Integration of Cultural Aspects

I am finally becoming truly interested in my project as I have begun to read the article from Colleen McKown. The experience is becoming more personal and real in my eyes. Mckown has published a series of articles nearly all reporting from Mundgod in Karnataka, India. The three in which I have read cover topics such as farming, preserving culture, school, work and family. As I have thought about it throughout the day I have began to consider how this all fits together. Though all that I say may not be perfectly accurate I am going to make some assumptions combined with the information that I have learned from McKown’s published articles.

In 1959 the Tibetan people were forced out of Tibet. Many fled into India where they were guaranteed protection. As a result the Dalai Lama wanted to preserve some of the cultural traditions of Tibet while also acclimating to the new land. He directed the Tibetan refugees to learn how to farm and to farm organically, he asked for help by the CTA to set up schools, and set up communities in which Tibetan refugees could live and preserve culture. While this was all instated soon following their arrival in India times have changed since then. Money is not found in farming and herding like it was in Tibet. The rising generation is finding the need and the responsibility to support their families and gain an admirable education. While in the early 60’s, 70’s and 80’s farming was considered a sustainable job for the Tibetan refugees it isn’t any longer.

The younger generation realizes this and sees the need to be knowledgeable and become doctors, dentists and nurses. They want to see the world. They are accommodating their needs. Few of the older generations of the Tibetan refugees see the need to leave. They see leaving as a destruction of their culture. The few that don’t perceive it this way understand that the only way to truly support your family is to have at least one of your family members leave the community. One of the teachers that McKown mentions says that Tibetan culture will never die. The students in Mundgod show that they know the song, dance, debates, and poetry of their culture.

 I see this transition of rising generation being a benefit to the people. The Tibetan refugees will never forget their culture, where it comes from- who they are. My theory is that as children grow up, move away and get an education they will make their money, have a family, and when they get older and can support themselves they will return back to their Tibetan community.

As pertaining to my project I am predicting that I will see many younger children, older Tibetan refugees, and some unfortunate (poorer) individuals on the farms. I am assuming that the coming generation will be going to universities and colleges gaining a higher education or off in the city working a higher paying job than they would have in the community. I am excited to see how exactly all these aspects fit in to the culture in Bylakuppe.

Participant Observation

On Saturday Beau and I decided to go out to a restaurant to complete our participant observation assignment. We walked into the restaurant and I immediately noticed the many TVs scattered across the wall all playing the sports game. The lights were dimmed, shades half closed and blues and mainstream rock was playing in the background. There were beer advertisements on the walls, in the menus, and the servers made beer suggestions. Their "special" BBQ sauce was also advertised by placing bottles in perfect view upon entrance and in the menu. Red, blues, yellows, and black decorated the restaurant and small tin pails were used as light fixtures and decorations. I have been in many restaurants and worked at a few and I begin to realize how much the place caters to its customers.

For the assignment (seen above) I documented the place (Wingers), The actors (customers, waiters, manager, etc), and the activity (eating, socializing, serving). Though this is a very basic and common activity I began to realize things I probably would have never noticed. At one point our server brought our dessert without spoons and said that someone was washing them... 5 min later we finally got spoons. Our ice cream was partly melted and our mouths were salivating like crazy. I thought that as a server I would just go wash my own spoons for a customer and, not to mention, the team focus in the back said "dishes are everyones responsibility". I reality those things don't really bother me but it was neat to notice those kind of inconsistencies. It was neat to realize the differences between what Beau and I noticed. I payed quite a bit of attention to what servers were doing that they shouldn't do while Beau really looked at the atmosphere. In most of the situations I was able to understand what they were doing and draw pretty accurate conclusions but I can imagine that in a place and culture that is very different from ours it will be more difficult to make conclusions. I noticed that sometimes it is had to make observations about your own culture because we just do what we do and don't try to make sense of why we do things. It will be a different experience trying to figure out and ask with out drawing quick conclusions.
Working on the farm in Bylakuppe is most likely a different experience that it is here. I am interested to see how people work together and their theories on gardening. I am curious what part girls play on the farm and working in general vs. boys. I am imagining that observations may be easier there because it is different than what I am use to but conclusion may be much more difficult. I guess I shall find out.