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I would
always ask my college and graduate students in Anthropology, aside
from learning anthropological concepts and theories inside the
classroom, to explore places, experience cultural
or social happenings, and write ethnographic accounts using the
participation-observation method.
I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected
ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the
emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.
Basically, virtual ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We
cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the
Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various
ethnographic accounts.
By Javad Foronda Heydarian
Every child grows up with some
wild dream of visiting or experiencing the most spectacular things the world –
as he/she knows it – can offer. Some kids dream of visiting the moon, others
wish to see the most famous celebrities, however, in my case I always yearned
for marking my connection with a past that embodies thousands of years of human
history and collective wisdom. Not to disparage the historical depth and
cultural sophistication of many countries I happened to visited, but in full
honesty, I must say that I truly felt the spirit of the past when I got the
chance to visit the Pyramids, the Persepolis (the great palace of the Persian
Empire), and numerous sites in the two major Far Eastern civilizations, Japan
and China.
Arguably, these four countries, with the addition of India,
represent the major civilizational poles in the Afro-Asiatic world. The ancient
Silk Road served as an artery, which connected all these civilization to the
Western world, mainly composed of the Greco-Roman empires. It is in visiting
these civilization that one gets to feel the essence of cosmopolitanism and
unity of the human race – they are the many faces of the same great species.
I was always amused and intrigued
by the character, social make-up, architecture, culture, and political
predispositions of these continuing civilizations. They are grand
civilizations, upon which major modern states have been built. China represents the next superpower, while
Japan is a world leader in science and technology. Iran and Egypt represent
major indigenous powers in the Middle East, and they are among
rapidly-developing emerging markets, which are shaping events in West Asia and
North Africa.
They are four proud nations with a glorious history, which is
shaping their ambitions and inspiring their vision of the future. For political
scientists and economists, these civilizations are perhaps the fulcrums of an
emerging multipolar world, as the poles of power shift to the East and South,
reconfiguring an unnatural West-dominated world that characterizes the last
five centuries.
The most interesting thing in
these countries is the juxtaposition or the contrast between their impressive
modern infrastructure, on one hand, and their magnificent historical artifacts,
on the other. In Egypt, I tried to compare the beauty of the Cairo Tower - shining like a Jewel during New Year - with
the grandeur of it’s pyramids, eclipsing the deserts that surround it. The
Cairo museum housed one of the greatest and best collections of one of the
oldest and best-preserved historical treasures. It is a civilization that
created one of the most enduring and thought-provoking structures in ancient
times, still elusive to even the most knowledgeable scholars and scientists.
The richness of Egyptian civilization could be surmised by the vast collection
of artifacts, which spread across the museum.
In
Iran (Persia), the Milad Tower – world’s 4th tallest telecommunication tower –
and its rotating five-star restaurant impressed me, but I could not hold back
my emotions when I witnessed the giant columns of the Persepolis palace.
According to historians, during its time, the construction of the Palace
represented the most ambitious feat of engineering. It was a structure that was
supposed to house a world emperor, not a king. It was built in such a way that
all visiting kings, from all corners of the Persian Empire, were meant to be
inundated by the grandeur of its pillars, texture of its giant-size curtains,
and the beauty of its paradise-like gardens.
Workers, not slaves, and engineers from all across the empire brought
materials and skills, from places such as India to Lebanon, in order construct
the ‘grand’ palace.
For centuries, the Persian Civilization remained as the
world’s superpower, center of culture and commerce, and home to the noblest of
Kings and generals. They were called the ‘Aryans’, or noble people, as
Aristotle would put it. The reign of the Persian Empire eclipsed with the
invasion of Alexander the Great – the very boy, who grew up, under Aristotle’s
tutelage, as an admirer of Cyrus’ the Great and his world empire.
In Beijing, the complexity and
intricacies of the Bird’s Nest Stadium, and a whole host of other building and
structures built for the 2008 Olympics amazed me, but the Forbidden City was
the highlight of my visit. After witnessing it, one would realize why the
Chinese regarded themselves – and continue to do so - as the ‘middle kingdom’,
center of the cosmos, a civilization above all the rest. One can’t ignore the
awe-inspiring, architectural elegance of Chinese old and historical buildings,
which housed one of the world’s most powerful and sophisticated leaders, kings,
and emperors.
If one seeks to understand the ambitious underpinnings of the
current Chinese state, it is essential to understand the country’s deep
historical consciousness. Every step the modern Chinese society takes is a
continuation of the first steps they took thousands of years ago, when they
laid-down the foundation of the world’s biggest country. China was the dominant
power in the Far East well into the 17th century, until the
Europeans begun to knock on its doors. The rest is a well-known story to all
nationalist Chinese, who seek to redeem their national pride and place their
civilization at the center of world affairs.
Looking at Beijing’s sprawling, glossy buildings, ever-present luxury
cars, and wide and well-paved highways, one can't help but to admire how far
China has come in recent decades. In one century, the country has become a
global power; in three decades, China lifted more than 400 million people out
of poverty, and transformed a pre-industrial nation into one of the most
dynamic economies in human history – soon to become the world’s largest.
Beijing has also done a good job in preserving its history amidst its
construction boom, at least compared to other developing countries. You can
sense ambition and smell overflowing self-confidence in the air, especially
when there isn’t much smug. China has come a long way, and it is going to
eclipse all nations in most aspects in coming decades – it has already caught
up with Korea in many cutting-edge industries.
Japan has always remained as this
homogenous, self-conscious, and honorific insular civilization, just next to
China. There is this unique touch with the Japanese society. Their sense of
discipline, fate in their collective will, friendliness, simplicity, and
undying resilience always impressed me. I grew up with so much admiration for
Japanese culture, martial arts, and their well-known and admirable Samurai
spirit – total dedication and relentless commitment to a set of principles. It
is a country that withstood Chinese hegemony for more than a millennium, while
standing up to and competing with European powers for more than a century.
Despite suffering defeat in the World War II, Japan rose from the ashes of war
and nuclear conflagration to become a world leader in cutting-edge science and
manufacturing. It is a nation that symbolizes human transformation and the
indomitable spirit it engenders. The harmonious coexistence between the big and
glorious imperial palace at the heart of Tokyo, on one hand, and a complex
ensemble of rail stations and highways, on the other, stand as a testimony to
how this civilization represents the best in many fields. From temples to the
SONY building, which I visited in few days, I witnessed a continuum of human
excellence and dedication that define the essence of Japanese culture. The cities’ cleanliness, orderliness,
resourcefulness, and strong sense of optimism in light of the current triple
disasters - earthquake, tsunami, and
nuclear - overwhelms your heart.
An interesting observation is
that among all these civilizations, Japan is arguably the most ‘Western’ one,
given how it is embedded in the technological-political-cultural complex of the
‘developed world’. Although, of course, Japan is uniquely ‘Japanese’ and
‘Sinic’ in its own ways, we should not discount the fact that many scholars saw
the rise of Japanese fascism, during the inter-war period, as an attempt to
push Japan into the center of a West-dominated liberal international order.
The Japan-West confrontation was
also a result of their frustrations with what they perceived as the ‘racism’ of
essentially European great powers, which refused to count Japan as a member of
the ‘club’. Nonetheless, the post-War period witnessed the construction of
Japan along American-European lines, and the Westernization of Japan began with
the ‘Meiji restoration’ in 1868. Japan is a member of the Group of 8 (G8) and
also the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which
are composed of mainly Western nations. On the other hand, Iran and China
represent civilizations that struggled against European powers, but succumbed
to West’s military superiority way back in the 19th century. They
both bear the ‘psychic wound’ of European interference in their society.
In the case of Iran, the invasion
of Greeks resulted in the destruction of the Persepolis, which Alexander is
said to have regretted in retrospect. Perhaps the most beautiful ancient relic
was destroyed by the men of one of the most revered generals in human history.
The Greeks are said to have used thousands of camels and mules just to transfer
gold and jewelries from the palace. Iran’s modern history, from the 17-20th
century, is fraught with even more depressing accounts of Western imperial
menace. Just like how the British looted the Taj Mahal in India, same was the
fate of the Forbidden City, which was filled with gold and best kinds of
luxurious decorations.
Prior to Napoleon’s rise to the
throne, he invaded Egypt and stood next to the pyramids as he pushed the
frontiers of the revolutionary France into the ancient world. Despite the many
contributions of the French in the realm of archeology and historical
documentation, the European expeditions were followed by damage to the
historical relics in Egypt, followed by looting and enriching of French
coffers, galleries, and museums. When I visited the pyramids, an Egyptian
historian discussed how possibly the French used artillery on the Sphinx. All
these civilizations bear the mark of European imperialism in one way or another
– not discounting the more benign contributions of the non-military sections of
the latter.
Today, one could witness how modern Egypt, Iran, and China are
building strong societies on top of their long-standing and proud historical
legacies. Perhaps, they have finally found the opportunity for a comeback. With
Egypt’s potential transition to a democratic system, it can once again claim
its place at the helm of the Arab world. Meanwhile, China and Iran are among
the fastest growing societies in terms of scientific and technological output.
As they master various technologies – from civilian to military – they could
once again become centers of power in their respective regions.
History and its relics have a
distinct charm, which no modern mega-structure or artifact can surpass or even
match. We are taught that since the renaissance period human beings have made
great strides in technological innovation and arts, precipitating
socio-political modernization and cultural liberalization. However, when one
visits museums in these countries or starts to analyze their old relics, one
would realize how the pre-renaissance, non-Western world was already filled
with brilliant ideas, structures, and social arrangements, which gave birth to
magnificent historical relics.
In some ways, their modern ambitions are
connected to their past glories. It is such collective memory of their
civilizational significance, which adds fuel to their modern-day
competitiveness. After all, the Persians were behind great developments in
mathematics, medicine, astrology, and other fields of science during the middle
ages. China has always been a global center of innovation and scientific exploration,
while Egypt was host to the library of Alexandria that housed the world’s
wisdom. Japan is already a leader. Time
will tell if the reflections in this paper hold some water, nevertheless, the
pendulum is swinging in favor of grand civilizations, once again. Indeed, the 21st century is
perhaps the time for redemption.
