Hello readers!
Since I was class blogger two weeks ago I did not get to discuss “Survivability, Vulnerability, Affect (Frames of war: when is life grievable?)” by Butler Judith. Bulter provides a theory through the analysis of Ilka Saal essay. While reading Butler’s work I had great difficulties following along, especially with her vocabulary. However, when we I read it over again with the class I had a better understanding of the concepts she was trying to convey.
The notion of “framing” can be described as one in which a story or scenario where Butler’s essay examines the war on terror but ignores side arguments. People use frames in order to interpret the world around them and how they should respond to it. This basic foundation of the frames allows individuals to organize and interpret information into something they can comprehend. What Butler states is that our lives are precarious due to the interdependence we share. However, this interdependence is also illustrated by the distinction between “we” and “them”, in which the gap is the difference of value, and norms through the way our societies and cultures have shaped us. We identity ourselves with and how we differentiate ourselves based on personal values, beliefs, culture, gender or looks. Butler inquiries how one decided one person’s value over another’s and how we decided whom we go to war with. She made a very interesting point by illustrating that there always seems to be sides and the ‘us’ and ‘them’ almost seems unavoidable in some situations. In one sense, Butler reveals how “we” only exist on the condition of the existence of “them”, yet individuals rely on others in their particular groups in which they share their similar identity. The interdependency about existing within and outside our groups indicates how precariousness a relationship can be.
We use previous knowledge from our societies and cultures to form opinions and beliefs, which we then use as we interact with the world around us. But this knowledge we gain from our communities, media, or culture tends to be biased or leaves out factors that do not fit into the narrative that is being built up. Thus, we see things from one perspective, dismissing others and being ignorant. From the context of war Butler uses America’s War on Terror as her framework. She compares grievable lives and ungrievable lives, which is the result of our interpretative framing. But at the end of the day all that matters is how we interpret something, how we make sense of things with the frames we have.
Works Cited
Butler, Judith. “Survivability, Vulnerability, Affect.” Frames of War: When is a Life Grievable? London: Verso, 2009. 33-62. Print.