Having fled the cold of the north I am writing this post in the comfortable shade of the sunny retirement haven of Yuma Arizona visiting my parents. A few recent thoughts and experiences have converged which I would like to reflect on. Last week Conrad Grebel College in Waterloo hosted its annual School for Ministers. The keynote speaker was Duke University’s newly minted professor of homiletics. He talked at length about the foolishness of both the Gospel and also the foolishness of preaching. He drew his inspiration from court jesters and holy fools. He spoke about those risky and vulnerable people who turned ideas and norms on their head. These were people who had no ‘real’ power and so they subverted power through creative resistance. Overturning dominant ideas and cultures is also, partially, the theme of Michel de Certeau’s The Practice of Everyday Life which I have just begun to read. In his introduction de Certeau introduces what he calls rhetorical tactics. He refers specifically to the Sophists who were known for making the ‘weaker’ position appear ‘stronger’. In his book as I understand it de Certeau will analyze the different manners of ‘consuming’ in relation to dominant and marginal expressions. What I think he means by this is how we appropriate and re-appropriate our culture’s ‘raw materials’. De Certeau looks to the indigenous people’s response to Spanish colonizers as an example.
“Submissive, and even consenting to their subjection, the Indians [sic] nevertheless often made of the rituals, representations, and laws imposed on them something quite different from what their conquerors had in mind; they subverted them not be rejecting or altering them, but by using them with respect to ends and references foreign to the system they had no choice but to accept.”
There always remain subtle but potentially powerful expressions within our ability. Our context and circumstances furnish a particular environment that we cannot always change but how we appropriate these raw materials is always a negotiation. We are able to create worlds within worlds.
2 comments:
interesting post. Rachel and (I just returned from the heart of the other US retirement mecca, fort myers, fl. her parents rented a condo for the 2 months and we went to visit and (try to) do our own thing! I can definitely see the parody of places like these. the patrons that frequent these areas expect it to cater to a certain group of people, and is, to a certain extent, a show for that particular group.
For instance, Rachel and I like to try new restaurants, especially when travelling. of course, that is alittle hindered when you are visiting as well - we would ask about restaurants her parents liked or had found, and all we got was a rundown of sports bars a, b and c - they are there, the same as that bordertown, because the people (for the most part) who visit there want everything the same. the locals know the expectations they are supposed to live upto, in order to perpetuate the business and the real, behind-the-show community. regardless, it was fun!
Also, whenever I read/here Yuma AZ I think of damien jurado, and the song of the same name starts playing in my head (i really liked that song, so thanks, haha)
Cool post. Quite interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Cartography
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