This Week I read the article Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki’s Anime Film “Spirited Away” by James Boyd and Tetsuya Nishimura. Spirited Away is an Anime movie by Miyazaki that centres around a bathhouse visited by a variety of creatures that need to be bathed and rejuvenated (Boyd & Nishimura, 2004: p.1). Boyd and Nishimura argue that Spirited Away is embedded with Japanese cultural values and spiritual perspectives particularly Japanese folk beliefs and Shrine Shinto perspectives and motifs.

According to Boyd and Nishimura Shrine Shinto rituals can be recognised throughout the film. The rural solstice Japanese tradition of calling forth kami is part of the Shinto tradition and a kami visits the Bathhouse in the film to be refreshed and cleaned from pollution. Boyd and Nishimura argue that Miyazaki insightfully communicates the diverse and weird and wonderful complex kami can be  (2010: p.4). Other creatures are also represented in the film such as ghost-like creatures that are representational of the souls of the dead who appear due to regrets (2010: p.4).

Boyd and Nishimura argue that Spirited Away reminds us of the importance in Japanese values and folk beliefs and acknowledges its insightfulness into the trials and tribulations of life (2010: p.6), Indeed Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away is a valuable and enjoyable film for the young and older generations

References:

Boyd, J. Nishimura, T. 2004, Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki’s Anime Film “Spirited Away” by James Boyd and Tetsuya Nishimura, The Journal of Religon and Film, Vol.8, No.2, pp.1-6.

Images:

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Aboriginal Spirituality

This week I read Aboriginal Spirituality in a New Age by Peter Sutton. Sutton discusses the influence of Christianity and new age practices in Aboriginal culture. Sutton found that Aboriginal people are able to combine Christian and indigenous faith perspectives and beliefs simultaneously (2010: 71).   Sutton studied the Wik indigenous people of the Cape York Peninsula and found that it was common for them to integrate their two religious beliefs. Sutton found that when the two traditions and beliefs merged the indigenous community where able to merge the two beliefs resulting in a dual cosmology (2010: p.72).  

According to Sutton in the 1980’s there began reports that Indigenous culture had been strongly influenced by new age practices from around the world (2010: p.74). Popular theorist of the time argued that Aboriginal people had been influenced by new age practices and incorporated it into their Aboriginal spirituality.  According to Sutton new age concepts date back to the early twentieth century and includes the occult, spirituality, natural therapies and even dolphins. 

Sutton argues that whilst there are some very vague similarities between some of the new age concepts overall Aboriginal spirituality and New age thought are unable to coexist. Importantly aboriginal spirituality was only available to those within the close nit community whereas new ageism is created for an open society (2010: p.86).  Finally Sutton argues that it is highly unlikely that indigenous people from a classical indigenous spirituality would be influenced by new age concepts (2010: p.87).  

References:

Sutton, P. 2010, Aboriginal Spirituality in A New Age, The Australian Journal of Anthropology, Vol21, p.71-89.  

Images:
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Racism and the Media

This week I read the article Racist Ideologies and the Media by Stuart Hall. Hall argues that the media’s main function is the meditation and construction of ideologies in culture.  Hall illustrates the three important factors of ideology. Firstly ideologies are not separate concepts, secondly ideologies are not the product of an individual and thirdly ideologies tend to be unconsciously blended into a culture as a commonsense view (272).

Hall argues that ideologies work in a certain way that ideologies have to be practiced (273).  Hall also asserts that ideologies are “generated, produced and reproduced in specific settings” (273). Indeed Hall asserts that the media play a role in constructing ideologies about race. The media is also a site where ideologies about race are created, produced and reproduced (273).

Hall continues by distinguishing between overt racism and inferential racism in the media. Overt racism is when particular emphasis is given to arguments that are of are openly racist views. Inferential racism is when ideologies about race have become naturalised in a culture wether they are based on fact or not (273). Inferential racism is when racism has become the accepted norm in a culture. Hall argues that Inferential racism an unconscious racism is the most dangerous as it spreads quickly and quietly without peoples awareness.

Indeed Hall argues that racism is so deeply imbedded in colonial conquest countries of British and European culture. That over time unconscious racism has saturated their media and literature.  That even in today’s popular culture there is reference to the savage the native that was rampant in colonial times (274).  

References:

Hall S. 2000. Racist Ideologies and the Media. In P Marris and S Thornham, Eds., Media Studies: A Reader. 2nd Edn., New York, New York University Press. Ch. 22, 271-282.

Images:

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