This week we looked at the structures of community under all kinds of regimes and cultural shifts. The film this week was “Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse” (Agnes Varda, 2002). Her understanding of community is as follows, “The acceptance/ modification/ refusal of social structures/political and economic structures and the affects of those decisions upon other structures and people.” She decided to follow a movement in France that has been revived due to laws on food imposed by corporate businesses. It is a documentary but as this course has tried to show a documentary is one person’s affect upon another. The shots/angles are chosen and the subject matter- she is French new wave but not dogmatic. The film pays homage to a once celebrated tradition (through art and community) and tries to infuse it with a new similar practice. The ideas are the same, picking up free stuff for art or food. They exist in this country as well although the name is less romantic, freegans, the principals are the same. One could argue that it is an attack on global companies but ironically it is these companies that have brought these mini factions together. One could argue that the affect of the riots on the people of London was that they brought towns together in the same way.
Basically we are trying to establish how groups and communities are formed. Is there one particular formula? I would argue that culture has an integral role, as groups are formed for or against it. The skate culture of last week shows how a sub group is formed in a grass-roots manner, self-made boards. This is then scooped up by corporations and mass-produced; Astroturf community. Communities outside geographical limitations can be formed on the internet or a rally against something, occupy for example. This community was separated in itself as the rich and poor with the same ideals then separated. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRjKnHvvwXg This would counter Paul Rieouer (1986) ideology that all one needs for intergration is merely the same viewpoint. “integration ideology plays a mediating role in the social realm.” Our pasts shape our feelings, we can share an emotion over viewpoint and form a sub group but ultimately we must be of similar ilk before this begins, our affects will be similar. Groups are drawn together then regardless of outside influence? Probably not as culture seems to play a vital role in placing people together.
rolloaiscott 