Our strand encouraged us to challenge the in group and out group mentality pervading amongst nations. This nationalistic attitude marks separation and divide that seeps into consciousness of individuals and societies. Ben Aitken inspired us to challenge our personal interpretations of how the media spread information about the migrant crisis. Amongst media driven incentives and digital aggressiveness conformity to polar ends of the scale brings about division. From Homo erectus to Homo Sapiens to Homo Erasmas, a term coined by Erasmas himself, we are citizens of the world and must look to this wider framework and outlook to establish peace within our global communities. Adopting this outlook encourages us to develop mechanisms of compassion and cultivate sympathies that widen amnesty. Gently captivating the whole hall of students, Ben so eloquently read excerpts from his book, narrating his experiences and travels to Poland. I specifically loved the anecdote Ben told of being thrown into teaching English in Poland without any knowledge of Polish. He was instantly looked upon as ‘dumb’ and ‘stupid’ for not even knowing native tongue. Alongside developing insight into the ties and depth of Bulgarian, this strand has strengthened my awareness for the power that language offers. When approaching people in the Bulgarian areas we visited, having insight into the language allowed for true engagement. Language is a portal to the soul.
Ben’s talk was followed by an illuminating talk by Zora Kostadinova on Ethnographic approaches to approaching strangers. Taking influence from Anthropology, the study of ethnography is an effective tool and methodology or documenting people’s life worlds. Ethnographic analysis is a main entrance to studying culture and ways of being. Zora ran through a linear history of ethnographic usage, from Malinowski’s observation of Trobriand Islanders to Geertz ethnographic analysis of Balinese cockfighting. Both Anthropologists use ethnographic analysis to unpack the meaning of culture. As noted by Geertz, cultural analysis is intrinsically incomplete and the deeper you go the less complete it is.
People are caught between the sense of being home and negotiating their set place for establishing a sense of belonging. This concept we carried into our group trip to Walthamstow Central to Déjà vu garden and bakery. Upon the high-street sat a wooden paneled pattern ladled collection of Bulgarian supermarket, café, restaurant, hairdresser, nail bar and bakery. We spoke with Sophie who worked in the bakery. Having spent her childhood years in Bulgarian she has moved to London with her mother and sister. We truly immersed ourselves in in the essence of this square.
European London 