Dean in On the Road calls this “it”.  He is constantly on the move to find “it”.  He leaves his wife several times, his children and friends to find this never reaching it. Mona finds herself in potentially stable situations. She finds herself at a farm and the man offers his trailer to stay and part of his field to grow potatoes. Instead of taking him up on his offer she rejects working, and he eventually kicks her out.  Despite the fact that the farmer cannot understand her, he still can admit that she is freer then he is.

Mona is intelligent even though she has not finished school.  Interestingly she tells the farmer who has a Masters that if she had an education she would not be working at a farm.  However Mona has dropped out of school.  While it is obvious she is a smart girl, she rejects traditional schooling and the social constraints placed on her. Despite that she is charming and even though she is homeless she is captivating to those she encounters. Dean also rejects school even though he does have a love of learning, particularly philosophy that he learns mostly from his friends. Sal, who is educated, rejects settled life numerous times to run off with Dean.  Dean is unreliable and many times selfish, however people like to be around him. There appears to be a motif of while rejecting traditional schooling and social norms one can still be a leader and someone that people are drawn to.

Mona seems to also share with Dean this discomfort to being vulnerable.  The only real emotion Mona displays is when she falls into the ditch.  She finally breaks down and cries before she freezes to death.  Dean likewise has difficulties showing true emotion to the point he pushes most of his friends away.  This inability to really reach out to others can cause some to become extremely introverted and make it harder for them to relate to others.  Mona says bits and pieces that indicate that she had a difficult time with her family life.  The fact this is not spelled out in the film is quite effective.  One never truly knows why a person chooses the path that they take.  The people who reflect on their encounter with Mona only scrape the surface of the young woman. “Over and above Varda’s classic narrative/documentary ambiguities, however, Vagabond brilliantly reverses ingrained habits both of viewing images and of experiencing narrative” (ibid).   Sometimes what the others remember may contradict what really was going on with the young woman.  Dean was always seeking his father (who they never find I the book). Since Sal is the narrator, we never really what is going on in Dean’s head.  We can only make assumptions.  The story of Mona leaves us with so many questions.  Did she have a such a bad life at home that she would risk her life to be homeless?  Perhaps it’s more to that.  Perhaps Mona was simply seeking to be free.  Her need to keep moving, like Dean’s, overrode anything else.  This need to be free was more powerful then having relationships or a home.  Perhaps it wasn’t just running away, but running toward something.  Nether characters ever find “it”.  But maybe the journey itself is “it”.

Works Cited

Brown, Royal. “Disc and Tape Reviews.” Cineaste, 23.4 (1998): 56-57.

Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. New York, N.Y: Viking, 2007.

The anti-globalization movement has often appeared as a disorganized movement that has nearly no impact on globalization.  Reality indicates otherwise.  While some facets of the anti-globalization movement are indeed disorganized, much of the movement is becoming more organized and therefore gaining more influence.  Not all of the parts of the anti-globalization movement are the same.  Indeed all parts of the movement vary in its’ degree of radicalization.[1] The focus of the debate also varies as Mark Rupert discovers in his book Ideologies of Globalization: Contending visions of a New World Order. The increasing effects of globalization are now leading to more debate.[2] The debates have forced policy makers while still advocating for globalization, to look at and find solutions for the potential negative consequences.

The movement has experienced difficulty in building significant momentum due to its’ overwhelming diversity.[3] The amount of separate groups concentrating on different aspects of globalization makes it hard to construct a cohesive unit that can make immediate impacts.[4] However the increasing visibility of these groups, particularly in the anti-WTO protests in Seattle in 1999 have pushed their agendas in the public eye and onto policy makers bargaining tables. [5] Bill Clinton in the light of all the anti-globalization sentiments began to express a desire to have “globalization with a human face.”[6] By listening to the concerns of some of the anti-globalization groups he sought to address their issues and therefore making the process of globalization more humane and more beneficial to more people.

Many anti-Globalizations are characterized by the political antics of Pat Buchanan. However in the Seattle protests, Buchanan’s presence was not particularly noted.[7] There are many anti-globalization groups and their emphasis greatly varies.  In the United States, many grass root groups employ conspiracy theories regarding globalization.[8] Using Sen. Joseph McCarthy as inspiration, anything that is bad that happens to the United States is due to outside forces.  These outside forces wish to push the United States to become part of “international socialism.”[9] Another group, the Liberty Lobby and its’ founder William Carto, seem to utilize anti-Semitism and different interpretations of history in its battle against globalization.[10] Radical members of White Supremist groups use blatant racist rhetoric to express their concerns.  They advise that globalization only diminishes the White American citizen and puts them at the same level as for instance Mexicans.[11]

While these issues by some radicalized far right groups seem out dated and irrelevant, Mark Rupert cautions that these groups are merely responding to an extreme social climate change.[12] Responses to globalization can be seen in other parts of the world.  In Asia there are many groups that rebel against globalization.  One of the more radical groups exists in the Philippines.  The Communist party and the New People’s party were established in1968 and were successful in overthrowing President Estrada.[13] The strength of these groups ironically comes from their countries affiliation with the Unite States. The Philippine immigrants work together in groups such as the People of the Philippines to fight for and against various causes.[14] Other groups such as the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace were vocal against the United States in its attack on Iraq. The group fights against what they feel resembles modern day imperialism.[15] Other groups such as the Mumbai Resistance 2004, Against Imperialist Globalization and War or (MR) market themselves as “revolutionary Marxists” and criticized Non Governmental Organizations (NGOS) as being simply puppets of imperialistic entrepreneurs.[16]

Rupert sees the anti-globalization as not static, but rather a “transformative process.”[17] The movement while experiencing difficulties in unifying, globalization itself assists in its development.  Even Thomas Freidman, a globalization enthusiasts, acknowledges that globalization will bring with it animosity.[18] Friedman suggests that for those who can keep up, globalization is a marvelous phenomenon, but for those whom cannot, globalization will simply leave behind.[19] Those who feel alienated by globalization either here in the States or overseas must be engaged so that we can develop a fairer system.  Anti-Globalization movements keep those rushing up front honest, and beg for more accountability.  For the system to work, the issues brought up by these movements must be addressed, or we face the possibility that the system can blow up in our faces.

Works Cited

Artner, Annamaria “Anti-globalization movements: the developments in Asia” Contemporary Politics, Vol 10 September-December 2004 243-255

Friedman, T.  The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization, New York: Anchor Books. 2000

Rupert, M. Ideologies of Globalization: Contending Visions of a New World Order, London and New York: Routledge. 2000

[2] Rupert 2000 pg. 65

[3] Friedman 2000 pg. 334

[4] Ibid

[5] Rupert pg. 149

[6] Rupert pg. 143

[7] Rupert pg. 151

[8] Rupert pg. 97

[9] Ibid

[10] Rupert pg. 103

[11] Rupert pg. 106

[12] Rupert pg. 96

[13] Artner pg. 244

[14] Ibid

[15] Artner pg. 249

[16] Artner pg. 253

[17] Rupert pg. 133

[18] Friedman pg. 338

[19] Friedman pg. 343

The issues of Globalization in less developed parts of the world such as Africa come from a long history of reckless colonialism from the West. This long history has understandably created a climate of distrust among nations in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.  Globalization has been equated with Westernism, particularly Americanism and modern day colonialism.  Many argue that the inequality of the world is the direct result of neocolonialism or neoimperialism, which is unequal trade, practices that also the less developed countries to be exploited. [1]These among other problems cause developing countries to fall behind in the market and become poorer. This is problematic for the West.  While it becomes more prosperous, parts of the South become more improvised. This inequality of the world will inevitably create conflict and unrest in the world.

John Olshola Magbadelo warns that since institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank were created by the West to promote Western interests, it is impossible for these institutions to really understand how to help less developed nations.[2] Western nations still view non-Western nations as inferior and not capable of making their own decisions, therefore foreign interference or missionaries that push Christianity are justified and necessary.[3] The culture of Africa is endangered and it is continually swallowed up by Western influences.[4] This loss of identity further cripples African nations. Fauzi Najjar warns that many Arabs and Muslims see globalization as modern day imperialism and resists because it contradicts many of their Islamic values. [5] Since Muslims are very “proud of their religion and culture”[6] they feel that globalization infringes on their culture and that globalization is a thinly veiled “cultural invasion by the Christians.”[7] They see developments in Africa and cautious of how globalization would effect and this is also a response to deep historical roots in religious clashes between Christians (the West) and Islam. [8] In Latin America the residue of colonialism and imperialism still taints the relationship many of its countries has with the West.  Many of the sharpest critiques of globalization have come from Latin America.  In Critica de la Globalization (Critique of Globalization) globalization is referred to as “domination and liberation of our time”[9] The complication of globalization in Latin America is explored in this book.  The failure of Argentina in 1990 became a popular example for those who oppose globalization in Latin America to point to.  In Neoliberalismo Globalizado (Neoliberal Globalization) the author looks at the failure of Argentina as direct result of the neo-liberalism preached by economics such as Hayek and Friedman.[10]

Globalization then cannot be overly simplified to include developing countries.  In the Southern countries many of the markets lack a strong domestic markets that allow local business to be successful.[11] The South has also been unsuccessful in keeping up with technological advancements that are essential in succeeding in the global marketplace.[12] Also trading practices such as bartering or merely exchanging one good for another as opposed to trading for money only helps to make the countries fall further behind in the market.[13]

Many preach neoliberalism still offers developing countries the best chance to become more competitive in the global market place and lift themselves from the jaws of poverty.[14] This would possibly involve more collaboration with institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank.[15] This would prove however problematic in countries in Latin America that still have a bad taste in their mouths from dealing with these institutions. In Africa other industries such as tourism have been used to bolster their economies with some success.[16] In Africa there is a growing sense of a desire to increase trade as opposed to relying on foreign aid, which will be necessarily since many aid and Foreign Direct Investors have pulled out of Africa since there the African nations appears unable to increase its’ economic prosperity.[17] Better political leadership and structure will also be imperative in repairing the African economy.[18] Africa in particular has been neglected since the Cold War because there is no longer a need for the West to forge alliances with Africa.[19] In the Middle East it is important to engage the nations with respect to their culture.  It is best not to attempt to change the Middle East, for like China they have a strong historical background and are well grounded in their culture. Relations with Latin America must undergo a healing process before it can fully integrate with the global market.

To get underdeveloped countries or developing countries into the global market, flexibility is necessary.  All of the countries are different in how they may react to globalization.  The example of Argentina shows that it is a slow process.  The West has always been in the driver seat.  It will take some time for all countries to catch up.  However more accountability from the West to assure countries is not being exploited will make this process go faster.  It will also help alleviate potential conflicts.  Globalization does not have to be a phenomenon that benefits some on the backs of others.  However change must come from those in a privilege positions and in this case that is the nations of the West.

Works Cited

Cobb, C., “The Anatomy of Change in Africa”, in: Foreign Service Journal, May 2004, pp. 35-42.

Kegley, C.W. and E.R. Wittkopf. World Politics: Trend and Transformation, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 2006

Magbadelo, J.O., “Westernism, Americanism, Unipolarism, Globalism, and Africa’s Marginality”, in: Journal of Third World Studies, Vol. 22:2 (Fall 2005), pp. 89-101.

Munck, R., “Globalization of/in Latin America”, in: Global Social Policy, 6:3 (December 2006), pp. 358-365.

Najjar, F., “The Arabs, Islam, and Globalization”, in: Middle East Policy, Vol. 12:3 (Fall 2005), pp. 91-106.

[2] Magbadelo 2005 pg. 89

[3] Magbadelo pg. 90

[4] Megadeal pg. 91

[5] Ajar 2005 pg. 93

[6] Najjar pg. 94

[7] Ibid

[8] Najjar pg. 92

[9] Munck 2006 pg. 360

[10] Ibid

[11] Kelley, pg. 144

[12] Ibid

[13] Kelley pg. 145

[14] Kelley pg. 150

[15] Ibid

[16] Cobs, Charles Jr. 2004 pg. 36

[17] Megadeal pg. 93

[18] Megadeal pg. 98

[19] Megadeal pg. 93

Thomas Kuhn in his very influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolution, Kuhn describes the process in which scientists conduct experiments.  In this book Kuhn explains the scientific process of gathering and processing information. The scientist is supplied with a theory or what Kuhn refers to as a paradigm. (Kuhn pg. 23)  The scientist conducts his/her experiment based on that theory.  (Kuhn, pg. 27) If an anomaly becomes present a scientist attempts explain away the anomaly. (Kuhn pg. 52-65) This is done to avoid what called a “crisis.” (Kuhn pg.77-90) In the same way we approach and explore sexuality in the same way.  We have certain assumptions or theories that shape the way we perceive sexuality.  Researchers such as Sigmund Freud and Alfred Kinsey operated under certain assumptions.  While much of their research has merit, many of their findings are problematic.  This becomes our “crisis.”  Freud had assumptions on sex and what constructs sexuality, and therefore conducted his experimentation accordingly.  When these assumptions are questioned we can find ourselves in a “crisis.”  The way researchers typically dealt with these aspects of sexuality that did not fit the way they initially perceived as normal was to categorize them as abnormal, bringing out devastating social consequences for those who do not fit into the norm.

Freud’s analysis functions under the hypothesis that not only the subconscious was sexual but it was heterosexual.  This of course causes a problem for the homosexual whom does not fit under this paradigm.  It forces the researcher such a Freud to attempt to explain away this anomaly.  The homosexual therefore is considered a problem and an indication that something went fundamentally wrong with the individual experiencing homosexual feelings.  A researcher such as Freud viewed homosexuality as a “gender problem.” (Kimell and Plante pg. 3) A male would believe feminine characteristics were more appropriate for him and a female would find male attributes more satisfying. (Ibid) These stereotypes created by historical researchers such as Freud unfortunately still persist today. (Ibid)

Freud also viewed women as processing what he referred to as “envy of the penis.” ( Kimell and Plante pg. When then the female child realized she has been “castrated” (Kimell and Plante pg.8) she can either develop normally and become more feminine or she would become abnormal. (Ibid) The girl is thought to succumb to the fact that boys have “far superior equipment, ” (Ibid) and therefore she walks away for her own enjoyment of sexually stimulating herself from the clitoris. (Ibid) These stereotypes have been instrumental in the oppression of women and their sexuality.

Thinkers such as Foucault questioned the works of Freud and Ellis and felt that this obsession of what was sexual normal caused less sexual freedom and cause what was thought to be normal to change. (Kimbell and Plante pg. 46) This is what a Kuhn would refer to as a paradigm shift. (Kuhn pg. 77-91) Changes in how we view sexuality would not come easy.  Resistance to what appears different and the attachment to what is “normal” is strong. However openness in sexuality would not only liberate one personally but also may help liberate oppressed people such as homosexuals and women.

Works Cited

Kimmel, Michael and Rebecca Plante. ed, Sexualities: Identities, Behaviors and Society. Oxford University Press. 2004

Kuhn, Thomas. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. The University of Chicago Press. Chicago 996

According to a recent poll in 1996, only 44% of Americans “agreed with the statement ‘human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals’ this same survey showed that 52% of American Adults either agree or didn’t know that [t]he earliest humans lived at the same time as the dinosaurs.”. [1]This is in stark contrast to Britain where close to 75% citizens of Britain believe in Evolution and Iceland at about 80%.[2] The debate rages in the States where even some people considering themselves as Scientists siding with the Creationists. [3]The question then becomes why is Creationism, the belief that a supernatural power was responsible for the creation of the planet as well as the creation of humans, so prevalent in the United States as opposed to other Western countries.

The United States in first a very diverse countries with many religions and faith.  Those with stronger ties to faith, and attend church regularly tend to disagree with Darwinism. For instance on the United States only 8% of Jehovah’s Witnesses believed in evolution, while 81% of Buddhists believed Evolution. [4]“Religious opposition to evolution propels antievolutionism.  Although antievolution pay lip service to supposed scientific problems with evolution what motivates them to battle its teaching is apprehension over the implications of evolution for religion.”5 In looking at such theories as Intelligent Design, Barbara Forest describes ‘creation science’ such as the ideas of a “young earth and flood geology and is defined by its leading proponents in overtly religious, and specifically Christian, terms.” [5] Such ideas have little place in the scientific community where all theories are rejected if they do not meet Poppers criteria and is not falsifiable. [6]

The debate on Creationism also has a political side. As Gould points out “The Rise of Creationism is politics, pure and simple; it represents one issue (and by no means the major concern) of the resurgent right.”[7] Only 30% of Republicans believe in Evolution.[8] While the number of Republicans in the United States has been decreasing, there is still roughly 30% of the population that identifies itself as Republican.[9] In states such as the South, where there is still a Republican majority, Creationism is more prevalent. (For example in Texas where Evolution is not even addressed.)[10] In other countries this polarity of parties either does not exist at all or is not as powerful as in the United States.  A Republican Party member may be more likely to hold on to Creation beliefs since the majority of his/her party does.  There are potentially political and economic advantages of staying within the norm of the party.

Attacks on Evolution by Creationists are supported by clever rhetoric.  Creationists point out that Evolution is a theory therefore is not proven.[11] However many scholars including Gould point out that the word theory means something different then it does to the rest of the world. In science he argues, “/theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts do not go away while scientists debate rival theories for explaining them.”[12]

Darwin Watch.com is a network of Creationist that wishes to expose Evolutionists as frauds. They point out in their articles instances where scientists have had to retract initial explanations for fossils they find such as Ida.[13] They conclude that this proves that scientists are in fact not close to explaining the beginning of man.

The level of education also seems to be a variable in which the number of those who believe in creationism can be determined. For example according to Vince Sarich 65% of people without a high school degrees believe in creationism.[14] African Americans, whom many receive an inadequate education are at 53%.[15]

Scholars such as Randy Moore caution against the growing belief in Creationism in the United States. He quotes Clarence Darrow at John Scopes’s trial when he says, “the modern world is the child of doubt and inquiry, as the ancient world was the child of fear and faith.” A scholar such as Moore would believe teaching children Creationism is a step backwards.[16]

The presence of Creationism in the educational system would force children to learn a religious system that may be against their own religious background.  Forrest points out “Dembski’s confirmation that ID’s designer is the Christian God is an admission that the true status of ID, as its critics have repeatedly stressed, is beyond dispute: ID is not only creationism but an overtly sectarian religious belief. Proponents of ID have bluffed their way into the American cultural and media mainstream as the prelude to their longsought entre´ into science classrooms.”[17]

As long as there is a strong presence of conservative people in the United States, there will always be a Creationist movement.  There is a less tendency to desire to be more progressive in these circles.  However as time passes this may change, as the United States, while slow to change, does eventually change.

Works Cited

Forrest, Barbara “Still creationism after all these years: understanding and

counteracting intelligent design” Integrative and Comparative Biology, volume 48, number 2 2008 189-201 Journal

Darwin-watch.com Monday October 27 2009

Gould, Steven “Evolution as Fact and Theory” Discover Magazine May 1981 Periodical

Pinckaers, Jeroen Evolution Verses Creationism San Diego State University October 13 2009

Rasmussen,Scott Number of Republicans in U.S. Hits New Low, Number of Democrats Also Decline Rasmussen Reports http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/mood_of_america_archive/partisan_trends2/number_of_republicans_in_u_s_hits_new_low_number_of_democrats_also_decline October 26 2009

Scott, Eugenie C “Antievolution and Creationism in the United States” Annual Reviews Inc 1999 263-89 Journal

Sarich, Vince “Why We Should Debate Creationists” Skeptic 2000 17-19 2000 Journal

[2] Pinckaers, Jeroen 2009 PowerPoint

[3] A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism

[4] Pinckaers, Jeroen 2009 PowerPoint

[5] Forrest, Barbara 2008 189

[6] Gould, Steven, 253

[7] Gould, 254

[8] Pinckaers, Jeroen 2009 PowerPoint

[9] Rasmussen, Scott October 26 2009 http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/mood_of_america_archive/partisan_trends2/number_of_republicans_in_u_s_hits_new_low_number_of_democrats_also_decline

[10] Pinkaers, Jeroen 2009 PowerPoint

[11] Gould 255

[12] ibid

[13] Darwinwatch.com October 26 2009

[14] Sarich, Vince 2000 18

[15] Ibid

[16] Moore, Randy 1999 330

[17] Forrest, Barbara 190

Voodoo conjures up so many images of voodoo dolls and human sacrifices to many outsiders that the authorities of  New Orleans would routinely attempt to break up gatherings where Voodoo was practiced in its early stages of existence.  The assumption that Voodoo was evil and that followers participated in “Black Magic” was mostly fabricated, by a racially biased New Orleans society.  The religion that was combined by the Voodoo from Haiti and later ‘Hoodoo’ from the south, with elements of Catholicism, actually provided healing, spirituality as well as a connection to their African roots for the Creoles.

Voodoo often spelled Vodou to avoid the frequent negative connotation to the word Voodoo, was brought over to the New Orleans from West Africa.  Unlike other parts of the United States, the French that brought slaves to Louisiana came directly from West Africa and did not always stop in the Caribbean. The first wave came directly from the Senegal River basin. They brought the Bambara culture with them and spoke similar languages. For this reason much of their religion remained intact. (Ward 10) The second wave came from the Kingdom of Kongo. Many of the Kongolese first settled in St. Domingue in Haiti and later came into Louisiana already Catholic. Haiti has a strong sense of its Voodoo roots, and it been credited to have fueled the Revolution of 1804. (Largey 12) The newly arrived Haitians undoubtedly influenced the occupants of New Orleans, many oppressed. Many of the Haitians came as Ngangas or fortune tellers that addressed social issues, love and luck.  The term Ngangas is often used as a synonym for Voodoo in New Orleans. (Ward 11)

The merger of Catholicism and Voodoo was not always a happy one. In New Orleans black people were not always slaves and ‘free people of color’ could often buy their relatives and love ones from captivity.  The Europeans were never truly in control of the area so Voodoo as well as other indigenous religions was often repressed. In order to appease their owners but remain devoted to their religion they would use the Catholic saints as representation of their native gods. (Molloy 512) In addition since medical practices were not adequate in the region many European males began to take female slaves as companions or even wives. The female slaves were very knowledgeable about herbs and other remedies that appear to keep their partners alive. (Ward 11) This French, Spanish, African and Native American racial mix became Creole.  The first Voodoo queen Marie Laveau the first declared Je Suis Creole meaning I am Creole.  This new race came with a new religion Voodoo, a religion where one of the highest figure in New Orleans was a woman, Marie Laveau. (Ward 12)

Women, unlike many other religions, are revered in Voodoo.  Both Marie Laveaus are a huge part of New Orleans’ history.  The first Marie Laveau would hold gatherings at Congo Square with people of all races including refugees from the Haitian revolution (where she possibly met her first husband, who was from Haiti), was thought to have special powers and was sought out for advice. (Ward 22) There is a story that is part of the gumbo ya ya or legend of the first Marie Laveau. It described how a white man visited her, seeking help.  His son was accused of a serious crime and the evidence was striking. She walked to the St. Louis Cathedral every morning for some days and prayed, putting three red-hot Guinea peppers in her mouth holding them in her mouth for hours.  She then placed the peppers under the judge’s chair.  The judge dismissed the charges against the man’s son.  The man was so grateful he gave her home at St. Ann Street, where she then lived but also continued her practice. (Ward 14)

The serpent Damballah is a very important symbol in Voodoo. In contrast to the Christianity’s view of the serpent, the serpent is a positive deity. It is described as the following:

“The word Voodoo has been translated as “the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith”. The high priest and/or priestess of the faith (often called Papa or Maman) are the vehicles for the expression of the serpent’s power. The supreme deity is Bon Dieu. There are hundreds of spirits called Loa who control nature, health, wealth and happiness of mortals. The Loa form a pantheon of deities that include Damballah, Ezili, Ogu, Agwe, Legba and others. During Voodoo ceremonies these Loa can possess the bodies of the ceremony participants. Loa appear by “possessing” the faithful, who in turn become the Loa, relaying advice, warnings and desires. Voodoo is an animist faith. That is, objects and natural phenomena are believed to possess holy significance, to possess a soul. Thus the Loa Agwe is the divine presence behind the hurricane.” (Okara)

Marie Laveau the second, daughter to the first is believed to have been visited by a serpent. She was at first a reluctant Voodoo queen. She only wanted to dance and have the men flirt with her because of her good looks.  Jim Alexander a Voodoo practitioner and a Hoodoo doctor came to her and offered to teach her.  She at first refused but then occurring to the gumbo ya ya a great rattlesnake appeared to her in the night. After the rattlesnake spoke to her during his visit she came to Alexander to initiate her to the world of the spirits. (Ward 110)

Voodoo is a polytheist religion with a complex system.  There are three levels of divinity:

• Gran Met: the being that rules all things but not directly worshiped.  (Emick)
• The Loas or Lwas: the deities that are worshiped.  They are not necessarily gods but can also be ancestors. (Emick)
• The Dead:  Avery important part of worship and can sometimes communicate directly with the practitioner. (Emick)

There are three levels of initiation. (Much like the second Marie Laveau would have had to gone through to become a Voodoo Queen) The first is the beginner or the worshipper Kanzo. Sur Point is a practitioner of a particular Loa or Lwas. They are the priest or priestess. The highest human authority you can become is Asogwe. (Emick)

There are also three families of Loas (Also referred to as Nations). (Emick) The first is called Rada. This is the family spirit and is mostly happy and peaceful. Rada Voodoo accounts for about 95% of worshipers. (Corbett) The second is Petro or Petwo. (Emick) It is the Voodoo that introduces black magic, curses and wild sexual orgies.  This type of Voodoo is very rare. (Corbett) The last family or nation is called Ghede “Les Morts” or the Dead. (Emick) The figure Papa Ghede is a psychopomp or spirit that waits to take souls to the afterlife.  He is considered an animated and good spirit. (Wikipedia)

Voodoo is a misunderstood religion.  Hollywood has succeeded in painting it as demonic and scary.  Our images of Voodoo dolls and spells overcome the fact that Voodoo has a rich history.  With Voodoo we have music, dance and art that’s very African.  In Voodoo we have stories that are very American in New Orleans.  Voodoo is not the bloody and gory religion we have taught it is, but rather a very colorful religion with shamanistic elements, magic and imagination. The Laveaus are an example of the Voodoo presence in New Orleans as they were Catholic by day Voodoo Queens by night. (Ward 21).  Their work and legends still are celebrated in the city of New Orleans to this very day.

Works Cited

Largey, Michael. Vodou Nation. Chicago: University of Chicago 2006

Molloy, Michael. Experiencing World’s Religions. New York: McGraw-Hill 2007

Haiti: Introduction to Voodoo. Ed. Bob Corbet. 8 April 2007. <http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/voodoo/overview.htm>

The Real Voodoo. Ed. Jennifer Emick. 8 April 2007.  <http://altreligion.about.com/od/africanreligions/a/realvoodooo.htm>

Voodoo.  Ed. Obi Okara 8 April 2007< http://www.swagga.com/voodoo.htm>

Ward, Martha. Voodoo Queen. Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi 2004

The Diaspora of Africans to North America formed various new religions. Among them were Vodou and Rastafarian which are only two examples of this blending of African and European traditions. Even with this in common, both religions view the existence of spirits and the afterlife quite differently.  Despite these differences there are enough similarities that can be traced back to their collective roots.

The Rastafarian movement began as a reaction to the oppression imposed by colonialism in Jamaica.  Fueled by leader Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican native, followers looked for a King in Africa that would be come their redeemer. (Mallory, 522) They were shortly granted their king.  A nobleman by the name of Ras Tafari was crowned emperor of Ethiopia. He later changed his name to Haile Selassie which means Holy Trinity. (Mallory, 522)

The religious aspect of Rastafarianism intermingled with Christianity, particularly with the Ethiopian readings of the Bible in conjunction with the Kebra Nagast, or Glory of the Kings.  (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert, 163)  Many Rastafarians believed that Selassie was divine, and even though his body died, his spirit remained. (This is not unlike the Vodou idea of the spirit remaining on earth which will be discussed later.) The first phase of the movement involved the distribution of images of Selassie as a Black Christ. (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert, 157)

Rastafarianism is considered a “Creole religion rooted in African, European and Indian practices and beliefs. It is said to drawn on the mystical consciousness of Kumina, a Jamaican religious tradition that ritualized communication with the ancestors.” (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert, 161) Kumina is a Kongo religion that concentrates on the practice of bringing down spirits of the dead to briefly inhabit the bodies of the faithful so that the ancestors may share their wisdom, providing spiritual assistance and advice to those here on Earth. (Wikpedia) Rastafarians definitely look to their ancestors, particularly from Ethiopia.

With that said many Rastafarians do not spend time communicating with spirits or for that matter spend much time dwelling on the afterlife in spite of its’ connection with Christianity. (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerber, 164) Others believe they will return to Africa, and that Africa is Heaven. (Caribbean Guide)  They do however refer to the doctrine of avatar a concept similar to reincarnation in Hinduism.  For instance they believe the first avatar was Moses then was reincarnated in Elijah. (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert, 164)

The Rastafarians also have a view on the Holy Spirit from the Trinity:

“As a movement that developed out of Christianity, Rastafari has its own unique interpretation of both the Holy Trinity and the Holy Spirit. Although there are several slight variations, they generally state that it is Haile Selassie who embodies both God the Father and God the Son, while the Holy (or rather, “Hola“) Spirit is to be found within Rasta believers (see ‘I and I‘), and within every human being. Rastas also say that the true church is the human body, and that it is this church (or “structure“) that contains the Holy Spirit.” (Wikipedia)

“Vodou encompasses a variety of Haiti’s African-derived religious traditions and practices” (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert, 101) In contrast with Rastafarians it maintained a stronger belief system with spirits even against a Christian background.  Like the Rastafarians they have a belief that they can communicate with their ancestors but take it a step further. Joan Dayan explains in Haiti, History and the Gods, “Those who are reclaimed by their ancestors who do not die-who return as vengeful revenants if not properly served-and by the gods who cajole, demand, and sometimes oppress the mere mortals, the chetiens-vivants who forget their ancestral origins. The gods are not only in your blood but in the land.” (Olmos and Paravisini, 103)

Though they believe in one High god they also believe in other supernatural beings called Ioa or Iwa. (Mallory, 512) These beings can be contacted for higher powers. These Iwas act as a bridge between humans and the divine. (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert, 105) These Iwas carries different characteristics.  The Iwas are classified by nations. The most significant are the eight nations of Rada, Petro, Nao, Ido, Wangol, Siniga, Ginen and Kongo. (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert, 106) This contrasts to the more Christian based Rastafarians who pray to only one God, though many also think of Selassie as divine.

The two major nations are Rada and Petro. “Rada is identified as the emotional stability and warmth of Africa.” (Corbett)  Petro reflects rage that was sparked by slavery. (Corbett) Petro was credited to fuel the Haitian revolution, sparked by a Petro ceremony. (Olmos and Paravisini-Gerbert, 106)

Richard Hodges explains that in Vodou after the body expires the spirit stays on earth for a period to be judged by a divine audience.  This explains the rituals done by followers after the death of a loved one. Since ancestor guidance is so important, it becomes even more important to assure that the recently deceased has a quick transition to the spirit world so it can become useful to the living. (Hodges) Even though Rastafarians don’t have a particular ritual for the death of a loved one, they would still pray for the loved one that they would be able to go to Heaven.

Vodou and Rastafarian may have different view points but are both colorful traditions that have shared the Americas.  Rastafarian with influential people such as Bob Marley spread beyond Jamaica. Vodou with the French settlement in Louisiana, Vodou spread to New Orleans.  Rastafarian draws more from Christianity and acts as a political movement. Vodou draws more from its African roots and has also used in political movements.  Both look to their ancestors for strength. Vodou has rituals that honor their ancestors and Rastafarians use marijuana as a way to clear the mind and find a connection.  Both are products of mixed cultures and their diverse view on spirituality and the afterlife is a reflection of that.

Works Cited

Alternative Religions. Ed. Richard Hodges. 15, 5 2007

Caribbean Guide. 15, 5 2007< http://caribbean-guide.info/past.and.present/religion/rastafarian/index.html>

Haiti: Introduction to Voodoo. Ed. Bob Corbet. 8 April 2007. <http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/voodoo/overview.htm>

Molloy, Michael. Experiencing World’s Religions. New York: McGraw-Hill 2007

Olmos, Margarite Fernandez and Paravisini-Gerbert. Creole Religions of the Caribbean: An Introduction from Vodou and Santeria to Obeah and Espititismo. New York: New York University, 2005

Wikipedia. May 11, 2007. 15, 5,2007< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voodoo>

Cheryl Dunye’s first full feature film The Watermelon Woman is a clever film that explores the absence of black female images particularly in film.  The films documentary style helps communicate how important this issue really is, while the humor of Dunye makes in fun to watch. We begin to see the parallels between the subject and the filmmaker. The lead character, Cheryl, embarks on a personal journey to document the life of an obscure black actress only credited with the name the “Watermelon Woman.”  As Cheryl works to uncover the actresses true identity, she finds that the actress life is a lot more complex than just being a nameless actress on a ‘mammie film.’ She also begins to see herself, as a young black filmmaker in the Watermelon Woman.

The film examines early Hollywood and how the black actress only recourse was to play mammie characters or Aunt Jemimas “From the mammies, jezebels, and breeder women of slavery to the smiling Aunt Jemimas on pancake mix boxes, ubiquitous Black prostitutes, and ever-present welfare mothers of contemporary popular culture, negative stereotypes applied to African American women have been fundamental to Black women’s oppression.” (Collins, 5) The films addresses the great gap in history in regards to the black female experience.  Just like Marilyn Richardson efforts to “edit the writings and speeches of Maria Stewart. (Collins 13) and “Mary Helen Washington’s collections of Black women’s writings,” (Collins, 13) Cheryl attempts to piece together and document the lost story of the Watermelon Woman through film.

Black women were placed in an “outsider within status.” (Collins, 11)   A black woman, while being a vital part of white society (either as domestic help or in this case actress) the black woman is at the same time an outsider.  Cheryl finds that the Watermelon Woman was involved with a white female director.  Even though it appears they had an intimate relationship, Cheryl is unable to find out details regarding either their relationship, or even just information on the Watermelon Woman in film books.  While there were a few books mentioning the director, none of them even mentioned the existence of the Watermelon Woman. It is though she never existed, even though it was her presence in the films that made the director somewhat successful.  Cheryl’s own relationship, with a white woman, causes trouble in her own personal life. She is shunned by her friends and is forced to question her relationship based on racial identity.

Through Cheryl’s search she finally discovers that the actress was also a blues singer at local clubs in Philadelphia.  She also finally finds out her name, Faye Richards.  Like many black woman before her Richards is able to express herself through music. “Historically, much of the Black women’s intellectual tradition occurred in institutional locations other then the academy.  For example, the music of working-class Black women blues singers of the 1920 and 1930s is often seen as one of the important site outside academia for this intellectual tradition.” (Collins 15)

As Alice Walker reports “I write the things I should have been able to read” (Collins 13) Cheryl Dunye does the same.  Faye Richards is a fictional character and a representation of many like her, that remain nameless and forgotten.  Dunye’s film displays not only her humor and mastery of the video medium, but her inclination to explore difficult subjects.  Alice Walker also says of black intellectuals, “she must be her own model as well as the artist attending, creating, learning from, realizing the model, which is to say, herself.” (Collins 19) As a Black intellectual, Cheryl Dunye points the camera to herself while investigating the life of Faye Richards.  In doing that we can better personalize the particular issues that Richards endured during her life and career, because we can see the same issues occur in Cheryl’s life.

Works Cited

Collins, Patricia.  Black Feminist Thought Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politica of   Empowerment New York: Routledge , 2000

The Watermelon Woman dir Cheryl Dunye  film 1996

I do disagree with Debord’s assessment that “The reigning system economic system is a vicious circle of isolation.” (Debord 7) He further comments that “The spectacle thus reunites the separated, but it reunites them only in their separateness.”(Debord 7) In today’s society it is impossible to be completely isolated.  Every nation is too dependent on other nations.  In addition free trading also exposes people to different cultures. (One can argue that there is significant amount of pressure for the other nations to become more Americanized.  The consequences of this is course is the loss of their own culture.)