Identity on the move

Foreign students perspectives on identity in European social manifestations. A project @KU Leuven.

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RAS LA CUP! - Fed up!

Bows to the creativity and sassiness.

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Strangers’ thing

Our idea to research social movements stemmed purely from the intellectual curiosity about different forms of public demonstrations which we hardly came across before setting foot in Europe. I remember when we shared how fascinated we were about public demonstrations to our professor, we were reciprocated with the same fascination but about a completely different thing: that we know so little about this type of event shows a tremendous cultural difference. We are like strangers marveling at other strangers’ thing.

We conducted 2 field works on European Youth Strike for Climate and International Women’s Day Strike. So what do I see in those demonstrations? First of all, there is unity within division, or vice versa. I became more aware of the society I have just moved in - that there are other types of social cohesion. Through such manifestations, I see how different communities are vocal about their confidence in constructing a society within which equality and morality are served rightfully and legitimately. Second of all, there is a strong expression of identity. It is a complex notion that is better witnessed than explained with words. Only ones with solid affirmation of who they are and who they want to be can march out on the street along with others to aid the collective values. Being in a crowd bolsters one’s feeling of belonging and strengthens the community bond. Finally, this type of public action can be seen as a type of ritual. Usually through the ritualized performance there is expected a transformation. The rituals of protests urge some sort of transition, or actions that allow such transition to take place. We also observe some ritual-like activities that are peculiar to our foreigners’ eyes:

Chanting: we notice that the chants used in both strikes that we attended were in the same format - “What do we want?” – “Climate/Women Justice” “When do we want it?” – “Now”. Is it a common format for all strikes? If so, when and how did it start? Does it have a historical specificity?

Performance: There are many types of performances that come along with the strikes that we attended, may it be drums, marching band, or flash mob. As so, manifestations with the elements of performance are rather joyous and bright events. We then were able to see protests in a different light.

One digression from this is the question about types of manifestations itself. We are aware that there are many forms of public gatherings: strike, march, protest, demonstration, etc. and are reminded carefully about word choice. We have been pointed out that strikes are public refusal to work, and the collective gatherings we participated in were not. One point we find so conflicted: we call the events ‘strike’ because it is addressed as such by the organizers as well as by the media. Hence, another question: Can the public themselves distinguish the terms? because, so far, seemingly technicalities were used indistinguishably.

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Our first impression ever.

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How we see our ‘selves’

This one particular group caught our attention: as the climate strike addressed specifically to the EU, naturally we did not expect their presence. 

As it turned out, the EU staffs take their time to join the strike every year. The members make their ways from across the globe to contribute their voices. I had a conversation with one staff and she introduced her colleagues from Spain, France, etc. and herself from Sweden. 

“How do you come to terms with this initiative?” - I asked.

“I think it is great that we are doing something. We are trying. Changes are happening. But it’s not fast enough. We can be and need to be faster and more effective.”

I did not expect diplomacy. But then I just needed to know: “So in a way do you feel that it will be contradictory by doing what you are doing now?”

In turn I received a grave expression: “I am a staff. I am also a citizen, a mother, a wife. I am doing this because I care about us. We all carry responsibilities and because we are part of the bureaucracy, we always feel there is more that we can do. All the EU staffs are actually carrying a petition that inquires the governments to act decisively. It is something we should do.”

How impressive! There is a complex layer of identities embedded in this group of people. Isn’t it what self about? It is an abyss of fragmentation that at times different pieces just surface and sew together a new facade. And no matter how you see or present yourself, people gather their own image of you. I find it creepy that, maybe, in your whole life, there are just so many versions of you that exist in people’s mind, and the self you think you truly are is never known of. Regardless, it takes a level of security and certainty to resolute your own perception of self and to be okay with knowing about the other not-knowings. 

This group of people has one thing to tie together their complex identity among this crowd: their strong conviction. In strong confidence they marched with heads held high and loudly announce themselves as EU staffs, as environmental advocates, as parents, as citizens, and as i-know-myself-more-than-you.

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The public figure/icon of Greta Thunberg is important to bring the individuals together. The medium of speech, which has to be powerful, encouraging, inspirational, toughens the opposition between youth and the government.

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Hi, human. If your species will continue, clap your hands !

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Banners, Symbols and Performance

        This post is about our thinkings of the signs in social movement, how it manifest personal identity and how it may bring us to a collective identity.

       On 6th Mar, 2020,  we conducted our first fieldwork in Brussels. It was a cold and rainy day, the first thing that catch our eyes, after we walked out of the central train station, is the colorful banners holding by amounts of people. To be honest, it’s the first time we have seen that many people in europe, even if the terrible weather, gathering  and manifesting together. We are so thrilled because all of us are from a different social context, especially in Thu’s and my country,  protests are prohibited. To our surprise, we never expect how creative human can be, even when they are angry. With that curiosity, we read carefully about every signs held by protestors. 

       Normally, the banners in protest are ‘direct captions’ that explicitly express the identity of individuals. The sentences are not hard to read or underdstand. The girl in the photo, with a giant smile, told us that her angle to solve the envirionemnt problem is to alleviate the rich/poverty gap. To some extent, she is against the capitalists, who only cares about how many profits can generate rather than the natural cost. As she writes: “Stop grilling the Planet, Start grilling the Rich”.  Besides that, her painting also enables us to perceive her meaning. It potrays the capitalist as a fat man, smocking a cigar and holding his money leisurely. To the contrary, we may all notice the burning planet. This package warns us about the global warming and indicate the concealed force.

       However, some people are not satisfied with simply putting their thoughts on a board. They have other ways to manifest their identity. In the middle of the protest, this man with a big yellow rectangle doll on his shoulder got our attention. Unlike most of the protestors, his manifestation is embodied in his dolls. He told us he’s furious about the fact that government such as EU don’t listent to people’s claims about environment. Thus, ‘the banna with a mask’ symbolize the shutup of people’s voice by the power. If what we are saying is not applicable by the state, what is the difference between us and a banana in state’s eyes? 

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What I used to see in protests and what I see now

I first ran into a demonstration in Belgium in the evening when I was on my way to class. It was late til dark, as I turned my bicycle into the street that housed the university campus, in front of me was a large marching crowd blocking the way. 

My memories rushed back in cascades. The only time I witnessed a - what I would like to describe precisely - ‘public gathering for a cause’ in my home country (Vietnam) was when I was in middle school. If my memory serves me well, the cause was something about Christians celebrating Christmas. Okay! My memory does not serve me well, but it is not what I am trying to get at. What stuck with me was that the ‘public gathering’ lasted around 20 minutes before the policemen showed up to shut it down, then things got quite ugly (Merry Christmas - Not!):  people refused to leave their friendly protests by singing carols; police took out expandable batons and threatened to bring everyone to the station. 

I would say that was more than a decade ago - things have changed ever since. Nonetheless, compliance with authorities is the code of conduct according to which people in a communist country act. Publicly showing signs of dissent or personal belief is a no-no. I recall one of my father’s jokes that has been affixed in my brain ever since I was a kid: “Freedom is to be able to do whatever the government allows”. Don’t get me wrong. It does not mean we cannot breath if that disagrees with the government. There are various ways in societies to practice freedom and one among which, in this carol-less story, should be restricted based on the ideal that is nicely put as ‘mutual trust and respect (towards the government)’.

Back to the strike in Belgium, I eventually learnt that it was a strike against the Turkish bombing in Syria. The people slowly moved along the street and chanted what I could not understand. There were police cars with flickering blue lights, no violence. I followed the crowd with patience until I could make my way to class. I was truly amazed, and I was even more surprised to learn that strikes happen ‘all the time’ in Europe. It is to me like a new knowledge about what you can do as a citizen. And, I have to say, it is a typical advanced industrial European thing. Being vocal about personal opinions is a rather foreign concept. I was brought up carrying negative impressions on protests in general. In my home country, it has to be an extremely distressing circumstance for people to radically react by getting out on the street. Hence, protests or public demonstrations are normally associated with radical reaction. Also, they are treated as disturbance which gives the authorities the right to exercise forces on the crowd. Such things never end well. 

Naturally, the experience became an inspiration for me as well as other students to take a closer look. It is neither a revelation nor a wisdom, but a reflection on personal identity and disposition. I can see that the value a person regards to his opinions makes him a different person. I never thought that going out on the street screaming in demand for justice would make any difference. It may be true, yet I soon learn that the difference starts from within myself, as I become a person with thoughts and voices that matter. So, I, with my fellow anthropology students, embark on this exploration of democratic manifestations with much enthusiasm about this fresh concept, in the hope that while we learn something we can also offer something in return as well. It took me some time to unlearn the things I thought I know about protests. But it is the juice about anthropology and reflexivity. What is the fun to learn about something you already know.

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Fighting from afar

The International Women strike happened in a different light compared to the Youth Strike for Climate. We saw people of all age ranges, mostly women. We could see that the same stage was reused for this second event. New addition: around 20 information booths were set up along the rounded area outside Central Station. The weather was incredibly dull: dark clouds chased away the sky’s attempts to shed some sunlights, cold rain was killing off our exposed skin bit by bit. Nonetheless, the crowd was loud and dynamic. 

We made way to an energetic group of women whose booth was filled with flyers and posters with quite graphic visuals. They were from Cameroon and were fighting for the women and children suffering under the Anglophone crisis. 

“There are babies dying, and mothers too. So we came here today to let people know about the situation in Cameroon.” - a woman explained the reason why she was there. 

“How do you wish to help in this situation?” - I asked. 

“We think that we can let people know about the war that is happening there. We can make our story known in the media. And we can ask for international help. It [the crisis] has been going on for too long, but do you think many people know about it? No. Even the government is killing people. We cannot do much here. We just want people to know about it.”

We could see that the group welcomed donations as well, the money will then be sent to the communities in need in Cameroon. We found another women group that was fighting from afar as they attended the strike. It was such a pity we could not speak French as their best English speaker could hardly explain the group’s purposes. 

It was a group of Kurdish women originating from many countries. They were fighting for women’s rights in the Kurdish community. What we could gather from the women was that in the last decades, equality has been enhanced significantly among the Kurdish as the results of consistent movements; there are still many lasting problems, however. In the event of Women’s Day, they showed their pride and courage in joining the fight for equality.

“Women can change the world” it says.

We could not help but think if this was the right platform for these women. They are fighting against the issues that are thousand miles away and are intensely specific to other societies. When these women take up the identity as Kurdish, or Cameroonian, can others relate to them? 

A striking statement about the reality in Mexico

Perhaps their presentation brings intersectionality and diversity in the dialogue. Their voices would take part in the larger discourse of gender equality and liberation. Yet, to their benefits, we could imagine more potential platforms that can facilitate their causes, which should appeal to people who can relate to their situation. Though, we do see that more exposure to public discourse can gather attention from those sharing the same morals, hence strengthen and extend the community network. Being a women is a shared experience, but the experience of being a women differs radically across the globe. What is important, then, is the strong sense of collective identity that connects individually transnationally.

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Doesn’t mean it’s not unpleasant

We foreign students loved joining demonstrations. But, it doesn’t mean it is not unpleasant at one point or another. 

On the day of Women’s Day manifestation, organizations were given the chance to participate, to set up information booths, to have representatives go on stage and give speech. By doing so, each identity group had the chance to make known of themselves. On the other hand, the events dragged on too long before the march, which wore out participants’ patience. 

Which leads to the second problem, there were people who joined the event just for the hype of it. Among the people we tried to approached, some claimed that the event was ‘really fun’ and were eager to have their photos taken. It shows not only the misinterpretation of manifestation but also a rather naive self-awareness (I love these events, and also women, let’s have fun and take many photos).

Which leads to the third problem - the influence of media. People expect media covers to help magnify the scale of the movement as well as the group appearance. Some organizations showed up under the tagline of ‘community’ and ‘for community’ to support the initiative and make known of themselves. For example, we were approach by people from organizations that fight against discrimination (of all kinds) and were asked for monetary support by buying stickers. Such collectives identify themselves with fluidity: they manage to create a discourse that fits all in order to promote themselves.

Finally, trash. We were able to witness the aftermath of 2 manifestations, about which we have to talk about the materiality that people left behind. Take this sign board for example, obviously someone had put in time and effort to decorate it. It carried such profound meanings; it connected the individual with the crowd; it was a subtle way of being loud without having to speak one word; it constituted an identity; all of those for a little while. And then the person who had it didn’t need it no more. A momentary identity had also gone. All was left is an identity statement with a question “whose is it?”.

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The chanting at the youth for climate change signified a whole great deal of collective identity as it was propelled by the “WE”ness.

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What do we want? climate justice..when do we want it? we want it NOW

Youth for climate justice chanting in Brussels, Belgium

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Conflicted-Experience

In certain situations, we all have ideas of how to act based upon what the other person expects so they can interpret our actions and apply meanings to them. When we started our ethnographic study on Social movements in Belgium, I was very excited and curious as my knowledge of social movements and its operation has and is still very scanty. As an International student from a developing country, I felt I had a lot to learn and understand from social movements presence in A developing country, Belgium. Back in My country I was part of several social movements, so I thought as I am not too sure if they were social movements or strikes or demonstrations… as they are not clearly defined or differentiated in my country. Whichever the case, I promised myself to stay away from social movements or any form of protests accompanied by huge public gatherings. Yeah!!!! this might sound strange to some but believe me I know my Kenyans would understand my decision.

So, before I narrate my experience that led to my above decision, let me go back to my honors research. So, in 2020 February my colleagues and I decided to attend a social movements protest organized by Belgium Youth for climate change graced by the famous Greta Thunberg. I was skeptical about going against my decision or feelings of protests but who wouldn’t want to share platforms with Greta… my friends back at home would not have believed I had seen or even was in the same vicinity with Greta. From the moment I stepped out of the train station in Brussels, I could feel the uniqueness of the climate change protest. Though the weather was unstable with the on and off rains, the energy of the groups present was infectious. However, there they were the reason I detested protests back in my country, the police. I have always believed that encoding plays an important role in processing information and helps us in forming memories, for me, if my memory serves me well, police presence means fire. Kenyans always chant a slogan ‘where there's smoke there must be fire’….and protests represented smoke and police the fire. The culture of excessive use of force by the Kenyan police in their interactions with the public during gatherings and protests is what gives me chills when it comes to movements. However, after witnessing the calm and well-coordinated Brussels, Belgium youth for climate change protest, I was presented with unending dilemmas, questions and challenges that speak to the theory as well as practice of policing. Keeping public order is one of the traditional missions of police services. Public gatherings and protests often present scenarios that theoretically and practically test this mission.

Have you ever been in a place where one foot was ready to run while the other was in the mission of staying? That was me all throughout the movement. The youth for climate change movement was in response to the reluctance displayed by the leadership and society on matters regarding climate change and justice. The anger, frustrations, rage and outburst exhibited by the protesters signaled the depth of the matter. . Being a youth led protest, I thought I would only come into contact with youths as that was the ‘identity constructed by the headline’. Nevertheless, it was surprising to find both old and youth under the umbrellas of the collective identity of ‘YOUTH’. The continuous negotiations, dialogue and adaptation of the collective identity by the Protesters was outstanding, chants such as, WE want climate justice, emphasized such ‘identity’.  

The presence of children accompanied by their parents and older families was something very interesting. It is rare to see children in protest back in my country but by now you might have a clue why. The European or developed world form of collectivism, greatly helps steer shared concerns and forge their collective action response. Michael Taussing text on I swear I saw this…. Just echoes my disbelief because for sure believe me when I say, for the first time in years, I swear I saw the great coexistence between the children, youths, aged and the policemen.

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Strangers’ thing

Our idea to research social movements stemmed purely from the intellectual curiosity about different forms of public demonstrations which we hardly came across before setting foot in Europe. I remember when we shared how fascinated we were about public demonstrations to our professor, we were reciprocated with the same fascination but about a completely different thing: that we know so little about this type of event shows a tremendous cultural difference. We are like strangers marveling at other strangers’ thing.

We conducted 2 field works on European Youth Strike for Climate and International Women’s Day Strike. So what do I see in those demonstrations? First of all, there is unity within division, or vice versa. I became more aware of the society I have just moved in - that there are other types of social cohesion. Through such manifestations, I see how different communities are vocal about their confidence in constructing a society within which equality and morality are served rightfully and legitimately. Second of all, there is a strong expression of identity. It is a complex notion that is better witnessed than explained with words. Only ones with solid affirmation of who they are and who they want to be can march out on the street along with others to aid the collective values. Being in a crowd bolsters one’s feeling of belonging and strengthens the community bond. Finally, this type of public action can be seen as a type of ritual. Usually through the ritualized performance there is expected a transformation. The rituals of protests urge some sort of transition, or actions that allow such transition to take place. We also observe some ritual-like activities that are peculiar to our foreigners’ eyes:

Chanting: we notice that the chants used in both strikes that we attended were in the same format - “What do we want?” – “Climate/Women Justice” “When do we want it?” – “Now”. Is it a common format for all strikes? If so, when and how did it start? Does it have a historical specificity?

Performance: There are many types of performances that come along with the strikes that we attended, may it be drums, marching band, or flash mob. As so, manifestations with the elements of performance are rather joyous and bright events. We then were able to see protests in a different light.

One digression from this is the question about types of manifestations itself. We are aware that there are many forms of public gatherings: strike, march, protest, demonstration, etc. and are reminded carefully about word choice. We have been pointed out that strikes are public refusal to work, and the collective gatherings we participated in were not. One point we find so conflicted: we call the events ‘strike’ because it is addressed as such by the organizers as well as by the media. Hence, another question: Can the public themselves distinguish the terms? because, so far, seemingly technicalities were used indistinguishably.