tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33397368861765230782024-02-19T13:24:30.848+03:00Qatar Culture ClubA blog about sociology, written by students in Doha, Qatar.Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07283527449291985232noreply@blogger.comBlogger530125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-50154829362351319642013-06-12T15:04:00.001+03:002013-06-12T16:01:52.426+03:00McDonaldization in the Petrol Station<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday I went to Abou-Hamour Petrol station to study the effect of <a href="http://sociology.about.com/od/Works/a/McDonaldization-of-Society.htm">McDonaldization </a>in Qatar. I also looked on how <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aesthetic">aesthetic </a>designs in food outlets affect the way people behave inside them. I start by showing the pictures that I took around the petrol station through a realistic everyday life scenario.</div>
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If you have a Mitsubishi car, like me, or if you have a Toyota or a Nissan you may want to send your car for routine service at the service centers in Abou-Hamour Petrol station. But maybe you need to empty your car from the laundry work so that the service center can work freely on your car. Hence, you can leave your laundry at Yahoo Laundry.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0QQriwDstUEwaixjLcTyCfnd0xp6VV-qf74spYSoHR3iqYMIBmcU-uHV5Fu5TCWakl3ZUOXtFNa-OHc3UTRNd8b1WVwguH7aRYjzD2oymNMTOkKNSAkq1ohUCs8UfJX-zhUqYkNIYT-b/s1600/2013-06-10+22.19.33.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0QQriwDstUEwaixjLcTyCfnd0xp6VV-qf74spYSoHR3iqYMIBmcU-uHV5Fu5TCWakl3ZUOXtFNa-OHc3UTRNd8b1WVwguH7aRYjzD2oymNMTOkKNSAkq1ohUCs8UfJX-zhUqYkNIYT-b/s320/2013-06-10+22.19.33.jpg" /></a>
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But you can also get some stationary items that you need to compile your final project paper from Wahi El-Kalam Stationary shop. Then get some Lebanese shawarma from Kanari El-Sham, Istanbul Sultan Dining Restaurant or Rawabi Lebanon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEblvy_ADwLjVpTh_5vws5JZbWKxb1_S2fN5xGIGzJfLGjZgV0mEeNBklrPRsIjbHuflTd82UEhwZSKaQ25Tbgukor0xu_X-BArRIdz41AjXt1OxNkzOiln9Za2LyvSAXb2RO0i_T4hP2/s1600/2013-06-10+22.19.18.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEblvy_ADwLjVpTh_5vws5JZbWKxb1_S2fN5xGIGzJfLGjZgV0mEeNBklrPRsIjbHuflTd82UEhwZSKaQ25Tbgukor0xu_X-BArRIdz41AjXt1OxNkzOiln9Za2LyvSAXb2RO0i_T4hP2/s320/2013-06-10+22.19.18.jpg" /></a>
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If you live at the dorms you may want to buy some house keeping items and some vegetables from the Grocery store. Indeed, Grand Shopping Center has all of this for you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzD2vCX5P_IA5aQHKTTieiAnyM0vKxHlVXkQKaww-DtiI0BSKP716LRjM-WSmMKWGjTQAravh5C1yAXm306mQSG4j0QkjFvTmeND7mfw0CmUvyhUPSQhH_I6HVLVKm6XETj08PpVoZ_DOl/s1600/2013-06-10+22.19.41.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzD2vCX5P_IA5aQHKTTieiAnyM0vKxHlVXkQKaww-DtiI0BSKP716LRjM-WSmMKWGjTQAravh5C1yAXm306mQSG4j0QkjFvTmeND7mfw0CmUvyhUPSQhH_I6HVLVKm6XETj08PpVoZ_DOl/s320/2013-06-10+22.19.41.jpg" /></a>
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Your car service is not over yet and you remembered that your roommates wanted some fast food. Don't worry! there are all the options of globalized food outlets including McDonald's, Burger King, Hardees, Subway, Pizza Hut, KFC, Papa Johns and Baskin Robbins.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFj8aUHWLkx85-28wd8bTb77X9dRIAx4J1tb5dDzCXrc6duP2PzPbPaI28kWb4g_Z8mXqWJVdsJN3TNZ3brZ4mqQ1N93gVv7ZAeuNRLkHyQxop83UOfSCbJ2wl2jvhNfp28SeGgfjT6om8/s1600/2013-06-10+22.21.29.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFj8aUHWLkx85-28wd8bTb77X9dRIAx4J1tb5dDzCXrc6duP2PzPbPaI28kWb4g_Z8mXqWJVdsJN3TNZ3brZ4mqQ1N93gVv7ZAeuNRLkHyQxop83UOfSCbJ2wl2jvhNfp28SeGgfjT6om8/s320/2013-06-10+22.21.29.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAOPaKU4cKp9cZMyqi0tKz8Jw3bB8IUmnQqWqcOgwwML8vukvPPMj3rT7EcNJFGTP3ExKg3LzAoywPp4KBV-GialPGKtW5zOpEcozJztkGMc7oQgJx_wr4sq1sZS-KJxiqXP4mdMMTxlC/s1600/2013-06-10+22.22.06.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAOPaKU4cKp9cZMyqi0tKz8Jw3bB8IUmnQqWqcOgwwML8vukvPPMj3rT7EcNJFGTP3ExKg3LzAoywPp4KBV-GialPGKtW5zOpEcozJztkGMc7oQgJx_wr4sq1sZS-KJxiqXP4mdMMTxlC/s320/2013-06-10+22.22.06.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYD2rXlngLM6v3E2ITBZ_7Zw_R6fr7yt4GCZom_J9WMCDZ3xoo2llvP2cWNWcOLb4aC6l9uSD0zTJyxl6UjYTdOSqOCsdoPQwGkWxYm7iuwCorr_jqB0F5s6Y98cQDXQxr3g_A-3iV1mB/s1600/2013-06-10+22.22.19.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYD2rXlngLM6v3E2ITBZ_7Zw_R6fr7yt4GCZom_J9WMCDZ3xoo2llvP2cWNWcOLb4aC6l9uSD0zTJyxl6UjYTdOSqOCsdoPQwGkWxYm7iuwCorr_jqB0F5s6Y98cQDXQxr3g_A-3iV1mB/s320/2013-06-10+22.22.19.jpg" /></a>
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Your car is over now, but it isn't washed from the outside, and you want to wash it. Very easy! just leave it for fifteen minutes in the car wash shop in the same petrol station.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVm_gxiRwONG88vs0FZA7Y4jXjOiWDvJp8A5TuW4unjqHo8iPUgVC7PT8oClPAGvBucvhTcSogEypF9YCBICwagVdTf9AoMDDp9SuHODLP3ZmOA1qCen3_ayIbN-47zD7wn9AP8UHXMEG/s1600/2013-06-10+22.20.51.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuVm_gxiRwONG88vs0FZA7Y4jXjOiWDvJp8A5TuW4unjqHo8iPUgVC7PT8oClPAGvBucvhTcSogEypF9YCBICwagVdTf9AoMDDp9SuHODLP3ZmOA1qCen3_ayIbN-47zD7wn9AP8UHXMEG/s320/2013-06-10+22.20.51.jpg" /></a>
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While your car is being washed, you can spend the time at Al-Fanatir Saloon which is a barber shop to get a haircut in preparation for the presentation you will give the following day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xKhOLEpU_YDoBtSWQ_XH0xrq9EknuFrNZbiYGMRjHSzMNJSS6Mbndm3zBbOFTmz4Uj-_8m_GSHMTm0Mblr-dXbi0CwoxsXu0Y9HaCbql-WaYS-DDfaOebH0EIF5NALb3pJV1T0jv9m5Z/s1600/2013-06-10+22.20.19.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xKhOLEpU_YDoBtSWQ_XH0xrq9EknuFrNZbiYGMRjHSzMNJSS6Mbndm3zBbOFTmz4Uj-_8m_GSHMTm0Mblr-dXbi0CwoxsXu0Y9HaCbql-WaYS-DDfaOebH0EIF5NALb3pJV1T0jv9m5Z/s320/2013-06-10+22.20.19.jpg" /></a>
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Indeed, you can't forget pharmacies, coffeeshops, textile shops, optics shops, car rentals, etc. all in one petrol station called Abou-Hamour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsuHd_o0XpasofzslbFUWWaj4H5pZtkdY3Mo2u4ryXoU9Ggve_naj4YZSez874HTBdINpIgD7Hz71nr9hP4ez3a_B4EYJAQPXPuZWoHlAt4937iX1sXGLezqneWMdLp7-gIKLvTR7aHOb/s1600/2013-06-10+22.23.27.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsuHd_o0XpasofzslbFUWWaj4H5pZtkdY3Mo2u4ryXoU9Ggve_naj4YZSez874HTBdINpIgD7Hz71nr9hP4ez3a_B4EYJAQPXPuZWoHlAt4937iX1sXGLezqneWMdLp7-gIKLvTR7aHOb/s320/2013-06-10+22.23.27.jpg" /></a>
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According to <a href="http://georgeritzer.com/">George Ritzer</a>, McDonaldization "is the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world." While the petrol station has many McDonaldized outlets including McDonalds itself, I study the petrol station as a whole being a McDonaldized organization. To understand the McDonaldization in the petrol station I examine the four dimensions of the theory.<br />
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First, <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/efficiency.shtml">efficiency </a>meaning the optimum method of completing a task using the best modes of production. In efficiency individuality is not allowed. In the petrol station most of the restaurants had the bread and its content already made and prepared and all what they do to prepare a sandwich was that they put them together in five minutes. In another perspective the petrol station is efficient in the sense that it provides all what an individual may ever need for their home. Its not only about filling the car with gas, its also about completing household requirements as I mentioned in the scenario above. If these restaurants were scattered around in the same area but spaced away in such a regime that while you are entering one outlet you won't see the other outlets, none of the outlets would have been optimizing their sales. Therefore, the way the petrol station is built in a structure that is optimum at increasing sales of the petrol station as a whole by allowing people to buy from the different outlets by the process of impulse buying. Statistics show that 70% of fast food purchases are <a href="http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=7206">impulse buys</a>. Its just like the candy displayed at the cash register in a super market but on a larger scale.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UdhGIYNGo_iFxycA71m-UP4CGDyfg570vWd9MSymZob5OFCfXuhyphenhyphenQfMijWD2a2DJ_AkbXxSAo-JGaM108IcIO27X8MIK1oNpEtVfvDGL7The_vEY8iJsK8nKi58o8OL8lU_PnTou2MaT/s1600/2013-06-10+22.58.59.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UdhGIYNGo_iFxycA71m-UP4CGDyfg570vWd9MSymZob5OFCfXuhyphenhyphenQfMijWD2a2DJ_AkbXxSAo-JGaM108IcIO27X8MIK1oNpEtVfvDGL7The_vEY8iJsK8nKi58o8OL8lU_PnTou2MaT/s320/2013-06-10+22.58.59.jpg" /></a>
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The second dimension is <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/calculability.shtml">calculation</a>, which is an assessment of outcomes based on quantifiable rather than subjective criteria. McDonaldized organizations tend to favor quantity over quality. In such a tight place with all these outlets in one petrol station you may wonder about the quality. Of course having all these shops in one small area increases the bottom-line value, which is the total accounting revenue. However, when it comes to the quality of service in the petrol station itself you cant help noticing the drawbacks. First with this huge number of shops the petrol station is not air-conditioned, but who would air-condition a petrol station anyways? The petrol station organization have created a structure that looks like a mall where you get around with your own air-conditioned car. Hence, they save themselves the cost of ventilating the hallways in front of the shops. The second drawback is the congestion that is persistent most of the day as many people like to stop by to get food, fill their fuel tanks or service their cars. The huge congestion is usually due to many people waiting in their air conditioned cars for their orders rather than wait outside during the hot afternoon or inside the tight shops.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjOB4isXZ-5-7zYzzIxIBje99_naQ9OfVoXMK7o0G1MXDFlUdp_YQghYGIiT89DbysX-6WDw-tL1lVn16y25f1c16yiCS7-V3QM33bLdXWfp8Kj4PSjCk1JIySPDNrP1PcEte9HH1fHuZ/s1600/2013-06-10+22.22.06.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjOB4isXZ-5-7zYzzIxIBje99_naQ9OfVoXMK7o0G1MXDFlUdp_YQghYGIiT89DbysX-6WDw-tL1lVn16y25f1c16yiCS7-V3QM33bLdXWfp8Kj4PSjCk1JIySPDNrP1PcEte9HH1fHuZ/s320/2013-06-10+22.22.06.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wzRTkGPMo_MbKgwjbRCiVcrAu-02CCuXnYxLt_DsKMdjYO1n_gcv8ko_PrYKnPwnAXGo6TID3Cq5ha-C1ywFOSHG6a2ldfkjb4PLWhaDOGzbiVEsdotLMeehfBsgCKBM0yvnkofTlcTi/s1600/2013-06-10+22.24.48.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wzRTkGPMo_MbKgwjbRCiVcrAu-02CCuXnYxLt_DsKMdjYO1n_gcv8ko_PrYKnPwnAXGo6TID3Cq5ha-C1ywFOSHG6a2ldfkjb4PLWhaDOGzbiVEsdotLMeehfBsgCKBM0yvnkofTlcTi/s320/2013-06-10+22.24.48.jpg" /></a>
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Third the McDonaldized petrol station is <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/predictability.shtml">predictable </a>meaning that the production process is organized to guarantee uniformity of product and standardized outcomes. Anytime you got to Abou-Hamour petrol station you know you will find the same shops that sell the same items since the outlets inside the McDonaldized petrol station are McDonaldized themselves. Hence, you can easily predict the that the shops in the petrol station will still sell the same products and will still look, taste, smell and feel the same.<br />
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Finally, <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/control.shtml">control </a>is the substitution of less predictable human labor with more predictable non-human labor. For this aspect I looked into the service center of Mitsubishi and I couldn't help noticing how automated car services have gotten. The whole service center runs on one employee who takes the order and runs the cash register, and two workers who service the cars. Similarly in most of the food outlets all the cooked food that serves hundreds of people, passing by everyday, can be prepared by a maximum of five people in the whole shop due to new technologies.<br />
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In examining the aesthetic look, most of those outlets preferred customers who just pass by to buy and that's it. For example, I went to buy lamb shawarma from Chez Mazen and took some pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIRv2xTS72fCmEzcy79TCEk3bP3-U-m1vLZmmdPAQnjiET2xtkYUVWYm200RytW2k4jb5TL83wD6PQULl6ai9gDknAn2r13bL4IwsEudnezmhR_IFqHjHP8BvJPykwvyMhfT9Um8S5QGr/s1600/2013-06-10+22.34.28.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIRv2xTS72fCmEzcy79TCEk3bP3-U-m1vLZmmdPAQnjiET2xtkYUVWYm200RytW2k4jb5TL83wD6PQULl6ai9gDknAn2r13bL4IwsEudnezmhR_IFqHjHP8BvJPykwvyMhfT9Um8S5QGr/s320/2013-06-10+22.34.28.jpg" /></a>
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Inside the shop I couldn't stand the heat of the shop as the kitchen and the cash register were in one location. While I order I was tortured by the hot grilling shawarma that I had to wait outside of the shop while my order gets ready.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHgYssKJR2gQ1tWaCGBEY3c2qfefQTmX7RSu1KJY2E3U3dhtTDEaRsFjp9OamkLnYSQspIolRNmabcGH8iHdY66Bm1NKorZAuOmLWF9f6upR2UN5B9Rn4Q10Fq1ctQKpIfyOLWmEuP3jR/s1600/2013-06-10+22.33.52.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHgYssKJR2gQ1tWaCGBEY3c2qfefQTmX7RSu1KJY2E3U3dhtTDEaRsFjp9OamkLnYSQspIolRNmabcGH8iHdY66Bm1NKorZAuOmLWF9f6upR2UN5B9Rn4Q10Fq1ctQKpIfyOLWmEuP3jR/s320/2013-06-10+22.33.52.jpg" /></a>
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Even if you are able to stand the heat, they still don't want you in their shop for too long either. They have exactly six awkwardly located chairs that face the kitchen and are extremely uncomfortable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iD0gj28GxBAywc_K2dYp76aw0EutCdTku1M5wYPVIZupcAMFAgSogRDzhz7DfZSlCxtTA9q-k_1kawol_zAGWEa7tI87iQZloXTUzGGfbqhLJRRtO2FqvumgqOSSJPjsRx8QxOqgFeBh/s1600/2013-06-10+22.33.59.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iD0gj28GxBAywc_K2dYp76aw0EutCdTku1M5wYPVIZupcAMFAgSogRDzhz7DfZSlCxtTA9q-k_1kawol_zAGWEa7tI87iQZloXTUzGGfbqhLJRRtO2FqvumgqOSSJPjsRx8QxOqgFeBh/s320/2013-06-10+22.33.59.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/aesthetics">Aesthetics </a>are the ways in which people communicate and express themselves through sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Many shops are designed in a way to attract certain customers, they also set the behavior that a consumer needs to follow inside their restaurant through aesthetics. In Chez Mazen the kitchen and the cash register were in the same location because of the high cost of an outlet there. However, it serves the restaurant in two ways: first customers see what happens in the kitchen and are convinced that workers are transparent in producing their food. Secondly, the heat coming out from the Shawerma grill plus the very uncomfortable chairs force the customers to buy and leave and not sit to eat and take up valuable space. The smell of shawarma being smelled from outside can make your stomach rumble and get you in to eat.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-89966769113373976082013-06-09T23:24:00.000+03:002013-06-09T23:24:04.590+03:00McDonaldization in the Darwish Household<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk08hT0FgYa68fwHJGhcN5fT6MEIHQc_CQ2_ZlfjpIYp28N_saZLR4KOEfbEr7U_l9oE00ZyjOWWUV16u1RSqCwdy3XPHAhEg28DneAcJ-MFc4_cowv-rdfoEenBMFYma1c1VVVPnFEP4/s1600/Mc_Donalds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk08hT0FgYa68fwHJGhcN5fT6MEIHQc_CQ2_ZlfjpIYp28N_saZLR4KOEfbEr7U_l9oE00ZyjOWWUV16u1RSqCwdy3XPHAhEg28DneAcJ-MFc4_cowv-rdfoEenBMFYma1c1VVVPnFEP4/s320/Mc_Donalds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today in class, we discussed the theory of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonaldization">McDonalization</a>, which is a process where society is increasingly run like a fast food restaurant. While the professor was explaining the <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=73">four dimensions</a> of this concept, I could not help but notice how the processes relate to my everyday life and family structure. The first dimension, <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/efficiency.shtml">efficiency</a>, is the optimum method of completing a task. My family is heavily reliant on schedules, and everyone planning their week in advance. We like to know what everyone is doing for us to decide when is the best time for us to gather as a family and what is the best activity we can during that time span. With my schedule, I plan when I should complete my homework, extra curricular activities and miscellaneous errands without it interfering with my family activities.<br />
The second dimension is <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/calculability.shtml">calculation</a>. This is an assessment of outcomes based on quantifiable rather than subjective criteria. With my example, we “calculate” the best time for us to spend time as a family after everyone has informed our parents with our schedule for that week. We usually spend every dinner together during weekdays and dedicate our entire Friday to our family. This step is essential as it decides what time we should all gather together and how much time we have available. This will determine whether we’ll be staying at home, going out to a restaurant, or watching a movie at the cinema.<br />
The third dimension is <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/predictability.shtml">predictability</a>, which is the production process organized to guarantee uniformity of product and standardized outcomes. This relates to my family structure as every week, we are able predict that we will gather during dinner, as well a lunch on Friday. Also, when our schedule is complete, we can predict what to expect for that week and hopefully assume a certain outcome.<br />
The last dimension is <a href="http://www.mcdonaldization.com/control.shtml">control</a>. This is the substitution of more predictable non-human labour for the human labour, either through automation or the de-skilling of the workforce. One of the main reasons my family and I are able to spend a lot of time with one another is because of our smartphones. We are able to send messages to our parents informing them with our schedule for that week and thus they are able to tell us immediately what activities they have planned.<br />
Personally, I prefer having a formula set up on how one should behave as it brings a certain standard of efficiency to one’s life. With this schedule, I am able to complete all of my tasks and spend a lot of time with my family and friends as well. Every day is productive and effectual.
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Here are some photos of three past family activities that we have completed at home (All photos taken with my Iphone camera):<br />
- Movie night<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eOGCZvBfVonF11ajZDEMkgUjKsVsQsQPdq-YeqdqzaimetS_jZnluMdbEudb1h9ipymVrrrMt33T20kPTq37qVG1KkiHkFkAmmbhCPwGtTa4KFMSfXmO-fntb6wra6sWQWUqIq6GEaw/s1600/fr_9103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eOGCZvBfVonF11ajZDEMkgUjKsVsQsQPdq-YeqdqzaimetS_jZnluMdbEudb1h9ipymVrrrMt33T20kPTq37qVG1KkiHkFkAmmbhCPwGtTa4KFMSfXmO-fntb6wra6sWQWUqIq6GEaw/s320/fr_9103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
-Breakfast buffet<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCp0tw_aCAsmJA89pGZxX9MFhd7MWGeXTsuztId4_ryZWw6EosQENc_aESPuP4Oba2J-ym-Wjb8yhQe_lGJ7_Y5_xKN4IylzdSk9A4Bv7Lj34UGhNmlX6RJxM4BHqaQJ74N3S-G352YhQ/s1600/fr_9102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCp0tw_aCAsmJA89pGZxX9MFhd7MWGeXTsuztId4_ryZWw6EosQENc_aESPuP4Oba2J-ym-Wjb8yhQe_lGJ7_Y5_xKN4IylzdSk9A4Bv7Lj34UGhNmlX6RJxM4BHqaQJ74N3S-G352YhQ/s320/fr_9102.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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-Outdoor gathering when the weather is nice<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjQrDxzbgrIf809rn-lzTNyxIJ_LbA_x95VyheLsB31DUCEMAXt2yhEpgl7ftj26rvayFxbygB85qIHmRUPxrK3e7SKJwGn5F1dBzeRSRUoXbkY808NnrwQIQb0eY4MXmtcDTuFEk8sM/s1600/fr_9105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjQrDxzbgrIf809rn-lzTNyxIJ_LbA_x95VyheLsB31DUCEMAXt2yhEpgl7ftj26rvayFxbygB85qIHmRUPxrK3e7SKJwGn5F1dBzeRSRUoXbkY808NnrwQIQb0eY4MXmtcDTuFEk8sM/s320/fr_9105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-77787152611688473142013-06-08T19:37:00.000+03:002013-06-08T19:51:09.342+03:00Authenticity Wars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<p><a href="http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/History_of_Pok%C3%A9mon">Pokemon</a> was one of the things that my life revolved around in my childhood. I remember the days when I watched Pokemon on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0176385/">television</a> every day, collect <a href="http://pokegym.net/forums/showthread.php?t=26812">Pokemon cards</a>, and play every <a href="http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Pok%C3%A9mon_games">Pokemon video game</a>. As a matter of a fact, my relatives and I used to gather at my grandfather’s house and start doing many Pokemon activities. Throughout the years, this tradition started to disappear and my relatives and friends moved on with their lives. </p>
<center>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvu0inVt3Y5n_KSbh_tjsaVBg1nlh-uc-cbH9TyYYOGbVx9E651A-aQpN9SzT38CLKG3e_G0C4dIcz4Uz-7N4zBFGe7Uqaw_2z-PRKZIjCJ8eQDBXGrTHS35opZQCWuvsx26ClfwMo3Ct/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvu0inVt3Y5n_KSbh_tjsaVBg1nlh-uc-cbH9TyYYOGbVx9E651A-aQpN9SzT38CLKG3e_G0C4dIcz4Uz-7N4zBFGe7Uqaw_2z-PRKZIjCJ8eQDBXGrTHS35opZQCWuvsx26ClfwMo3Ct/s320/photo+(7).JPG" /></a></center>
<p>
However, now when I check Pokemon news and games, I feel that it had become unauthentic. I believe that this is what most people from my generation would think. As was explained by Grazian, authenticity is defined as an object that have qualities such as being real, true, original and pure by a group of people. When Pokemon first came out, everyone admired <a href="http://www.serebii.net/anime/characters/ash.shtml">Ash</a>, the main character of the TV show, for catching the Pokemon monsters and all. However, the TV series is still ongoing and it is still about Ash’s journey. Although the TV series reached around 642 episodes in 17 seasons, Ash is still this 10 years old kid who wants to be friends with Pokemons. In addition, the new Pokemon monster designs are ridiculous. Some of the new Pokemons are literally piles of garbage.</p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1jxpSR2e-nGjZ6mcs8xP7F5uMWcWf47Y17hH2IVjbRTUQbHcgcfgcYHBE_yg1YWz8EaBJhqMXry-tb-gV1BFEEQdwaJLzwNFDjCZvwsaQrz57nef4HgJdTIBEzpDHyxOwOMj1KPY-CCl/s1600/1734783-trubbish.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1jxpSR2e-nGjZ6mcs8xP7F5uMWcWf47Y17hH2IVjbRTUQbHcgcfgcYHBE_yg1YWz8EaBJhqMXry-tb-gV1BFEEQdwaJLzwNFDjCZvwsaQrz57nef4HgJdTIBEzpDHyxOwOMj1KPY-CCl/s320/1734783-trubbish.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi466kkb_49Y7P_x3QNuMi2NjSieREhBeaPdSZ6a3VZyYsFXTK439Uc-QxI6F6Fm3BrmUC2hvVnz-YsJjv11DENfmLTlByfOeDaMQQQ84BWpk7sO95zUjNPg84QuSaGfNBnjdshdkBcwJF7/s1600/dasutodasu_by_xous54-d33eonh.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi466kkb_49Y7P_x3QNuMi2NjSieREhBeaPdSZ6a3VZyYsFXTK439Uc-QxI6F6Fm3BrmUC2hvVnz-YsJjv11DENfmLTlByfOeDaMQQQ84BWpk7sO95zUjNPg84QuSaGfNBnjdshdkBcwJF7/s320/dasutodasu_by_xous54-d33eonh.png" /></a></center>
<p>Naturally, people from my generation would consider the new Pokemon items unauthentic. This is because there is no sense of originality anymore. Each Pokemon season feels like a repetition of the previous season. In addition, the new Pokemon designs lack the creativity and genuinely that existed in the <a href="http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/pics/8/5130/how-to-draw-articuno.jpg">earlier designs</a>. One interesting idea can be raised however, we can observe that the children of the present like to watch the current Pokemon seasons. Therefore, they might view Pokemon as authentic because the ideas that are present in Pokemon are new to them. Therefore, this is a situational authenticity case where we can generally see that adults view Pokemon as unauthentic whereas children have the opposite view. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210418/">Digimon</a> is a TV series that started before Pokemon and had similar elements. However, it is not as popular as Pokemon because people thought that it was a copy of Pokemon, therefore, unauthentic. Thus, issues of authenticity can play a role in deciding whether a show is going to be a global success or a destructive failure.</p>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-20704375684067332382013-06-07T11:09:00.000+03:002013-06-07T11:09:31.729+03:00Authenticity of bread, yes bread. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>What is <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/authentic">authenticity</a>? And what defines an object, or an action, or a person, or a place, as authentic? <a href="http://sociology.sas.upenn.edu/david_grazian">Grazian</a> explains authenticity by, what is defined as real or true or pure by a group of people. But who determines which group of people? Or how they interpret that object of authenticity? <br />
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When I was younger, I had a Croatian neighbor. She lived right across the street. Everyday, she would come to my house to have some authentic “<a href="http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/pitabread">Arabic bread</a>”, and then we would cross the street to her house to have some authentic “Western toast”. That way everyday we both have had something to eat from the other persons culture. As cheesy and factually incorrect as that is, we were very young, so I wouldn’t judge or laugh at me if I were you… but anyway, remembering that story now, makes me realize that even as children, we would classify objects with authenticity. <br />
<br />
So I decided to go to a bakery and ask people their opinion on the authenticity of bread, and what they think is authentic “Arabic bread”, or authentic “<a href="http://www.google.com.qa/search?q=western+bread&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=jZSxUeu2J4-nrAfEzICgCQ&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1157&bih=568">Western bread</a>”. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AXRi_YkTyXHwb8CjEzO-q3ZHZmAIGttdBJp1T9RdrA4V4ap3E7ALaSwd9Ojr3bABweLRTxVur_DlZs3bIw6EyCHAZZyhBE1-bRkUKaCjLJ5SJdYNROb83_IqnI38EOxZXQh_7510tGU/s1600/20130606_222557.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AXRi_YkTyXHwb8CjEzO-q3ZHZmAIGttdBJp1T9RdrA4V4ap3E7ALaSwd9Ojr3bABweLRTxVur_DlZs3bIw6EyCHAZZyhBE1-bRkUKaCjLJ5SJdYNROb83_IqnI38EOxZXQh_7510tGU/s320/20130606_222557.jpg" /></a><br />
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As I walked into the store I observed where each type of bread was displayed. The burger bun and hotdog bun were displayed right next to each other, and the thin, round Arabic bread was displayed on another side. Which already shows some kind of differentiation. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dKWCpN7_Jca08RrBJyNiD4Uan_Jx64N65lNaHdOj3S77bX5IKd3h_3bkYS2q4BgtecC4RMYmBLZASCqwfDsjSs05ltB0JPjrByuBPXrprJ2_1AQqhFYhJ8iEAH66GlwRKqJ0bkPk4yk/s1600/20130606_222418.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dKWCpN7_Jca08RrBJyNiD4Uan_Jx64N65lNaHdOj3S77bX5IKd3h_3bkYS2q4BgtecC4RMYmBLZASCqwfDsjSs05ltB0JPjrByuBPXrprJ2_1AQqhFYhJ8iEAH66GlwRKqJ0bkPk4yk/s320/20130606_222418.jpg" /></a><br />
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I found a Muslim, Arab women there, and decided to ask her opinion on the matter. I asked her what she defines as authentic Arabic bread, and why, and what she classifies the other types of bread as. She pointed to the thin round bread and said, this is our bread, this is what authentic Arabic bread is. Her reasoning behind that was the following exact quote: “This is what my mother used to bring home to us ever since I was a little girl, I grew up on this, so this is our traditions, the Arab tradition.” <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayBi1LPtwIV0ySaeNDCDDqbrjHnouEj2ECWLmLSuFkEqbkJbw59rlMDdcwxLtJG45d22RMy8Dv-dg6VinrFX5PgtR8lD68CXh0vclNpQAtpbnBaRTL2-gexCwZeIBpVIIF4KRXd_uJQM/s1600/20130606_222431.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayBi1LPtwIV0ySaeNDCDDqbrjHnouEj2ECWLmLSuFkEqbkJbw59rlMDdcwxLtJG45d22RMy8Dv-dg6VinrFX5PgtR8lD68CXh0vclNpQAtpbnBaRTL2-gexCwZeIBpVIIF4KRXd_uJQM/s320/20130606_222431.jpg" /></a><br />
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Then she went on to talk about the other types of bread. She generally classified all the rest as “Western”. And said that just because a certain type of bread is classified under a certain culture, doesn’t mean that only that culture is expected to buy it. “I’m buying American bread right now” she said. <br />
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It was very interesting to hear this woman’s opinion on authenticity, and how she decided to classify these types of bread and why. Which takes me back to the theory of <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socialization">socialization</a>. She was socialized, her beliefs and authenticity classification, were socialized into her as she grew up, and still have not changed until now. She is 24 years old. <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-62403133543287027282013-06-06T16:45:00.004+03:002013-06-06T16:45:38.276+03:00The Outback in Qatar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I recently found out that an <a href="http://www.outback.com/">Outback Steakhouse</a> opened up here in Qatar. My parents decided to take us there, having been there during the opening and trying out the food. When I asked, dubiously, if it was any good compared to the franchise in Canada, the first answer I got was "It's in <a href="http://www.lagoonamall.com/Shopping">Lagoona</a>!" As if that answered my question, but to them it did. Having recently learned about authenticity and what it means to different people of different social groups and classes, we also learned through Grazian's research that authenticity is linked to location. The next answer I got was "They have the same menu and everything, the food isn't <i>AS</i> good as the one in <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html">Canada </a>but almost." So by replying that "It's in Lagoona," and relating it to the experience in Canada in a positive way, it implied that because of the location and the atmosphere it was going to be as authentic an experience as it could get outside of Canada. Grazian's readings also emphasize situational authenticity, which comes when an outsider makes a claim to realness that emphasizes certain characteristics while under-emphasizing others. In this case, the owners of the Middle Eastern franchise have made the claim by blurring certain distinctions, such as the fact that rather than being in North America, where the steakhouse experience is somehow more "authentic," it is in Lagoona, which, being surrounded by the Pearl, Grand Hyatt, the Diplomatic Club, and other hubs of Western cultural activity, represents a chunk of the West transplanted into and shaped by the local experience and context. In addition, although the Steakhouse is American, it is Australian-themed, and in addition to attempting to emulate the authentic "Australian" experience, it is owned by a company called <a href="http://www.bloominbrands.com/home/index.aspx">Bloomin' Brands</a> (the word "bloomin'" and its spelling is colloquial Australian), which is also American. However, the company attempts to downplay the fact that it is American by employing colloquial Australian in their language and offering Austrlian food and steaks imported from, you guessed it, Australia.
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne3zUnmek-U/UbCQXZpjeuI/AAAAAAAAADM/K9cKDsuNJzY/s1600/IMG_00000141.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne3zUnmek-U/UbCQXZpjeuI/AAAAAAAAADM/K9cKDsuNJzY/s320/IMG_00000141.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gfgYSArCkJo/UbCQxcLACvI/AAAAAAAAADU/HxN8WFfOXic/s1600/IMG_00000142.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gfgYSArCkJo/UbCQxcLACvI/AAAAAAAAADU/HxN8WFfOXic/s320/IMG_00000142.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-69435764972514293732013-06-06T15:50:00.001+03:002013-06-11T07:29:58.752+03:00When Car Showrooms Persist on Displaying Social Class Divisions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
To get a clearer understanding of the class system and its effect on cultural consumption, I visited the <a href="http://www.nissanqatar.com/en/web/homepage/index.htm">Nissan </a>car showroom and took some pictures to show the distinction between different class categories in Qatar.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsySxXQJEutTOvceFM6qhGCjMKAeyhGcgaD07DciFCfkdXthRL7mdH0i3oN7Twgraj8BU98FF8yiH3Fe4uea6OFHBR4Yp82kpzlyXVHn5P6GauOuRIieB91-oIGWDLi25ChP5ECbTiyXsS/s1600/2013-06-03+20.59.30.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsySxXQJEutTOvceFM6qhGCjMKAeyhGcgaD07DciFCfkdXthRL7mdH0i3oN7Twgraj8BU98FF8yiH3Fe4uea6OFHBR4Yp82kpzlyXVHn5P6GauOuRIieB91-oIGWDLi25ChP5ECbTiyXsS/s320/2013-06-03+20.59.30.jpg" /></a>
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In the Nissan showroom there were the smallest forms of family cars like the <a href="http://uae.yallamotor.com/new-cars/nissan/tiida/2013">Nissan Tida</a>.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwJJ7QODzvb9srD9fNBZoeL8CPpjcPJ26LQpBBW1SKYlfMt7A4Md61ToZdM5zgG4P7VBKqLe-kv8tggXIJMGRcE-vAZk6retZyWSeX752naTUXKRyiFXz88npFzOGGY8Jv0eucMvhQy2J/s1600/2013-06-03+21.01.37.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwJJ7QODzvb9srD9fNBZoeL8CPpjcPJ26LQpBBW1SKYlfMt7A4Md61ToZdM5zgG4P7VBKqLe-kv8tggXIJMGRcE-vAZk6retZyWSeX752naTUXKRyiFXz88npFzOGGY8Jv0eucMvhQy2J/s320/2013-06-03+21.01.37.jpg" /></a>
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Then bigger cars like the Nissan Sunny and Nissan Altima.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHh5uTvm7V_7XSk206nkv6kzHHyJncmOY6QuZElek0GE6siH8aDMTZWgChNfU4Yz5IrDNNh_ywPgM1iuiSxLsXDr-Q6JgcECpNBX7PIyaqEJZM_su7A5xUyn9vTfGvz6ItTVCX69tgM2i/s1600/2013-06-03+20.57.35.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHh5uTvm7V_7XSk206nkv6kzHHyJncmOY6QuZElek0GE6siH8aDMTZWgChNfU4Yz5IrDNNh_ywPgM1iuiSxLsXDr-Q6JgcECpNBX7PIyaqEJZM_su7A5xUyn9vTfGvz6ItTVCX69tgM2i/s320/2013-06-03+20.57.35.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizT0okZkZunRx_IvfnS7DpjG_qxy__W6RdUxfxo2rpjUDa5ouq7H5VbcNN4kfg_ZjjnkQ-z6xIzOB1pOdDkPlCLPK9Upj_WHuTOkSAZ5FYpApdwFQ18ck36lFcivos2yix6ikAxAstxAn-/s1600/2013-06-03+21.00.20.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizT0okZkZunRx_IvfnS7DpjG_qxy__W6RdUxfxo2rpjUDa5ouq7H5VbcNN4kfg_ZjjnkQ-z6xIzOB1pOdDkPlCLPK9Upj_WHuTOkSAZ5FYpApdwFQ18ck36lFcivos2yix6ikAxAstxAn-/s320/2013-06-03+21.00.20.jpg" /></a>
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Then there were race cars like the 350Z and the Nissan Maxima.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupImu4F8794suPm_NMyHIxObPVV3W_W5dzdTRjJSMuj5VNLLCL5IiS6Vq9lPpey1DyTmzq2KendUJ_p1_Gcl-tRy4AAJZMxIeC-e1SAX0CWJ_ZZ1VTW-Cltt9BDeZqdRhouFr7EhJ2Odg/s1600/2013-06-03+20.57.30.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupImu4F8794suPm_NMyHIxObPVV3W_W5dzdTRjJSMuj5VNLLCL5IiS6Vq9lPpey1DyTmzq2KendUJ_p1_Gcl-tRy4AAJZMxIeC-e1SAX0CWJ_ZZ1VTW-Cltt9BDeZqdRhouFr7EhJ2Odg/s320/2013-06-03+20.57.30.jpg" /></a>
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Then there were varying sizes of <a href="http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/CUV">CUVs </a>starting from the small Nissan Juke and including Nissan Qashqai up until the Nissan Xtrail and Nissan Murano.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGSnkqmc3RKV4DjEHWMEb5qV567_4BjWsHH7HXhONsBNMB1tjk0vGkmIG7TmY2sKeL_fncr1LJnEZyyuMI2ZTCM7QriIynn8P47L3wE5YYJKBEJak3ICqlaG2-tGdj4smSUP7XKZze-Oh/s1600/2013-06-03+20.58.04.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGSnkqmc3RKV4DjEHWMEb5qV567_4BjWsHH7HXhONsBNMB1tjk0vGkmIG7TmY2sKeL_fncr1LJnEZyyuMI2ZTCM7QriIynn8P47L3wE5YYJKBEJak3ICqlaG2-tGdj4smSUP7XKZze-Oh/s320/2013-06-03+20.58.04.jpg" /></a>
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Finally, the biggest forms of <a href="http://www.wheels.ca/suv-or-cuv-heres-how-you-can-tell-the-difference/">SUVs </a>ranged from the Nissan Xterra and Nissan Armada up until the <a href="http://www.nissanpatrol-me.com/">Nissan Patrol</a>, being the biggest and most expensive SUV.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiT9JZhLCsB47KEu9FfP8vO38yC22jAdtptIVcQ9wFBbMgc4SwIM9VpF_WCA9bjhfVe3lQ-zr0JkyDypy3x1GWnV9GeI4Exp6jaX28yly6dY0d9iibTAt01gQPzNeDeD_rWstJFh9jfeF/s1600/2013-06-03+20.58.23.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiT9JZhLCsB47KEu9FfP8vO38yC22jAdtptIVcQ9wFBbMgc4SwIM9VpF_WCA9bjhfVe3lQ-zr0JkyDypy3x1GWnV9GeI4Exp6jaX28yly6dY0d9iibTAt01gQPzNeDeD_rWstJFh9jfeF/s320/2013-06-03+20.58.23.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2A8pQXBr-8GG3Hrm6qtMNHqa8s0O3cepaOCfahVj1giO3lv6XRQShSw4273TWYi4zvVe-jZUE-5t7z3LySQeRpJfUvGURLi2gQzmtqpWpMgJM2z043-CdNDqyWNLUOFQG_0L9NCn7CfPd/s1600/2013-06-03+20.59.54.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2A8pQXBr-8GG3Hrm6qtMNHqa8s0O3cepaOCfahVj1giO3lv6XRQShSw4273TWYi4zvVe-jZUE-5t7z3LySQeRpJfUvGURLi2gQzmtqpWpMgJM2z043-CdNDqyWNLUOFQG_0L9NCn7CfPd/s320/2013-06-03+20.59.54.jpg" /></a>
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All the different cars I mentioned had their own divisions like X, S, SE and ES that range in the available options and price as well. However, these cars are not the whole collection of Nissan yet, there is on the other side of the showroom another brand owned by Nissan called <a href="http://www.infiniti-qatar.com/">Infiniti</a>.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsfvy3b24BMfEgBoTN3MVPQTNFKq-mLhHqm6NZZMEo7O1Nh7NQ5buCW_8Vbe1-npOm67oiQHyOz_AJY1yE0W35ddpF-NlVkmrbA1fupRu4YpqyX3PWCHig33RPm9jHRhSuBgzwNP_oIIl/s1600/2013-06-03+21.02.01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsfvy3b24BMfEgBoTN3MVPQTNFKq-mLhHqm6NZZMEo7O1Nh7NQ5buCW_8Vbe1-npOm67oiQHyOz_AJY1yE0W35ddpF-NlVkmrbA1fupRu4YpqyX3PWCHig33RPm9jHRhSuBgzwNP_oIIl/s320/2013-06-03+21.02.01.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.infiniti-qatar.com/">Infiniti </a>is the Luxury brand of Nissan. In the Infiniti showroom there were also cars that vary in size. Almost all the Infiniti cars are based on one of Nissan’s cars platforms and redesigned to attain luxury. For example, the Nissan Patrol has its Infiniti equivalent the <a href="http://www.infinitiusa.com/qx/">QX56</a>.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefVrlizByII_cmpuqh5aInexTvK5k6O02j4Kimi-gd-oWETd8WE2J0KQnACiVjhwY_FsutG6ZnE-zJVbqZa8I0o1Z9kLrhd5yG7CYohyphenhyphenKsvkU6l1oTh3lCzr6m-UEtAou21tARCaAjBMw/s1600/2013-06-03+20.55.56.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefVrlizByII_cmpuqh5aInexTvK5k6O02j4Kimi-gd-oWETd8WE2J0KQnACiVjhwY_FsutG6ZnE-zJVbqZa8I0o1Z9kLrhd5yG7CYohyphenhyphenKsvkU6l1oTh3lCzr6m-UEtAou21tARCaAjBMw/s320/2013-06-03+20.55.56.jpg" /></a>
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The Nissan Murano has its Infiniti equivalent the <a href="http://www.infinitiusa.com/jx/">JX</a>.
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Looking at the whole spectrum of all cars from the Nissan Tida up until the most expensive Infiniti QX56, I began to understand <a href="http://www.sociologyguide.com/social-stratification/class-system.php">class systems</a>. In a class system people are stratified according to characteristics such as income, occupation and educational degree. The class system is made up of different social classes who are a group of people who share a similar position in society based on wealth, education, and occupational prestige. The <a href="http://udel.edu/~cmarks/What%20is%20social%20class.htm">social class</a> of an individual determines their occupation in the society in terms of family relations, politics, physical health and mental health. However, what this blog is interested in is how can social class determine a person’s consumption of culture? <a href="http://www.academia.edu/1897843/A_sociological_exploration_of_music_taste_cultural_consumption_and_social_class">Cultural consumption</a> is the reception, interpretation and experience of various types of culture. Differences in cultural consumption are socially constructed so that they can help maintain socio-economic class boundaries.
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Buying a Nissan Tida is always associated with new expatriates who join Doha, just starting their journey with low income. Then the Nissan Altima is associated with older expats especially young men who like a sporty looking car but can only afford a big salon. Then Nissan Patrol is associated with an average Qatari family household since its good in the desert and can carry the big family on one vehicle. The inside of the Patrol has a fancy interior with expensive leather seats and mind dizzying features on its dashboard. However for upper class Qataris, an expensive fancy-looking Patrol with a huge spectrum of features may not be enough. Hence, Infinities with their especially-made luxurious designs and endless features appeal to upper-class men in power.
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In sociology, buying normal Nissan cars can be called <a href="http://www.sociologyencyclopedia.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405124331_yr2011_chunk_g978140512433114_ss1-31">lowbrow </a>cultural consumption, which is the mass culture stereotypically associated with lower and working classes. However, buying an Infiniti is <a href="http://www.sociologyencyclopedia.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405124331_yr2011_chunk_g978140512433114_ss1-31">highbrow </a>cultural consumption of fine arts that are only consumed by the affluent classes.
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What is considered highbrow versus what is considered lowbrow changes from a community to a community. For example, in Egypt where I come from, owning a Nissan SUV is considered highbrow culture consumption. Maybe in Nigeria, owning a car in the first place, regardless of its make, can be highbrow culture consumption. However, in Qatar owning a Nissan is lowbrow to many affluent classes. Even Infiniti can be considered lowbrow for elite Bentley owners.
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The distinction between lowbrow and highbrow also changes with time. For Example, a Qatari friend told me that buying a Japanese car was considered lowbrow for all Qataris twenty years ago, even if it was a Land Cruiser. It was seen like buying a Kia today in Qatar. However, with time, Japanese cars, especially the luxurious brands, turned into highbrow.
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The idea of choosing a car to buy explains the concept of <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conspicuous-consumption.asp">conspicuous consumption</a>. Conspicuous consumption is an attempt to display class and status through the purchase or consumption of high culture and luxury goods or services. Indeed a Nissan Tida has luxurious options when compared to cars you would see in a poor developing country: it has air condition, an entertainment system, ample space to seat five people, some built in safety, and low fuel consumption. However, rich people would buy an Infiniti just for the sole idea to be distinct and be recognizable by their social class wherever they go. I can easily claim that most Infiniti owners know less about its features, than what they know about the looks and the social status associated with them.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-61610927008752759522013-06-05T21:21:00.000+03:002013-06-11T07:31:52.722+03:00Behind the Scenes <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When we look at Qatar, there are so many narratives that are a part of the everyday life in the small emirate. One can describe the glamor and sheer <a href="http://dohanews.co/post/23281682422/qataris-deal-with-fallout-of-extravagant-spending">flamboyance </a>engulfing the small yet wealthy state. It is an attention-grabbing, hopeful story that would easily blend into the general scene of international cinema. However, a group of Northwestern University-Qatar students are making a short film about the other side of the coin. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTu6PEMZC_L7XXa8WUDrnciBpAA_ErQigCsjPH2O6PT75b_ktATJRsBwsbLL-b81P6V8nSk4MrpxOr_4sbs5GJeTifcqXsY00iEqcYT9SKCWkXUsQCxW0ItRQ7MmDvY3XmNS2J46mZwB0/s1600/961917_10152904959245265_172953611_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTu6PEMZC_L7XXa8WUDrnciBpAA_ErQigCsjPH2O6PT75b_ktATJRsBwsbLL-b81P6V8nSk4MrpxOr_4sbs5GJeTifcqXsY00iEqcYT9SKCWkXUsQCxW0ItRQ7MmDvY3XmNS2J46mZwB0/s320/961917_10152904959245265_172953611_n.jpg" /></a>This young bunch is channeling their creative energy in a completely different direction. It is talking about the dream for a better tomorrow which is what most of the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/9667625/Whats-it-like-to-live-in-Qatar-the-worlds-richest-country.html">expats</a> enter Qatar with. Only this dream is shattered to pieces. Jaser Al-Agha, the director of the film under the production of Menna Kamel are telling us the story of a young man from Syria with that dream of a better tomorrow. The main character leaves Syria in hope to provide for his family by opening a garage in Qatar in order to make more money. It takes us through the touching story of separation from the homeland and his family and the disappointment in Qatar. His life is nothing like he imagined; his dream of a better tomorrow turned into a nightmare of the present. I will not unveil too many details of the story as I recommend you to see this great film named <i>Mitl El Aarous</i> or <i>Good as New</i> . <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhujSE0AaRgLbCeiCa-yQcTJJZHyyHIPqqERYIiMU45GJYcZ9AWgPVmxGxhG7PRXs7bQWpFhzbjgCFyT7tdckrlWdiOtIDmGoOF_kWEJAxdCGRAt9TKbI_5ODfySesjvCE68fv1RUZM0/s1600/975873_10152904959630265_1342080115_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhujSE0AaRgLbCeiCa-yQcTJJZHyyHIPqqERYIiMU45GJYcZ9AWgPVmxGxhG7PRXs7bQWpFhzbjgCFyT7tdckrlWdiOtIDmGoOF_kWEJAxdCGRAt9TKbI_5ODfySesjvCE68fv1RUZM0/s320/975873_10152904959630265_1342080115_n.jpg" /></a>In my humble opinion, the crew is creating an outstanding authentic narrative which represents a more realistic picture of Qatar. It is authentic on various different levels; I will view the levels of authenticity through the definition of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_L._Peterson">Richard Peterson</a>. Firstly, this idea is a true-to-life reproduction; besides the top tier employees in the myriad of companies in Qatar there is a great number of expats who do not necessarily live on a high leg. They work hard for their money and encounter various difficulties that are unimaginable to us. Also, this is an original idea as I have not seen any films that portray the life of the common man in Qatar; documentaries, shows or any <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ZuXbOtBbo">coverage </a>of Qatar shows us the metropolitan skyscrapers and supercars as opposed to men in overhauls working from dawn to dusk. The story is also very current, it describes the hardship of the <a href="http://dohanews.co/post/24943734733/report-worker-exploitation-and-forced-labor-conditions">lower class worker</a> today and puts it into perspective. The enthusiasm and zest that these young people have for this project is refreshing and makes me as an Education City student proud. Their intentions are pure and sincere as I see them working on this project without regard for time or energy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErN0gQIZLEI4THz1OO6i6DWK2SDVRThEyVskkQooWfeFeC9p1ZaSecTvOa_p3cQL0mLsxSG0Oqvz15n9OqOYGSNP5alP3aOZ5n0tS4VXRoIqFenKMnZr-H5UJlBwf2Qka-K7iAZFCR7g/s1600/979755_10152904959435265_557683696_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErN0gQIZLEI4THz1OO6i6DWK2SDVRThEyVskkQooWfeFeC9p1ZaSecTvOa_p3cQL0mLsxSG0Oqvz15n9OqOYGSNP5alP3aOZ5n0tS4VXRoIqFenKMnZr-H5UJlBwf2Qka-K7iAZFCR7g/s320/979755_10152904959435265_557683696_n.jpg" /></a>It depends, however, who is watching this movie. The interpretive community or the people who interpret or define some aspect of culture will have differing views about the authenticity of this film. If it is screened to an exclusively Qatari audience, the reaction will be quite different than the one of a group of workers in the industrial area. Also, there may be different takes on the film depending on whether one has ever lived in Qatar or not. Non-Qatari residents may interpret it in one way and Qatari residents regardless of nationality will interpret it in another. In sum, authenticity is a socially constructed concept that defines something as real,true or pure; as an objective viewer I think this story fits the definition and it is something worth thinking about. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-36272452146592197532013-06-04T12:46:00.000+03:002013-06-04T12:47:34.466+03:00Life of a Code Switcher <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday during the sociology class lecture I went into a world of class systems. Perhaps these are things that I’ve recognized all my life and have deliberately ignored them for no reason. I grew up in a <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/middle+class">middle class</a> family where my dad went to work in order to provide for the family and my mom would stay home to take care of my sister and me. Since there are only so many times that you can make something work that would not, by the time I was six-years-old my sister had moved to live with some relatives and I was the only child of a single dad. My dad taught me to work hard in order to overcome my shortcomings compared to the other children in my school. My childhood was not about Barbie dolls and playhouses. It was about learning how to solve 2nd grade mathematics in kindergarten. Everything in life was about one single opportunity: use it, or I could <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120612133443AAf7U2e">reproduce the class</a> of my parents.
With my dad never being home mostly, I became a <a href="http://users.ox.ac.uk/~sfos0006/omnivores.html">cultural omnivore</a>. I watched a lot of movies and mimicked the characters during boredom. “Dear Lady, would you like to dance?” an imaginary gentleman would ask to which I would reply “Oh yes, certainly,” and dance around the house. During high school I dated an English boy from church and went to several dances and shows with him. I started socializing with people from different cultures and lifestyles, adapting some cultures as my own and <a href="http://psychology.socialsciencedictionary.com/Dictionary-of-Parental-Acceptance-Rejection-Theory/Sociocultural_systems_model">rejecting</a> others. I moved out of home after high school. (Moving out of home is not an ordinary thing for my folks)</div>
Today I can’t place myself in any particular class. Here I am, a senior student of a prestigious University with skills in playing the piano and the guitar, I go for highbrow parties and hang out with friends and colleagues (some Qataris and others of different ethic groups). Last weekend after a gathering with my friends I went to Al-Mourjan restaurant. In this restaurant, it looks bad if each person does not spend at least a 100QR. It's even mentioned in the menu! Since I always make sure that I pay my own bills when I’m dining with men, I had a hitch in the back of my mind when I saw a 250-riyal bill. Although today I’m used to a variant culture, I’m constantly reminded of my beginnings.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVEUn-DxdO23nA5omlyvwKVzrAkeiB24j8wB9IkqZjZ5WanXz8DlgQY1kWArxiZvIbdHcX09LiuKvZPvMX-edaFOxFmjoxBRTlhj7SJGV2CUDwg8HdA1HfUpW3ZOQVlqiHy6Fciy2a54/s1600/Al+Mourjan+Restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVEUn-DxdO23nA5omlyvwKVzrAkeiB24j8wB9IkqZjZ5WanXz8DlgQY1kWArxiZvIbdHcX09LiuKvZPvMX-edaFOxFmjoxBRTlhj7SJGV2CUDwg8HdA1HfUpW3ZOQVlqiHy6Fciy2a54/s320/Al+Mourjan+Restaurant.jpg" /></a><br />
I mentioned Al-Mourjan, but I should definitely talk about the little tea stall and restaurant, I go to most days, for brunch. There are no <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/high-class">high class</a> folks here. Working class and middle class men (only men), come here for breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner. This stall-sort of a restaurant has been here for the past 30 years and although the original name of the stall is Al-Salihiya Tea Stall and Restaurant, folks who frequent the place call it “taxi.” This name stands, as 15 years ago several 100s of “orange and white colored” taxis would park in front of this stall before they would start their morning work. Today there are no more taxis waiting here early in the morning. But folks still call this place “Taxi.” As a <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:7IeqlPyPcXMJ:www.colorado.edu/ling/CRIL/Volume19_Issue1/paper_NILEP.pdf+&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=qa">code switcher</a>, who hang out in prestigious restaurants with folks from different cultures and also in Taxi, with a bunch of Pashtun friends I made along the way, I understand what I learned in class yesterday: “ Differences in cultural consumptions are socially constructed in order to maintain socioeconomic class boundaries among the people.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-57710047617680541262013-06-04T00:18:00.001+03:002013-06-04T00:21:25.771+03:00Risk Management Strategies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today in class, I had to analyse the risk management strategies of Sidra supermarket in the <a href="http://www.myeducationcity.com/en/student_center">Student Centre</a>. I was extremely interested in this project and examining the way the store was set up and thus decided to do the same when I went to shop for make up today at <a href="http://www.51east.com.qa/">51 East</a>. While I was walking around trying to find all of my favourite items, I was paying close attention to the conventions used by the store and how they appealed to their customers.<br />
I tried to answer the first question from the worksheet with this new scenario I was in. The standard items I would find in this section was obviously makeup, perfumes, body soap and face creams. I also expected to see organized stands that divide all of the different products, and a colourful displays for every different brand available.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha44o9lRTgzXbB0trwJVmEe4EM6NUiNRsFpuaLoGx5d6KlBMzLsVh0sfM4RONwHz8T9PcQxnk2Gnmdvw4YAkXBWDhGJxcvm5uC1tvE0tDpfIFdPRwv3wDTLf5eYz1dGyh2hqVEd0obxTA/s1600/fr_8878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha44o9lRTgzXbB0trwJVmEe4EM6NUiNRsFpuaLoGx5d6KlBMzLsVh0sfM4RONwHz8T9PcQxnk2Gnmdvw4YAkXBWDhGJxcvm5uC1tvE0tDpfIFdPRwv3wDTLf5eYz1dGyh2hqVEd0obxTA/s320/fr_8878.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The second question on the worksheet involved pointing out different risk management techniques used by the business. The first was having well known brands and companies that are known internationally and locally. Their brands included both successful high-end companies and regular ones. Some high end brands also used celebrities as the face of their products. For example, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000234/">Charlize Theron</a> models for <a href="http://www.dior.com/home/en_gb">Dior</a> make up and her photo was blown up on the wall of that section. This is considered to be a risk management strategy as Dior hired a prominent figure to be a part of their campaign.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzw9gTryNKQU87A4p-A4RwPoF1PmKAaDWjtczFNOMw5_6qiKmRMENUBNy3b4_k_WajKPsefLc19A0IOTOqaMBynywRiIC_5JeHnqmkJG73X6jRnbBHyQrLwBae_Gk8d4AWtD_fMLfUw3M/s1600/fr_8881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzw9gTryNKQU87A4p-A4RwPoF1PmKAaDWjtczFNOMw5_6qiKmRMENUBNy3b4_k_WajKPsefLc19A0IOTOqaMBynywRiIC_5JeHnqmkJG73X6jRnbBHyQrLwBae_Gk8d4AWtD_fMLfUw3M/s320/fr_8881.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Each brand also sold every make up product they have available. For example, the <a href="http://www.chanel.com/">Chanel</a> stand included eye shadow, blush, lipstick, mascara, perfumes, creams, soaps, nail polish and much more. This is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overproduction">overproduction</a> where you create more cultural products than the market can sustain in hopes that a few big hits will cover the numerous losses. This concept applied with every brand in the make up section.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoAFKysiAks8HPs9NpH1uypdKKK-c7r6q6TRhUwuEOk9JpDLlOmV98lmzRwrM8qh-U2cljWcmgw2PioaFX5EL1PALSHukrrce7MpsCfGGEXCwvsgAHdSsFxctsWF9d8NPgTVYVPZdNTY/s1600/fr_8886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoAFKysiAks8HPs9NpH1uypdKKK-c7r6q6TRhUwuEOk9JpDLlOmV98lmzRwrM8qh-U2cljWcmgw2PioaFX5EL1PALSHukrrce7MpsCfGGEXCwvsgAHdSsFxctsWF9d8NPgTVYVPZdNTY/s320/fr_8886.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Another technique was the use of product placement. At the entrance of the store, the first thing you would see in this section was a massive perfume display for <a href="http://www.guerlain.com/guerlain/file/lvmhminisite/lapetiterobenoire/en/index.html">Guerlain</a>. It was a small-elevated stage by the escalator and was designed beautifully. One could not help and stare at the stand if they pass by it. This was intentionally done by the brand in order to promote their latest collection. If one likes it, they’re most likely to look at the other products by the same brand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicczsgC6wUziiv2a0NxsVHKBGP2KtI8rjP0wJrC1SLnEvqHUw0kH54h6VvPbp64JugPaOVjxQx3rFsCdJ_9xVRUTJWnQFK5I0C5KAHdThpvwI_Jt5i__rUAKypZLHkQTEs_jNaiRnpNI4/s1600/fr_8887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicczsgC6wUziiv2a0NxsVHKBGP2KtI8rjP0wJrC1SLnEvqHUw0kH54h6VvPbp64JugPaOVjxQx3rFsCdJ_9xVRUTJWnQFK5I0C5KAHdThpvwI_Jt5i__rUAKypZLHkQTEs_jNaiRnpNI4/s320/fr_8887.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Lastly, they included a small coffee shop in the middle of the make up department. This was clever and appealing, especially towards men, as they now get to enjoy a cup of coffee while their wife shops for new make up.<br />
The last question on the worksheet asked if we saw any examples of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glocalization">glocalization</a>. This is when a product imported from another country has been customized to appeal to the local audience. I personally did not see any examples of glocalization as you cannot modify a lipstick number or blush shade. As this may be inconvenient for the locals who do not speak English, many of the saleswomen spoke Arabic and therefore were taught to deal with this dilemma.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-73180969475727397662013-06-02T19:43:00.000+03:002013-06-02T19:43:24.212+03:00Video Game Hits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<p>During today’s lecture, we discussed about many techniques of how movie-producing companies minimize the risk of losing money or failure in the process of producing movies. Some of these techniques included sticking to traditional genres and hiring famous actors or producers. However, one of the very effective techniques is producing cultural products with built in-audiences. An applied example of this is the <a href="http://residentevil.wikia.com/Resident_Evil_film_series">Resident Evil Movie franchise</a> which already had a large audience because Resident Evil started out as a video game that got famous over time. Right after today’s sociology class, I went to Al Saqr Studio to explore this phenomenon further. One thing that I discovered for sure was that these techniques are not only used when producing movies, they are also used in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_industry">Video Game industry</a> as well. Two examples that I found in Al Saqr Studio were <a href="http://www.theamazingspidermangame.com/">Spiderman</a> and <a href="http://littlebigplanet.com/">Little Big Planet</a> game franchise. Spiderman started out in <a href="http://marvel.com/">Marvel</a> superhero comics. However, Spiderman gradually became more famous and ended starring in cartoon Series, movie series and games franchises. The key to this success is that after Spiderman became a cultural icon, a large fan base was created, therefore, the producing company started to provide the fans with different types of products resulting into a bigger fan base. Although <a href="http://www.comicvine.com/hulk/4005-2267/">the Hulk</a> and <a href="http://marvel.com/universe/Iron_Man_(Anthony_Stark)">Ironman</a> are Marvel characters that are as famous as Spiderman, we do not see them as much as Spiderman in the Video Game industry. This proves that all hits are “Flukes.”</p>
<p><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KJzX1lMY94jD46ZLm8KBG85O0E7Qba8e5LtHkVV2VIpBavwg02VsUjjfofTeSo9CVUmWaY3AkQ70_0GfW5GAPEZX1GQgAd18co3q0szN-zV6z1uYJ-hn4enmqtjdWMkGCl13-12jaFcz/s1600/181276_10200744700212751_599128150_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KJzX1lMY94jD46ZLm8KBG85O0E7Qba8e5LtHkVV2VIpBavwg02VsUjjfofTeSo9CVUmWaY3AkQ70_0GfW5GAPEZX1GQgAd18co3q0szN-zV6z1uYJ-hn4enmqtjdWMkGCl13-12jaFcz/s320/181276_10200744700212751_599128150_n.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfVwWkWpig5ZxZiVkkTIcLZZuhkhWxLLAqUer0QZV98Rbvor-LzTwnZDHmEjLrAbwdjYwXsGiT1kOYcSdGmRc89V8w_6HiwJIGBjmr1zIOLcFZ9Ub-pQx-gFfaoKMf45A8AO7oeq75ApX/s1600/983809_10200745412470557_1544233432_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfVwWkWpig5ZxZiVkkTIcLZZuhkhWxLLAqUer0QZV98Rbvor-LzTwnZDHmEjLrAbwdjYwXsGiT1kOYcSdGmRc89V8w_6HiwJIGBjmr1zIOLcFZ9Ub-pQx-gFfaoKMf45A8AO7oeq75ApX/s320/983809_10200745412470557_1544233432_n.jpg" /></a></center></p>
<p>One other great Video Game success is the <a href="http://streetfighter.wikia.com/wiki/Street_Fighter_Wiki">Street Fighter</a> game franchise by <a href="http://www.capcom.com/">Capcom</a> which started out on 1897 and was the first forms of <a href="http://www.mariowiki.com/Genre#Fighting">fighting games</a> that were produced in the video game industry. What is interesting about this franchise is that it has many sequels and within each sequel, many remakes are made. An example would be Street Fighter II which has many versions including Street Fighter II Champion Edition, Super Street Fighter II: The new Challengers, Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Gold. The difference between these remakes is very small compared to the original (adding 1 to 2 new characters or adding a new fighting stage). Although the changes are not very significant, the loyal fans are buying each and every one of them. This shows that building a big fan crowd can be a big indicator whether the next sequel or spin-off would be a success or not. In spite all of this, when Street Fighter was translated into a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111301/">movie</a>, it was one of the biggest movie failures. </p>
<center> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSy_uQNuNsMsdSa7RV-bFX-_7MD-XjrXmdbeHUYdNkunafjuwUYd_yNKs86w4hLyRanPfzXfnPSiiCc5K2o0eNvfZ0EkAYVVi6xfk5CujObvcvCQilfJUVSEUa2GKcTmt1zOWqiFr0dpRu/s1600/street_fighter_collection_by_llewxam888-d38hocs.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSy_uQNuNsMsdSa7RV-bFX-_7MD-XjrXmdbeHUYdNkunafjuwUYd_yNKs86w4hLyRanPfzXfnPSiiCc5K2o0eNvfZ0EkAYVVi6xfk5CujObvcvCQilfJUVSEUa2GKcTmt1zOWqiFr0dpRu/s320/street_fighter_collection_by_llewxam888-d38hocs.jpg" /></a></center>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-88144968336075264182013-06-01T20:57:00.000+03:002013-06-01T20:57:16.690+03:00Frontstage vs. Backstage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div> Today I decided to go to a casual café, one that is considered a place where <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/middle+class">middle-class</a> people go. I wanted to analyze it using the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramaturgy_(sociology)">dramaturgy</a> theory. This theory states that organizations can be examined like plays or movies. They have a setting, actors, roles, an audience, forestage and backstage behaviors. I went to a café called Bayt Al-Shami. <br />
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I observed peoples’ behaviors, the customers, and the waiters. I listened in on their conversations and I observed their behaviors. <br />
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In <a href="http://sociology.sas.upenn.edu/david_grazian">Grazian</a>’s chapter about interaction theory, he talks about the fact that culture is determined by the social contexts in which we interact with others.<br />
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In a cultural context such as the one I was in today, there are certain norms and behaviors I expected to see, and others I didn’t expect to see. For example I expected to see middle-class people, behave moderately classy, yet not as classy as what I would expect someone to behave in a hotel. The norm would be for them to, not yell in the middle of the restaurant, yet not whisper in order for them to be classy. <br />
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The setting was a very regular setting, casual middle-eastern seating, low Arabic music playing in the background, and mixed gendered groups of people sitting together, whether they were friends or family. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMM_ceIezCs3AlsCbv3s_VzK9UkantfmVvFkIQ4pFHOnpKloBq0ZCe-ww7jlm-iP5k0lV_Bh7S-102rl34eDVuEZfzro_wvRskfU9QIvPMhLKVmbSkBKzT1X6oCvWQRzizNqB5JAx-lI/s1600/20130601_181959.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMM_ceIezCs3AlsCbv3s_VzK9UkantfmVvFkIQ4pFHOnpKloBq0ZCe-ww7jlm-iP5k0lV_Bh7S-102rl34eDVuEZfzro_wvRskfU9QIvPMhLKVmbSkBKzT1X6oCvWQRzizNqB5JAx-lI/s320/20130601_181959.jpg" /></a><br />
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The front stage behavior, which is the behavior that takes place where it is visible to the audience, i.e. the customers in the restaurant, was also very predictable. People are socialized to act a certain way based on the setting they are in, and for a place like this, it was normal to see children running around, and people occasionally getting loud. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsH0QFc1KUnWW1UH6YTymHAG3zwlOug_hIzsZsunN96GpAhlVatZDYmit7b8AW0K2pATDmBJ9KPxMFurvaRW3UNqT9d99nuEG6qXxKbLlGGiXqx35ZrUGhn-7h64rz8W-TwNzabWwD1g/s1600/20130601_180420.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsH0QFc1KUnWW1UH6YTymHAG3zwlOug_hIzsZsunN96GpAhlVatZDYmit7b8AW0K2pATDmBJ9KPxMFurvaRW3UNqT9d99nuEG6qXxKbLlGGiXqx35ZrUGhn-7h64rz8W-TwNzabWwD1g/s320/20130601_180420.jpg" /></a><br />
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As for the waiters, they’re expected to occasionally hover, to be polite, however, they’re not expected to be as professional as classy as waiters are in a hotel restaurant, and not as trashy as they are in a cheap “<a href="http://www.google.com.qa/imgres?imgurl=http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ag04YZnngJ8/0.jpg&imgrefurl=http://wn.com/Man_smoking_sheesha_in_Arabic_cafe_Aleppo,_Syria&h=360&w=480&sz=11&tbnid=ccW6LIhsGnBY9M:&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dimages%2Bof%2Bmen%2Bsheesha%2Brestaurants%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=images+of+men+sheesha+restaurants&usg=__7mQSZDalUOrQZggAmEqXYGaPtDg=&docid=2tDQLa4VB5SifM&itg=1&sa=X&ei=4DSqUc_aO7T64AOTroDYCA&ved=0CFAQ9QEwCw&dur=1303">guy sheesha</a>” places. Which is also what I observed in the front stage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TcakFOti1JCpyWwaBZGHsvL8B6UAhRuAwCx-Rllmo-sdgNUHZPQz94vj6OfN03dj7HD12DCDBY_Bd76wBdrRAA81vPRyvKqIwW-cFOJDk2jss-e1z1mmwSCbUU_AUr0tIyhxZSrwy8g/s1600/20130601_180303.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TcakFOti1JCpyWwaBZGHsvL8B6UAhRuAwCx-Rllmo-sdgNUHZPQz94vj6OfN03dj7HD12DCDBY_Bd76wBdrRAA81vPRyvKqIwW-cFOJDk2jss-e1z1mmwSCbUU_AUr0tIyhxZSrwy8g/s320/20130601_180303.jpg" /></a><br />
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The back stage behavior was particularly interesting. I got close to the kitchen area and snapped a few pictures hoping one of them would be slightly clear, and I hovered a little to listen in on their conversations. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcG581OU178InDmv5kW-4jabjvPBDMofAivbGiWcfSliuh85JB1etPhR-a-EF8mXFvJtTedIRc2VhuoflXdbwtihjB8YnL6kCkoVR6dBRE-TDDl2wwVVD2FygL1rQFT39fANAfHjgBZk/s1600/20130601_181552.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcG581OU178InDmv5kW-4jabjvPBDMofAivbGiWcfSliuh85JB1etPhR-a-EF8mXFvJtTedIRc2VhuoflXdbwtihjB8YnL6kCkoVR6dBRE-TDDl2wwVVD2FygL1rQFT39fANAfHjgBZk/s320/20130601_181552.jpg" /></a><br />
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Some were yelling, some were laughing really loudly, and one of them was sing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzLhZJJ3j_Y">Baby</a> for Justin Bieber, as his friends were huddled around him. <br />
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The drastic change between front stage and back stage definitely proved that the setting really does determine peoples’ behaviors. <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-14743181073497523232013-06-01T17:45:00.000+03:002013-06-01T17:45:27.697+03:00Education City, a Culture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<center><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hs9bp9KHNYE/UaoAg6f-VRI/AAAAAAAAAC4/ORPC6XoRIqg/s1600/hamad+bin+khalifa+university.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hs9bp9KHNYE/UaoAg6f-VRI/AAAAAAAAAC4/ORPC6XoRIqg/s320/hamad+bin+khalifa+university.jpg" /></a><center/>
Education City, or <a href="http://www.hbku.edu.qa/">Hamad Bin Khalifa University</a>, is an interesting place. It is home to hundreds of students from a host of diverse nations, each with their unique culture and experiences. Students have the opportunity to continue their studies from <a href="http://www.qa.edu.qa/">primary to secondary school</a>, from an undergrad to even an executive master's degree. One thing that we learned in class is that socialization is the interactive process by which people learn the ways of the society in which they live. HBKU operates by a set of sub-laws that, although not supra-national laws, are answerable directly to the authority of HBKU itself, which has its own policing force, rules and regulations, expectations, and codes of conduct. Students that enjoy the privilege of an education in HBKU that have attended schools in Qatar previously will notice the immediate shift in the social environment. They become socialized within the boundaries of HBKU that there is a much more lax dress code, rules against public displays of affection are not as oppressive, although still firm, and the cultural and ideological diversity breeds new ideas and interactions between people that previously would never have met. Grazian explains this as cultural diffusion, a process where cultures adapt parts of other cultures. Qatar has created a bubble here whereby the local culture adapts parts of cultures world-wide: the American universities hold vacations during Muslim holy days, a practice that isn't common in the US, is just one example. Karl Marx states in his theory that when there is a large group of people that are in proximity to each other, people start to talk. When people start to talk, ideas begin to spread, and new habits and cultural idiosyncrasies are developed. Grazian states that culture is determined by the social contexts in which we interact with others, and that subcultures are smaller groups that are distinct from the larger social contexts they exist in based on their values, beliefs, symbols, and/or activities. Each university in HBKU holds its own values, and each of the students have their own values and beliefs, and HBKU itself has its own values, beliefs, and vision of what it wants for its students. Members of HBKU have their own vehicle tags to allow them unobstructed entry onto the campus, each university member has his or her own ID and an assortment of office supplies, clothes, and other utensils that have either HBKU or the name of their host university on them. Upon <a href="http://www.qf.org.qa/news/293">graduation</a>, each student receives a rather expensive-looking <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/essaabu/5724255433/">ring</a> with their name engraved on it with a stylistic engraving of the HBKU <a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRFP0qdE3rIT_7q-1SvHsiBKxTFSMwrSdh_XjzBPzIT6Bf8x0TG">tree</a>'s leaf. These things can arguably be called the totems of HBKU, or an object that serves as the symbol of the group. HBKU as a scene has its own idioculture, enjoying its own collective memory and shared experiences, its own ideology and attitude, and its own system of knowledge, all of which Grazian states are important tenets of microscenes and idiocultures. Ultimately, HBKU can be seen as a culture that is a fabricated and sped up modern-day "Renaissance," an investment in human capital and potential that touches on the experiences of the West with a vision for Qatar.
<center><iframe width="480" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A0Y2pKCOC_s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><center/>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-76234865292362521092013-05-31T21:21:00.000+03:002013-05-31T21:40:14.961+03:00Ithnayn Karak Please!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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When I return to my home country and people ask me what Doha is like, I just pause and non-nonchalantly say "It's simply multiculturalism on steroids!". I honestly do not think i am too far off when I say that. From my modest experience in my three year stay in Doha, I can say that culture develops in Doha in a way that it develops nowhere else. On a daily basis I interact with people from at least 4-5 different nationalities which is amazing by any standard! My social network or a group of people I am connected with in one way or another is extremely diverse. Interacting with these groups of people allows for our habits, hobbies, cultures or even tastes to converge into this beautiful melting pot of civilizations which makes Doha today. It's amazing to me how culture diffuses and adopts parts of other cultures to incorporate it into a unique blend. <br />
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I will tell the tale of introducing my father to ritual of <a href="http://www.khaleejesque.com/2011/09/lifestyle/chai-karak-the-popular-drink-thats-rapidly-spreading-in-the-gulf/">Karak </a>in Doha. Rituals enable groups to gather collectively and reinforce collective identity, or in this case, converge with a part of a different culture. We had a conversation last night while having tea about Karak and he told me he's heard of it but that he's never tried it. To provide some background, he is a diplomat living in Doha for three years now. His interaction is limited to other diplomats or businessmen; the venues he visits are mostly hotels, malls, restaurants, diplomatic receptions etc. He has visited Qatari majlises and interacted with Qataris, but the way they treat him his very flattering simply because of the nature of "His Excelencly's" tittle. So, I decided to be the one to show him one of the most "Doha" things to do in Doha. <br />
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It was almost dusk and we had finished our family dinner so I told him that instead of tea, tonight we should head to get some Karak. He complied with a dose of skepticism simply because of the age gap and i don't think he knew what to expect; I had previously told him I go there with my friends in the late night hours so I can understand his reaction. Whilst driving to <i>Bandar</i> which is a place that serves Karak near the Corniche, i witnessed culture diffuse in traffic where he took his Balkan temper and driving etiquette and applied it in Doha traffic. I tried explain my fascination to my father but the response was "What Balkan temper?" so i decided to switch the topic. We reached Bandar and he unfastened his seat-belt and tried to get out of the car. I told him to stay and honk the horn; he looked at me doubtfully and asked me why. I just told him to do it so he did. Seconds later, a man knocked on our window and asked us what we wanted. My father looked confused and in awe that a man would come and serve us simply by honking the horn. I quickly responded "Etneyen karak, please" which means "Two karak, please" in English; the man nodded and walked off. I spent some time explaining the process to my father who found it unacceptable and disrespectful to honk in front of a store. The epilogue of such an action in the Balkans would have been quite different, but culture is relative after all!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeGidHp_fwwKgn8EEtw8Gnv_MkCGdufw6S9cg951xso8LE3dBWV-Bd8WVeKskE3jk1wGMzm_1ayYe71mJayEpKQKaXKPaXKQaOPS_TCep-hg6T9RHsw0EmOhizsv0sTCLu8QBJsoa09g/s1600/IMG-20130531-00667.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeGidHp_fwwKgn8EEtw8Gnv_MkCGdufw6S9cg951xso8LE3dBWV-Bd8WVeKskE3jk1wGMzm_1ayYe71mJayEpKQKaXKPaXKQaOPS_TCep-hg6T9RHsw0EmOhizsv0sTCLu8QBJsoa09g/s320/IMG-20130531-00667.jpg" /></a><br />
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While we talked about this whole ordeal, the gentleman came back with our karak. I took the karak, payed the man and we drove away to find a spot to enjoy our oriental chai. We found a spot which faced upon the beautiful Doha skyline. I asked him what he thinks of it so far, he responded he likes the view of our <a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6gwrdtLFskH9T_HQ-0jDcQOKng3-0QjOM6GsBCq_FS3Hew0uu">Charshija </a> which is the equivalent of the Souq in Skopje and that our traditional Turkish tea tastes better than the karak. We laughed about it and I told him that this could be a modern substitute of his former favorite place. He suggested that one day we play <a href="http://www.bkgm.com/rules.html">tavla</a> or backgammon some day while drinking karak. That is one of the traditional games people in the Skopje Charshija play while enjoying a small glass of <a href="http://www.deliciousistanbul.com/blog/2011/02/04/turkish-tea/">Turkish tea </a>. We just made a plan to glocalize a domestic ritual with what we have in Doha. The process of glocalization is adapting a particular aspect of a culture to a certain locality or culture. We were going to participate in cultural diffusion! I was proud to say that next week inshallah, I will be participating in the process that makes Doha amazing!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyY2BQizlBCnIMseiEuNgseCiNOXU1006qNyGEvAus-hZiOvaMv3tCpch2muwgj2gCcvcC8tL434QUDEmyll41pryjtQG29p2TC6x4TwTY3axHR51lxkIQbS5zPZzQzu5RAaa9piQikCE/s1600/IMG-20130531-00669.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyY2BQizlBCnIMseiEuNgseCiNOXU1006qNyGEvAus-hZiOvaMv3tCpch2muwgj2gCcvcC8tL434QUDEmyll41pryjtQG29p2TC6x4TwTY3axHR51lxkIQbS5zPZzQzu5RAaa9piQikCE/s320/IMG-20130531-00669.jpg" /></a>.<br />
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I just sat back and reflected on the blend of culture that I participated in. Simply drinking the traditional karak while gazing upon the colossal skyscrapers that made Doha what it is, i thought of the magical blend of tradition and modernity and how <a href="http://christinapaschyn.com/2012/featured/qatar-globalized-state-immigration/">globalization </a>and glocalization occurred at the same time. I was going to participate into this process and bring our traditional game to our tea time; perhaps that will catch on and people will be going for karak and a game of backgammon or tavla soon. If you ever see that at Bandar, you know who started it! Selam Aleykum! <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-36576826234228356942013-05-30T16:47:00.000+03:002013-05-30T16:47:07.360+03:00SmartPhones: Bringing People Together or Splitting Them Apart?!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While the purpose of <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/51537/smartphone">smartphones</a> was to bring people together through email, chat, SMS and phone calls all on one device, the split they created among their users is getting wider each day. You would see advertisements for any newly established smartphone company that attacks the existing successful one.
For example, this is an <a href="http://www.apple.com/">Apple </a>mac advertisement making fun of <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx">Microsoft’s </a>PC in 2009 even before smartphones get that popular:
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3gsKQVAAKs4" width="480"></iframe>
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Then suddenly <a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones">Samsung </a>started to get popular with their smartphones so they had to tackle the already established Apple iPhone. In this 2012 ad Samsung makes a mockery of iPhone fans waiting, in a long queue, for the release of the brand new iPhone.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/N3GmtmAO0aU" width="480"></iframe>
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Here is another video made by Samsung. Notice the part when he says "Some Smartphones are smarter than others".
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uFGrGClB_sA" width="480"></iframe>
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With Samsung establishment in the field of smartphones, it has created its own fans, who started hating Apple and calling them “Sheep” or "iSheep". While on the other side Apple fans called Samsung fans “Copy Cats” or "Copy bots". The situation escalated, with the Apple-Samsung judicial fights over patents. This has split the two fans entirely and each side viewing itself superior over the other.
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<a href="http://www.nokia.com/mea-en/">Nokia </a>with its <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx">Microsoft </a>Software couldn’t leave the Apple-Samsung fight without making use of it, to regain its popularity once more. In this ad Microsoft and Nokia make a mockery of Apple and Samsung fans.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0-U4Yr9UNBo" width="480"></iframe>
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Now let’s look on smartphone fans in <a href="http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/the-sociological-perspective/three-major-perspectives-in-sociology">three different Sociological perspectives</a>:
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According to the Functionalist Approach Samsung and Apple fans can be seen as the only way to achieve stability and order in the smartphone industry. At the end people can argue that these Samsung-Apple fights serve to help the audience understand the differences between the two products and not get fooled by the media. Therefore, it’s a positive thing.
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In this <a href="http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Functionalist-Theory.htm">functionalist perspective</a>, Samsung fans gather collectively around their <a href="http://www.android.com/">Android </a>totem while the apple fans around the Apple totem. Behind the Apple and Android totems, fans <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-collective-effervescence.htm">collectively effervesce</a> as they feel a shared feeling of identity in which they experience waves of emotions, a sense of unity and togetherness each behind his favorite logo. Some people feel the pride in wearing shirts that have their company’s totem on, or place their Apple stickers on their cars’ glass. Some other people speak about the advantages and disadvantages on each of the two popular phones of Samsung or Apple of the time and convince others about the best phone in their perspective. Therefore, each community started having its own way of looks and speech to recognize them from the other.
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From an Apple fans’ perspective they view Samsung as an <a href="http://www.dianemaluso.org/prejudice/social-inoutgroup.html">out-group</a> which is a group toward which members of the <a href="http://www.dianemaluso.org/prejudice/social-inoutgroup.html">in-group</a> (Apple) feel a sense of separation, opposition, or hatred. Likewise for Samsung who identify Android followers as their in-group while apple fans as out-groups. Samsung and Apple fans despite their lack of physical proximity to one another still feel a sense of belonging each to his community whether its Apple or Samsung. This is what is defined by Grazian in his book “mix it up” as an “<a href="http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/CCT510/Sources/Anderson-extract.html">Imagined Community</a>”.
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According to the <a href="http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Critical-Theory.htm">critical approach</a>, the fame of Samsung and Apple reflect and reinforce the economic and cultural approach of mass media industry. Samsung and Apple can be defined as the dominant group in smartphones meaning that they are the group with the greatest power, the most privileges, and the highest social status. Statistics show that the Android and Apple market alone <a href="http://www.go-gulf.com/blog/smartphone/">control 75.6%</a> of the smartphone industry, so its normal to see Apple and Android fans (or Apple and Samsung fans, since Samsung is the most known Android smartphone).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPrALifGRkXiJbzQsr1qB-QO4tnFZDtDs0WV0yvX-5XZH24I2kJtek5Kdc1mdE7d0vo9UF1iS61Hijd2cDBuf__Ss9_RH4oAUN0QttsetT0h4nnN-gs3SBXZ6JZMj-flrKXvdSUX2L3oz/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPrALifGRkXiJbzQsr1qB-QO4tnFZDtDs0WV0yvX-5XZH24I2kJtek5Kdc1mdE7d0vo9UF1iS61Hijd2cDBuf__Ss9_RH4oAUN0QttsetT0h4nnN-gs3SBXZ6JZMj-flrKXvdSUX2L3oz/s320/Capture.PNG" /></a>
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In this approach one could call the huge firms the <a href="http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/75834/bourgeoisie">Bourgeoisie </a>who are small group of modern capitalists who own the means of production, while the company’s fans as <a href="http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/478619/proletariat">Proletariat </a>who are a large group of population who use Samsung and Apple products and are influenced by their ideas.
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However, it is important to acknowledge the awareness some people have when they choose their phones. For example, in these videos are interviews with two Texas A&M University at Qatar students studying Electrical and Computer Engineering like me. They look more into the technical specs than the producing company. (Excuse my tilted videos)
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cxgEcaKAd9I" width="459"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6onA6TOAAvM" width="459"></iframe>
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This takes us nicely to the <a href="http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Symbolic-Interaction-Theory.htm">interaction theory</a> which states that culture is created, diffused and consumed among small groups of individuals. Many people buy the iPhone because they see their friends use the iPhones. Many others buy a Samsung phone because they received a word of mouth in their social network that it has higher technical specs. It’s not necessarily that the company intended to divide the consumers. It could be that the small micro-level interactions created the split that expanded and large firms took advantage over them.
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My dear reader, while no one is sure which theory of the three sociological perspectives (functionalist, critical, or interaction) explains the realistic situation. It is up to you to choose the ones that make u happy and answer your questions. Certainly one can argue that all the three are bundled together. But which was the the theory that explains the Genesis of the Apple-Samsung conflict?!
<p/>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-45912684226795134552013-05-29T19:44:00.001+03:002013-05-29T19:50:54.988+03:00Cultural Hegemony<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I visited a café today known as the Aroob Tourist Coffee Shop and got into a conversation with one of the workers. Dil Mohammed is from Nepal and he has worked in this café for the past seven years. Mohammed works 18 hours a day and sleeps in a one-room accommodation with 10 of his colleagues. He is a kind of person who wouldn’t look at you when he speaks to you. What struck me the most is, Mohammed has not been paid for the past 4 months and he is frightened to death to ask his manager for his wage. He has borrowed money from his colleague to survive this period.
“Has this happened to you before?” I ask him. “Several times,” he answers. “But I do not ask him because he will pay me every time after a few months,” he answers.
What infuriates me most about this is he is afraid to ask for his wages on time, which is his right. He believes that the manager has reasons of his own and a better plan for his life.<br />
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According to <a href="http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Symbolic-Interaction-Theory.htm">interaction theory</a>, people behave based on what they believe and not based on what is necessarily true. In his book, Mix It Up: Popular Culture Mass Media and Society, author David Grazian explains the idea of exploitation through the examination of popular culture. According to him, certain kind of entertainment provided by popular culture deludes the mindset of the consumers to the point that they do not realize that have been “<a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:toX3eSZRpVwJ:www.canyons.edu/faculty/wonserr/Popular%2520Culture/Chapter%25203%2520%E2%80%93%2520A%2520Critical%2520Approach%2520to%2520Popular.ppt+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=qa&client=firefox-a">exploited, underpaid or overworked</a>.” (Grazian 49) Similarly Mohammed and his colleagues feel inferior in many ways that they are ready to be overworked and underpaid; they consider their manager a better planner for their life than themselves. This also relates to the <a href="http://suite101.com/article/sociology-cooleys-the-looking-glass-self-a130814">looking class theory</a>, where people reflect and judge each other based on certain perceptions in the society.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQb00eHSsCOsNZNDYTtH0VqXJGxtdRM4N1Y6Bz6UH67K37HdC0GMBlqRExr6RgjoN_pC2xAabc8hdmvBn4EAbsojgwzBbWYNrwIYCA1i61YGchhlu-F5M-G2C_dFkxDyMpDiX63xR310/s1600/IMG_1778.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQb00eHSsCOsNZNDYTtH0VqXJGxtdRM4N1Y6Bz6UH67K37HdC0GMBlqRExr6RgjoN_pC2xAabc8hdmvBn4EAbsojgwzBbWYNrwIYCA1i61YGchhlu-F5M-G2C_dFkxDyMpDiX63xR310/s320/IMG_1778.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQuNS5v9760YAh5kylgjVsXildBlGBYxIwRJUdCaIR0Ga1cG2RhKFZsbDwGQzOuoUNhObXs5NRUAUJNaM07aKb63OYIpQaHYmmW4O3txRL8KoZdXGPwOSjv8c-eCC9h_qiNk9v5OBycs/s1600/IMG_1774.PNG" imageanchor="1"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQuNS5v9760YAh5kylgjVsXildBlGBYxIwRJUdCaIR0Ga1cG2RhKFZsbDwGQzOuoUNhObXs5NRUAUJNaM07aKb63OYIpQaHYmmW4O3txRL8KoZdXGPwOSjv8c-eCC9h_qiNk9v5OBycs/s320/IMG_1774.PNG" /></a><br />
Within the <a href="http://www.sociologyinfocus.com/tag/hegemony/">hegemonic</a> culture practiced in the country, the elite class of people in Qatar: those that are nationals or working in prestigious institutions, use their influence to convince those who do not have such privileges to act according to their will. For example, according to folkways in Qatar, most people stay in their cars and honk in front of a grocery so that an Asian looking guy will run outside the shop and take orders. Growing up in this culture I sometimes follow these norms too. I sometimes ask those guys “I was here a while ago and you came out and rushed to the guy in the cruiser.” Some of them just apologize but some of them tell me that they are afraid to get reprimanded by those in Cruisers, so they move to those cars first. Here, “Cruiser” is a symbol of some kind of power. The workers follow the rules of the “Symbolic interaction theory.”
The <a href="http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756384/obo-9780199756384-0089.xml">proletariat</a> do not revolt because they are afraid to lose their jobs. The idea is, “if you don’t like it here, you can go back to your country.”</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-58Af5EbV3UjCIWEFRvvbm5g2IVb4aRl3ZWjwU3zuqzhWhuo3tqfweXLQI6uLaIP5opM-JPb3BbKMPFztgaG-GfT_BN078guoSCz-1ZTGZmzxfdGxHqKfQC6rcVgORssoc5-UMQ-JVY/s1600/DSC_0351.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaElGzyz7g0RArl9twmthvm0kws_7c6hq9mCbWF3grXfaXqFqHFCQDra4RVL79Yk_nWs3OExJSR5MUtEr-GW67Ejh7vySL1iaMke4R9nLCVJMATcZcbko-_I85UJUeZ25xi6nkioWJiqU/s320/pict+now.jpg" /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-58Af5EbV3UjCIWEFRvvbm5g2IVb4aRl3ZWjwU3zuqzhWhuo3tqfweXLQI6uLaIP5opM-JPb3BbKMPFztgaG-GfT_BN078guoSCz-1ZTGZmzxfdGxHqKfQC6rcVgORssoc5-UMQ-JVY/s320/DSC_0351.JPG" /></a>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-13828688121589992132013-05-28T23:51:00.001+03:002013-05-29T21:41:00.297+03:00West Bay Lagoon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One of the most popular compounds in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar">Qatar</a> right now is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bay_Lagoon">West Bay Lagoon</a>. It is known for its beautiful houses, large parks and international atmosphere. During class this week, we spoke about <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subculture">subcultures</a> and the <a href="http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Symbolic-Interaction-Theory.htm">interaction theory</a>, which I believe relates to this modern compound. Westbay Lagoon has a specific identity as they are portrayed as open minded individuals across Doha. They are considered a subculture as they have distinct characteristics that separate them from the rest of Qatar's population. Although there are a variety of different cultural backgrounds that live in this area, they consider each other family whenever they meet one another. This also relates to the <a href="https://www.boundless.com/sociology/understanding-socialization/theories-socialization/cooley/">looking glass-self theory</a> as the residents in West Bay lagoon would not have this image if it was not for the rest of the society believing they are active individuals. In addition, the residents flaunt this image through their dress code and daily activities.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6YI87HttB0lS00U1PjtisWZd-KOENlow3OpyTJ7E6Xksd_BZiDhyphenhyphenocj7yKe0JciBRCrOkmRtgZrik2oaHKAW8sBNHa-sFaR3gyw-mvjoFc5D8fQ8SBALtl9RAENnQYuJBZ-ZEn0C8Pc/s1600/fr_8669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6YI87HttB0lS00U1PjtisWZd-KOENlow3OpyTJ7E6Xksd_BZiDhyphenhyphenocj7yKe0JciBRCrOkmRtgZrik2oaHKAW8sBNHa-sFaR3gyw-mvjoFc5D8fQ8SBALtl9RAENnQYuJBZ-ZEn0C8Pc/s320/fr_8669.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I was at the compound, I tried to relate it to the interaction theory. This concept is implemented when culture is created, diffused and consumed through social interactions among small groups of individuals such as friends and neighbours. West Bay Lagoon compound have a specific culture and it is especially exposed amongst their parks. The compound can also be classified as a subculture as we are a smaller group from Qatar’s population with certain beliefs and habits. A majority of residents in the compound have the same hobbies and most families have similar reasons to why they chose to live in West Bay <br />
I visited one of the parks which is a 'scene' to this subculture. It is a place where members of this community interact and create a shared identity. I saw many families dressed in sportswear playing outdoor activities such as tennis, football and cycling. If one were cycling anywhere else in Qatar, the cars driving by would stop and stare. However, it is considered a norm in this community. This park is classified as scene because it caters to every single person in this compound. They have sections for different activities and therefore it became popular in a very short period of time. The residents demanded for more parks and thus every street number have a park to themselves. Although this decreases the chances of families interacting with one another from different streets, it is common to jog through all the parks of West Bay Lagoon, allowing them all to be filled with life and happiness.<br />
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While walking through the parks, I tried to think like a <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sociologist">sociologist</a> and observed the activities that were being held. Every park had a tennis court, basketball court, a large grass field and swings for the younger kids. It was interesting to see how every park consisted of families doing the same activities even though they all came from different backgrounds. It was the norm for children to be playing sports while their parents walk around and enjoy the scenery. This standard behaviour could only be considered ordinary and expected through the interaction of families within this compound. In addition to the park being defined as a scene in the West Bay Lagoon subculture, I would classify it as a symbol as well. The families interact in this space, they exchange thoughts and ideas of what they do during their spare time. Therefore, this park symbolises friendship and is one of the main reasons this subculture was formed.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-42059408673907186322013-05-28T20:11:00.002+03:002013-05-29T09:05:14.616+03:00Identity through Covers <p> Today, I have been to Virgin Megastore at Landmark where all the awesome music and video games can be found. One thing that grabbed my attention was how each music genre has a way to express its music theme through CD Album covers. An example would be <a href="http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/506004/rock">rock music </a>. This type of music culture has many prominent and district features in its CD covers. The overall look of such covers is sort of <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?page=4&term=goth">gothic</a> with skulls and people screaming and all. However, we can also see that rock music is divided into many subcultures such as metal, hard, emo and alternative. Each division has its own way of presenting its music and the overall look. I am honestly not suprised at how the identity fluidity had increased in the past couple of years given how music from all types of cultures is sold everywhere.</p>
<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEef5TIqJto-m8yfUWWGBKPFa3hh-ILVAvhdJB6xKT9v0zWjcGZSuSU_GWU_J5hkRRckZdqs2WyhxxngfoqgVkKgWyUQbBc5OEq6dOBhJe2ggOvd1nELK2YUKPTO41UCLGOlGP_Mv_OpC/s1600/942593_10200710463956866_1655922866_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEef5TIqJto-m8yfUWWGBKPFa3hh-ILVAvhdJB6xKT9v0zWjcGZSuSU_GWU_J5hkRRckZdqs2WyhxxngfoqgVkKgWyUQbBc5OEq6dOBhJe2ggOvd1nELK2YUKPTO41UCLGOlGP_Mv_OpC/s320/942593_10200710463956866_1655922866_n.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJIdWMcwxb1-RwGLj_3wRYgL2bIuFuqa2p__ihMUFwVw4axVADzP34OfMT70Y0vNJ8EFrLAvdG0A0UmXgvKUa7VcOifitHPxct47bOEWgeupMUxNPn2X6x_4gn66pGVYg2n8uqL-FLgDP/s1600/944301_10200710463396852_278100511_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJIdWMcwxb1-RwGLj_3wRYgL2bIuFuqa2p__ihMUFwVw4axVADzP34OfMT70Y0vNJ8EFrLAvdG0A0UmXgvKUa7VcOifitHPxct47bOEWgeupMUxNPn2X6x_4gn66pGVYg2n8uqL-FLgDP/s320/944301_10200710463396852_278100511_n.jpg" /></a><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></p>
<p> One of the interesting rock genres that should be touched upon is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emo">emo</a> rock. Emo rock bands try to express their sorrowful way of life through singing. The emo fashion is getting more and more widespread especially these days. The performers usually have lengthy dark hair, with highlights, covering their eyes and wear tight fitted jeans. And whether the performer is a girl or a boy, the makeup is all over their faces. I think it is pretty interesting that this sort of subculture has local, translocal and virtual scenes almost everywhere in the world. Although emo is not very accepted in the middle east, there are some concerts that occur in Dubai in the “Dubai Rock Festival.” Below is a self-explanatory video of how emo people act and dress </p>
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<p> Anyways, so back to Virgin, my friend showed me one pretty interesting thing. The cover of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers">Transformers</a> Collector’s edition has the regular <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003342/">Optimus Prime</a> character icon on it. However, when you flip the cover upside down, you can see <a href="http://starwars.com/explore/encyclopedia/characters/darthvader/">Darth Vader</a> from Star Wars. This is a very impressive form of product placement. Although the producers of the Transformers and the Star Wars movie franchise are not the same, this indirect form of advertisement happened. I find it amusing that companies find these indirect ways of advertising. This is much more interesting than watching a movie trailer about Star Wars on TV. This is mainly because people hate watching advertisements especially while they are watching their favorite TV series. It sort of feels like we are being interrupted somehow. </p>
<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtQe_2WE2BnmPRezk02AISM8zILEZFRnfuceersqqkOGOJYh4pVQp1YvD8iEmUEw2BPv7LYQCrVQQIUYv39HMCIcZVofNks4WBrPgP4KZrE1oIiTp5W8wIo-_N46mK6kJukH-E28SBi1v/s1600/971206_10200710462556831_537852619_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtQe_2WE2BnmPRezk02AISM8zILEZFRnfuceersqqkOGOJYh4pVQp1YvD8iEmUEw2BPv7LYQCrVQQIUYv39HMCIcZVofNks4WBrPgP4KZrE1oIiTp5W8wIo-_N46mK6kJukH-E28SBi1v/s320/971206_10200710462556831_537852619_n.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-G6CeocreJM-UUGknduA_D_WqJ71jz7Hmdqnyne54cp2LTQJFymHy9ZuO17hEY6-mvFQ-qO6rBOvsM2O8XSPqtzaxaA72i7nA32u7VSOthM9yAlw5Qa64RrqVrgoHGiDM4xkuN8Yuook/s1600/430065_10200710464516880_1355563652_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-G6CeocreJM-UUGknduA_D_WqJ71jz7Hmdqnyne54cp2LTQJFymHy9ZuO17hEY6-mvFQ-qO6rBOvsM2O8XSPqtzaxaA72i7nA32u7VSOthM9yAlw5Qa64RrqVrgoHGiDM4xkuN8Yuook/s320/430065_10200710464516880_1355563652_n.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXYJO5TdRsxS8dw8ByVeFfOy_H_AC7n_YkUNCck2y5LxKv4PgldVpUnJUdAwHzZ8eMZB8ZOJPBZkylZF-A3my4hLSBuuPoxfzaIfzFIBVrPavYCKJZ6BOJuUoYzMjBhiW1VLJy2D8Ibix/s1600/darthvader-design.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXYJO5TdRsxS8dw8ByVeFfOy_H_AC7n_YkUNCck2y5LxKv4PgldVpUnJUdAwHzZ8eMZB8ZOJPBZkylZF-A3my4hLSBuuPoxfzaIfzFIBVrPavYCKJZ6BOJuUoYzMjBhiW1VLJy2D8Ibix/s320/darthvader-design.jpg" /></a></p></center>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-81292828835281739312013-05-26T20:45:00.000+03:002013-05-26T20:45:33.688+03:00Truth revealed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>In the following post, the term product placement will be used a lot. Product placement is a form of advertisement where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, TV shows, or news programs.<br />
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I was looking through movie trailers when I noticed the sequel <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1905041/">Fast and Furious 6</a>. While watching, just the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BspqkAVbsg">trailer</a>, contained unbelievable amounts of product placement; the movie contains that multiplied by a hundred. If one were to watch the entire movie they probably wouldn’t notice any of the product placements in it. But after having learned about product placement and its role in the media, it’s hard not to notice it anymore. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99w5S8n532zbjeIgUr3Oj5jpk1wo1tYOCeWPhCvIuiOA7V3vuzTbJr9sKq-H0XcxSYbDEK1pPnJpbme7NROM-myRttPsnnrcJnmFkyaAOh616oYTObSRz13zryvni4sy1_w140DH0nlk/s1600/url-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99w5S8n532zbjeIgUr3Oj5jpk1wo1tYOCeWPhCvIuiOA7V3vuzTbJr9sKq-H0XcxSYbDEK1pPnJpbme7NROM-myRttPsnnrcJnmFkyaAOh616oYTObSRz13zryvni4sy1_w140DH0nlk/s320/url-1.jpeg" /></a><br />
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An action movie like Fast and Furious probably costs the producers millions of dollars to make, $160 million dollars to be exact. And then I remembered a film I once watched. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Ng2P3zxfM">The greatest movie ever sold</a>. That film showed us how a producer can fund their entire movie solely on the income they receive from companies requesting product placement. Product placement achieves success and profit for both sides. The producer will get the majority of the budget for their movie, and the “investor”, lets say, gets their product advertised, while making sure people can’t skip it like a regular Ad. Both side’s benefit, and both sides get millions or even billions back in profit. <br />
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If we consider just the cars used in Fast and Furious 6, and set aside all other brands being advertised to us in the movie, we still find a great deal of product placement. The owners of those companies are paying millions to have their cars used in a movie like Fast and Furious. Think of how much increase in sales they’d achieve. And the movie would just look good for having mind-blowing cars like these in it, and of course, having most of it’s budget already taken care of. So everyone comes out a winner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AH7_T0jjX6waUjHHJsEfs6kSBJ6XX-zWaDUNGB54zsK3PgxjumNaP_TYC_xMiC-_Ozq7SpbZNNHQCJrrMETvxw3zgufJurFrxk0wgTuaU4hhjpsRzln6P1YmQhfv21Xu5fhQeR84V_Y/s1600/url-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AH7_T0jjX6waUjHHJsEfs6kSBJ6XX-zWaDUNGB54zsK3PgxjumNaP_TYC_xMiC-_Ozq7SpbZNNHQCJrrMETvxw3zgufJurFrxk0wgTuaU4hhjpsRzln6P1YmQhfv21Xu5fhQeR84V_Y/s320/url-4.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzHZrdnd_3MRfqIdXdwyGRNyzIbvoGoMe-Wp_qjgHFaYN0zlzIwZhZi1m4mAxaFfEWAmGsypW4o9f8Y6XjlbUw8JfNPxt9rLH8_j_S66TDfJ-Ix906nk4WvLi50IZ412hqzAqv2vHvRY/s1600/url-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzHZrdnd_3MRfqIdXdwyGRNyzIbvoGoMe-Wp_qjgHFaYN0zlzIwZhZi1m4mAxaFfEWAmGsypW4o9f8Y6XjlbUw8JfNPxt9rLH8_j_S66TDfJ-Ix906nk4WvLi50IZ412hqzAqv2vHvRY/s320/url-2.jpeg" /></a><br />
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The funny thing is, the person who owns the car company, might also belong to the same organization that owns the production studio. In that case neither of them have to spend any money whatsoever because they’d be working as a <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/synergy">synergy</a>. They’re benefiting each other, multiplying profits by thousands, and not spending a dime out of place. That’s how the <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cultural-industry.htm">culture industry</a> works. You never know which companies or corporations are working under the same umbrella, and most of the time they shock you. But at the end of the day, they have profits pouring in, and we have no idea where the money we pay actually ends up. We probably don’t even care where it ends up, as long as the process of spending it brought us joy and entertainment. <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-4664643820522373962013-05-26T01:22:00.000+03:002013-05-26T08:03:33.661+03:00Global Citizenship<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am often confronted with the puzzling question "where are you from?" Hmm.. this seems like it should be an easy one, shouldn't it? I was born and raised in Doha, Qatar, in 1991. My dad was born in New York, moved to Canada, finished his last year of high school in Egypt, and came to Qatar, where he remains to this day. My mother was born in Qatar, and both of my grandparents have mixed national backgrounds.
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<center><a href="http://unctad.org/en/NewsImages/Egypt_flag_45x45.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://unctad.org/en/NewsImages/Egypt_flag_45x45.gif" /></a><a href="http://unctad.org/en/NewsImages/Flag_Palestine_45x45.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://unctad.org/en/NewsImages/Flag_Palestine_45x45.gif" /></a><a href="http://unctad.org/en/NewsImages/Flag_Qatar_45x45.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://unctad.org/en/NewsImages/Flag_Qatar_45x45.gif" /></a><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31YyqZNK2KL._SL75_SS45_.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31YyqZNK2KL._SL75_SS45_.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/event_pics/UAR.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://www.sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/event_pics/UAR.gif" /></a><a href="https://lh3.ggpht.com/pB9yHkUkNDgR1ikiYzxWeiNEOuAewB9pOh-xBVkOAktSX-7F0kZtC3eTtc7bWQlgT6CS=s1600-w45" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/pB9yHkUkNDgR1ikiYzxWeiNEOuAewB9pOh-xBVkOAktSX-7F0kZtC3eTtc7bWQlgT6CS=s1600-w45" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZRTELKZr4I5B7zpNEaCl0NEaVYAh_NT22RC9o9V3XQ3rP_VVfGtF3eVgwsVxkczfGob3oV19K1uJh1petakiHojzgvOlh9t5z1OXdCtS8Ldomi9tH37fumPoZNVsG5QxG9TvSIM2nRFj/s45/american-flag.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZRTELKZr4I5B7zpNEaCl0NEaVYAh_NT22RC9o9V3XQ3rP_VVfGtF3eVgwsVxkczfGob3oV19K1uJh1petakiHojzgvOlh9t5z1OXdCtS8Ldomi9tH37fumPoZNVsG5QxG9TvSIM2nRFj/s45/american-flag.gif" /></a></center>
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I went to a British kindergarten, an American primary and secondary school, and an American Jesuit university. I speak predominately Arabic with my mom and predominately English with my dad, and travel often, exposing myself to different cultures and languages. So whenever I'm confronted by the topic in a conversation, I usually announce, proudly and with a sheepish grin, "I guess I'm a global citizen then."
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<center><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-elRVp_EDai0/UaE284ANJ0I/AAAAAAAAAB4/s4h5P2zSX7k/s1600/rsz_1rsz_1rsz_1rsz_133947_537626016269573_950799148_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-elRVp_EDai0/UaE284ANJ0I/AAAAAAAAAB4/s4h5P2zSX7k/s320/rsz_1rsz_1rsz_1rsz_133947_537626016269573_950799148_n.jpg" /></a></center>
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People often discount such a statement as too cheesy or cliche; however, rare is it when an individual realizes the implications of such a statement. I'm not saying I'm profound or anything, I'm just a byproduct of this global culture, of the phenomenon obsessively termed globalization by the masses. It connotes <a href="http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/136754/zbigniew-brzezinski/balancing-the-east-upgrading-the-west">Western ideological domination over the East</a> and <a href="http://www.stwr.org/special-features/the-brandt-report.html">Northern economic supremacy over the South</a>. However, in his book <i>Globalization: Social Theory and Global Culture</i>, sociology professor <a href="http://www.scienzesociali.ailun.it/st/docenti/robertson.shtml">Roland Robertson</a>, described the process of globalization as "the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole," and sociologists <a href="http://ccpn-global.com/cms.php?artid=27&catid=203">Albrow </a>and King define globalization as "all those processes by which the peoples of the world are incorporated into a single world society." Waters concedes that it is a "social process in which the constraints of geography on economic, political, social and cultural arrangements recede, in which people become increasingly aware that they are receding and in which people act accordingly." I see this everyday in Qatar; expatriate, or non-Arab/non-Muslim kids saying insh'Allah or getting <a href="http://www.khaleejesque.com/2011/09/lifestyle/chai-karak-the-popular-drink-thats-rapidly-spreading-in-the-gulf/">karak</a>,
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or a Corvette with an American flag bumper sticker driven by a young Qatari male, or a non-married Arab couple walking and holding hands. More and more everyday cultural norms are readjusted and boundaries redrawn. The sheer proliferation of mixed-sex education in the Middle East shows the ideological rearrangement between what once might have been mores or even taboos (such as having Qatari men and women in the same classroom socializing outside of an appropriate cultural context). The fact that I sit in the atrium of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, where education based on the Western Jesuit experience is imported from the United States of America to Qatar, writing on a laptop that was manufactured in another part of the world, wearing clothes from designers that claim to be Italian but have factories in China and India. All our societies are connected on a microscopic level, and our ancient cultural heritage, although to be held with pride and regarded as majestic, has slowly changed and molded itself with the proliferation of mass media and travel, exposing a majority of people in all corners of the world to an ever-flowing milieu.
For our last class, on Wednesday, we discussed functionalist theory, which views that different social environments maintain an orderly and consistent status quo, where people actively endeavor to maintain stability and order. David Grazian believes that popular culture is functional for society, acting as an agent that maintains stability the systematic nature of social worlds. Popular culture, accordingly, includes rituals and totems that are shared across the world through the appropriately titled "popular culture." Rituals are cultural acts of solidarity, social cohesion, and rebellion, according to Grazian, and that they enable groups to gather and enforce their collective identity. Through globalization and mass media, especially through popular mobilization media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook, we see people that would never otherwise have met build relationships and experiences vicariously. They become desensitized and their sense of understanding of the world they inhabit expands outside their immediate national sphere of influence, and a supra-culture that transcends national or regional boundaries is developed. Popular culture, as base and denigrating as it can get in some cases, unites people through ideas, songs, dance, blogs, personal pages, and other forms of expression, forming a massive culture paralleling the consumer culture, although more and more we are connected by ideas in lieu of commercial products.
<center><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HiI2OdYDenU/UaE43Ng0EFI/AAAAAAAAACc/GaNgp-0sCn4/s1600/rsz_1537132_10152411184320652_1058693837_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HiI2OdYDenU/UaE43Ng0EFI/AAAAAAAAACc/GaNgp-0sCn4/s320/rsz_1537132_10152411184320652_1058693837_n.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-coSif-NcyFQ/UaE4RSneGnI/AAAAAAAAACM/1k2Zj1JF9qk/s1600/rsz_318034_10152411184555652_194475192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-coSif-NcyFQ/UaE4RSneGnI/AAAAAAAAACM/1k2Zj1JF9qk/s320/rsz_318034_10152411184555652_194475192_n.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vZ1Zjy7L2w/UaE4W1miqOI/AAAAAAAAACU/poFK5Z0tCwc/s1600/rsz_644284_336772606444486_775917232_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vZ1Zjy7L2w/UaE4W1miqOI/AAAAAAAAACU/poFK5Z0tCwc/s320/rsz_644284_336772606444486_775917232_n.jpg" /></a></center>
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<center> Bibliography </center>
Robertson, Roland. Globalization: Social Theory and Global Culture. London: Sage, 1992.
Waters, Malcolm. Globalization. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2001.
Albrow, Martin, and Elizabeth King. Globalization, Knowledge and Society: Readings From International Sociology. London: Sage Publications, 1990.
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The <a href="http://http://wordreference.com/iten/tifosi">tifosi </a>are one of the most interesting cultural phenomena in Europe. The word tifosi has Italian roots and literally means supporter or enthusiast. These groups of people are supporters of football or basketball teams and their unconditional love and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H96qqtr62TE#!">loyalty</a> towards the club is to say the least outstandingly interesting.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcWQlcpunFAep_dUTjcZ5dUT8SO2YfwLK2979uC3_8_K17NORvjl5TWMziDshE9nYM4CfmbAScv7Oy6jSw1fKR0bWN7DtNuGq7XTKv3MsP9fBqLS2s1qCjbQVrrf7bGPRAVntf8nc6o0/s1600/Tirona.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcWQlcpunFAep_dUTjcZ5dUT8SO2YfwLK2979uC3_8_K17NORvjl5TWMziDshE9nYM4CfmbAScv7Oy6jSw1fKR0bWN7DtNuGq7XTKv3MsP9fBqLS2s1qCjbQVrrf7bGPRAVntf8nc6o0/s320/Tirona.jpg" /></a>
The <a href="http://www.wordreference.com/iten/tifosi">tifosi </a>or Ultras are far more than just sport spectators; they have norms, rituals, language and leaders which constitute a culture. It is a socially constructed system of values which is embodied in recognizable form. They have taboos and a system of sanctions enforced by the very group. They have totems and symbols with which they define their identity. From a sociological perspective, they can be classified as an ingroup most accurately because of their astounding loyalty to the club as well as the hatred towards opposing rivals. The sense of collective effervescence which is a shared feeling of identity among its members strengthened by the emotional bond with the club is the main driver of these groups making the hugely popular amongst the young population, and difficult to abandon by older members.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerUGSAKKtn5XIv2Zr9g-MHt8dSt0ig4ZbOus0HVu9NiYQ_1mHSqVffBaVOsfQe1XG1N7BjmDC6czF0L5OJnxBSjYSKAspEUZH8XcnY3lssHVLDfjxEKcIp5LYFs-MiQ4x0Vh_Ha72cx8/s1600/Juve.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerUGSAKKtn5XIv2Zr9g-MHt8dSt0ig4ZbOus0HVu9NiYQ_1mHSqVffBaVOsfQe1XG1N7BjmDC6czF0L5OJnxBSjYSKAspEUZH8XcnY3lssHVLDfjxEKcIp5LYFs-MiQ4x0Vh_Ha72cx8/s320/Juve.jpg" /></a>
This is what a <a href="http://https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS0uEDl2DRidReYV0AAM3oD1Rl4caus-QJMJVm_grwTLFKdcRPb_g">tifo group</a> actually looks like. I briefly mentioned the norms above, but I will now elaborate on them to show why it may define them as a culture. The first and most important norm of a tifo group is that you always stand and never sit during a game. This is what distinguishes them from regular sport’s spectators. Sitting during a game while on a tifo section of the stadium may result in severe social sanctions such as comments from group members around you or even a violent removal from the stand’s section. Another norm is that one always follows the leader’s instruction to sing the chant he starts. The tifo sactions of the stand are extremely loud which enhances the notion of collective effervescence and the adrenaline rush of singing in unison with hundreds of fellow members is sensational. Also, a norm is to wear the team’s color’s or merchandise to the game, but recent subgroups such as casuals break the norm and wear brand name clothes to make it more difficult for the police to identify them in the case of chaos. The logic is that police discriminates based on appearance which represents social class. The norm is also to stand your ground in case the group is attacked. Fights among groups happen constantly, and in fact one of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En6wViD1jtY">greatest fights</a> in tifo history is said to have marked the beginning of the Yugoslav war between Serbian tifos and Croatian tifos. These are only some of the norms embedded in the tifo culture but there are many more to say the leasts.
<a href="http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/10217_101235566562606_254593_n.jpg">Totems </a>are prominent in the culture and they are expressed through banners representing the groups. The tifo group’s name and the club’s name are written across them and they are main symbols of the group. Some of the banners are decades old and are a crucial part of the group. If a group loses the banner, the unwritten code of the Ultras is that the group must disband. Banners are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvpAUqpx4lk">captured </a>by attacking the stand where the other member group is based in or even devising carefully planned schemes to steal them. Banners are not the only target, any sort of merchandise is targeted and losing merchandise hurts the group’s reputation.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMyJmosmtfa32_rEG1SljdKCWrXKCB9sAWK5Tv5GIbLQfv6Pu8Lxgg0nY7ReQ6UM4oDbHiAQDDBTX9oU_T2p9nlTaKB9OOaafDaLxx8_X3Xuw4aMAEH6-106PxJUUDi1Dc4Zqa5EQE64/s1600/100_6844.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMyJmosmtfa32_rEG1SljdKCWrXKCB9sAWK5Tv5GIbLQfv6Pu8Lxgg0nY7ReQ6UM4oDbHiAQDDBTX9oU_T2p9nlTaKB9OOaafDaLxx8_X3Xuw4aMAEH6-106PxJUUDi1Dc4Zqa5EQE64/s320/100_6844.JPG" /></a>
However, beyond the negative context of this culture; these groups play an important role as well from a functionalist approach. Functionalists view social worlds as stable orderly and systematic and that everything has a purpose. Society according to this theory is a the equivalent to a machine and everything has its own role. So what is the role of the violent havoc creating problematic tifosi? They make sure that traditional landmarks such as football clubs for a city remain free from corruption and the best example for this kind of effort are the Grobari of Partizan. They battled the management of the club for over a year because of large corruption going on within the club such as fixing games, delaying salaries to players etc. They used their vast membership to popularize the issue and save the club from demise. They sang <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWIbfhMQd-I">chants</a> about the management and put them under immense pressure resulting in their resignation and the beginning of a new era for the legendary club of Partizan Belgrade.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCe7PnYJ5jJFs0dCNdMXcad4DpLf-OxgSggw4kDOgepZVuVpbTyVhjueQt-44nL1m-D8Glidbd7VKC-fi0WrESCk_dtVCkdXn-x42CSRQTuXoeaFtAEMLs6P2RqN1mZwKytHJT6USn_M/s1600/31738564.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCe7PnYJ5jJFs0dCNdMXcad4DpLf-OxgSggw4kDOgepZVuVpbTyVhjueQt-44nL1m-D8Glidbd7VKC-fi0WrESCk_dtVCkdXn-x42CSRQTuXoeaFtAEMLs6P2RqN1mZwKytHJT6USn_M/s320/31738564.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hgcvVKG_1TqHLk_CJ1RNzwSGOlC4wVCSMa9-3MR0HP2MsizS63qLPU38W5cbblnjQsz9btLa_hOXYqR4F701wF_Zjlpo5rqsxZBfkMoWzfZ0jqM3m6HYXER_SOjJqChKIC3xM5nUdG8/s1600/60591_420808357999042_402804326_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hgcvVKG_1TqHLk_CJ1RNzwSGOlC4wVCSMa9-3MR0HP2MsizS63qLPU38W5cbblnjQsz9btLa_hOXYqR4F701wF_Zjlpo5rqsxZBfkMoWzfZ0jqM3m6HYXER_SOjJqChKIC3xM5nUdG8/s320/60591_420808357999042_402804326_n.jpg" /></a>
To sum up, it is obvious that this is a culture within a culture which we can modestly describe as an ingroup. It has negative even destructive aspects, but ultimately these individuals are driven by blind passion and collective effervescence. As a former regular visitor of Skopje's Smugglers I remember the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRbvQ_a1bw&NR=1&feature=endscreen">first game</a> i decided to stand instead of just sit and watch. As soon as the game began, we started the oldest chant we have about our club and a big banner was raised above me which had the name of our club. Another banner was put down which said "Sloga, I cannot live without you!" It was then when I understood the power of collective effervescence and what it feels to be a tifo; to jump and chant in unison with hundreds for something that we all cherished and loved. This is an under-investigated sociological phenomenon which I find extremely interesting and worth sharing with everyone. This barely scraping the surface of the ultras culture and the tifosi.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-33649362358346476252013-05-25T20:28:00.001+03:002013-05-25T20:32:24.432+03:00On the Cultural Significance of Sham El- Nassim<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday we had an unusual banquet at our house, one that particularly smelled horrible! Yes I did say this. It was a celebration for the ancient dating feast of “<a href="http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/shamelnaseen.htm">Sham El Nassim</a>”. While most Egyptians today think Sham El Nassim is an Arabic word (شم النسيم) meaning the “the smell of the <a href="http://www.windows2universe.org/mythology/zephyr.html">Zephyr</a>” because it is celebrated during the spring time, the word was found to be more ancient than one could think of. This feast of Sham El Nassim has ancient Egyptian origins with the word "<a href="http://texastad.blogspot.com/2011/05/farming-in-egypt-akhet-peret-and-shemu.html">Shemu</a>" being used in the ancient Egyptian culture during harvest days meaning “the day of creation”. Greek historians of the first century have recorded accounts of ancient Egyptians eating salted fish, lettuce and onions. That’s what I meant by the horrible smell! Egyptians were thought to celebrate the Shemu since 2700 B.C. and surprisingly it is still celebrated to that day with minor changes.
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Later on, <a href="http://www.coptic.net/EncyclopediaCoptica/">Coptic Christians</a> in the second century A.D. found that the feast came during the Christian <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-reminded-that-lent-is-about-giving-up-to-gain-and-grow-90060/">Lent </a>and were not able to celebrate and eat the salted fish during that time, so they moved the feast to the following day of the Easter. The day of Sham El Nassim has to occur on Monday, since Easter has to be on Sunday. It’s also interesting to mention that the ancient Egyptian word “Shemu” developed to the Coptic word “<a href="http://danskegyptiskselskab.dk/sham-ennisim/">Shom Ennisim</a>” then finally to the Arabic transliteration “Sham El Nassim”.
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While this blog post was not intended to be a historical class, it was important to give a brief background to understand the culture behind what we just celebrated yesterday.
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You are probably wondering how the feast is supposed to be on Monday while we celebrated yesterday on Friday. Indeed “Sham El Nassim” is celebrated on Monday following the Eastern calendar of Easter which was meant to be on Monday May 6 this year. However, due to some family circumstances and traveling the feast was postponed a little bit.
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Let’s just get to the sociology of this ancient feast!
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According to the <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Functionalism_(sociology).html">functionalist</a> approach, Sham El Nassim can be seen as an event with its own <a href="http://sociology.socialsciencedictionary.com/Sociology-Dictionary/RITUAL">rituals </a>and practices that brings people together in <a href="http://shortell.org/node/4">social solidarity</a>. Sham El Nassim, as a collective celebration, that makes all Egyptians, regardless of their religion; join together to celebrate in the same way. Also, what is more fascinating is Egyptians in Qatar who unite in family groups to celebrate this event. To us, Egyptians, the culture of Sham El Nassim meets the four characteristics of popular culture: being well liked by everyone, is easily recognized by all Egyptians, all classes in Egypt understand the rituals associated with the feast and finally everyone can relate to it in different ways.
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The main practice in Sham El Nassim is family gathering either in public parks or in houses. Yesterday, over seven families came and joined our feast at our house. None of these families are direct relatives of ourselves, but they are friends who we relate to when living abroad. Such a family gathering makes us all appreciate the unity it generates and the sense of togetherness.
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The main ritual of Sham El Nassim is to eat “<a href="http://baheyeldin.com/egypt/feseekh-and-melouha.html">Fisikh</a>”, which is an Egyptian dish of salted fish, and onions, as you can see in the images below. However, yesterday I noticed that the table of fisikh was 80% women with only two or three men only eating fisikh. Those who found fisikh distasteful, like me, were mostly men who had another table with other types of food like pastas, kofta and salads.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7Rk5L-XPcLiFRdWjHzFQXhFke9VwGF1n5Ro2S7y3hyphenhyphenJALNiZL-CdpFj-SGHA8K2cVMzRTeIWTcsBg935aZzbhGU11Khqq_oHZsEnEDTMAExWW7FIUEiUm-dajcwXiyqxwRrcnmsJG46a/s1600/2013-05-24+16.45.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7Rk5L-XPcLiFRdWjHzFQXhFke9VwGF1n5Ro2S7y3hyphenhyphenJALNiZL-CdpFj-SGHA8K2cVMzRTeIWTcsBg935aZzbhGU11Khqq_oHZsEnEDTMAExWW7FIUEiUm-dajcwXiyqxwRrcnmsJG46a/s320/2013-05-24+16.45.42.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVg3FgCucVsrq2LYhIL-8epwecLikKfHlW_DaW-okm736Iwn-wR2NudmkmF3Q_Vm77KW2sl_e6CCuRrLypMvSYEYLvNBzOMguEypvpxFCzA9rMjNOKvPPR9mhj3RIiqHfWi3iQEysK_q5/s1600/2013-05-24+16.46.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVg3FgCucVsrq2LYhIL-8epwecLikKfHlW_DaW-okm736Iwn-wR2NudmkmF3Q_Vm77KW2sl_e6CCuRrLypMvSYEYLvNBzOMguEypvpxFCzA9rMjNOKvPPR9mhj3RIiqHfWi3iQEysK_q5/s320/2013-05-24+16.46.08.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqTw0g9nZQXyDOSC4gbngS2rchGNT2ds0k0eUajp_WN3m9JyAu2aeFSQL8fCVAjsmOH6rlVew6olmgI_jEchdiz8b0L46M4jtoDDSmQzrVCNXNONwLVBQuOYMGpbhpR1r2FRnlySl_OtM/s1600/2013-05-24+16.46.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqTw0g9nZQXyDOSC4gbngS2rchGNT2ds0k0eUajp_WN3m9JyAu2aeFSQL8fCVAjsmOH6rlVew6olmgI_jEchdiz8b0L46M4jtoDDSmQzrVCNXNONwLVBQuOYMGpbhpR1r2FRnlySl_OtM/s320/2013-05-24+16.46.14.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol7a_eJwS2OtoFeQiC8fUFvF0S5PFHourLyVbP062rZlMtpFDYuP-PEMDZRM634zD-fTQGOk2Yc0oTBdKhqFBR8Ymc7sJE0C6LYQ6_AHNCYFAZ2Aqp8fRoSeVNHOm4dbQ0T_pEfZjFYT5/s1600/2013-05-24+17.00.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol7a_eJwS2OtoFeQiC8fUFvF0S5PFHourLyVbP062rZlMtpFDYuP-PEMDZRM634zD-fTQGOk2Yc0oTBdKhqFBR8Ymc7sJE0C6LYQ6_AHNCYFAZ2Aqp8fRoSeVNHOm4dbQ0T_pEfZjFYT5/s320/2013-05-24+17.00.51.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mbiUl79SSHJwt35TdCDXlL8y9JqDpERSUYoESDAgiAm0BGN6gLvB78_QZckbPul6TH0YaWItbUHe_djiXOm6ENP4al1OlnDKw3Zj1sXER48K6axwE6ncDutVd8qJHMeRUCr8UFsry-mp/s1600/2013-05-24+17.00.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mbiUl79SSHJwt35TdCDXlL8y9JqDpERSUYoESDAgiAm0BGN6gLvB78_QZckbPul6TH0YaWItbUHe_djiXOm6ENP4al1OlnDKw3Zj1sXER48K6axwE6ncDutVd8qJHMeRUCr8UFsry-mp/s320/2013-05-24+17.00.58.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3A0h3P490S9gR9cksfyV9GFkPTXSwL5kmTfDImymeTerL9TDEFGnOLtus-M57N0-zSQvZiow5MXRfhVG8p6qgFMS4r189ON9D-yNbH6yE4kKwl3AFB50jrmLnkteP6fb11x4HHIrYoila/s1600/2013-05-24+17.01.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3A0h3P490S9gR9cksfyV9GFkPTXSwL5kmTfDImymeTerL9TDEFGnOLtus-M57N0-zSQvZiow5MXRfhVG8p6qgFMS4r189ON9D-yNbH6yE4kKwl3AFB50jrmLnkteP6fb11x4HHIrYoila/s320/2013-05-24+17.01.31.jpg" /></a>
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Even though everyone who attended enjoyed the family gathering on Sham El Nassim, not everyone enjoyed the rituals of eating fisikh. Therefore, I do wonder
with Grazian in his book “mix it up” if such a ritual will continue to be passed through the main <a href="https://www.boundless.com/sociology/understanding-socialization/agents-socialization/">agents of socialization</a>. And even if it did will it still generate the same sense of social solidarity and unity amongst the celebrating community?
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I also noticed the segregation that Fisikh has made, most women sat on the Fisikh table and most men and children sat on the normal food table. It could be because of health or dietary choices, especially because Fisikh has direct correlation to high blood pressure, dehydration and occasionally <a href="http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recalls-and-allergy-alerts/complete-listing/2012-04-24/eng/1355956872961/1355956872992">food poisoning</a> if not cleaned well. But this phenomena of less than 50% eating Fisikh could be also because of the other options that were available that included Italian pasta. Hence, globalization can be a factor that interferes with cultural elements of Sham El Nassim.
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Will the feast that survived more than 4700 years be able to survive the 21st century? While, globalization might seem to be destroying the rituals of eating Fisikh on Sham El Nassim, it has given me an escape from eating it so maybe having more options can be good! Yet fisikh lovers like my mother will still love Fisikh anyways.
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-17373966650327835272013-05-23T18:36:00.002+03:002013-05-23T18:55:28.913+03:00Beyond Boundaries and the Karak Culture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I have to write something I usually take a drive down in my car to some coffee shop in Qatar. I keep a notepad in my car so that I can jot down points on my way to the café and then develop those ideas later on. I did the same last night, after a long nap till 9 pm, in order to brainstorm ideas for an active blog post.
One of the first things I asked myself was, “Dona what do you do everyday on a regular basis in Qatar? What is that one thing you missed on your trip last time outside Qatar?” What I missed the most was, going to <i>Bandar</i>, the “tea – port” of Qatar” (Facebook page link: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bandar-Doha-Qatar/110456542339707">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bandar-Doha-Qatar/110456542339707</a>)<br />
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I could write pages on how much I missed the idea of all my friends driving up in their Cruisers, and me in my Chevrolet Aveo forming a large circle in front of the <i>Bandar</i> seaside. Each of us would have a <i>Karak</i> in our hands. <i>Karak</i> is a traditional sweet-tea brewed in teapots. For us, this is pastime. We do occasionally go to the City Centre or Villagio malls for a movie or to some hookah lounges for a time of Sheesha or a card game, but Bandar is where we meet, every single day after each of us get done with our work shifts or college. This is how we socialize. I like to call this the “<a href="http://dohanews.co/post/7757044510/the-art-of-karak">Karak</a> culture.”
In my recent readings from <i>Mix it up: Popular Culture Mass Media and Society</i>, author David Grazian writes about how a culture is not the product of a solidarity person, rather a product of collective activity generated by interlocking networks of culture creators. Within his study of sociology, there are <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:xJg_mbpu5eYJ:profstein.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/study-guide-ch-1.doc+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=qa&client=firefox-a">four significant criteria</a> that define culture: 1) the culture must be “well-liked” by the masses, 2) easily recognized and widely used, 3) It must be a mass culture intended for general consumption and lastly, 4) It must relate to folk expression. The “Karak culture” conforms to all four of these criteria, as it is a well liked, an easily recognized mass culture that relates to folk expression.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpwH3Z3_bxYDXzfxWjM7cRAu5K3gSOdnmW942kdadGQdIepXK0nofrpb5gSfC6PoAyrlYvoKX5JKCHvpW9_itIvs8-f8Va0v-Sff7SD_v3R772fle3I8HJkZQY0wdk-gXMwa44Pejo80/s1600/Bandar+pic+1.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpwH3Z3_bxYDXzfxWjM7cRAu5K3gSOdnmW942kdadGQdIepXK0nofrpb5gSfC6PoAyrlYvoKX5JKCHvpW9_itIvs8-f8Va0v-Sff7SD_v3R772fle3I8HJkZQY0wdk-gXMwa44Pejo80/s320/Bandar+pic+1.JPG" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiQTfiEsSlbmq3gSFTJT6vkAwmFO7FCD6cJN-zU73oLcCDx8CkksTYHsYyx2gAIcf96i-mcJQXZhpIowNIpEhyphenhyphenOlfwYaK-RoEHRc71q3AsrVrNhUTDi4d4AUFAyh1zSseXcsVea6OYTY/s1600/Bandar+picture+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiQTfiEsSlbmq3gSFTJT6vkAwmFO7FCD6cJN-zU73oLcCDx8CkksTYHsYyx2gAIcf96i-mcJQXZhpIowNIpEhyphenhyphenOlfwYaK-RoEHRc71q3AsrVrNhUTDi4d4AUFAyh1zSseXcsVea6OYTY/s320/Bandar+picture+2.jpg" /></a></div>
Hanging out in the streets of Chicago, where I did my residency two weeks ago, I lived through a different pastime. As a Chicagoan for three months, friends took me to several museums, a Cubs game at Wrigley Field or to Second City for an evening of laughing. I would sometimes wander around Macy's on State Street, spend a few bucks on some Frango Mints or walk leisurely along North Michigan Avenue (called "The Magnificent Mile") looking at the people and the fancy shops.
This post is not about the difference in pastime cultures between two cities. Rather, about the sanctions I receive regularly from different people based on my lifestyle in Qatar. <a href="https://www.boundless.com/sociology/understanding-culture/symbolic-nature-culture/sanctions/">Sanction</a> is a kind of control that the society holds steadfast in the minds of the people living within the community. To act differently means to receive negative sanctions from the people who adhere to the norms in the society.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZoMiiEmTM3u_n-_b3kGU9L60t1w2VqbpvgjVCfQlC9Ud8Dc8fhT8QjFvGdju2qAh6QaGqQ7s3F-dDRNafEq4hn6DZ9aGrNq9lvyn28-qbIBkmx1qCCXInpN3WqLb-HXK5R65V9LbI78/s1600/DSC_0233.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZoMiiEmTM3u_n-_b3kGU9L60t1w2VqbpvgjVCfQlC9Ud8Dc8fhT8QjFvGdju2qAh6QaGqQ7s3F-dDRNafEq4hn6DZ9aGrNq9lvyn28-qbIBkmx1qCCXInpN3WqLb-HXK5R65V9LbI78/s320/DSC_0233.JPG" /></a><br />
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I have been stopped several times on my road trips with my friends because I’m a female and I have male friends. I would be sitting on a brick wall, across the sea in <i>Bandar</i>, with a <i>Karak</i> in my hands, and a <i>Fazaa</i> (cop car) would drive by. He would reverse back and ask for my Identification Card. “Do you know what time it is?” a cop would ask. “1 a.m.?” I would mutter something like that. “Who are these people? You should go home and sleep,” he would say. “These are friends and I just woke up.” I usually answer. They never take action, because obviously I’m not doing anything wrong and there is no law in this country that states that I cannot hang out with male friends past certain hours of night.
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I’m being <a href="http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/deviance.htm">deviant</a> certainly, straying away from the standard norm of the people in Qatar. A young lady sipping on her tea past mid-night with a bunch of guys is just unacceptable.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-12589392916844999882013-05-22T21:37:00.001+03:002013-05-22T21:37:57.595+03:00Northwestern University<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A couple of weeks ago, I visited <a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a>’s main campus in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evanston,_Illinois">Evanston</a>, Chicago. It was my first time, and thus was curious to compare it to Qatar’s <a href="http://www.qatar.northwestern.edu/">campus</a>. I was extremely surprised with large number of students involved in extra curricular activities and clubs, and most importantly their respect towards Northwestern’s traditions and rituals. During today’s class, I thought the <a href="http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Functionalist-Theory.htm">functionalist theory</a> was extremely similar to the social structure in NUE. The campus is stable, orderly and systematic. Everybody has a specific role and are divided into groups; resulting with the lively and outspoken campus we have today. They all collaborate together and respect one another’s opinions, even though they may not agree with it. For example, there are many accapella groups, sororities and frat houses spread across campus, and although each group may have different personalities, they all acknowledge each other in a mature manner.
I believe this campus also relates to the functionalist theory because without the help and organization of these students, professors and faculty, Northwestern university wouldn’t be moving forward. The campus would not be stable or as productive. Even social problems such as two clubs fighting over the historical <a href="http://www.ugadm.northwestern.edu/student-life/northwestern-traditions/">Northwestern rock</a> can make a positive contribution to the society. This will motivate them to stick to the rules to see if the other group will give up on guarding the treasured totem. It will also allow the <a href="http://dailynorthwestern.com/">Daily Northwestern</a> to have a story to write about.
Another concept that we covered in class today, which reminded me of Northwestern’s main campus, was the idea of collective effervescence. During my trip, there was a baseball game that is extremely popular amongst Northwestern students. There are a certain number of seats saved for students in NUE and usually there is an extremely large turn out. During this event, there is a shared feeling of identity in which each student experiences waves of similar emotions and a sense of togetherness. They are all rooting for Chicago and wear Northwestern jerseys and sweatshirts to support their team. This is also considered a ritual as it forces students from different groups and organizations to gather together and reinforce their collective identity.
Why do we have students, professors and faculty in Northwestern University and what do they contribute to that specific community? Why do we have different organizations and clubs? Why is there a different positions and roles for every individual? Without this structure, Northwestern University would not be able to manage all of their students or provide everyone with an activity that meets their needs and expectations. Although many sociologists criticize this theory, I personally believe it is an excellent fit for this university.
Photos:
The first photo is one of the many acapella groups in Northwestern. They are called Purple Haze.
The second photo is how the rock looked like after we painted it.
The third and fourth photo are from online sources
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-P3-GtgVUmM28UPJZpAUImjWYeMW4va-owGEc25vV5PlZnYgYlGrXENxg47qaTgcZWgEngTcrfD8_qHrrdki3RMsvP4zZqLzbT7gCuWR5OtqgPPeCnO_n016P7MWhOdm8icsVEKxzEU/s1600/fr_8468.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-P3-GtgVUmM28UPJZpAUImjWYeMW4va-owGEc25vV5PlZnYgYlGrXENxg47qaTgcZWgEngTcrfD8_qHrrdki3RMsvP4zZqLzbT7gCuWR5OtqgPPeCnO_n016P7MWhOdm8icsVEKxzEU/s320/fr_8468.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m2b-QYOnLzEzSEHiJpgCGQ3QUE4Y1Jb1cZOwMTbM1ZHRO4iuvD2TvXrcIoqJF3gnjfZlYPymYIu8bZCrtSSKXBJ7jz6vLb-Rw1JGLcUtz9p5w0FSoeSptYReTaroGjKghsXSObLWwYs/s1600/fr_8469.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m2b-QYOnLzEzSEHiJpgCGQ3QUE4Y1Jb1cZOwMTbM1ZHRO4iuvD2TvXrcIoqJF3gnjfZlYPymYIu8bZCrtSSKXBJ7jz6vLb-Rw1JGLcUtz9p5w0FSoeSptYReTaroGjKghsXSObLWwYs/s320/fr_8469.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsirS_4iP0Q2gAVqbGsL3Imge6uPoW9YSdYEUT0PnuBYSNEf4uYz3lCOlYfULmZOeCLrd9-ZWoVKbSdmr1HXUZV-ubRBzKa5zhvPcq0D1unIpoQa8RDo12tLhLZf4x-hkL78t6mf6Ohk/s1600/01class.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsirS_4iP0Q2gAVqbGsL3Imge6uPoW9YSdYEUT0PnuBYSNEf4uYz3lCOlYfULmZOeCLrd9-ZWoVKbSdmr1HXUZV-ubRBzKa5zhvPcq0D1unIpoQa8RDo12tLhLZf4x-hkL78t6mf6Ohk/s320/01class.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qneaRzYeaVFVqXJ5IpOL04r9tDE-inKZC-zVqWYrtaG87SDawuZ50_DavqnbOFXxhxX20uqixSMwCzRffaCoAF7PUL4zKISM12Z6M4yTB90DiBNgXAssA2q6yGBTpwuRErc5Dc7b4Ic/s1600/northwest_tradition.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qneaRzYeaVFVqXJ5IpOL04r9tDE-inKZC-zVqWYrtaG87SDawuZ50_DavqnbOFXxhxX20uqixSMwCzRffaCoAF7PUL4zKISM12Z6M4yTB90DiBNgXAssA2q6yGBTpwuRErc5Dc7b4Ic/s320/northwest_tradition.jpg" /></a>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-7160315827085016112013-05-21T06:31:00.000+03:002013-05-22T07:10:04.633+03:00The Essence of Diversity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<p>Last spring, I have been to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.">Washington D.C</a> where I visited my brother whose doing medicine residency in the states. It was a beautiful place filled with many buildings and awesome <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusine">cuisine.</a></p>
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPYQpJ869xxrsGC4HqoSWOrh_ouQqyVugCunFAAkhpMQnFMYyF55ArG-51lTnyyci50VQky4541w53JXxX4tJBh94gYQul6B0RARNXBQgQCnupJVoiwsE_5XxFv2RPsQxfGnzTaiYYOv2/s1600/Washington+DC.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPYQpJ869xxrsGC4HqoSWOrh_ouQqyVugCunFAAkhpMQnFMYyF55ArG-51lTnyyci50VQky4541w53JXxX4tJBh94gYQul6B0RARNXBQgQCnupJVoiwsE_5XxFv2RPsQxfGnzTaiYYOv2/s320/Washington+DC.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDH0Cgxx1xNL7lgPMLrrscxnZkCi2PKdcSXc4Vlwi3EGlj5i_QXJSX_wg_3oC-ClKWhuCrrIAwoj_vnUF12hk0FGTviJT5TaXVkzjd-StKipc39-N8HU3Wwbn7M4XAe9wdAE9oBTytmABU/s1600/Washington+Burger.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDH0Cgxx1xNL7lgPMLrrscxnZkCi2PKdcSXc4Vlwi3EGlj5i_QXJSX_wg_3oC-ClKWhuCrrIAwoj_vnUF12hk0FGTviJT5TaXVkzjd-StKipc39-N8HU3Wwbn7M4XAe9wdAE9oBTytmABU/s320/Washington+Burger.jpg" /></a></center>
<p>However, one of the things that had grabbed my attention is how the art and the theme of the place is different than from what I have seen in Doha. In Washington DC, the buildings have this Greek theme that emphasizes the earliest forms of Republicanism. Also the parks are green and filled with many historic-reflective statues such as Abraham Lincoln statue at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Mall">National Mall</a>.</p>
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEr1CloYlrSsp3jAfi3y3hcLjcgpI5qwODshFX-XzjLa6a_VLbNzOXacZtqvWyfj7VMaKMwYJrziyjkPU7DE5VLyZvqRInFu-eKmbJ_vXW3ytABhd9mmj884EW26ODr4Zr-yP_Vn78wN1/s1600/Awesome.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEr1CloYlrSsp3jAfi3y3hcLjcgpI5qwODshFX-XzjLa6a_VLbNzOXacZtqvWyfj7VMaKMwYJrziyjkPU7DE5VLyZvqRInFu-eKmbJ_vXW3ytABhd9mmj884EW26ODr4Zr-yP_Vn78wN1/s320/Awesome.jpg" /></a></center>
<p>Whereas, in Doha, the architecture of the buildings is more headed towards the future. There are these tall buildings with smooth semi-cylindrical shafts that can be found in the west bay districts as well as these glossy zigzag shaped buildings. Also there are so many indoor malls here and there. </p>
<center> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1O1Kl_ZJq5ui1N1nufObLBCPLhInxlvaFWYiD0IZBzBOsSVhaXNVtNGnmUTWlwQUbeOyOXTtPXj2Vn4MvkQl1VKylT5b3lDVTiu3wSHa1pmX-SM8VIjKwy36Ox2O8bk7kuxeE5RdiuGS/s1600/ZigzagTowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1O1Kl_ZJq5ui1N1nufObLBCPLhInxlvaFWYiD0IZBzBOsSVhaXNVtNGnmUTWlwQUbeOyOXTtPXj2Vn4MvkQl1VKylT5b3lDVTiu3wSHa1pmX-SM8VIjKwy36Ox2O8bk7kuxeE5RdiuGS/s320/ZigzagTowers.jpg" /></a></center>
<p>I believe that the contrast of such cultural objects that we see in Washington D.C and Doha is important because each symbolize the culture and heritage of the country and its people. If all cultural objects were uniform, there would be no point to traveling to faraway places because there would be no art diversity which makes things seem more vibrant and interesting. Likewise, my trip to Washington D.C would not have been as interesting if I have not been exposed to new and different aspects of infrastructure and building architecture. Of course, the variance of the themes in each region occur because of social forces such as the background of the country, religion, and economy. For instance, the city planners and architectures along with other individuals are basically influenced by such social forces, therefore, implementing different kinds of themes for their respective regions. </p>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339736886176523078.post-82314740573329423722013-05-20T22:57:00.001+03:002013-05-21T22:27:36.101+03:00The million dollar question <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div>Last week I visited the <a href="http://www.artic.edu/">Art Institute in Chicago</a>, I came across some of the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen. They were a variety of paintings by <a href="http://www.claudemonetgallery.org/">Claude Monet</a>, <a href="http://www.vangoghgallery.com/">Vincent van Gogh</a>, <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/pablo-picasso-9440021">Pablo Picasso</a> and <a href="http://www.salvadordali.com/">Salvador Dali</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U7gel1TJvzvT337UPD06n4AaOu_yrB1ki2j_C_oZmP50CMxAwUjvtDBNhuRENrS4dDJkkpF6VZbO7BvLQdHLHYzTyhfg0gGbgWFIowUg6pXK8SRKww8aXY70k_xm3CBFzDzidghUqKc/s1600/picasso.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U7gel1TJvzvT337UPD06n4AaOu_yrB1ki2j_C_oZmP50CMxAwUjvtDBNhuRENrS4dDJkkpF6VZbO7BvLQdHLHYzTyhfg0gGbgWFIowUg6pXK8SRKww8aXY70k_xm3CBFzDzidghUqKc/s320/picasso.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsL7VFbu6U2dr3Kmn5pcSeQE13qvD3_ep6eaeID7HA7hBnWSfXutFnU_lANveygQ9BbJRVRgrDEgF8e43BFYFLdQ5pAJwaeR9nOXlmHiyjO_4CwyQBiuGM5z5KMXJsKNXFELd1EIchEI/s1600/example.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsL7VFbu6U2dr3Kmn5pcSeQE13qvD3_ep6eaeID7HA7hBnWSfXutFnU_lANveygQ9BbJRVRgrDEgF8e43BFYFLdQ5pAJwaeR9nOXlmHiyjO_4CwyQBiuGM5z5KMXJsKNXFELd1EIchEI/s320/example.jpg" /></a><br />
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After reading Grazian’s theories about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_culture_studies">popular culture</a> and what makes objects significantly more popular than others however, my perception of the paintings before taking those theories into consideration was completely different than what it was after I put that theory lens on. <br />
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Artists like these are legendary. Their works of art are sold for millions of dollars. A regular person may think that that’s due to the fact that they’re brilliant artists and they produce beautiful paintings. Thinking with a sociological mindset however, I know that that’s not true. A piece of art, any piece of art, is admitted into the pop-culture category based on its perceptions from the consumer. A work of art is considered an object of popular culture once it gets recognition, whether it was positive or negative. <br />
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A product is not the work of one person; these paintings are not just works of art from the artist. There's an entire production process that delivers these paintings from the artists canvas to our museums. There's a whole procedure that starts from the person buying that plain white piece, to the artists who paints, to his manager who sells it, to the producer that auctions it off to many different museums, and finally to the museum that displays it for us beautifully under the illuminating lights. <br />
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Why are these pieces of art considered magnificent million dollars works, while <a href="http://www.riotsound.com/Graffiti/art-gallery/">graffiti</a> is considered vandalism? Graffiti can be beautifully genius sometimes. Who’s to say one is better than the other? Who defined one as professional and the other as amateur? One can put graffiti in a frame and call themselves artists. If only graffiti artists would go that production process. <br />
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Why is this considered vandalism?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxvV6L8mIS36acQIj7EEOmiOE_ub_mkdZZqcV4NfTEjr7cHsJtHX2RxhgvDGb5CHznNaH8A4Pe98ePh7kOzZeh5v8dQRtBXwexZeQ8iz7XaQcWQae2rxhgfKRAHlnD6qF7olhlj_h4YY/s1600/graffiti-40.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxvV6L8mIS36acQIj7EEOmiOE_ub_mkdZZqcV4NfTEjr7cHsJtHX2RxhgvDGb5CHznNaH8A4Pe98ePh7kOzZeh5v8dQRtBXwexZeQ8iz7XaQcWQae2rxhgfKRAHlnD6qF7olhlj_h4YY/s320/graffiti-40.jpeg" /></a><br />
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While this is considered a million dollar piece of art?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXtUH84rSn23HbqM8VwTx1n5gYXBuvPiFp-Kj2hgK50YdE2wITlV6fx1-rZ4DxVisytawBayfoB15FpC9ambmPn1baBxxtqCeAtV4in7D1dd6TstfyMR1-E3y_gmlpCiIknipcdW6tHU/s1600/ridiculous+example.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXtUH84rSn23HbqM8VwTx1n5gYXBuvPiFp-Kj2hgK50YdE2wITlV6fx1-rZ4DxVisytawBayfoB15FpC9ambmPn1baBxxtqCeAtV4in7D1dd6TstfyMR1-E3y_gmlpCiIknipcdW6tHU/s320/ridiculous+example.jpg" /></a><br />
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What defines an objects status in society isn’t its quality, but its perception by the consumer. All art is a form of expression. They’re all equally culturally significant no matter how ridiculous or obscene one of them is thought to be. But when a certain producer wants to make a sale, they can change the objects image in the consumers’ minds. A splash of paint on a plain white canvas can be sold for ten million dollars, while a message about society or oppression expressed through graffiti is considered "garbage". <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0