Author Archives: Sriya Sunil

The Ethics of Food Production

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Walking into the talk by Keith Lemnios, CEO of Sun Coffee Roasters, I was not expecting a discussion about the ethics of coffee. Mr. Lemnios spoke a lot about the efforts made by his company to ensure that the farmers they worked with were paid fairly, that their children got a fair education and that the company had a low carbon footprint. Every time I got coffee at the dining hall, I never realized the amount of effort that had gone into cups that I often gulped down in a couple of minutes.

Often times, in a relatively food secure area, one does not think too much about the production of food. Agriculture is largely industrialized, to ensure the consistent availability of food. As a result, the production chain is clearly defined and the divisions of labor don’t often blend together: the producers, transporters, retailers are often separated and one can’t always trace the path of food down the entire chain.

The lack of visibility is a factor that influences unsustainable agriculture. In order to meet the demands of consumers, distributors often aim to make the subsequent process of retailing more effective by increasing availability of the product. More often than not, the increased efficiency is at the cost of another link in the production chain, usually the producers. In the case of coffee, this increased demand often results in problems with coffee farms: mostly unfair wages and issues with child labor.

However, this is not only limited to coffee. Unsustainable growth and labor exploitation is also seen in foods that have sharp, and sudden, increases in demand, like in the case of quinoa and other crops like that. These negative side effects are mostly possible due to the lack of transparency of production chains.

Companies have often tried to address these issues by providing alternatives to the conventional products of large food manufacturers. For example, companies like Hampton Creek market their plant-based cookies with statistics about the unsustainable mass production of cookies by large food companies. Other organizations like Fair Trade USA attempt to address the lack of transparency of the food industry by certifying food/food products that were produced ethically. Although this is not an efficient method to address the ethics of food production, it provides consumers with avenues to make responsible food choices.

Issues in Psychiatry

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On looking up A Beautiful Mind, I noticed a large number of articles that discussed the movie’s portrayal of mental disorders. While I cannot analyze the details of the portrayal of schizophrenia, there were other aspects about mental disorders portrayed in the movie that seemed entirely plausible.

The movie’s portrayal about Nash’s diagnosis was faithful to the true series of events. It’s slightly startling to find out that Nash’s schizophrenia was diagnosed pretty late in his life, when he was 32. It is alarming that there is the possibility that mental disorders can take a long time to be diagnosed or even noticed, if they ever are. Often times, the delay or inability to diagnose mental disorders is due to issues of reliability and accuracy with methods of diagnosis.

The primary method of diagnosing mental disorders is based on the psychiatrist forming opinions about the personal accounts of a patient, and perhaps corroborating the accounts with a secondary source like a parent or a partner. The individual’s account is also analysed in relation to guidebooks like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), that list the common conditions of disorders. The psychiatrist then makes a diagnosis based on the comparison of the paient’s account and the DSM.

Unfortunately, since this method depends on both the subjective account of a patient and the psychiatrist’s perception of the disorder, so it is often prone to a lack of reliability. A study by Cooper et al (1972) found that when watching the same videotaped clinical interviews, British psychiatrists diagnosed cases as depression while American psychiatrists diagnosed the same cases as schizophrenia.

Apart from the lack of reliability, another issue is that of accuracy. Historically, and even today to a lesser extent, the standard of mental health was/is erroneously conflated with a perceived statistical norm. Anything that was considered to be different from the masses would be regarded as ‘not normal’. For example, the DSM 1 and 2 listed homosexuality as a paraphilia and sexual orientation disturbance respectively. It was only around the late 1900s that homosexuality was removed from the DSM.

The field of psychiatry and the DSM have a troubled history. However, there is work going on to address the issues of reliability and accuracy in diagnosis. There is an attempt to study disorders from a more balanced perspective: by looking at biological, cognitive and socio-cultural aspect factors that affect mental health. Moreover, manuals like the DSM are continually being changed and updated to keep up with new findings in the field of psychology.

 

The Professor and His Students

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For some reason, I assumed that ‘The Professor: Tai Chi’s Journey West’ was a movie/biopic rather than a documentary. A few minutes in, I was pleasantly surprised, and found the rest of the documentary engaging.

Cheng Man-Ching moved to the U.S during the 1960s and started teaching Tai-Chi to students in New York City. Apart from being one of the first prominent Tai Chi teachers in the U.S, the documentary also highlighted The Professor’s acceptance and openmindedness. Despite protests from individuals, he never refused to teach anyone because of their background/identity. As a result, his class was diverse. The most striking aspect of the diversity was that between students who were focused on the martial arts aspect and those focused on the health benefits and the meditative aspect.

The Professor managed to create an environment where both groups of individuals were able to pursue their interests, as well as broaden their understanding about Tai Chi. During the documentary, a large number of students spoke out the class transformed their single-minded view of Tai Chi to something more complex and balanced. Moreover, The Professor often guided students according to their needs. One of the student’s mentioned that all of The Professor’s teaching’s were rooted in the philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism. However, The Professor’s method of teaching ensured that the student’s progress would not be limited by their direct comphrension of the philosophies. He guided his students according to their capabilities so that everyone had an equal opportunity to learn.

At the end of the documentary, The Professor’s class had a reunion at Maggie Newman’s birthday. Watching all of the individuals interact and connect after so many years is a testimony to the effect The Professor had on his class. He brought together individuals might not have interacted otherwise, and created a durable bond between them. Although the documentary chronicled the The Professor’s/class’s experience teaching/learning Tai Chi, the most memorable part was the relationship between The Professor and his students.

A Hidden Figures Curriculum

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Last Thursday, I attended the screening of Hidden Figures, followed by a discussion with Professor Kim Weeden. Although I knew the gist of the story, I refrained from reading about it online because I wanted to watch the movie before reading a synopsis/review. Post-movie, I was curious about the the real people behind them.I read more about all three women: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. In addition, I read about the movie itself.

Although Hidden Figures did not win any Oscars, it has gotten recognition greater than a couple of awards. For one, Hidden Figures was the highest-grossing Best Picture Nominee.Additionally, Twentieth Century Fox, in partnership with Journeys in Film (a non-profit) and the USC Rossier School of Education, plans to design a free syllabus (Which includes complementary copies of the movie) with eight lessons based on the film. The curriculum is said to include lessons on the context surrounding the film: segregation, the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement. Although movies are often played in classes, this is one of the first times that I have heard of a film studio commissioning a curriculum based on a movie.

On further thought, it seemed like a really good idea. When I first watched the movie, I was engrossed in the narrative. Internally, I cheered on at every win for the three women and was annoyed at the fictional characters that embodied various racial and sexist prejudices. I was so invested in the plot and the subsequent happy ending that my curiosity, after the movie, extended only to the three women, and I did not think much further about the context of the story.

I feel like the curriculum is a good way to encourage greater analysis. It stops the audience (At least the students that might take lessons in this curriculum) from disengaging with the narrative after the movie is over. It also provokes reflection on aspects of the movie other than the plot, like subtext and so on.

Parallels between Beyond The Thunderdome and Fury Road

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Mad Max: Beyond The Thunderdome is the second Mad Max movie that I’ve watched, the first one being Fury Road. Although I preferred Fury Road, I found both of the movies interesting because of the similarities that they shared. Granted, it was probably Fury Road that was inspired/loosely based off  Beyond The Thunderdome.

Both the movies are set in a desolate, desert area, where water and fuel is cherished. Both have a dictatorial leader, who literally lives above the rest of their populaces. In Fury Road, Immortal Joe lived in a rocky cliff above everyone else. He controlled resources of water that he showered from above, based on his mood. In Beyond The Thunderdome, Auntie Entity also lives above everyone else, in a house lifted on stilts. Although she doesn’t shower water like Immorten Joe, she too is in a position of great privilege.

Another interesting parallel was the idea of ‘labelling’ human beings. In Beyond The Thunderdome, we notice that a man is marked as a ‘Pig Killer’, because he tried to feed his family by stealing a pig. Similarly, in Fury Road, once Max is captured, he too is tattooed to be a ‘human blood bag’. Furiosa too had a mark on the nape of her neck.

The plots of the movies also shared similarities. In Beyond the Thunderdome, Savannah calls out to the group of children to signal that she found someone. In Fury Road, Valkyrie also calls out to the Vulvalini of Many Mothers. In both movies, the calls signified important changes in the plot. In Fury Road, Furiosa meets the Many Mothers and later discovers that she was taken from them as a child. In Beyond The Thunderdome, Max meets the abandoned children who he decides to help.

Both movies shared many similarities, almost so that watching them in succession could almost feel repetitive. In both movies, Max is portrayed as the saviour, who never gets gets saved. At the end of both movies, Max’s story line is ended abruptly, leaving the audience unaware of his future plight. This would probably allow greater freedom for the production of sequels.

The Green Revolution

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As a food science major, I was very interested in the work of Jane Zeigelman. Her talk about food during The Great Depression was extremely informative, especially the information about Flora Rose’s role in quantifying and standardising the food system across the US.

Although the Great Depression required a great deal of innovation in the way we handle food, there is another related aspect that helped with managing the food system during the 1930s: the Green Revolution. As the name may indicate, the revolution is linked with plants or to be more specific, agriculture. The revolution, which lasted till the 1960s, was a period of intense scientific inquiry into increasing the efficiency of agriculture.

In specific, scientists advocated the development and use of high-yield varieties of cereal crops (Which were an integral part of nutrition during the 1930s). More importantly, it focused on the use of nitrogen fertilisers to boost crop growth and reduce the time required till harvest. Although the Green Revolution was undoubtedly important is establishing food security in the early 20th century, it is also partially responsible for environmental and economic concerns that plague the current food industry.

The use of fertilisers was promoted ever since the Green Revolution, however it lead to an accumulated pollution of water bodies, creating an unsafe ecosystem. The commercialisation of high yield crops has lead to the development of companies like Monsanto, that have a monopoly on the market for seeds . Another issue would be that the increased output is harmful to the farmers themselves as it reduces the cost of the crop and the subsequent revenue for the farmer.

Quantifying the food industry has been very useful in maintaining a secure food supply. However, it left the food industry in an area of monotony: vast monocultures and processed foods composed entirely of a few cereals and so on. As a result, a big challenge that currently faces the food and agriculture industry is sustainability and diversity.

Silhouettes

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The new works of art in the dining hall are striking for numerous reasons: the immense detail, contrast in colour and interesting subjects. Last Wednesday, I was fortunate to meet artist, Nicholas Carbonaro.

The event provided an opportunity to view the art without the usual bustle of the dining hall. Up till the event, there were two pieces that usually caught my attention: the one of the cat (With two different sized eyes) and the other of a man (the artist, it’s a self portrait) with a cat. However, during the event, I was drawn to a painting, Silhouettes, at the edge of the entire exhibition.

Like the name suggests, the painting consisted of a group of silhouettes, each of a different colour. While the other pieces were more detailed and bold, Silhouettes was more abstract and soft. The edges in the painting were gentle, and the colours were not in violent contrast with each other. Overall, I found it to be the most unique piece in the entire collection.

Later, I got an opportunity to speak to Mr. Carbonaro about Silhouettes. I learnt that Silhouettes was an early work of his, which was also the reason it was so different. Moreover, the painting was meant to represent group dynamics, which was added greater meaning to the piece.

With careful observation, one could notice that the two figures in the center of the group appear to be to in close contact, almost joined together. Around them, there are a bunch of figures that are trying to ‘fit in’ with the duo, some more successful than the others. For example, there is a figure that is next to the group but blends in with the background (Since that particular silhouette and the background share similar colours). This could be representative of how individuals may feel left out, despite being ‘a part of a group’. Another figure appears to be reaching in from outside the frame to join the group, but appears to be unsuccessful. Like this, one could assign roles to each of the silhouettes, to make the painting representative of emotions attached to social interactions.

It’s interesting because one could identify with each of those roles at different points in life or during different interactions. Although that painting came from a personal experience, it was something that I could connect with and reflect upon. For me, this was the highlight of the evening. Although often overlooked, art is an important aspect of our lives because it provides insight and allows us to reflect upon collective experiences.

The Right to Choose

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Last Friday, the screening of ‘They Call Me Muslim’ was an insight into the lives of two Muslim women in France and Iran, and their views on the hijab. In the context of growing Islamophobia, this issue gains greater relevance as the hijab becomes a more conspicuous part of clothing.

Both women had largely different experiences: one lived in a theocracy while the other in a democracy. However, they were both faced with issues that challenged their freedom of choice and agency. Today, it appears as though political forces view the hijab as a symbol of Islam as opposed to an article of clothing.

In the case of France, the singular ban on the hijab, and not other religious objects, could be viewed as a repercussion of the growing Islamophobia over the past years. In Iran, the enforcement of the hijab could be viewed as the agenda of a theocratic government. In neither case, does the ban/enforcement of the hijab make individuals more or less Muslim.

These laws are attempts to define public spaces according to a dominant voice in the system, denying the women their freedom of choice and agency. Often times, measures like these are aimed at women rather than men. This is evident in both cases, as political entities dictate what women should or should not wear. The issue with the hijab is a religious aspect of a general larger discourse that attempts to characterize people by the type of clothes they wear (Slut shaming, etc).

Polarisation

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As an international student, the Rose Café with Dr. Enns was very informative. My knowledge about the election process and general politics in the U.S was gleaned from the most recent, and unusual, election cycle.

A large part of the talk was spent on the polarisation of the voting population. As I’ve been told, this cycle, unlike others, saw greater divide and strife. The mud slinging at higher levels of the political sphere (Mainly between candidates), trickled down to the average voter, creating a general atmosphere of spite. Suddenly, party affiliation became an integral part of identities.

The polarisation between the two parties reached the point that there were caricatures of voters who supported either party: the racist Trump supporter or the elitist Clinton voter.

As someone who was sided with Clinton, I too was a part of this polarization. I still strongly believe that Trump’s presidency is awful, and can cause terrible harm to a great number of people. Moreover, another important issue that empowers that Trump presidency is the lack of bipartisanship.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate is Republican, with an alt-right President in charge. It’s clear that the Democratic Party has only a small amount of influence the next four years. If anything, it’s a flaw in the system that it fails to ensure that there is a fair representation of both parties in the government. It’s hard for a system to progress if both halves continually work against each other.

It’s important to focus on ‘Zones of Acquiescence’ where both parties can work to the benefit of all people, and not marginalise any group of individuals. Right now, the protests are (And will continue to be) a powerful tool to ensure that the political discourse isn’t one-sided.

The Accomplishment of Gender

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I’ve watch Fight Club numerous times. It’s one of those movies where you always find something new. The first time I watched Fight Club, I didn’t notice any of the tricks in the cinematography or any other nuances. The second time over, I started to notice hints early on in the movie that Edward Norton’s character (Now referred to as the Protagonist) had created an ‘alter ego’ named Tyler Durden. On this occasion, the movie’s portrayal of gender caught my attention.

By looking at the Protagonist’s pattern of behavior, it is clearly evident that Fight Club functions to ‘accomplish gender’. Initially, the Protagonist used to visit support groups, under the false pretense of being ill. The support groups were areas where the Protagonist could be emotional without fearing potential judgment from a society where crying may be viewed as a threat to manliness. Later on, the Protagonist stops going to support groups, and focuses on Fight Club instead.

Fight Club, is in itself a representation of toxic/hyper masculinity. During their meetings, members of Fight Club cheer on as two men fight until one taps out, conceding the other’s victory. Victory, in this sense, is neither cash nor a prize. Rather, these fights function as a proclamation of masculinity, in which the members may find catharsis.

In this way, the movie highlights how gender is a dynamic concept: something that can be ‘accomplished’ by actions and behavior. Another crucial aspect of gender is appearance. For example, Bob was a man who had developed breasts due to complications with testicular cancer. During one of the support group sessions, Bob says to the Protagonist that, ‘We’re still men’. For Bob, participating in Fight Club was a way to reclaim his masculinity while dealing with changes with his body.

There are countless other examples which could be linked to gender. Overall, this movie highlights the social construction of gender and the dangers that arise from trying to use a dichotomy to categorize human behavior.