A very interesting discussion about how societies framing of peoples has reflected shifting stereotypes throughout history was lead by GRF Sam Legasse in this Rose Cafe. It was interesting to hear about, as well as see, the way displays of culture have been reshaped and relabeled over time. One example of this was shown in a video of Josephine Baker as she performed in a jungle setting wearing a banana skirt and swinging from trees. The striking part of this performance was the instigation of societies stereotypes surrounding the idea of African primitivism. While Josephine Bakers performance can be view as a personal pursuit of fame and fortune it can also be viewed as a challenge of peoples view of peoples as modern versus primitive. We talked a lot about how this could also be a representation of a larger social trend. The movement to change stereotypes by taking ownership of them has proven to be very effective. When society imposes misconceptions on a group of people, if members of that group begin to claim the stereotype for themselves it loses its oppressive effect.

Another point of the discussion that stood out to me was the pictures of museum displays. This seemed like a commonplace thing at first but upon further discussion, I began to realize that the act of putting other peoples cultures on display plays into the societal tendency to impose stereotypes on facets of society. Viewing important and distinct cultural artifacts in this light influences the ideas we have about cultures that are modern and cultures that are primitive.