Showing posts with label inspiration porn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration porn. Show all posts
Saturday, May 8, 2021
"American Anthropological Association - Weekend Reads. How Anthropology Can Learn from 'Asia as Method'"
Friday, May 7, 2021
Representations of Deaf People in Japan: Inspiration, Outrage and Real Life
In English, with real-time captioning (CART)
Friday, May 14, 2021, 10:00 AM (Japan time)
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vAeF7_WxQlKdgXnOL2IVfQ
Inquiries (e-mail): nirc-ai-jimu@nanzan-u.ac.jp
Asian Ethnology Podcast 2021. Interview with Steven Fedorowicz: Deaf Communities in Japan. Nanzan University. By Mark Bookman.
Transcript: https://asianethnology.org/storage/pagefile/Steven%20Fedorowicz%20Interview%20Transcript.pdf
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
H-ASIA Announcement 「Webinar: Representations of Deaf People in Japan」
Inquiries (e-mail): nirc-ai-jimu@nanzan-u.ac.jp
Asian Ethnology Podcast 2021. Interview with Steven Fedorowicz: Deaf Communities in Japan. Nanzan University. By Mark Bookman.
Transcript: https://asianethnology.org/storage/pagefile/Steven%20Fedorowicz%20Interview%20Transcript.pdf
Announcement source: https://networks.h-net.org/node/22055/discussions/7632905/webinar-representations-deaf-people-japan
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Post-Lecture and a shot of "double inspiration porn"
The talk at the Kyoto Asian Studies Group went very well last night. There was a good crowd with several familiar faces. The lecture was one hour and five minutes (thanks to my DWJ students for suggestions on how to cut an earlier and longer version...) and there was almost an hour of interesting and important discussion afterwards. It was a great time. Thanks to KAS and everyone who attended!
In a congratulatory message my former professor and colleague sent me this:
Those who came last night will immediately get it. For those who couldn't attend, it is related to the following quote used in the presentation (and ensuing discussion).
I used to watch videos of abandoned dogs finding their forever homes and deaf people being able to hear for the first time to help soothe me on a bad day.
"Inspiration porn misrepresents deaf people, culture"
BY BRITTANY CRUZ-FEJERAN
The Southwestern College Sun, 05/13/2019
url: https://www.theswcsun.com/inspiration-porn-misrepresents-deaf-people-culture/
See the video before and prepare to be double inspired! (Thanks to EK for the message and screen shot.)
See also: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/09/announcement-kyoto-asian-studies-group.html
In a congratulatory message my former professor and colleague sent me this:
Those who came last night will immediately get it. For those who couldn't attend, it is related to the following quote used in the presentation (and ensuing discussion).
I used to watch videos of abandoned dogs finding their forever homes and deaf people being able to hear for the first time to help soothe me on a bad day.
"Inspiration porn misrepresents deaf people, culture"
BY BRITTANY CRUZ-FEJERAN
The Southwestern College Sun, 05/13/2019
url: https://www.theswcsun.com/inspiration-porn-misrepresents-deaf-people-culture/
See the video before and prepare to be double inspired! (Thanks to EK for the message and screen shot.)
See also: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/09/announcement-kyoto-asian-studies-group.html
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Announcement: Kyoto Asian Studies Group Meeting on September 17, 2019 - “Inspiration Porn and Representations of Deaf People in Japan”
Announcement from H-Japan, September 9, 2019:
The speaker for the September meeting of the Kyoto Asian Studies Group is Steven C. Fedorowicz, who will present “Inspiration Porn and Representations of Deaf People in Japan” (see abstract below).
The talk will be held on Tuesday, September 17th, 18:00-20:00 in Room 212 of the Fusokan on the Doshisha University Campus (see link below for access information).
Abstract
Inspiration Porn and Representations of Deaf People in Japan
This presentation examines so-called "inspiration porn" -- the idealization of disabled people doing everyday tasks (e.g. riding a train, having a job) or for achievements having nothing to do with their particular disability (e.g. deaf athletes) -- and its relationship to disability identities with a focus on deaf people in Japan. Cross-cultural examples, observations and perspectives will be discussed to set up an exploration of how disabled and deaf people are portrayed in various media. Japanese deaf people are often critical of the representations of deaf protagonists and characters in popular television dramas and movies. Such representations create strong but inaccurate images of deafness and sign language that ultimately serve to perpetuate deficit models of disability. On the other hand, representations of disabled/deaf people themselves challenge and add to a social welfare discourse leading to (re)evaluations of societal norms and attitudes towards disability with the ultimate goal of a barrier-free environment. This presentation will also discuss how the Law to Eliminate Discrimination against People with Disabilities (April 2016), Sagamihara Care Home Massacre (July 26, 2016) and upcoming Tokyo 2020 Paralympics have changed and influenced disability discourses and representations.
Steven C. Fedorowicz is an Associate Professor of Anthropology in the Asian Studies Program, Kansai Gaidai University.
Sponsored by the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies. For access information see:
http://www.doshisha.ac.jp/en/information/campus/imadegawa/imadegawa.html
Please refrain from bringing food or drinks into the meeting room.
Contact: Niels van Steenpaal, nielsvansteenpaal@hotmail.com
About the Kyoto Asian Studies Group:
The KASG is a long-standing Kyoto-based research network that hosts monthly research presentations by experts from various Asian Studies fields. Emphasizing long Q&A sessions, we aim to provide an informal atmosphere in which scholars can freely exchange ideas concerning both finished and in-progress research. Admission is free, and we always welcome new members and presenters.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
"Documentary focuses on ‘rakugo’ artist’s inspirational return to the stage"
From The Japan Times, 10/7/16.
The Japanese tradition of rakugo (comedic storytelling) depends largely on a quick wit and a way with words. So when storyteller Hayashiya Kanpei became speech-impaired due to a stroke, the challenge he faced getting back on stage was a momentous one.
Kanpei, 67, and his struggles are the subject of a new documentary film titled “Namida no Kazu dake Warao Yo” (“Let’s Laugh As Many Times As We Cry”).
The artist was 41 when he suffered a brain hemorrhage. It left him paralyzed on the right side of his body, which also affected his speech. Popular for his brisk way of speaking and specializing in classic rakugo stories, Kanpei had been promoted only five years earlier to the status of master storyteller or shin-uchi.
For a rakugoka, who tells comical stories while sitting on stage clad in kimono, the effects of the stroke were horrific.
Kanpei, whose real name is Kazuo Shibuya, gradually recovered from the ordeal to write his own story and perform it on stage.
“I love classical rakugo stories featuring warm human relationships,” he says. “But as recommended by the people around me, I decided to write a new story to express myself.”
“Let’s Laugh As Many Times As We Cry” depicts Kanpei’s arduous rehabilitation process, which continued even while nursing his 93-year-old mother at his home in Tokyo. It also focuses on the support he received from friends and fellow rakugo performers.
In August, Kanpei performed his new monologue, “Let’s Go, Shogaisha” (shōgaisha is the Japanese word for a person who has a disability), on stage as part of a show organized in Tokyo by disciples of Hayashiya Sanpei I to commemorate their late master.
In the last part of the monologue, Kanpei said, “We shōgaisha feel refreshed when we go out and meet people,” which drew a round of applause from the audience.
Kazuhito Ogino, a former movie studio executive who planned the documentary says that Kanpei’s efforts have proven inspirational to people in his generation who are concerned about life after retirement.
The film was first shown at a theater in Shinjuku, central Tokyo, in early September and is scheduled to be screened at other selected theaters through November.
Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2016/10/07/films/documentary-focuses-rakugo-artists-inspirational-return-stage/
More information and film trailer (in Japanese): http://www.nkw-kanpei.com/index.html
The Japanese tradition of rakugo (comedic storytelling) depends largely on a quick wit and a way with words. So when storyteller Hayashiya Kanpei became speech-impaired due to a stroke, the challenge he faced getting back on stage was a momentous one.
Kanpei, 67, and his struggles are the subject of a new documentary film titled “Namida no Kazu dake Warao Yo” (“Let’s Laugh As Many Times As We Cry”).
The artist was 41 when he suffered a brain hemorrhage. It left him paralyzed on the right side of his body, which also affected his speech. Popular for his brisk way of speaking and specializing in classic rakugo stories, Kanpei had been promoted only five years earlier to the status of master storyteller or shin-uchi.
For a rakugoka, who tells comical stories while sitting on stage clad in kimono, the effects of the stroke were horrific.
Kanpei, whose real name is Kazuo Shibuya, gradually recovered from the ordeal to write his own story and perform it on stage.
“I love classical rakugo stories featuring warm human relationships,” he says. “But as recommended by the people around me, I decided to write a new story to express myself.”
“Let’s Laugh As Many Times As We Cry” depicts Kanpei’s arduous rehabilitation process, which continued even while nursing his 93-year-old mother at his home in Tokyo. It also focuses on the support he received from friends and fellow rakugo performers.
In August, Kanpei performed his new monologue, “Let’s Go, Shogaisha” (shōgaisha is the Japanese word for a person who has a disability), on stage as part of a show organized in Tokyo by disciples of Hayashiya Sanpei I to commemorate their late master.
In the last part of the monologue, Kanpei said, “We shōgaisha feel refreshed when we go out and meet people,” which drew a round of applause from the audience.
Kazuhito Ogino, a former movie studio executive who planned the documentary says that Kanpei’s efforts have proven inspirational to people in his generation who are concerned about life after retirement.
The film was first shown at a theater in Shinjuku, central Tokyo, in early September and is scheduled to be screened at other selected theaters through November.
Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2016/10/07/films/documentary-focuses-rakugo-artists-inspirational-return-stage/
More information and film trailer (in Japanese): http://www.nkw-kanpei.com/index.html
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
"Poll shows most disabled people in Japan dislike 'inspirational' documentaries about disability"
From Japan Today, 9/13/16.
When I still lived in the U.S., I remember a time I was watching a program on the Public Broadcasting Service featuring a group of middle school-aged kids working to design a fin or flipper to fit one of the girls in the group that would best allow her to swim through water. The girl testing out the flipper designs in the pool happened to be in a wheelchair, unable to walk.
A Japanese friend who was watching the program with me remarked that you would likely never see a program on TV in Japan featuring a disabled person yet not focusing on the person’s disability. He stated he didn’t like the way television in Japan always portrayed people with disabilities, and wished they would feature them in programs like the one we were watching, where their disability wasn’t even mentioned.
At the time I thought it was an interesting observation, and as it turns out, it’s a sentiment shared by many others.
Recently, a program called “Bari-Bara” on Japanese broadcasting network NHK’s Educational TV revealed the results of a poll asking people what they thought of “inspirational programs featuring disabled people”.
The response of non-disabled people polled was split nearly down the middle, with 45 percent reporting that they enjoy such programs. Still, the greater half – with 55 percent – reported that they don’t like such inspirational programs. When asking people in the disabled community what they thought about such programs, 90 percent of those polled answered they don’t like them.
The program “Bari-Bara” touts itself as “Japan’s first variety show for disabled people”, and aims to create a “truly barrier-free society”. The title “Bari-Bara” actually stands for “barrier-free variety” (“bariaa-furii baraetii”), the term “barrier-free” meaning to be accessible, or free of barriers/impediments. The episode in question, which featured the polls regarding inspirational programs about the disabled community, also showed a talk by the late Australian comedian and disabled rights activist Stella Young in which she coined the term “inspiration porn”, referring to society’s habit of always turning disabled people into “inspirations” simply because they live with a disability.
On its own the episode relays an important and thought-provoking message, but this episode also happened to air on the last weekend of August, the same weekend that Nippon Television runs its annual 24-Hour Television telethon, a charity program whose aim is to “introduce existing conditions of social welfare in Japan as well as around the world and to present the need for assistance for disadvantaged people.”
According to their website, since the first campaign in 1978, the charity committee has raised 27,248,414,171 yen in donations as of 2008. However, the program is also infamous for showing the very “tears, please” documentaries and “inspiration porn” that “Bari-Bara” denounces. In fact, the whole “Bari-Bara” episode was a parodied mock-up of 24-Hour Television‘s program, with staff and crew wearing shirts in the same bright yellow color that 24-Hour Television uses, bearing a similar slogan and with the stage decorated in a similar fashion to that of the telethon event.
Considering the much-needed donations 24-Hour Television raises for a whole variety of charitable organizations, it’s highly unlikely that “Bari-Bara’s” intent was to completely undermine the telethon, but hopefully it has encouraged the committee as well as the program’s viewers to rethink the way they portray and view disabled people in society. And if the result of “Bari-Bara’s” poll is any indication, the tear-jerking documentaries aren’t even appealing to the majority of the population, so a new way of presenting the telethon could even be beneficial to its ultimate purpose.
Source: https://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/poll-shows-most-disabled-people-in-japan-dislike-inspirational-documentaries-about-disability
See also the comments at the end of the story, including the following video suggestion:
Bari-Bara webpage: http://www6.nhk.or.jp/baribara/
Previous VAOJ coverage of this issue: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.jp/search?q=inspiration+porn
When I still lived in the U.S., I remember a time I was watching a program on the Public Broadcasting Service featuring a group of middle school-aged kids working to design a fin or flipper to fit one of the girls in the group that would best allow her to swim through water. The girl testing out the flipper designs in the pool happened to be in a wheelchair, unable to walk.
A Japanese friend who was watching the program with me remarked that you would likely never see a program on TV in Japan featuring a disabled person yet not focusing on the person’s disability. He stated he didn’t like the way television in Japan always portrayed people with disabilities, and wished they would feature them in programs like the one we were watching, where their disability wasn’t even mentioned.
At the time I thought it was an interesting observation, and as it turns out, it’s a sentiment shared by many others.
Recently, a program called “Bari-Bara” on Japanese broadcasting network NHK’s Educational TV revealed the results of a poll asking people what they thought of “inspirational programs featuring disabled people”.
The response of non-disabled people polled was split nearly down the middle, with 45 percent reporting that they enjoy such programs. Still, the greater half – with 55 percent – reported that they don’t like such inspirational programs. When asking people in the disabled community what they thought about such programs, 90 percent of those polled answered they don’t like them.
The program “Bari-Bara” touts itself as “Japan’s first variety show for disabled people”, and aims to create a “truly barrier-free society”. The title “Bari-Bara” actually stands for “barrier-free variety” (“bariaa-furii baraetii”), the term “barrier-free” meaning to be accessible, or free of barriers/impediments. The episode in question, which featured the polls regarding inspirational programs about the disabled community, also showed a talk by the late Australian comedian and disabled rights activist Stella Young in which she coined the term “inspiration porn”, referring to society’s habit of always turning disabled people into “inspirations” simply because they live with a disability.
On its own the episode relays an important and thought-provoking message, but this episode also happened to air on the last weekend of August, the same weekend that Nippon Television runs its annual 24-Hour Television telethon, a charity program whose aim is to “introduce existing conditions of social welfare in Japan as well as around the world and to present the need for assistance for disadvantaged people.”
According to their website, since the first campaign in 1978, the charity committee has raised 27,248,414,171 yen in donations as of 2008. However, the program is also infamous for showing the very “tears, please” documentaries and “inspiration porn” that “Bari-Bara” denounces. In fact, the whole “Bari-Bara” episode was a parodied mock-up of 24-Hour Television‘s program, with staff and crew wearing shirts in the same bright yellow color that 24-Hour Television uses, bearing a similar slogan and with the stage decorated in a similar fashion to that of the telethon event.
Considering the much-needed donations 24-Hour Television raises for a whole variety of charitable organizations, it’s highly unlikely that “Bari-Bara’s” intent was to completely undermine the telethon, but hopefully it has encouraged the committee as well as the program’s viewers to rethink the way they portray and view disabled people in society. And if the result of “Bari-Bara’s” poll is any indication, the tear-jerking documentaries aren’t even appealing to the majority of the population, so a new way of presenting the telethon could even be beneficial to its ultimate purpose.
Source: https://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/poll-shows-most-disabled-people-in-japan-dislike-inspirational-documentaries-about-disability
See also the comments at the end of the story, including the following video suggestion:
Bari-Bara webpage: http://www6.nhk.or.jp/baribara/
Previous VAOJ coverage of this issue: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.jp/search?q=inspiration+porn
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Visual Anthropology at the 2014 AJJ Fall Meeting
The 2014 Anthropology of Japan in Japan Fall Meeting will take place at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan on Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30.
Click here for instructions to access Nanzan University.
Below is information on VAOJ events that might be of interest to visual anthropologists:
An Introduction to Visual Anthropology (Guest Lecture)
This lecture/workshop will examine visual anthropology, especially in the Japanese context, through a deconstruction of the term and an exploration of “the visual,” “visualization” and “anthropology.” We will then perform a reconstruction and consider the origins and functions of visual anthropology. Visual anthropology is more than using cameras and the passive viewing of images. Theoretical concerns such as the relationship(s) between the visual anthropologist, subjects and audience will be discussed. Finally, the challenges of doing visual anthropology will be presented through a proposed set of guidelines for “shooting culture” (both photography and film) in Japan.
R Building - Room R33
Saturday, November 29, 1:30-2:45 PM
Inspiration Porn and Representations of Deaf People in Japan (Paper Presentation)
This paper will deal with so-called "inspiration porn" and its relationship to disability identities with a focus on deaf people in Japan. Inspiration porn can be described as the idealization of disabled people “overcoming” -- doing common everyday life tasks (e.g. riding a train, having a job) or for achievements that have nothing to do with their particular disability (e.g. deaf athletes). Cross-cultural examples, observations and perspectives will be discussed to set up an exploration of how disabled and deaf people are portrayed in various media. Japanese deaf people are often critical of the representations of deaf protagonists and characters in popular television dramas and movies. Such representations create strong but inaccurate images of deafness and sign language that ultimately serve to perpetuate deficit models of disability. On the other hand, representations of disabled/deaf people themselves as seen on NHK programs such as Baribara (Barrier Free Variety Show) and the “Deaf People” corner of Minna no Shuwa (Everyone’s Sign Language) challenge and add to a social welfare discourse with abled (bodied) Japanese and their (re)evaluations of who or what makes up contemporary mainstream society.
R Building - Room R51
Saturday, November 29, 3:00-4:15 PM
There are many more interesting presentations, lectures and film screenings on both days.
For more information about the AJJ Fall 2014 Meeting: http://ajj2014meeting.blogspot.jp/
Click here for instructions to access Nanzan University.
Below is information on VAOJ events that might be of interest to visual anthropologists:
An Introduction to Visual Anthropology (Guest Lecture)
This lecture/workshop will examine visual anthropology, especially in the Japanese context, through a deconstruction of the term and an exploration of “the visual,” “visualization” and “anthropology.” We will then perform a reconstruction and consider the origins and functions of visual anthropology. Visual anthropology is more than using cameras and the passive viewing of images. Theoretical concerns such as the relationship(s) between the visual anthropologist, subjects and audience will be discussed. Finally, the challenges of doing visual anthropology will be presented through a proposed set of guidelines for “shooting culture” (both photography and film) in Japan.
R Building - Room R33
Saturday, November 29, 1:30-2:45 PM
Inspiration Porn and Representations of Deaf People in Japan (Paper Presentation)
This paper will deal with so-called "inspiration porn" and its relationship to disability identities with a focus on deaf people in Japan. Inspiration porn can be described as the idealization of disabled people “overcoming” -- doing common everyday life tasks (e.g. riding a train, having a job) or for achievements that have nothing to do with their particular disability (e.g. deaf athletes). Cross-cultural examples, observations and perspectives will be discussed to set up an exploration of how disabled and deaf people are portrayed in various media. Japanese deaf people are often critical of the representations of deaf protagonists and characters in popular television dramas and movies. Such representations create strong but inaccurate images of deafness and sign language that ultimately serve to perpetuate deficit models of disability. On the other hand, representations of disabled/deaf people themselves as seen on NHK programs such as Baribara (Barrier Free Variety Show) and the “Deaf People” corner of Minna no Shuwa (Everyone’s Sign Language) challenge and add to a social welfare discourse with abled (bodied) Japanese and their (re)evaluations of who or what makes up contemporary mainstream society.
R Building - Room R51
Saturday, November 29, 3:00-4:15 PM
There are many more interesting presentations, lectures and film screenings on both days.
For more information about the AJJ Fall 2014 Meeting: http://ajj2014meeting.blogspot.jp/
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