Rough thoughts on meta and micro history for one of my classes...
Wednesday, February 11.
When thinking about meta and micro-history, I can't help but think of the ways everything is connected. Today it's easy to find examples of meta and micro history, especially in the context of writing our Masters theses. On a micro level, each of my colleagues' lives will be transformed by the research and writing of our theses. Every day will be affected by the fact that we have to create this work in order to graduate. If someone were to document our collective thesis-writing experiences on a micro level, there would be many a tale of walking to the library, logging on to a computer, searching for a new book or article, walking up the center stairs and finding the relevant section, retrieving the book from the shelf... and so on. But on a macro and meta level, some of these theses will then be submitted to dance conferences, and many of us will enter relevant communities of discourse surrounding our topics. We will be bringing a new perspective on our chosen topic to an existing community, and through doing so, will (hopefully) affect the viewpoints and collective knowledge of that community (or those communities).
Thursday, February 12.
Today, Peiling Kao spoke to our Dance Cultures about Chinese folkdance, specifically dances from Taiwan. Peiling, herself Taiwanese, shared with us videos and brief histories of several Taiwanese folk and indigenous dances. On a micro-level, each of in the class added to our own knowledge of these various and diverse dance styles. On a macro-level, however, we were made aware of how Chinese imperialism, beginning in the 17th century, has negatively affected aboriginal Taiwanese culture, language, and dances. And because the Chinese government, even today, lays claim to Taiwan, it attempts to repress the celebration and learning of Taiwanese cultural elements such as music, dance, and language. This centuries-old imperialism then affected us in the classroom, by way of Peiling. She was born and raised on the island of Taiwan, but as a child never learned first-hand many of the native Taiwanese dances. On a micro level, it would be difficult to document how each Taiwanese student has been affected by colonial Chinese designs, profiling their daily school and dance lessons, noting what dances they learn and how, but on a meta level, it is easier to see how mainland China has been able to eat away at Taiwanese culture, and thus exact political influence on the island and its people.
Friday, February 13.
My partner enjoys cooking (and he's very good at it, if I do say so myself). Home-cooked, low-fat, whole-food, plant-based meals are a staple in our home. Today, he cooked a Levantine shakshuka (similar to ratatouille) with spiced rice.We eat this way mainly for health reasons; there are numerous studies showing that eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet can help prevent a multitude of illnesses, or at least make one less prone to them, the most obvious being heart disease, but also includes various cancers, type-2 diabetes, chronic acne, rheumatoid arthritis, and other ailments. We also choose to eat this way because of how it affects our planet. On a micro-level, we eat plants because we believe that it makes us less prone to certain diseases (it is also great for keeping off weight), but on a macro level, if we look at the history of animal product consumption around the world, one finds a legacy of environmentally harmful practices. Cattle (raised both for meat and milk) are the worst offenders of carbon emissions on the planet. It also takes billions of gallons of water to keep and raise all livestock, especially cattle. One couple refusing to eat beef then means that we have consumed that much less water, which is particularly important as we live through another drought (my partner and I both lived in California during the drought 30 years ago). If more people were to curb their consumption of beef and milk alone, and if that consumption were to put a dent in the amount of beef and milk produced, then we could all save billions of gallons of water, and maybe even change history on a macro level.
Saturday, February 14.
Ahh, Valentine's Day. We don't usually do anything, but it's a gorgeous, sunny day here in Berkeley. The previous entries have been very much about systemic cause and effect. I wonder how many people think about the systemic effect of their actions on their communities, cities, or even the world. I think about it quite a bit. I recently read Steven Johnson's book How We Got to Now, a sort of Connections for a new generation. In it, he leads us through six histories: Cold, Time, Sound, Glass, Clean, and Light. In each, we learn of the small innovations by individual tinkerers and how their explorations and inventions eventually lead to modern technologies, such as electric light, Wi-Fi, safe drinking water, and even the bikini. When thinking about meta history, I find it difficult to discount the importance of these chance moments. The printing press was inspired by a wine press... and today my partner and I went to our favorite Oakland wine shop for a tasting. But we wouldn't have known about the tasting without the shop's newsletter, which is only possible through modern technologies of the internet (microchips and computers rely on Clean in order to be made), and Glass, which is on every electronic device with a screen. These huge concepts affect us every day, and we hardly appreciate them if we never look beyond the micro level of our day-to-day lives.
Sunday, February 15.
Today I signed up for reduced-cost healthcare through Covered California. For many of us, the ACA is a blessing. It's a chance to have what many in pretty much every other developed country has: affordable healthcare. Many of my friends who have previously been unable to afford healthcare (because, really, $300 a month for healthcare is hardly affordable for anyone making under $30,000 a year) have expressed great joy and relief that now they are able to have either private insurance that is within their budgetary restraints or Medi-Cal which offers the bare basic healthcare coverage. On a micro-level, the ACA has improved the lives of many of my friends. One recently had necessary ankle surgery to replace several ligaments; without the ACA or Covered California, she wouldn't have been able to afford the surgery or rehabilitation costs. I, too, have signed up for Blue Shield for a fraction at the cost I was paying before this year. On a macro and meta level, this is a historic achievement for the United States, and (in my opinion) a somewhat embarrassing one. Why did it take us so long to offer to citizens and residents of the United States an affordable means of visiting the doctor, getting routine check-ups, or major medical operations - this is something that other people in other countries (I'm looking at you Canada and the Scandinavian nations) have enjoyed as a right? Finally, we can take our place in history as a semi-civilized country that sometimes takes care of its people, even if we still have to pay something out of pocket.
Monday, February 15.
I finally made my way up to the Temple of Wings today. The Temple of Wings, once an open-air neo-classical structure with Corinthian columns where Florence Treadwell Boynton (a friend of Isadora Duncan) once taught dance classes, is now a private home in the Berkeley hills. Out of curiosity, I went up there to take a look. This structure is a part of American and modern dance history, as Boynton was inspired by Isadora's approach to movement. Here is a building that is a physical link to Isadora, an actual thing that remains from her lifetime. In the grand scheme of things, this building is a remnant of those early days of modern dance, when women would dress in Greek-inspired tunics, dancing from their solar plexi, and experiencing a new-found freedom of movement. On a small scale, it's currently someone's private home, with a beat-up "Private Property: No Trespassing" sign outside the driveway (which is lined with Belle Epoque street lamps). Alas, I could not get very close to the Temple of Wings, but knowing that it is there, right up the hill from where I live now, is still a very powerful sensation.
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