Summary
Behar recalls, back when she was an anthropology graduate student, were was highly restricted (stricter than it is today) for a student to be able to write in a personal manner. She says that for a student to write in such manner he/she had to meet specific measures. Even though, it is not so well accepted now either, it is certainly a perspective that is in motion for acceptance. “The recent movement to recognize the autobiographical voice as a legitimate way of speaking in academe is giving many of us permission to imagine a range of complex, daring, and compelling projects.” (Behar). For a student to write about his grandfather’s life story when engaging in a scholarly subject grants a whole different approach that leads to new perspectives. Behar asserts that through these personal connections of one’s life the reader is able to learn as an “insider” in their culture. She exemplifies a few notable anthropology students that engage in this ‘technique’. She notes that such students are able to demonstrate the matter of their subject through the ‘eyes’ of their personal stories. At the same time, there are critics, some coming from her colleagues, in which they reject the use of such writing. These critics describe the writing as “self-serving”, “superficial” and as professor, Daphne Patai, believes as “nouveau solipsism”. Behar totally disagrees with these old-fashioned notions. She claims that some notably works have been published using this medium as she recalls Virginia Wolf’s A Room of One’s Own and Houston’s Mules and Men to mention a few. Such personal crafted works have granted each of its readers to closely experience a perspective that before wasn’t recognized. Behar states that personal evidence is in fact actual evidence. She further notes that in this time we live in we often use testimonies to assert social issues. It is to highlight that writing personally takes skill and practice in order for one to connect effectively with the reader. Moreover, Behar includes her own work, Translated Women, in which she claims she strengthens her connection with her readers to a more personal academic level. Overall, Behar asserts that through this medium minorities and outsiders are able to become involved and have a voice in the academy. At the same time, we provide to the academy with knowledge through our personal stories.
Synthesis
As Behar recalls the customs that she was told to follow in her early academic years, I also recall back, not so long ago, when I was told not to use “I”. I was persistently told to write in ‘third person’. I was never stated the reason why but I always assumed that it was part of becoming part of the whole and leaving the interpersonal thoughts aside. I think that my instructors’ intentions were to teach us how to think/write in a community. I was starting to realize that as I went higher in education I would less be permitted to use personal statements. According to Behar, writing from a personal perspective can be much more effective than not doing so. Writing personally grants the opening of views that weren’t possible to realize. It helps the reader to build a stronger connection as well as to think differently along the way. “…created new ways of thinking about the world and how we know it in the process.” (Behar) More importantly, Behar states that by writing at a personal level the reader is able to include his empathy as well as his intelligence. She asserts there is a distance when writing impersonally between the reader and the writer however, by writing personally we remove the gap. As Behar insists, writing in a personal manner also takes practice, and this and future generations, will take personal writing to its scholarship acceptance.
Behar recalls, back when she was an anthropology graduate student, were was highly restricted (stricter than it is today) for a student to be able to write in a personal manner. She says that for a student to write in such manner he/she had to meet specific measures. Even though, it is not so well accepted now either, it is certainly a perspective that is in motion for acceptance. “The recent movement to recognize the autobiographical voice as a legitimate way of speaking in academe is giving many of us permission to imagine a range of complex, daring, and compelling projects.” (Behar). For a student to write about his grandfather’s life story when engaging in a scholarly subject grants a whole different approach that leads to new perspectives. Behar asserts that through these personal connections of one’s life the reader is able to learn as an “insider” in their culture. She exemplifies a few notable anthropology students that engage in this ‘technique’. She notes that such students are able to demonstrate the matter of their subject through the ‘eyes’ of their personal stories. At the same time, there are critics, some coming from her colleagues, in which they reject the use of such writing. These critics describe the writing as “self-serving”, “superficial” and as professor, Daphne Patai, believes as “nouveau solipsism”. Behar totally disagrees with these old-fashioned notions. She claims that some notably works have been published using this medium as she recalls Virginia Wolf’s A Room of One’s Own and Houston’s Mules and Men to mention a few. Such personal crafted works have granted each of its readers to closely experience a perspective that before wasn’t recognized. Behar states that personal evidence is in fact actual evidence. She further notes that in this time we live in we often use testimonies to assert social issues. It is to highlight that writing personally takes skill and practice in order for one to connect effectively with the reader. Moreover, Behar includes her own work, Translated Women, in which she claims she strengthens her connection with her readers to a more personal academic level. Overall, Behar asserts that through this medium minorities and outsiders are able to become involved and have a voice in the academy. At the same time, we provide to the academy with knowledge through our personal stories.
Synthesis
As Behar recalls the customs that she was told to follow in her early academic years, I also recall back, not so long ago, when I was told not to use “I”. I was persistently told to write in ‘third person’. I was never stated the reason why but I always assumed that it was part of becoming part of the whole and leaving the interpersonal thoughts aside. I think that my instructors’ intentions were to teach us how to think/write in a community. I was starting to realize that as I went higher in education I would less be permitted to use personal statements. According to Behar, writing from a personal perspective can be much more effective than not doing so. Writing personally grants the opening of views that weren’t possible to realize. It helps the reader to build a stronger connection as well as to think differently along the way. “…created new ways of thinking about the world and how we know it in the process.” (Behar) More importantly, Behar states that by writing at a personal level the reader is able to include his empathy as well as his intelligence. She asserts there is a distance when writing impersonally between the reader and the writer however, by writing personally we remove the gap. As Behar insists, writing in a personal manner also takes practice, and this and future generations, will take personal writing to its scholarship acceptance.