Reading Amsterdam: A Traveler's Literary Companion

I read several stories from this collection- my first (and perhaps favorite so far) is “Amsterdam” by Cees Nooteboom. It contains strikingly beautiful words offering a physical description of the land and water so essential to Amsterdam’s identity. I love the concept that a city consists of “everything that has been said there, dreamed, destroyed, undertaken...A city is all the words that have been uttered there, an unceasing, never-rending muttering, whispering, singing...” (p. 3) On page 4, “The city is a book to be read; the walker is the reader”...it really speaks of this almost spiritual experience of walking around a place with an awareness and understanding of the history, culture, people- an experience I hope to have while I’m wandering around Amsterdam.

Another favorite-“The Light at the End of the Tunnel” by Gerrit Komrij- a coming of age story about a boy named Jacob who journeys to Amsterdam There he discovers suede shoes, glowing cafes, face powder, and comes to terms with his gay identity. I really liked the imaginative description of the “light-up bookcase” and his struggle to find others he could relate to in the city. One of the best sentences is at the bottom of page 132, it made me giggle...

“A Pounding Heart” by Marion Bloem is about a small-town “good girl” who visits her Aunt Sissy in the Jordaan, and gets to know a restless, alive, vibrant Amsterdam while adventuring around the city with her badly behaved cousins. The image of the boys pushing the unlocked bicycles into the canal was entertaining; but the underlying theme that travel opens one up and forever changes your perspective and identity resonates deeply with me. The girl ends up buying a home in the Jordaan and ends her story by saying “I can’t live any longer without a pounding heart”. Some of the most transformative life experiences are ones that have been challenging or scary and new. But to push through that fear is so valuable and necessary.

Finally, “Rambling Around Centraal Station” by Geert Mak connected me to the same issues of poverty and homelessness here in America. It reminded me that some things are the same no matter where you go. The mention of condescending charitable services surprised me- I just assumed that it is more common in America. It will be interesting to directly face some of these subtle assumptions I have made about the culture and society there. I look forward to reading more from this collection.

Internet Research Methods

Strengths:

Time efficient
Access to Digital Resources
Greater opportunity to collaborate with global partners

Weaknesses:

Risk loss of meaning
Lack of control over data/data sharing
Faulty technology systems

Internet Resources

Here are some internet resources I may find useful in my research project on Islam, Information, and Media:
1. Peaktalk.com: This is a blog by Pieter Dorsman of the Netherlands (along with occasional contributions by friend Ginna Dowler), discussing international topics, news, and issues, and more. It is conveniently divided by topic, so clicking on "Van Gogh" for example will yield all blog posts related to Van Gogh. The blog posts seem very connected with many of the research topics I'm exploring, and may help me to narrow my research as well. I would contact Dorsman himself at Peiter@peaktalk.com

2. Euro-Islam.info: This is a helpful site with information about Islam & Muslims in Europe, which includes "Country Profiles" (various countries in Europe incl. the Netherlands) and contains information about Islam for each country such as demographics, education, bias/discrimination, public perception, media coverage, etc. It also has links to the latest news connected with Islam and the Netherlands as well as other Euro countries. The site is maintained by a group of professors and researchers representing a variety of backgrounds. I would likely contact Mallory S. Purdie, a researcher at University of Fribourg, Switzerland, via her email: Mallory.Purdie@unifr.ch because she is doing research on similar topics.

3. Understanding Islam is an online community discussion site where a couple hundred members discuss aspects of Islam. This would be helpful for me to familiarize myself with the Muslim community and be able to ask questions and get a variety of perspectives from different people. It allows me to put in subject keywords to search and will retrieve discussions based on the subject, such as "Tolerance in the Netherlands". I would begin by becoming a member and posting a topic for discussion, or by contacting the moderator, Aasem, at asembuxi@hotmail.com

Howard and Tatum Readings

One of the interesting points Howard makes about online ethnography is the lack of connection or active participation between a researcher and the community they are studying, due to a lack of "physical entry into or exit from the community" (559). Last night, along with several co-workers and friends, I watched a documentary called Century Plaza, about the decaying Century Plaza Hotel here in Portland, that closed down in 2003. The film was an honest and brilliant snapshot of the lives of the low-income people who lived there until it closed. To make the film, Eric Lahey lived there for seven months, and he states, “Making a documentary is very much an exploratory process,” he says. “You don’t know at first where things are going. You find layers, and you wait for the moment that reveals how the story will unfold.” I imagine Lahey trying to study the same thing through online methods and cannot imagine how it would ever work. At least not with this particular community. Lahey's research and approach to interviewing the residents involved asking a question, and then, sitting, observing, and listening. This example illustrates that good research methodology will embrace whatever techniques are appropriate to the community being studied and the reading reflects that any approach, such as the social network analysis approach discussed by Howard, has both positive and problematic elements. The specific suggestions in the conclusion of this piece- such as applying network ethnography in stages and trying to get a "rough sense of community boundaries" before identifying a sample population- are helpful to keep in mind.

The Tatum article was interesting in terms of studying how Google bombs can help define or contribute to a social movement. When I first heard about the "miserable failure" Google bomb earlier this year, I was extremely excited because I felt that this clearly IS a way to make one's collective voice heard in an online environment, and that it is very powerful. Yet I am quite aware that I only felt this way about the ones I personally agree with! I think if the Google-bombing act becomes more of a regular practice, information on the Web will gradually lose its meaning and therefore, its power or validity unless search engines like Google are willing to implement some kind of action (as Tatum mentions) to block its effects. So although I find the humor in Google-bombing at the moment (again, only with the ones I agree with), and although I think it's important to find ways to support free speech and build social movements, I believe at a deeper level it probably does more harm than good.

Quote from Brilliant Orange

Brilliant Orange by David Winner is an insightful read- not only into the history and dynamics of Dutch football- but it also gives an in depth view of the culture and the tradition of tolerance. Here is an interesting quote:
"When people think of Amsterdam, they think of our downtrodden "coffee shops" where you can buy many things but not coffee. They think we are very tolerant and multicultural. But Dutch tolerance was developed in order to keep the peace, to avoid trouble. It has never been a laissez-faire tolerance. The Netherlands I know is a rather disciplined, conformist, society...Our tolerance is always in the context of something highly organised and on the theme of consensus-building. Dutch culture is about being separate from each other. We created cultural difference and separation where physical separation was not available. We should not confuse this tradition with the image of a free-floating, carnivalesque, open-minded society. Of course, the image is part of the reality too. But it's only a small part." Interview with Paul Scheffer, pg.261

Pragmatic Tolerance, Films, and Rick Steves

I'm responding here to a few different articles, as well as the films "Submission" and "Soldier of Orange".....
After reading the Pragmatic Tolerance article by Bert Gordijn, I feel that this approach is valuable but obviously challenging to achieve. I feel that Amsterdam is unique in the ability to establish an environment in which things are illegal but can be tolerated. As the author notes, this policy "can only be successful in a society in which certain historical and cultural conditions are given" (231). I cannot imagine the U.S. ever adopting this policy in the future- we operate in such a police state and spend so much time, energy and money trying to dictate morals to each other via the legal system. And the fabulous Rick Steves echos this in his articles, with examples illustrating the astounding amount of resources we put into our prison system. What if we could agree to spend our resources elsewhere, such as providing housing or food or higher wages for low income individuals and families? Would I even have a job as a social worker trying to assist elderly homeless people? Perhaps not. As I get older, I find myself getting greatly disenchanted with the U.S., and feeling that broadening my perspective by travelling abroad is less of a luxury and more of an essential need. I feel that even if I actively resist being an egotistic and "proud American" by living in a community that reflects my liberal values and beliefs (one reason I moved from the midwest to the west coast), even if I read literature from Africa or Cuba or learn other languages, even if I access alternative press that accurately reflects international issues, I still risk remaining immersed in my own little egotistic perspective- I hope that I will experience, like Rick, "life-changing travel"...
I thought the film "Submission" was very intense to watch, as it was meant to be. It was extremely powerful and brave. It's difficult to verbalize a reaction, almost. Why do we (the universal "we") put our safety and well-being below a belief system that allows abuse? Or is it that we misinterpret or manipulate the system so we can do what we want? We look at situations such as this film presents and immediately judge the woman, her abuser, the belief system that allows it. Can we look beyond, suspending our judgement for a moment, and have a real dialogue about the issues? What did the filmmaker hope for?
The film "Soldier of Orange" was powerful as well, and it successfully delivered a close perspective on the events of WWII and the German occupation of Holland. The group of friends in the film symbolized various choices one could make when faced with war- joining, avoiding, hiding, fighting, etc. (although the women seemed a bit stupid or ignorant at times). I always wonder what I would do in this situation. I've never been able to figure it out; reality is quite a different thing than speculation. Of course I would like to think I'd resist- but to what extent, how loudly?

Interdisciplinarity

Julie T. Klein notes that “boundaries shift and overlap because ideas and techniques do not exist in fixed places” on pg.8 of the Interdisciplinarity reading. This reading was helpful; I now visualize interdisciplinary science as multiple spheres of data, ideas, knowledge and resources overlapping one another so that the middle sections (or shared spaces) form a new, fresh “whole”. (In my mind, traditional models appear as sturdy, separate boxes containing each field). Both have advantages and disadvantages, but I believe interdisciplinarity is a valuable approach in the Amsterdam seminar- not only because multiple perspectives and expertise add to the learning experience, but because it will generate new (and hopefully exciting) ideas in the process of the research. I think the challenge is, like Klein mentions, to continue this process; to continue generating and incorporating interdisciplinary methods throughout the process, even if this just means retaining “common interests and problems” etc. One question I have is- do we naturally use interdisciplinary approaches to solve problems, even if we don’t call it interdisciplinarity? Are there examples of situations we can think of where interdisciplinarity (oh, I love typing that!) has failed? Are there certain areas or disciplines in which it is more successful? I’m looking forward to understanding this concept on a deeper level throughout this course.

Final Abstract

TITLE "Information politics and the information seeking behavior of the Dutch Islamic community in Amsterdam"

AUTHOR 1> NAME: Demi Antzoulatos
INSTITUTION: University of Washington
TEL: 360-472-0570
EMAIL: demia@u.washington.edu

AUTHOR 2> NAME: Engy Fahmy
INSTITUTION: University of Washington
TEL: 425-941-9130
EMAIL: efahmy@u.washington.edu

AUTHOR 3> NAME: Rebecca Martin
INSTITUTION: University of Washington
TEL: 503-235-5739
EMAIL: rjm13@u.washington.edu

ABSTRACT: With an increase in migration, the Netherlands has become the home of a large and influential Islamic community. The Dutch model of immigrant integration is based on the premise of all immigrants’ rights to “socioeconomic equality”, “inclusion in the political domain” and “equity in the domains of culture and religion”; meaning the right to have their own identity and authenticity within the Dutch environment. Given the current cultural clash between the West, and Islam; it is important to understand the underlying factors behind the success/failure of co-existence between the Dutch and the Muslim communities in Amsterdam. How and what information is made available to the Dutch people is instrumental because information directly affects people’s views, and their understanding of the world.The effect of information politics on the Dutch Islamic community in the Netherlands is the focus of this research study, with three overlapping components. First, the politics behind the choice of which information (newspapers, TV, and internet) is made available by information dispersing organizations. Second, the effect of information politics on the Muslim population , their general understanding of their own image as an immigrant group, as well as the native Dutch views on political media portrayal of Muslims. Third and final component is the Dutch Islamic community’s information seeking behavior.Data collection will combine a variety of research methods including interviews with the Muslim student community in the University of Amsterdam, preliminary online surveys, field observations in academic and public libraries in Amsterdam, and internet research. Using sound recordings, video recordings, and internet tools like wikis, blogs and the University of Washington catalyst tools, will facilitate and enhance our research. The main research goal is to understand the reasons behind the clash of cultures through efficient study of the role of information, communication and media politics.

Research Abstract

(Credit and thanks to Engy and Demi for the abstract here)
Our research will address the effect of information politics on the information seeking behavior in the Dutch Islamic community in the Netherlands.
Addressing the global dichotomy between fact and generated media about Islam is the focus of this research study, with three overlapping components. First, the politics behind the choice of which information is made available by information dispersing organizations (back-end information politics), will be studied. Second, the effect of information politics on the Muslim population information seeking behavior, their general understanding of their own image as an immigrant group, as well as the native Dutch reaction and views of political media portrayal of Muslims will be observed, studied, and assessed. The final component is the Dutch Islamic community and its culture in Amsterdam.

With an increase in migration, the Netherlands has become the home of a large and influential Islamic community. Current events show that there is a cultural clash between the civilizations of the West, and Islam. Therefore, it is important to try to understand the underlying factors behind the success/failure of co-existence between the Dutch and the Muslim communities in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a political model for the rest of the world as well as a social model for much of the western world because of the success of their liberal social policies. How and what information on this situation is made available to the Dutch people, and therefore the rest of the world, is relevant because information directly affects people’s views and their understanding of the world.

Data collection will combine a variety of research methods including interviews, online surveys, general field observations, and internet research using a variety of digital technologies. We will attempt to clarify the reasons behind the current clash of cultures through efficient study of the role of information, communication and media politics.

1. What, if any, information politics are involved in the availability of information (on the Islamic community) in the Netherlands?
2. What is the information seeking behavior in the Netherlands?
3. What information is available on the Islamic community in Amsterdam?
4. How accurate is the information that is made available to the public on the Islamic community?

Reflecting on Chps 9-10: Geert Mak's Amsterdam

This reading, along with some similar themes in Brilliant Orange by David Winner, was incredibly insightful for me. I was mostly unaware how the Holocaust specifically affected Amsterdam. I have read about the Holocaust and walked the Dachau concentration camp grounds in Germany in 1999. Like others, I knew the Anne Frank story and even own The Diary of Anne Frank but was still shocked to know that 75-80,000 Jewish citizens were taken from Amsterdam, leaving only 5,000 in the area. One of the interesting stories within the history was the story of Gijs Van Hall, the courageous hero of one era who became an enemy from the youth perspective in a new era, the 1960’s. This story illustrated the value in processing traumatic events after they occur on many levels- national, community and personal levels- and the importance of both learning the history and grieving for the losses after such a trauma. It seems the youthful hatred of Van Hall was possible with a lack of understanding about his role in the resistance, with no desire to learn from the past. He was symbolic to the youth, standing for “inflexible authority” (p.292).

I remember in my visit to Dachau being shocked to witness young Japanese tourists playfully posing in front of the life-size photos of concentration camp prisoners, imitating their expressions and poses for the camera. It seemed to dishonor everything the place stood for; everything it was trying to say. So I don’t know that being told the history is enough. It must take a personal connection to make a difference. It seems that there was little process of learning, reflecting, and grieving; instead the focus was surviving, then rebuilding. Perhaps this is why in the 1974 World Cup football finals against Germany- about 30 years later- it was so heartbreaking for Amsterdam to lose, as Winner describes in Brilliant Orange. Some questions for reflection: How could the tragedy of losing so many Jews who were a significant part of Amsterdam life and culture been addressed differently after the war? Is it important to hold passive Amsterdammers (those who didn’t have direct roles in the Final Solution) accountable for what happened? Does Amsterdam, in 2006, still have steps to go through in order to heal from the Holocaust?