'The Danger of a single story' writer - Chimamada Ngozi Adichie
"The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes, is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete" - Writer: Chimamada Ngozi Adichie, TedTalks, 2009.
After watching the video on the single story by writer Chimamada Ngozi Adichie, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming connection to how I feel about my practise and the social stigmas that surround it. I have been researching into my practise and looking at how my own AOL and ethics have helped shape my practise today. Investigating the stereotypes and LGBTQ+ marginalisation that encompass the industry and how these views have developed. It is without realising I am seeing how I too have fallen victim to these social stereotypes. I like to think I have played a part in breaking down these boxes, ideologies but if I really sat and thought about it, I recall times I have been apart of adhering to these historical western stories. I recall on a moment when I was asked about my sexuality at a dance college and when I answered "I consider myself to be bisexual" her immediate response was to say "So what do you prefer girls or boys?" As if to assume, being bisexual meant that you had to have one gender that was more preferable than the other. Creating a sort of confusion like state in my head. To which I responded "Well I guess I would say males because I have dated more males than females". I realise now that this was a single story. Had she read this? Socially, had she heard people explaining bisexual people to be confused or indecisive? I can see how I played a part in this story and that was my shame. To only assume that identifying as a bisexual female must mean that I should have a preference, otherwise I am confused, greedy, indecisive or lost...
We all fall privy to detailing a singular story that we over time have manifested from an article/book we have read or a social post we have seen, a video we have watched. We create these westernised views based on one historical assumption, article we have read. In doing so, we forget that one story is not enough. In order to fully obtain further knowledge, we must research further articles, books, news, videos that relay a different tale. We must not allow ourselves to become subjected to only one story.
Let me know your experiences and thoughts :) x
Hi Gabrielle, great post. I watched this same TEDtalk the other day and was really quite moved by it. It reminded me of back in school when I had an amazing history teacher and at the very start she said to us, 'I can only teach you this version of events. I can only teach you about the war from Britain's telling of it. If you went to school in Germany, in France, in Russia, in Belgium, you would be told different stories about the same events. The exams are marked as from Britain's view of events, so that is what I must teach, but in reality, the truth lies between and within all the versions of events.' I have never forgotten this and try to live by this message.
ReplyDeleteI think that naturally the environment and circumstances we grow up in shape and colour our view and that really isn't out fault because we are impressionable children, but it is our absolute responsibility to be accountable when we are at an age of social awareness to listen to different stories and not take what we grew up with as whole truth. A very basic example; it is not our fault if we are born to racist parents, but it is our responsibility to question it and, like you say, go out and obtain further knowledge and understanding.
Great blog, thank you for sharing x
Absolutely, holding our self accountable for the choices we make and how we choose to live our life by our own morals and understanding of what we choose to learn. Your history teacher was very wise :)
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Hi Gabrielle, great blog! I loved reading your reflection on this TEDtalk, I felt rather moved by it too! I actually did some training for my muggle-job today which was about learning to deal with unconscious bias. The training reminded me that it is a quality that everyone has, even if we tell ourselves we don't. We all have our own historical context that makes us believe certain things. But it's important to be reminded that nothing can be learnt from a single story. I had heard so many negative opinions of performing arts at first... "the industry is tough", "dance is not a proper job" etc. but I'm pleased that I didn't listen to these stories, because there is only so much you can tell from the preview. The industry offers so much more (other than challenges), and everyone's own story is different. It's defiantly something to remember as we begin our research this module x
ReplyDeleteOh really, oh that's very kind of you to say. Most definitely :) I think its interesting to learn that when you reflect on your own situations you can see how systematically your own views on matters have been altered to relay one single story and after looking into my own experiences and reflecting on my own situations I can see how I am at fault for buying into one story that has been told for many years before. You subconsciously follow systematic beliefs without actually taking responsibility for your role, for perhaps not questioning more and researching other events that detail a different story. Definitely helps when thinking about module 2 and to be much more open minded to multiple sources.
DeleteThank you for your comments :)
Hi Gabrielle,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. You're completely correct about there being one westernised 'norm' and everything and everyone that doesn't fit into it being seen as 'other' and needing to justify their existence. It's extremely disheartening to think that in the supposedly open and accepting arts world prejudice and stereotypes still exist. I think it just proves how ingrained certain beliefs are in society that we don't realise we hold them or how hurtful they are until we are forced to actively search for and confront them. Best of luck with your research and I look forward to reading your future blogs. x
Oh thank you Alys! Yes absolutely its institutionalised social norms isn't it, definitely something that is installed in us.
DeleteThank you :)
Hi Gabby, I loved reading your blog i totally agree with all your comments and i really like how your reflecting about your own practice i think that is very important to take a minute to reflect back.
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