The Culture of New Capitalism

I recently read the book Culture of New Capitalism, in which Richard Sennett surveys the differences between an “old” industrial and bureaucratic capitalism and a “new” form of capitalism that is more global and mutable. By exploring the historical processes of both types of capitalism, he places each within contexts of both institutional changes, power changes, and cultural changes. Sennett’s main theories of the culture of “new” capitalism is how, now, our culture’s ideal worker is one who is flexible and able to manage their time in the short-term to toll with the changes; is a talented person of many traits, giving them higher potential rather than merit for their past achievements; and is someone who is able to “surrender” the past by letting go of failures or even old processes, and only looks forward.

He places each of these traits in opposition to culture traits of the “old” capitalism, focusing mainly on bureaucracy. For instance, bureaucracy brought with it rational, disciplined, and stable structures for work. A worker could, therefore, plan for the long-term by knowing very clear and set steps of how to gain wealth: go to college, get an entry-level job, work efficiently and accordingly to the rules, and climb the company ladder through promotions. However, now short-term feature of the new capitalism does not guarantee a given path to wealth, or even job security. Older generations of professionals now experience a “specter of uselessness” as they have to adjust to the new knowledge and technology and compete with younger 20-something-year-olds.

Sennett’s main argument is that even though these new methods seem to liberate workers from the “iron cage” of bureaucracy, these changes have not set people free. Further, the new cultural ideal of the new institutions actually damage many of the people who inhabit them.  A quote I feel embodies this is:

“…a different, more passive mentality. Americans of the middling sort…have tended to accept structural changes with resignation,  as though the loss of security at work and in schools run like businesses are inevitable: you can do little about such basic shifts, even if they hurt you” - page 10

                  In Sennett’s voice, this new form of capitalism has radically broken down the stable and disciplined institutions of bureaucracy, casting people adrift into an uncertain, short-term and ever-changing system, and culture, of work ethics. Rather than setting people free from the strict guidelines of bureaucracy, it seems this “new” capitalism, as he describes it, has gone too far in that it no longer guides and supports the majority of workers in America, especially those who were raised through “old” capitalism. This quote also resonates with me because Sennett specifically calls out Americans as the population who are now passive, rather than aggressive businessmen, who seem to have lost their power and agency. In other classes, I have read Thomas Friedman’s “The World Is Flat,” in which he explains how the technology and telecommunications revolution has essentially evened-out the playing field for other “less-developed” countries, such as China and India. Now, that their populations have access to the digital world, they have been able to greatly take advantage of globalization of capital and businesses, and have seen a rapid increase in growth and productivity. In this essay he, also, calls out Americans, and urges America to wake up and work harder; to keep up with the other nations that have started to surpass us in technology and telecommunications, and thus in the World economy. I guess my point to bringing up this quote is to spectate on who is receiving the adverse effects of the new capitalist system. And further to look at this as an almost ironic situation since America has been the epicenter of a highly productive capitalist economy and also spread, and even forced, capitalism as a model for other countries and the World economic system. Yet now, as capitalism is changing in both the institutions and culture surrounding workers, Americans are “cast adrift.”

Here's a video on a young American who I feel embodies the culture of  new capitalism:

What happens at the NGOs after we leave?

Unlike so many of my peers, my practice experience is actually coming to an end this month.

However, even though I'm leaving, the organization continues.

UC Berkeley and Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), the org I have my PE with, have been partners for years but I'm wondering how sustainable this partnership is. Students by nature are transient and temporary but also theoretically replaceable since we have such a high turnover and endless interest. However, I'm finding difficulty securing a replacement for the next academic year.

I'd be disappointed and uncomfortable if I moved on without a worthy replacement. If you are interested in community organizing, participation, or direct interactions with the community, please explore this link for more information about the Community Organizing Team (COT) and this link for the application.

'Favela Rising': a Type of Community Activism to Improve Lives in Favelas

If you haven't done it yet, I strongly recommend watching the documentary 'Favela Rising'. Other than depicting the social context and life in favelas, the documentary shows how community activism can be used as a powerful tool to improve lives within a favela. In the movie, in response to the high criminality and drug trafficking in favelas, a group of residents organizes to form social revolutionary in one of Rio's most dangerous slums.

Criminality is one of the main concerns that strongly impact the lives of the residents in favelas. To address this issue, many programs have recently tackle drug trafficking by implementing Pacific Police Units into favelas. By identifying and acting upon the major drug trafficking factions in Rio's favelas, and by promoting social and educational events for the whole community, the UPP aims at restoring pacification into the favelas, eventually improving the lives of the residents and decreasing the stigma placed upon those communities by the rest of the city.

Here's a link to the first part of the documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKSuaPxYU0s

Visa for India

Most country requires a visa for entry, that I understand. Instead of having the service completed by the consulate, India has outsource their visa process to a private company, BLS. Although the website is visually appealing and colorful, don't be fooled. The process to obtain a visa for India was the most stressful process I have experienced to date. For anyone that will be doing their practice in India, brace yourself.

I think the most confusing part was filling out all the forms online. Not only did I have to fill out a form for the visa, I also had to fill out a form in order to make an appointment.

After I gathered all my documents, I headed to San Francisco. This trip took  around an hour and half ( I took the FS express bus and then the 38L to Geary). Once I  got to the office, I had to get a number. Although I made an appointment for 10am, that doesn't mean anything. It was basically first come first serve. I thought this was funny because the website made such a big deal about filling out forms and scheduling an appointment only to have it be first come first serve.

Finally, 30 minutes after my scheduled appointment, I was called to the window. I was really nervous because I just wanted to submit my forms and be done this with this. However, it turns out I didn't have a letter to prove that I was living at the address listed on my application. The lady rejected my application and I had to scramble to get that. I decided to call my co-op and asked them to email me a letter. Luckily I was able to get that and submit it to the office.

The entire visit took about 6 hours...

Required documents:

1. Online India Visa Application Form

2. BLS Order form

3. Visa/IPO form

4. Proof of residency: I lived in a co-op so I had to request a form that stated I lived in that space and the form had to be signed.

5. Photo copy of my student id: I am confused about this because I was never asked for my student ID before

6. Passport photo

Link to get your: http://www.visa.blsindia-usa.com/visa.php

...Good luck!

Gratefulness leading to lasting Joy

 Hey friends! I know this is a crazy stressful time during finals. I found this video a while ago and found it to be super encouraging. Whatever religion or practices you choose to do, I think that gratefulness in the midst of suffering or hardship changes our actions in crazy ways. I have been influenced by teachings of Paul, who went through immense suffering. He was beat close to death a multitude of times, shipwrecked, his friends turned against him, he lost friends, and suffered from a chronic pain. In the midst of this he says that he is grateful for all things that are given to him. For in times of suffering those are times to grow and learn. You guys are awesome! I hope this video is encouraging and a new perspective in crazy stressful times!

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful

Native History and IFH - Interview with Betty Cooper

I have been working with the Intertribal Friendship House in Oakland this semester for another class. During this time I was stoked to meet multiple tribal leaders from the area and this excerpt is from my interview with Betty Cooper. Betty is a passionate woman who through the 70's and until now has changed policy and organized Indians from all tribes to fight for self-determination. She has made many things possible that previously were not for Indian communities starting at IFH and moving her model of work across the country. She was given multiple awards including "Woman of the Year" and an honorary award from Nelson Mandela for her work with indigenous communities. Here is a paper she gave to me while I interviewed her last Saturday.

Intertribal Friendship House History and Impact

            The American Indian Center of the East bay, located in Oakland, California.

The Intertribal Friendship House was founded in 1955 by the first Indian people. Many of were single, married with families and were relocated from many states and tribal reservations across the United States and Canada. Local California tribes were also involved, most pointed were the Pomo tribes from Williams Lake, Ukiale, and Santa Rosa area. Also the religious society of friend known as the Quakers who themselves faced strong opposition and persecution, continued to expand across the British Isles and then into the Americas and Africa. The Society of Friends had assisted the first natives of Canada, together they founded seven friendship centers for indigenous natives people across Canada. This model of community centers for natives was brought to Oakland California by the Quakers and the early identified Native American indigenous people of the Bay Area. The first Intertribal Friendship House was located on Telegraph avenue near Oakland High school, with a move to 5^th avenue off east 14^th. A mortgage was acquired for the purchase of the building at 523 East 14^th (now called international Blvd.). The Intertribal Friendship House, IFH, became a social center and moved into social service programs to meet the needs of a great influx of American Indians into the San Francisco, Oakland, and Bay Area. From 1940 on up to today 2014, has had 59 years of celebrating, 60 years in 2015.

            Much research has been done through the Intertribal Friendship House history project program. All the history project archives are located in the UCB Bancroft Library on campus. Susan Lobo, PHD of Kensington, California headed up the history project. There are extensive taped and written interviews of the Native indigenous people’s stories of relocation from their homes to the Bay Area where they established a home, found employment, raised their families, plus organizing historical American Indian service programs. All programs were spin offs from the Intertribal Friendship House.

Betty Cooper Personal Story of IFH

            I first used the services of the Intertribal Friendship House in 1963. I came to the Intertribal Friendship House Ladies Club that met once a week on Wednesdays. I brought my five children, four daughters and one son with me.  IFH social worker Carol Baxter who was and MSW (Masters in Social Work) provided outreach to my family and encouraged us to attend the Intertribal Friendship House. I was a stay at home mom because of the age of my children. My participation at IFH met my family’s needs. We established friendships and now I know we came on the relocation program provided by the U.S Government, Bureau of Internal Affairs and we left all our extended family behind on the Blackfeet Indian reservation in Montana. We were so lonesome, especially for the grandparents. We were overtime able to adopt grandparents, uncles, aunties, sisters and brothers here among the Indian Community of the Bay Area. I stayed for 31 years and I chose to return to my home in Montana. I have been home for 20 years. – It is really important that you know I have been gone for a long time, I was here for a long time but I have also been gone 20 years. Today has a lot of continuation of what I did, but now it is the new crew. When I left, I was able to turn it over to the next generation.

            Intertribal Friendship House Social Service Program received a grant from the National Mental Health Government office of Washington, D.C. The purpose was to identify American Indians who have lived and adapted to living in an urban, metropolitan area. They would use this experience coupled with a college degree to be the trained work force to provide services to the Bay area Indian community.

            In 1970, 11 candidates were selected, 7 graduated from Merritt College with an associate of art degree in Community Social Service, CSS. In 1973, 8 candidates were selected, 7 graduated from Merritt College with an AA in CSS. I was one of the 8 candidates and I benefited from IFH Mental Health Program. I could provide for my family better and I have impacted all the service programs for American Indians.

Findings

            No man is an Island. (you can’t do anything by yourself).

            No woman is an Island.

A person must develop their skills; gain valuable experience by working through hard times and good times. A person must bring their skills and knowledge to the team.  A person must be on the team with a purpose, goals, and objectives.  Each of the team members brings their strength, purpose and experience. The participation of each team is fertile ground for the development of an event, program model, and accomplishment. Your teamwork draws out great ideas and solutions. The breaking into committees with agreed assignments then bringing back to the whole committees is team building for accomplishment. In the year of 1975 American Indians in the Bay Area who worked in different service programs formed the Bay area Indian Representatives, BAIR, organization to meet once a month at rotating host agencies with an agenda of Native concerns and move the concerns with teamwork.  Intertribal Friendship House is a place where people can belong and be accepted.

It is ideal for the American Indian, relocating to the Bay area to bring with them their tribal culture, spirituality, beliefs, family values, ceremony rituals, their native tribal language and love with respect for self, family and community: the essence of their Indian Identity. This is what has promoted and kept intertribal friendship house doing very well. Also bringing their Indian name given in ceremony by their family and their belief in ceremonial spirituality through the creator and all living life on our sacred Mother Earth and al living life in the Universe. In our Blackfeet legends we include the star people, they were here on earth with us then they chose to leave but said they would never abandon us. There is whole life all over the Universe. Everything is living; the grass is living, the birds, and the people. To speak their own language and to know where they come from gives them the foundation to find their place in urban area and this is strength they each bring to the Intertribal Friendship House and other Indian service programs.

50th anniversary of War on Poverty! NPR

It's the 50th Anniversary of LBJ's War on Poverty.
So NPR did some 50th anniversary let's look at poverty now episodes...


1. One Family's Story Shows How The Cycle of Poverty is Hard to Break

This video explains what has happened to a single mother in her life of poverty. It's a sad personal story that shows how relentless poverty is. It feels very GPP 115—she can't get out of poverty because she has so many problems, and all of the institutions around her are working against her.





2. The Changing Picture Of Poverty: Hard Work Is 'Just Not Enough'

This clip is more GPP 105, changing how we think about poverty...they talk about poverty as no longer just being a problem of resources. Poverty looks different today than it did 50 years ago. Poor people have gadgets, some resources, etc. but in addition to still lacking resources, support networks used to be a lot stronger. Folks could depend on their families, on their neighbors, etc. at least for emotional support.

This is also meant for people who probably haven't read Katz, so it does provide listeners with some of that vocabulary of qualifying poverty in different ways.

3. Struggling to Get Out Of Poverty: The 'Two Generation' Approach

This explains a story of trying to tackle poverty through educating single moms. It seems like this program is doing good work, but within the context of the other shows, how much good could they really be doing? How much change can they really affect?


Global Poverty has changed the way I feel about mainstream information on poverty. I mean NPR is pretty good, they rarely blame people, but I am still looking for deeper meaning. To what degree are they trying to explain and qualify poverty. How are they asking people these questions? Why aren't they studying up as a part of these shows?
Studying up recently popped into my head as a part of how Wolf of Wall Street was.
First off, I seriously hated that movie. However, I do believe that they were trying to make mainstream the extravagance, irresponsibility, and grotesqueness of the 1% on Wall Street. However, I still hated it because I feel like they made a spectacle of women's bodies and made it all look fun, not giving enough umph to the this sucks lets shut down wall street side of it. That movie needed a bit more studying "down".
Anyway... sorry for the tangent... enjoy the podcasts!

Food stamps

This video of Congressperson Jackie Speier popped back into my head after I saw an upsetting picture on my facebook newsfeed...

Here's the picture...

I immediately thought of two things I wanted to post in response: the first was a sort of definition of Fox News that I feel really applies to many more spheres...

And then this video of Rep. Speier that I initially mentioned.

In this video, Rep. Speier explains how other congresspeople who were trying to cut food stamps spend so much government money on their extravagant business trips. It's like Ananya says, "the rich have state help and the poor have self help". 

I feel like conservatism thrives on the middle class hating the poor. I feel like the American Dream somehow excuses rich people for getting to benefit so much from the state—like oh, they've earned it.

Well on a more uplifting note, Rep. Speier really breaks inequality down publicly in Congress, so good for her. And she's from California, so holllllaaa

Still Not Sure About Voluntourism

Although I'm incredibly excited about my practice experience this summer, whenever I think or talk about it I still struggle with the concept of "voluntourism." After taking GPP 115, I was keenly aware of the ethical dilemma of volunteering in place where you are not deeply connected to. Although volunteering abroad is a very valuable experience for the volunteer, who gets to travel and learn about a new culture while also intending to do good, it seems to not be as beneficial for the people the volunteer is trying to serve, or at least, unfair. Often times, students are volunteering abroad in a community where the people who live there do not have the opportunity to travel abroad. How powerful of an impact can a volunteer make if they are only there for 2 weeks, a month, 3 months, a year? How can people build trust in someone who is not deeply invested in their lives for the long term? Can someone really be an effective volunteer if they don't understand the culture they are working with? Yet, I'm doing exactly that this summer. I'm going to be volunteering with an NGO that works with street children in Delhi, India, where I have absolutely no familial connections or really, any real connections at all. Through the GPP minor, I have had the opportunity to research the political and social factors to gain a deeper understanding of the background of the children and community I'll be engaging with. However, that doesn't mean that I am anywhere close to knowing what it's like to live there, and experience what they experience. I'm going to do my best to make as positive of an impact as I can while I'm there, and I know that I'm probably going to learn much more from the children I work with than they will from me. The bottom line is, I want to be as much of a support system and for them for the 3 months I will be there, but I know that I would be a much more effective volunteer if I were there for much longer. I chose to work with this particular NGO because they do a lot of work that I have a lot of experience with and believe I can contribute to in a meaningful way. I've always been interested by Indian culture and am so excited to completely immerse myself within it, and meet people and learn their stories. And I know that my ability to work with and connect with children does not depend on cultural similarities. However, I still feel somewhat guilty about going somewhere as a temporary volunteer where I can't even speak the native language.

Community Wisdom

Community wisdom is defined as "the aggregated base of knowledge, intuition, skills, and assets that residents bring to solving their collective challenge."

During your practice experiences, have you ever heard someone tell you, “We don’t need some outsider coming in and telling us what to do?"  This phrase is heard a lot, especially when we, as outsiders, try to serve the community.  Even when we dedicate our whole semester to identifying and understanding the problems in the communities that we will be serving, we will always be outsiders to the community members we strive to serve.  That is because, no matter how much we study the problems, we do not know what if best for the community.  On the other hand, it is the community members who know best what they want and need.         

While volunteering for the Suitcase Clinic and East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), I constantly witness the power of community wisdom.  My job at EBALDC is to facilitate the Resident Leadership Council, and while it is my job to provide trainings and workshops to the residents,  the residents never cease to impress me.  As members of the community, it is residents who know best what they're community needs, and I've come to realize that my job is only to give the resources that the residents want/need to accomplish their goals. 

Because of this community wisdom, instead of following what my organization strives to achieve, I will instead observe what the community wants, because the community knows best.