A warm welcome and hello to you all! My name is Navi, and I am a fourth year Economics major with a minor in English Language serving as an option if I do ever decide to get into education (with high hopes to make an attempt to transform how its taught using the creative and technological resources that are presently available). If I am being honest with all of you, I had zero idea on how to approach this introductory blog post. I wanted to make an impression, but to do so in roughly three hundred words is not easy. I often feel incredibly limited every time a conversation takes off with discussing majors and career projections, or lack thereof. Even this only says so much and I have an odd anxiety that I have ruined a perfectly viable opportunity to deliver a solidified representation of myself, or I might have and it is completely inaccurate of what I was going for. So here’s hoping over the course of this semester I get to expand my perspective, voice and personal insights with all of you and in return may be enlightened with yours as well!
As described in the Course Syllabus, English 470 provides a scholarly study of Canadian literature in a historical context but is deeply interested in the power of stories – specifically regarding the stories we tell ourselves about being in Canada. I had two initial insights after reading the overview of this course. Firstly, I recalled the many introductory conversations I had with students from around the globe during my exchange at the University of Edinburgh. We did not have much to go off on, so naturally we would trade stereotypes and stories from personal knowledge regarding each other’s respective nations. Naturally, niceness and maple syrup topped all Canadian topics. I happily took on the idea of being a nice and approachable person – because my entire country obviously was. I knew their assumptions were far too narrow, inaccurate but also did nothing of it because the deep-rooted history wasn’t nearly as fitting to their beliefs.
Secondly, I thought of one of my favorite TED talks delivered by novelist Chimamanda Adichie, who discusses the danger of a single story. She warns that we risk a very critical and cultural misunderstanding when we forget that everyone’s lives and identities are composed of many overlapping stories. “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.” Tying into my own personal distress of making impressions, it is odd how lasting they are. She goes on to discuss the importance of stories and how they matter. They have been used to dispossess and to malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. “Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.”
I look forward to using literature as a tool to uncover truths and build my own understanding of the place I call home. The philosopher Alain de Botton states that literature is our greatest source for simulating reality. I agree with his statement and am a firm believer that literature saves you time as it gives us access to a range of emotions and events that would take us years, decades, or even millenniums to try to experience directly. Over the course of this semester I hope to find the honesty in books that we cannot normally find in every day conversation.
Works Cited
“The Danger of a Single Story.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:. TED Conferences, LLC, n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.
“What Is Literature For?” The Book of Life What Is Literature For Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.
Hi Navi!
I watched Chimamanda Adichie’s TED talk on the danger of the single story and I thought it was amazing! It was interesting to hear of her experiences with her projections of the single story onto other cultures, as well as her own experiences being on the receiving end of the single story. As you mentioned, it really brings an awareness to how Canadians are often stereotyped as a friendly, maple syrup loving people. If that’s what the single story of Canadians is, I guess it could be worse! However, what came to my mind as I watched the video was how there are tons of single stories within one single story in Canada. Immigrants, and First Nations people are stereotyped and misrepresented all the time in the media and elsewhere. Even though they are Canadians, their single story is a lot different than the friendly, maple syrup loving story. In your opinion, can the stereotypical views from the single story ever be reversed or changed so that they are less harmful? Even though attitudes can change to reflect more understanding of difference, single stories have a way of influencing our perception and sometimes it seems like those single stories have been written in stone. If you think they can be changed then what do you think is required for stereotypes to be dispelled? If you think they can’t be changed then why not? Look forward to reading more of your insights this semester!
– Natasha
Hi Natasha!
Thank you for commenting on my post! Part of the reason I wanted to post this TED talk was to connect it in term of the single story for First Nations people. I completely agree with you. I vividly recall in elementary school we would have days dedicated to learning about “Aboriginal History”. There would be guest speakers in assemblies; we would be given bannock and jam, as a snack and we would watch the same animated movie on the Raven, year after year. Personally, being limited to this perspective growing up it was easy for the methods of teaching to form the “single view” I would take on. I was in the eleventh grade when I had a teacher who was all for shifting paradigms. It was then that I truly began to learn messier truths. It was through this educational process that I was able to eradicate deep rooted stereotypes, so I do have hope for change. Reading widely and seeking alternative sources for current events can play a factor. I also think that I was still at an extremely impressionable age when I came across more complex perspectives, thus it was also easier for me to take them on. A willingness to learn is necessary and this is both a hopeful and frustrating process because many other factors such as age, values, and personal politics always stand in the way.
Looking forward to continuing these intuitive conversations with you through this semester!
Navi
I love Adichies’s talk! A single story belittles people and cripples those who accept a single story. But on the other side I can’t ever claim that the world will ever exist without being guilty of accepting ‘a single story’. I find that a single story is just too easy to accept and stick to. It’s a simple and easy way to classify things, people or places and on it’s also far too easy to get overwhelmed by too many stories so people default. Navi, I think you’re right to describe this as messy because I completely agree. The complexity of the contrasting and intermingling stories means that there’s always something new to learn and discover and that’s exciting to me.
Adichie mentions that her roommate had only heard one story and therefore was surprised to find similarities between the two of them. I think that finding similarities is one of the main values of storytelling for audiences because it leads to sympathizing with the narrator. However, what is at stake when similarities can’t be found? In that case, what happens to those telling the stories and those listening to them?
Hi Charlie!
I completely agree that in order to make sense of our observations and day to day interactions we all simplify, label and we are so great at categorizing in order to comprehend. On the one hand it’s necessary for our sanity but it does come at a cost. Your excitement for this messy situation is really refreshing and I hope other people take topics such as these with curiosity and willingness rather than frustration!
Having said that I couldn’t helped but be flustered with your question. I wish I had a more concise and well put together answer but for the most part I think that there is a necessity to be an attentive listener/ comprehend-er in order to become sympathetic. Being a good listener is an enchanting skill to have and yet few of us have the ability to be one. I think as a society we have a tendency to be greedy to speak. When similarities lack I think it is the job of the listener or the reader to “egg on” the speaker and to keep what they’ve said in the past in mind in order to build a deeper base of engagement. As well, urging clarifications instead of vagueness will further the foundation for similarities to be found. Conversation that moves away from the swapping of anecdotes to forming personal links and having an empathetic approach is one step towards better attaining that goal.
I hope over the course of this semester, as we learn more of the roles of stories, I can further add to this answer. Thank you again for posting this — it genuinely had me searching for answers!
Hey Navi!
I’m going on an exchange at the University of Edinburgh in September! Maybe you’ll be able to give me some tips on the tips that I need to be given. I am clueless about what I’m getting myself into thus far. They do have a nice website though.
I wanted to address the idea of the “single story” that you have brought up. I completely agree with you about the harms that arise when an identity is formed from a narrow narrative for an entire group of people. Not only does the individual become faceless, but it denies us the intellectual capacity to bridge the gap or find the via media between Self and Other. That’s harmful. That’s conflict.
Yet, given the way that we operate in our own society today, what are the chances that we can ever get anything other than the single story? Media outlets have to push out as many attention-grabbing headlines as they can in order to keep running. We, as a public, demand the simple, bite-sized narratives that ultimately cause us more grief than good. Further, I would argue that it’s not just “the West” that does this, but all cultures. Simplifying other groups of people, whether near or far, into neat packages is far easier for an individual to handle.
How do you think we can get around the tendency to desire single stories? Sometimes, as university students who are paying to learn other stories and see bigger pictures, we forget that the vast majority of humanity is hard-pressed to move beyond that manageable single narrative. Big question, I know – but the biggest questions make for the most interesting discussions.
Cheers,
Nick
Hello Nick!
I am both incredibly excited for you and equally as envious that you will get to experience that city with fresh eyes! Feel free to message me on the side if you have any questions about accommodations, or travel plans, or what not — I’d be happy to help and offer you advice from my experience and my mistakes! I can assure you, you’re getting yourself into a lovely adventure.
Adding further to your point, I don’t think our sudden needs of instant gratification and simplified posts on social media help move us away from “single stories”. The pace of society is so quick now, that all it can seemingly afford is bite sized chunks. You’re correct that media has to hook us in. We look to it to tell us what matters but often times it only tells us things in order to excite us.
Apart from preparing us for future career endeavors, the purpose of universities has a more stranger, bigger ambition. and it’s often revealed in the lyrical moments of graduation ceremonies. It is a perfect setting to address questions concerning who we are and what direction our societies are headed but the rest of the world isn’t shaped in such a formal manner for these topics to be learned and discussed. Teaching another person to be open minded and to go against there beliefs is a tall order to ask for and obviously wont have a quick fix. An open mind is incredibly necessary in order to creates opportunities to rethink assumptions, identify misinformation, and consider alternative ways to make decisions.
I would say taking actions such as teaching people the habit of seeking out multiple perspectives, making cross-cultural interaction ordinary and demonstrating ways to learn from ordinary people would all go towards creating more complex and three dimensional views.
Looking forward to expanding and building our conversations over the course of the semester!
Best,
Navi
Hi All,
I also loved the talk by Chimamanda Adichie. Thank you for sharing it, Navi!
In listening to the talk, I was reminded of a good friend who works with UGM on educating the public about homelessness and under-housing in Vancouver. One of her key strategies is to ask people to do a simple word association exercise with the term “homeless”. Sadly, but not surprisingly, the words she gets back are all negative, reflecting a single story or perspective. My friend challenges her audience to consider positive terms such as ingenuity and resourcefulness.
So, in response to your question, Nick, I would say that in order to avoid approaching life from a single story, we have to train ourselves to look for the other angle. This means fighting back against stories that perpetuate one-dimensional views. It means questioning stories that perpetuate hetero-normativity, cultural stereotypes, etc.
However, perhaps the best way to combat this “single-story” phenomena is simply to meet new people–talk to people you wouldn’t normally associate with. It doesn’t mean you have to be friends with everyone. But, hearing someone else’s story opens your eyes to a new perspective. And the more perspectives we gather, the more we learn to recognize and question the “single-stories” when they come along.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the topic, Navi. What do stories have to offer in terms of opening our minds or breaking down barriers?
Janine
Hi Janine,
I completely agree that seeking out new conversations is a wonderful way to build perspective. Relying solely on educational material only sets us up for taking on single sided views. Learning about India or China from a limited Canadian educational system sets one up for a narrow view and it is in a similar manner for learning about “Canadian History” from the same educational process. In order to break down barriers rather than just having Western authors, incorporating the web, films, and videos in classrooms would help offer multiple stories and leading towards opening minds – I listed some of the benefits in the above comment.
It is through stories that one can gain cross-cultural skills in communication and collaboration. As well as teaching one to analyze multiple perspectives as part of understanding how different people view events and issues, make decisions, and have conflicts.
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment and I look forward to more throughout the semester!
Navi
Thanks, Navi!
I agree, offering multiple stories in the classroom could offer many opportunities to “rethink assumptions, identify misinformation, and consider alternative ways to make decisions”. I like this idea since it offers the possibility of opening up conversations about more abstract ideas or distant people. It is a lot easier to talk about issues that hit close to home if you can frame it in the form of a story about someone else. I think the tools you mention (web, films, and videos) offer great cognitive hooks that could allow students to hang their ideas on someone else’s story without feeling like they are abandoning their own beliefs or ideas. 🙂
Janine
Hi Navi,
Thank you for sharing that TED talk! I had actually seen it before, but I got more out of it this time. I think the idea of a single story spans far beyond our understanding of historical events (war, residential schools and societies evolution. I see it as a problem in everyday life. Just like Adichie mentioned, the media floods us with images and we believe those to be the only truth. It does not mean the media is lying to us, but rather there are more stories that would give a more balanced narrative in every situation. Much of these narratives are controlled by the government. For example, when I talk to my parents about residential schools or Japanese Internment camps, we have very different understandings of the situations. This is because the narrative changed. Previously the government had been focused on downplaying and hiding the truth about each scenario, where as now transparency and apologies for cruelty are being faced publicly and head on.
I think avoiding a single story narrative requires active commitment and participation. It is easy to be informed on current events. However, hearing about it from one source – especially a source not speaking from first hand experience encourages single story narrative. I think this will always be the way that the media and government function – after all they want to control the narrative. As responsible citizens it is our job to be properly informed and do our research on the big topics. We must look into various sources to give ourselves a more well rounded and authentic understanding. Do you think it is the responsibility of large national news outlets, such as the CBC to give more sources and perspectives on stories in order to avoid a single-story? Or do you think they are doing their job and it is our civic responsibility to appropriately inform ourselves?
Alanna
Hi Alanna,
Thank you for your comment, you’ve brought forth a wonderful question. State broadcasters are given taxpayers money on the basis that they serve public interest. I do believe that we have a part to play to properly inform ourselves but having news outlets that just engorge us with negative and frightening news wouldn’t make any of us want to leave our houses or visit another place because we’ve only heard the negative components to it. If we here of a place for the first time through a crime ridden lens, it would cast a lasting single story. News organisations claim to be informing us with their bulletins. Personally it feels as if they are driving us crazy with needless anxiety and puzzling us with random bits of information we can’t make use of.
Best,
Navi