Sweet Culture…
Posted on maj 15th, 2010 by Johanna in Popular culture
Tags: culture, Food culture, Sweden, Sweet Culture, traveller, Turkey, Turkish delight. sweets
After a trip to Turkey, satisfying my sweet tooth in one of the many sweet shops, I started reflecting on the cultural importance of sharing sweets. In India, sweets are shared at all the big occasions in one’s life, the newly wedded couple feed each other doughy Indian sweets like ladoos. I sweden we assosiated differnt swets with differnet occations or days of the ears. In Eurpoe and the states chockale eggs are consumed during easter, and ae not even for asale other times of the year.
In Turkey, the home of Turkish Delight so many different shapes and tastes comes to me. Mustafa at GITRIM patisserie in Alanya town lets me sample all the different varieties, since I am taking boxes of this sweet culture home to Sweden as gifts. The variety of tastes are astonishing, while thinking about it I can feel the culture of sweets watering my mouth. I chose to by three different kinds: walnut and honey, pistachio and coconut and buttery nuts delight. At home in Sweden I have shared the Turkish sweet culture with friends and relatives, maybe the sweet aspect of culture is the one most easily shared? The culture of sweets is tasty.
Counting down!
Posted on april 13th, 2010 by Johanna in Anthropology, Gender, India
Tags: Delhi, Desi Girls, Gender, India, Master thesis, middle class, South Delhi, urban, women
Desi Girls means Indian girls and this documentary portrays how three young college girls in Delhi look upon gender in their society and in their lives.
To approach the topic of gender, anthropologist Johanna Sommansson spent two months in Delhi at the end of 2008. The research resaulted in a master’s dissertation as well as this documentary.
The girls in the film are all college students in an interesting phase of transition; being young, educated, and of marriageable age. Being a Desi girl is a paradox: on the one hand, they want to be good girls – subservient, humble and obedient. However, on the other hand they are negotiating and challenging the normative behaviour: finding their own identities among the pre-set rules of how to be a good girl in a city unsafe for women.
A documentary by Johanna Sommansson, faithful India traveller and researcher.
Desi Girls premier!
Posted on mars 29th, 2010 by Johanna in Gender, India
Tags: Anthropology, Delhi, Desi Girls, fieldwork, Gender, India, Master thesis, women
The date, time and place is set!
All are welcome, free entry!
Date: 21 april 2010
Time: 18.30
Place: Haninge Kulturhus, Handen
About the film:
Desi Girls means Indian girls and this documentary constructs a portrait of how three young college girls in Delhi look upon gender in their society and in their lives.
To approach the topic of gender Anthropologist Johanna Sommansson spent two months in Delhi at the end of 2008. The research resaulted in a Masters dissertation as well as this documentary.
The girls in the film are all college students in an interesting phase of transition; being young, educated and of marriageable age. Being a Desi girl is a paradox: on one hand they want to be good girls – subservient, humble and obedient. But on the other hand they are negotiating and challenging the normative behaviour, finding their own identities among the pre-set rules of how to be a good girl in a city unsafe for women.
A made film by Johanna Sommansson, faithful India traveller and researcher.
To Busy 4 Blogging
Posted on februari 21st, 2010 by Johanna in Anthropology
I am sorry to say that my time has been spent on other spheres than this site lately. I am working with an extensive project – making an anthropological documentary while working full time as an administrator. So have patience. Anthromodernity takes a break and will be back.
Indian mythology on Ganesh
There are quite a few stories about how Ganesh came to be the Indian god with the body of man and head of elephant. This is a nice youtube cartoon which I use during my college lectures.
Enjoy!
The young face of Bollywood
Posted on januari 23rd, 2010 by Johanna in India, Popular culture
Just watched Ranbir Kapoors stunning performance in the Indian Blockbuster from 2009 : “Wake up Sid”. Wake up Sid is comparable to “3 idiots” which I recently reviwed in the sense that the two films have a common message: it is time for independence of Indian youth, Indian youth has the right to choose their own life paths.
The way I see it, Bollywood films often serves as an entry point to societal critque. These two blockbusters of 2009 are contributing to a change of attitudes among the film consuming Middle class. Wake up Sid features Sid, a young coellge graduate (Ranbir Kapoor) whose father expects him to take over the family business once he graduated. A classical scenario among Indian youths. Sid is a fun loving guy, his father’s credit cards pays for Sid’s amount of fun, he spends his time doing all but studying: he likes clubbing, drinking, he drives a nice car, and a servant serves him breakfast in bed every day. But when Sid lets his father down by not engaging in the family business, he is cut off – and left with nothing of he has former taken for granted. Luckily for Sid, he has struck up an acquaintance with Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma), a new girl in the city. She is 8 years senior to Sid, and quite his opposite – Aisha’s goal i life is to attain independence. Therefor she moves to Mumbai as a single 27 year old writer – looking for her dream job in the field of journalism. Once Sid left his parents safe haven, he crashes at Aisha’s place.
Konkona and Ranbir plays their characters brilliantly throughout the film, which in itself is colorful, fresh and uplifting. The only thing I can complain about is the boring boring soundtrack, other than that, this is a likable film! I completely love the ending, puppy love is shown with a warm hug, not a sleazy extended kiss-scene. It is also bold and brilliant to show a love story between a world vise female who take charge of her own life and a younger male who clearly admires his lady-love on several levels. Girl power and independence is the the main concepts of Wake up Sid. It is a film about growing up, waking up, leave college ad gain your own grounds and meanwhile friendship develops into love.
