Take Home Final Paper

Chuck Zink

12/17/09

Final Take Home Exam

Dr. Greene

Based upon the readings and findings discussed in Y. Dubalin's article “A City in a Building: Paris Subversions” and Multiplicity's “Home Factories: Elche Disseminations,” it becomes clear that a transformation taking place in the differentiation of domestic and work spheres in the cities of Paris, France and Elche, Spain. These cities have created a new type of cultural and individual hybrid identity for not only for the city itself but most importantly, the people living in these areas. In “A City in a Building: Paris Subversions” Chinese migrants in Paris have transformed the hotel “Les Olympiades” into its own completely function city. The building was constructed in the early 1970's, selling individual units with a capacity of 16,000 people. This real estate investment proved to be a failure in only a few months. However, in 1974 a group of Southeast Asian refugees began to inhabit the vacant units for reduced prices. Eventually being the majority living in the building, many began the process creating this community with in one complex. In Multiplicity's “Home Factories: Elche Disseminations,” the booming shoe industry established there has moved beyond the confines of a single factory. The industry is now taking on woman to work in their homes causing the work to no longer be concentrated in a one area, but spread throughout the entire city.

These actions have had a considerable impact on the people who inhabit both the “Les Olympiades” and the people of Elche, Spain. The Chinese migrants into France have taken on a complex task of creating a 'Real Chinatown' as described by Wang Shixiong, who came from China in 1976 and now a restaurant manager in this community. Transforming the building into three distinct areas, underground levels for storage, ground levels house places of employment, restaurants and pagodas, while keeping the upper levels for living, small workshops and places of worship, it truly is as described, 'a city in a building.' They have completely reworked the original intend of these buildings and given it new meaning by negotiating both their domestic life and their work life inside one facility. The process of negotiating the two is however balanced and supported by the lay out of the building, keeping living areas above and out of disruption from the work spaces. Living in the same building as being employed in, there is no doubt a constant reminder to these people of their work, which could overlap into a the domestic sphere resulting in unhappiness with this type of arrangement. This is one possible disadvantage to living life inside of this type of complex and has the possibility to viewed as isolationist, stunting cultural growth or exposure. With many immigrants coming to this area in the hope of opportunity, they continue to find more abandoned buildings to transform into small cities. This continued migration, in a hope to be a part of one of these independent communities, also alters the physical landscapes of this area in Paris. It gives the city this identity of hybridization and welcoming conceptions of the new, both in physical appearance and in cultural influence.

This hybrid identity is taken into a slightly different world when deal with Multiplicity's “Home Factories: Elche Disseminations.” Meaning that his shift in identity is only applied to woman of this area. They are now in the work force of their husbands and sons, who continue to have a a separation domestic and work life. The long established shoe industry of the area have employed the woman to work in their homes, thus giving the woman the further task of negotiating their work and domestic lives in the same building. Immediately an overlap of responsibility, which could be for many, too much to handle. However, it also calls upon the women of the area to be more than a repressed housewife for the very first time. We now begin to see a melding together of the two spheres, both with woman taking care of children as they sow, but with shoes stacks on front door ways and patios. This changes the landscape of the area, making it seem more centered on commerce and material production. Home become more like small factories, with machinery added to living room. As stated in the Multiplicity article, “Assembly and the final touches are no longer carried out with a single manufacturing building, but a network of production points that embrace the entire city.” (Multiplicity, 151) Through the choice to work in the homes, the woman of Elche are changing the physical and urban landscape of the city by creating a need for increased movement of materials through the street. The article goes on to discuss how the city is connected by white vans, moving between production points, therefore giving an identity of increased connectivity and reliability, especially on the part of the women. This could be viewed as an advantage or disadvantage of this type of negotiating. The employment of women in homes will get more work done and create a better domestic economy for the area, but it also forces a kind of dependency on the part of the women, who is already negotiating her professional and personal life.

Take Home Final Exam

Street view: Elche




Street View: Les Olympiades


Above Elche


Above Les Olympiades

Group Blog Post Explaining our Presentation

It lies in the political and cultural effects of border establishment that allows us an understanding of what is felt inside the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. (Nicholas Meyer/1991/U.S.) In this film, we see the possible demise of The United Federation of Planets most formidable adversary, and the moral dilemma of lending a helping hand. I of course am referring to the Klingons. With the destruction of the Klingon's primary energy production facility, they no longer are able to maintain their empire with out assistance. Their only help lies in their long time enemy, the United Federation of planets. Many in the Federation fear the Klingon influence inside their space and don't want to offer them assistance, it would mean the destruction of their border called the Neutral Zone. The entire film deals specifically with the struggle of Klingon integration in federation culture and the reluctance of both sides to end hostility and over come cultural differences. The 2008 film Frozen River presents its viewers with an interesting study of what a border signifies and how it functions in our modern world. The film deals with the St. Lawrence River, an iced-over body of water dividing Canada and Upstate New York. This border is encompassed by a Mohawk Indian Reservation and is used to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States. The film plays with the permeability of this much-ignored border and forces its viewers to contemplate and interpret for themselves what truly constitutes a divide between nations and their people. In exploring the European side of the spectrum, Julien references Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, a film essentially documenting the decline of Italian aristocracy. Julien combines these elements from both cultures and focuses not so much on the border itself, but rather the difficulty of leaving home and relocating to a new place. Isaac Julien uses multiple projections, essentially three separate images beside one another. This creates a separation between the European and African cultures, however, Julien combines elements of both in order to emphasize the themes of globalization, cultural hybridity, and migration. Isaac Julien documents the African migrant’s struggle to cross the Mediterranean Sea, which serves as a “border” between Northern Africa and Italy. All of these examples from our presentation on the 'border' serve as an examination of globalization and cultural hybridity through a combination of traditional cinematic references and the “art” film.

Case Study: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Here is my essay on how the Film Star Trek VI demonstrates the idea of the Border and how cultures are effect by the establishment of a border.

Case Study: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The concept of the border has long been a very interesting and hot topic in a lot of contemporary art forms. The border is not only defined as a physical separation between two nations, such as the Mexican/American border, but also has very deep social manifestations. The presence of a physical border separating nations as a critical impact on how a foreign culture is viewed through the eyes of a nation with different cultural practices and values. Frequently, false ideas or impressions begin to develop inside a nation's cultural and political consciousness about foreign cultures. This results in increased security measures around a nation's border caused by fear of change or the unknown. Also, the desire to keep a nation's homogeneous state in tact and free from outside cultural or political ideas. These homogeneous practices' present a problem. They in fact, make border crossing more intense. With an increased amount of security, there is also a rise in the amount illegal attempts to get across a border. It lies in the political and cultural effects of border establishment that allows us an understanding of what is felt inside the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. (Nicholas Meyer/1991/U.S.) In this film, we see the possible demise of The United Federation of Planets most formidable adversary, and the moral dilemma of lending a helping hand. I of course am referring to the Klingons.

The film begins with the destruction of the Klingon's principle energy production facility, due to over mining and insufficient safety precautions on their planet's moon called Praxsis. As Mr. Spock describes, “this of course means the breakdown of their ozone, and we believe they will have depleted their supply of oxygen in approximately 50 earth years.” For 100 years however, the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been sworn enemies. The federation is based on exploration. With the need to 'seek out new life and new civilizations,' in the hope of spreading peace throughout the galaxy. The Klingon's however, are a military dictatorship, taking what they want by force. Conquering worlds , turning populations into slaves. Due to the enormous military budget, the Klingon's don't have the resources to improve their situation. Facing annihilation, the Federation have ability to help. 100 years of fighting and the establishment of a 'neutral zone,' which is the border between their territories, cause many in the federation to believe the Klingons should be brought to their knees. Shown perfectly in the start of the film, the Federation high council meet and discuss what should be done. Obviously, there is an intense hatred of the Klingons present and many of these high officials are in fact, afraid of what allowing Klingons in federation space would mean. Specifically, no more neutral zone. As Admiral Cartwright states so perfectly, “to offer Klingons a safe haven inside Federation space would be suicide. The Klingons would become the alien trash of the galaxy. The opportunity here, is to bring them to their knees.” These are also the feelings of Captain James T. Kirk, whose son was murdered by Klingons. Unknown to him, Mr. Spock as committed Captain Kirk to be the first mediator in this developing peace. Kirk contests by stating, “The Klingons have never been trust worthy. Let Them Die.” Demonstrating perfectly what the expanding ideas of the federation, their globalization, has done to their ability to help an aiding species. This is a true example what Clarie Fox writes in her article entitled “The Portable Border.” Stating, “As a phenomenological theory, the border was something that people carried within themselves, in addition to being an external factor structuring their perception.” (62). No more neutral zone means the dismantlement of all the Federation starbases along the border. Petrifying to the many inside the federation and in the Klingon Empire. Unsure of what these peace talks will lead to, officials of both governments conspire together to assassinate the Chancellor Gorgon. The leader of the empire is assassinated while being escorted to Earth by Captain Kirk and the Enterprise. The circumstances however, frame Kirk for the murder. This speaks to the process of globalization occurring inside both governments.

Progressing forward, a sequence in which both the crew of the Enterprise and the visiting Klingon delegation dine on board the Enterprise, is shocking to both crews. A detailed visual emphasis of the Enterprise crew reacting to Klingons behavior. Sitting around one giant table with Kirk and Gorgon on opposite ends, our crews sit face to face. The sequence is designed to show how the neutral zone separation of cultures has effected how these people view each other and just what is acceptable behavior. Confused Klingons picking up the napkins and eating utensils and looking at the curiously, as they've never seen these before. Disgust overwhelms the faces of Commander Uhrua and Doctor McCoy watching Klingons eat by simply picking up the food with their hands with full mouths. The scene bares a striking resemblance to the ballroom scene in Luchino Visconti's The Leopard. As described by Martina Kudlacek in her interview with Issac Julien:

“Of course, that ballroom is the main space where the Visconti film takes place, which is a very famous, very long scene [in which the prince host a celebration for his upstart nephew and the nephew's commoner fiancée, symbolizing the end of the old order.]”(75)

This dinner between the two parties is the beginning of the new order in the galaxy. Dr. McCoy makes a toast to that effect saying, “To you Chancellor Gorgon, one of the architects of our future,” showing the attempt to get past these social differences.

As we see these subtle cultural differences, the discussion that is taking place is one of great importance. Mentioned by one of the Chancellors cabinet member, General Chang, who is also one of the conspirators against the peace movement, regarding Shakespeare. Specifically, the line from Hamlet “To be or not to be.” Chang believes this what Klingon's face and the future of their culture inside federation space. Another Klingon aid adds to this discussion by saying, “We know where all this is leading, the annihilation of our culture.” Though immediately disputed by Dr. McCoy seated across from this particular aid, he is not convinced. This one line spoken by the aid is ultimately what Guillermo Gomez -Pena writes in his essay “On the other side of the Mexican Mirror.” This essay is about his time in southern California after crossing the Mexican-American border. His presence was in it self an act of protest. It speaks also to American naivety regarding other races and how we are so removed from the idea of cultural hybridity. He writes:

“We simply couldn't escape our marked bodies. Being a Mexican “alien” in southern California meant to wake up everyday and choose to remain so by consciously performing our Mexicanness. Whether we like it or not, consciously or not, we became part of a culture resistance. Just to look “Mexican” or speak Spanish in public was itself an act of political defiance. Walking the lonely streets of southern California often entailed the possibility of being harassed or even busted by the police.”(7)

The Klingons feel that they will become exactly what Guillermo is describing, meaningless. Their culture being repressed while their presence would be under constant scrutiny from the authorities. That feeling is brought forward again after the delegation leaves the ship, the enterprise crew begin to speak of just how shocked they are. Mr. Scott mutters, “Thank God,” as Uhrua shouts out “Did you see the way they eat.” These cultural effects transforming cultural identities are true of how the Klingon's view the federation as well. The daughter of chancellor Gorgon states in the dinner scene, “Human, the very name is racist. The federation has become nothing more than a homo-sapiens only club.” From the outside looking in, the federation aren't always seen as the good guys.

This film takes what we have been taking about in class and adapts it to a completely new plain of realization. The film was a social commentary at the time about the fall of the Soviet Union and how after 75 years of being on the brink of nuclear war, how the American and Russian cultures were beginning to see eye to eye. That wasn't an easy change for both culture and indeed there are still many factors that prevent our cultures from coming together, mainly the American political imperialism and the unwillingness to change out cultural values because we believe that we are the greatest nation on this planet. This is so incredibly naive to hold as political thought, and as Chancellor Gorgon states after quietly listening to the arguments of his staff and the crew of the enterprise at dinner, “Well, I see we still have a long way to go.” By the end of the film, change is accepted throughout both governments and a feeling that the future isn't one of a homogeneous community. It is one of total embrace for the unknown.

Group Project: Borders-Star Trek VI: The Undsicovered Country

Here are a few images from Star Trek VI that speak to the idea's of Globalization, border deconstruction and the ability to except cultural change.


















Here we see the first meeting of the Klingon peace delegation on board the Enterprise. We see through the body language, a level of increased discomfort and apprehension on the part of both parties.





This is the first gathering and the example of the new order of the galaxy being established. Here we see both crews sitting down to dinner, with the Klingon never having had to eat with utensils before. The reactions of the crew of the Enterprise as they watch the Klingon's eat with their hands, shoving food into their faces are a testament to how these two cultures differ and how they have a long journey of acceptance a head of them.





This is the trailer for the film, which was released in 1991. At that time, the writers Lenord Nimoy and Nicholas Meyer were making a commentary on the fall of the Soviet Union and what that meant to the state of the world after almost 75 years of tension between the Soviets and The US. The trailer demonstrates has elements of the apprehension and fear on the part of the federation to allow Klingon's safety inside their territory and also how that tension and fear are dealt with by both Humans and Klingons. ENJOY!

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