Lessons over the Years

"What has come down to us in writing are fragments of a great oral tradition, reflections of what actually was customary" written by Norbert Elias and appearing in "The Civilizing Process" on page one.

Fables and folk tales have been passed down from generation to generation. Each has some sort of lesson to be learned from the stories that are told. Although they are now being recorded, this shows that for a very long time information has been passed down through word of mouth for years and years. The most common ways to pass lessons down is through stories, but also more information over time is sent down through oral uses. Back in the day the rumor of table manner at the royal table was passed down to anyone and everyone that may end up in the courts presence. This along would cause the court to change their eating ways because it then became too common knowledge. Instead of teaching something to all, it changed the patterns to make sure that everyone couldn't be like them. The stories rarely change, perhaps to fit the culture and society, however the lesson stay the same to keep things consistent.

Yoga-pushing the body limits

"Our attention is continually focused upon the boundaries or limits of the body; known from an exterior, the limits of the body as an object; known from an interior, the limits of its physical extension into space." Taken from Susan Stewart's "The Imaginary Body" on page 1.


Yoga is about coming to a resting place. The resting place is both within you but also in regards to what your body is doing. you work slowly over time to get your body to twist and turn into a position that is not obtainable by most. A person must show discipline and work to stretch their muscles and joints to be able to move in such a way. The exterior image is shocking to those that are incapable of reaching those positions and seem like they disregard the limits of any normal body. In addition to the pressure of the exterior the interior is also developed. While pushing muscles and joints to unbelievable positions, the body is suppose to reach a resting point. A point at which the body is beyond itself and in a space where the world is at ease and peace. Exactly what Stewart is discussing in the quote. Yoga is an activity that allows the body to reach both these positions all in one go.

The issues with clothing

"Decorating, covering, uncovering, or otherwise altering the human form in accordance with social notions of everyday propriety or sacred dress, beauty, or solemnity, status or change in status seems to have been a concern of every human society of which we have knowledge." Written by Terry Turner in "The Social Body" on page 1.


The picture is of a baby, barely even old enough to breathe on its own is still framed with some sort of item on its body, along with something covering a place that is deems as a "private part." From a young age until the day a person is buried in the ground, they wear clothing, at least in the culture that I live in. Many have clothing once they become an adult. Regardless of it all, the fact that clothing is present even before a child can hold up there head may indicate that there is a larger issue at hand. Perhaps maybe societies are more afraid of being abnormal or different and so if they do vary, no one is to know baout it because they can hide behind their clothing. Another complexity of clothing is the variance in quality. Although in adults that may not be a huge problem, but in young adults it can become one. They make fun of those who do not wear what is deemed as popular, or for looking dingy. They can be cruel and ugly to one another, and if only clothing was something that was not what was worn, they would perhaps be less cruel to each other and cause such problems. Clothing may appear in all cultures recorded, it is however something that is not welcoming or great to have around.

Elements of the Grotesque Body

From "The Grotesque Image of the Body" by Mikhail Bakhtin, "The grotesque body is cosmic and universal. It stresses elements common to the entire cosmos:earth, water, fire, air; it is directly related to the sun, to the stars. It contains the signs of the zodiac. It reflects the cosmic heirarchy."(pg.9)


This image is one that represents the three elements of the universe. Each girl is either fire, water, air, or earth. Although the article discusses the body as an image, the image that these girls have are ones that would be considered perfect in our society. they are thin and gorgeous with a sense of mysterious beauty. If you notice, each girl is somehow touching and connected to each other. Without one the other cannot live. The elements are all intertwined and connected. The sun links them all together and provides them with whatever it is that is needed for them to survive.
These universal elements may be compared to what is considered to be universal beauties. Throughout the world, a certain look is expected to be for what a girl who is to be beautiful should look like. It is no wonder that such a problem with food and body image has risen to be an issue for girls across the world. Although the more well known problem is anorexia and bulimia, overeating leading to obesity has recently risen in issues that appear in people throughout the world as well. The look that is expected of someone to be beautiful is not internal but rather has become an external being. This then leads to the docile body theory and letting the social body out rather than being true to what someone really wants to be. 

"Africa"

In the article 'Africa Observed' by Jean and John Comaroff the term "Africa" is commonly used.

This term is used to discuss the injustice that has occurred to this place throughout time. It is discussed throughout the article in the terrible ways that it was destroyed throughout history by the Europeans. The way that "Africa" was written about and how the people from this continent were treated. Although it did point out to the readers the terrible ways that "Africans" were discriminated against, forced into slavery, thought of as animals, compared to animals, and put on display, not once did this article bring up that 'Africa' is a continent. Not once was it pointed out that 'Africa' was made up of 53 different countries. That each country has it's own set of values, cultures, and many different ways of living. All of which had been in place for years and years before the Europeans even came to be in contact with this place. Due to the lack of silence it indicates the discrimination that is still taking place. Africa is a continent and not just a place of tribes and worlds that us westerners veiw as uncivilized. Their bodies, both social and beyond are not only working for them and the way that they live, they have proven to be successful in that way. The use of the term "Africa" and the ability to lump all of these 53 countries together into one meaning is shocking.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

From the article "The Imaginary Body" by Susan Stewart, she says "In anthropological and historical studies considerable attention has been focused on the ways in which such symbolic inversions present the world upside down, the categories and hierarchical arrangement of culture in a recognizable disorder."

In the child's book series 'Mrs. Piggle Wiggle,' many of the different normal symbols that we have come to know as common is turned upside down-quite literally. Her house that she lives in is upside down, so instead the house sits on its point. Her world makes complete sense and she does normal things in a typical way. The symbols that are normal in everyday life are then turned upside down. Although this may seem like a silly child's book, it still can represent things. It is a symbol that what we may know can be turned upside down and yet it will still make sense and function.  Within the book Mrs. piggle Wiggle was known by the children in the neighborhood. She was a symbol of someone that the kids could turn to and that she could provide a safe place for the kids to visit, grow, and learn. This is just a symbol that is presented in one child's book series. Throughout countless number of tales an anthropologist is sure to stumble upon these upside down and backwards symbols. To a child, it provides them with entertainment, but if a person looks more closely they can see that it is a break down of the world in which we all live in.

Sinful Foods

From the article 'Don't Eat That' by Marie Griffith comes the quote "The faithful are warned against the lure of pleasure. If you enjoy what you are eating, chances are that it's bad for you."

Although food is something that is necessary for a person to live, it has recently come under scrutiny. It has been coming out that certain foods are unhealthy for you and should not be eaten. There has been a big push to go organic. Just like in Ann Anagost's article 'Reclaiming the Lost Arts of Living' people are converting to growing their own food, relying less on local farmers. Although this may be healthier for them and it may make them feel like they are doing their bodies "right,"  this may not actually be the case. By starving the body of certain foods they are not allowing the body to get all of the nutrients that it needs. The carb-free diets cut out all carbs, however, carbs are what the body can burn quickly and store for long periods of time so when a burst of energy is needed the body can achieve the desired outcome. however, by cutting these foods out, the body will no longer be able to have said burst of energy, and when the body does get even a little bit of carbs than it holds on to them, forcing the person on the diet to end up bloating up. All in all the right way to go about dieting is not avoiding any one particular group, even sweets, but rather enjoy just a little bit of them. This will lead to a well rounded diet and allow them to enjoy a little bit of it all.

The photo shows a hamburger with fries on the side. Notorious for being full of fat and deemed "unhealthy." However, on closer look you can see that this hamburger contains veggies, and if made with the right meat, and made the proper way it can be considered to be rather healthy. In addition, the fries can also be healthy, when made properly. So although this sandwich may be considered a pleasure, it can be healthy, much like any other food that you can make.  

Jail Time?

From Foucault's article Body of the Condemned comes the quote “The prisoners’ day will begin at six in the morning during winter and at five in the summer. They will work for nine hours a day throughout the year. Two hours a day will be devoted to instruction. Work and the day will end at nine o’clock in winter and eight in summer…At ten o’clock the prisoners’ leave their work and go to the refectory; they wash their hands in their courtyards and assemble in divisions. After the dinner, there is recreation until twenty minutes to eleven”

Although this quote is discussing the life of a prisoner, the reality is that most of the institutional life that our society has created is just this. We wake up at a designated time, we go to work or school, where there we are told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. We are not given many options or the ability to use our heads. Just like the prisoners we are herded from place to place-school to the working world until we can no longer handle it. Then we retire and do what we want. It takes us until we are elder until we finally break out of our caged institutional lives. This is terrible and ridiculous!!

Fat Families

From Ann Anagnost's 'Reclaiming the Lost Arts of Living' comes "Changes that begin with one’s food practices ripple outward to encompass changes in the structures and rhythms of daily life. This is a transformative experience for individuals at a micro-level that cumulatively appear to be leading toward epochal shifts reshaping economies at progressively larger scales"

This picture seemed to fit with this quote to me for multiple reasons. To begin with, the food that is laid out on the table is not the typical food that you would see. For starters, the jam is homemade and not store bought. In addition, the girls both have pancakes with fruit and a bowl with what appears to be fruit. They are being served glasses of what appears to be fresh orange juice. If you were to look more closely at this picture, however, you would realize that this lay out on the table is enough to make anyone obese! The amount of food laid out for this family of four to share is way too much!  In addition, the only family member that is obese is the mother. If you notice the mother does not have a place setting at the table but is instead attending to the needs of her family. This may indicate that she cares more about them giving her less chances to worry about herself. She clearly wants to keep them pleased and by doing so she is ignoring the unhealthy situation that she has put herself in. 

The Stepford Wives

From Michael Foucault's work Docile Bodies comes the quote "Recruits become accustomed to "holding their heads high and erect, to standing upright, without bending the back, to sticking out the belly, throwing out the chest, and throwing back the shoulders."

 Although the quote laid out by Foucault he was discussing the men of the military, you could also see how it relates to the picture of the "wives" of the 50's.  They all stood very erect and "proper", wearing similar clothing and acting in the same manner. I think that the manner in which they acted can be closly related to men in the military. Both are very disciplined; the men to stand and appear a certain way, and to fight and protect their country, while these woman all act as though they have nothing better to serve than the men that they are married to. They are trained to make food, clean, dress a certain way, act a certain way, all without even going to an institutional place, like the men of the military, but rather they are held to these standards by their peers and the men that they are married to. This picture shows that they all find this a normal occurrence and those that do not act in this manner are the strange ones.