good 45 minutes to an hour, in the middle of a high-traffic area, and only three people acknowledged my presence in any way. In some ways, I wasn’t too surprised. In other ways, I was shocked. It wasn’t hard to seem me, I was even trying to make eye contact with people I knew. Nothing. So, I’ve been thinking about the implications of that this past week.

One, how do I come across to the people I know? Talking about the situation, someone commented that, knowing that I am an introvert, and do actively seek time by myself, if they were to see me would probably leave me alone. Which was interesting. From my perspective, I seek time to myself in a place other than the caf. Yes, I do go sit by myself sometimes, but I also have no issues with someone I know sitting with me. I just don’t want people feeling ‘sorry’ for me because I’m alone; not people leaving me alone per say. If I truly want to be alone, I make sure I will be left alone. In my room, on a walk outside of JBU, a drive…I have my ways. Anyway, the comment was interesting because it made me wonder what people think of me (not a new question for me, or most people I would suspect). And specifically, do I come across in a way that would make someone question whether or not they would talk to me if they saw me by myself. Interesting…

Do I do that? (Reoccurring question; keep reading)

Another question, how ingrained in our own lives and worlds are we that we miss the world around us. Sitting that day in the caf, I was ‘ignored’ by friend and stranger alike. And by ‘ignored’, I mean no eye contact, no glance in my direction, no talking, nothing. I’m sure people saw me, it’s not as though I was invisible. And I think most of what happened was simply because people were focused on the task at hand: getting food (which is quite important). But, are we so wrapped up in what we are doing that we don’t notice something outside of what affects us? Of course we see people all the time…but do we notice them? Or are we just going through life, and unless it involves us, are we content to just leave them alone?

Do I just walk through life like that?

The sad truth is, I don’t just wonder if I do; I know I do.

I have walked passed so many people, and completely ‘ignored’ them.

I have seen people I know, and made no effort to go out of my way to say anything to them.

Even to close friends.

Why?

Is my life so important that I can’t deviate my planned course for one minute to say ‘hi’? Am I too comfortable in my own life, that I don’t want to step out a bit and interact?

So, taking such questions into consideration, I tried to be at least a little bit different this week. I slowed down a bit as I gathered my food from the different stations. I looked at people. Not in the way that ignores their presence, but actually noticing they exist. Making eye contact. Talking to people.

It’s interesting, even trying to make eye contact, few people do. I have been trying to catch people’s glances as they walk by, and some do, and some act like they don’t want to admit that I am even there. But, if nothing else, hopefully I haven’t acted the same way.

Why? Why is this even important?

Because, I think friendships have value. People have value. To just walk by with my head down, or avoid eye contact, is to treat a person in a way that doesn’t dignify them with that value that they have. I don’t think that’s right.

The other night, I was working through some personal issues I have with my friendships. I’m going to be open here, this is something I work through a lot. The details aren’t important, but basically I was dealing with feeling left out. Somehow I seem to do this a lot. For unjustified reasons, I use pointless examples to convince myself that I have been left out, and that people don’t care about me. It’s a lie, I know it’s a lie, yet I buy into it again and again. It’s the trivial things usually too, things that no one intends to mean anything at all. Yet, being the over-analytical person I am, I read into them. Some days it might even be walking down a side walk, and feeling completely non-existent as people walk by.

It’s a weakness that I am having to turn over to God, bit by bit, piece by piece. I wish I didn’t go through this, that I would learn. Yet, it draws me closer to God. The only place I know to go with that frustration and that insecurity, is to God. And every time, every time, he picks me up.

In fact, he did the other night. Something had happened, or more accurately, hadn’t happened for me, and so I was struggling with feeling left out. A danger this leads me to sometimes, is to not care about the friends I do have—after all, if I feel like they don’t care about me, why should I keep working to have the friendship? (selfish, yes; wrong, yes; yet I have this question go through my head time and time again) So, that was the place I was at. I prayed a simple prayer: “God, highlight the important friendships in my life; I question how much people value my friendship, show me people that do.”

In the past 26 hours since I have prayed that prayer, here is what has happened. Somehow, my feelings of ‘aloneness’ and feeling left out completely disappeared. The issue that had caused this in the first place, well it’s still there, but I think I view it in a correct light. Not only that, but multiple situations, little things, have happened since then, answering my prayer so well. Just one example. Right after, almost literally, praying that prayer, something happened. I was sitting in a secluded corner of Walker, only a few people were there. I had wanted to be in the prayer closet, but it was occupied, so I chose a corner of the student center for myself. I had my Bible and an iPod. I was in my own world as I could be. A friend of mine came in at the other end of the building, proceeded to head towards the dorms, but he noticed me. And he stopped, changed directions completely, and came to my table to say ‘hi’. I don’t even remember the conversation, it probably lasted a minute at the most. But that single event meant a lot to me. God answered my prayer in that simple action. My friend may never even know what that meant to me. He wasn’t trying to affect me in any way, only to talk a bit. I had enough value to him in that moment to justify a change in his plans to interact with me.

So, where I’m at right now is asking the question, how do I convey to the people around me that they have value, and that I recognize that? What are the simple things I can do to show that, because it is often the simple things that say the most.

I fail at this in 101 different ways. But I hope to fail only 100 ways next week, and 99 ways the next. God will certainly have to show me this again and again. I will have prayers exactly like that again. I will feel alone and left out again. I’ll be guilt of the exact same ‘ignoring’ other people again. And each time, hopefully by God’s grace, I will be a little better. It seems worth it to me, even if I still feel like I go through the same basic issue again and again. The steps may seem insignificant, almost non existent. But better to take them than to never try at all.

After my people watching experience (which, by the way was NOT one of my ‘feeling left out’ situations), I think this may be something a lot of people could be better at. Imagine what could change if those small, insignificant decisions were made to actually notice people.

What if we walked down the sidewalk and looked at people, instead of at our feet?

What if we, as we rush through the lines of the caf, we take note of the people around us? Nothing extraordinary, just eye contact and a smile. It says a lot.

What if, instead of focusing on the next place we need to be, we take a moment to go out of our way to say ‘hi’ to someone?

What if we just tried to show that we care?

These are the questions I ask. These are the answers I am trying to find. Do you?

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People watching

February 7, 2009 in The JBU days

If you know me than you know I love watching people. It’s one of my favourite pastimes. People are fascinating, and I love trying to understand them. I like to think I’m pretty observant too. I can tell quite a bit about a person (I think) just by watching them and how they interact. In a sense, people really are quite simple, yet infinitely complex. The pitfall in people watching is to ‘judge the book by it’s cover’. Yes, I can learn a lot about a person–what makes them tick, just by watching them, but it’s never a replacement for talking and getting to know them

Anyway, so I pay attention to people. And I love sitting in the Caf and watching people…so, today I people watched, and I noticed something interesting.

I broke from tradition, and sat in a differnt spot–at a table by one of the windows, across from the salad bar. I had gone earlier than I normally to with a friend, since I didn’t have an 11 o’clock class. He had class at noon, so I was at the table by myself. I was pretty much done, and could have left, but I didn’t

I people watched.

And it was one of the best people watching times I’ve had for a while. I was very relaxed–being the weekend and all. Mostly, I was just able to sit and watch though, and it was cool.

And I noticed something fascinating. One of my curiosities was how many people would notice me since: a) I was by myself (which can cause people to feel ‘sorry’ for you and b) I was in a much different spot. Most of my friends eat lunch at noon, so this made the whole question even more interesting.

Guess what?

Out of the hundreds of people in the caf, many of whom would at least recognize me, how many acknowledged my presence?

Three.

I was by a high traffic area at a common lunch time, with many people I knew going by, and only three people even noticed I was there. Out of those three, one sat down with me for a bit, one was my RD, and the other was a friend who happened to catch my glance and to the eye acknowledgement. None of them were people I regularly hang out with or talk to.

Now, one important disclaimer, this isn’t a ‘feel sorry for James’ note. I’m not bemoaning the fact that only three people said hi, or me feeling ignored. It’s just something I found really interesting, so I thought I’d share.

It’s interesting to me because it’s not like I was in some obscure corner or anything. I was right next to the salad line. A person either had to walk right next to me, or could have easily seen me from the opposite side of the line. It’s also not like I was avoiding eye contact. So, point being, I’m pretty easily seen, if a person was to be looking.

What is also interesting is that both people I knew and didn’t know didn’t even seem to notice me. I expected to at least notice some people glance at me and make eye contact, but only those three I mentioned did.

It was really interesting. Fascinating, really.

Which leads me to two possible reasons. One, people did notice I was sitting there, and just didn’t want to make the effort to say anything (or didn’t want to bother me). Or two, (and I think more likely), people were just focused on getting food. Going through a pattern. Eating at the caf is a very systematic thing, really. Everyone has a process they go through, and so it’s easy to just follow habit.

Watching people it was interesting when they first came into the caf what they did. Most people scanned in, and immediately looked for people they knew. And they focused on one specific area. After securing a seat, they then would go start getting food. People I know well walked right past me focused straight ahead. Patterns.

It made me wonder how engrained in routine we are. I think–actually I’m sure–I go through the exact same pattern everyday when I get food. I wonder how much of our lives are like that: patterns. And how much we become familiar with it, so that we don’t pay attention to a change. I like to think of myself as a person who notices details, but I think I really miss quite a few.

All in all, great meal for me. I’m an introvert, and like time to myself. It’s odd, but lunch today was actually very relaxing to me, and great introvert time. Surrounded by many people, I was left in complete peace. Hardly anyone even noticed me. It was just me and God, and it was nice.

So I think I’m going to try and slow down a little this coming week. I’m going to try and pay more attention to what is going on around me, and glance to the right and left a bit more.

And I’ll most definitely keep people watching.

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