Hey again everyone! So my last blog post for this class will
focus on this week’s topic of structural violence and its effect on individuals,
specifically Haitians. As we discussed in class, structural violence can be
defined as the various social structures that limit individuals’ choices as
well as force them to have to take more risks. These structures can limit
individuals in the political and economic arenas of society. Furthermore,
societal values concerning gender, race, and class serve as mechanisms of
structural violence. With these major factors having such a profound impact on
how individuals operate within a society, their agency becomes increasingly
limited.
In Haiti, structural violence is both widespread and visible
and increasingly so after the devastating earthquake drew international
attention. However, the narrative of Haitians is warped by the lingering ideals
and tensions from periods of colonialism. When reading Gina Ulysse’s piece she
reveals how Haiti as a nation has fallen victim to “Othering”. This idea of
“Othering” takes place when people especially in the West, ignore or distance
themselves from the structural violence-taking place in Haiti through various
means. As a result Haiti becomes symbolically linked to human suffering, as if
it is an irrevocable condition. Furthermore, this justifies Westerners
ignorance towards Haiti and leaves them unaccountable for the colonial legacies
that certainly contribute to such mass suffering.
Hello everyone, hope you all are enjoying your spring break!!!
ReplyDeleteAlthough the video keeps saying error when I click it, I can only imagine the story that Mrs. Pierre has to tell the world. Like you said in your post Lili, the structural violence that is instituted in Haiti limits individuals’ choices as well as force them to have to take more risks; that is what happened to Mrs. Pierre. Because of her living conditions and trying to find a way to provide for her and her family, she indulges in a risky business like prostitution. With prostitution there are a lot of negative factors that come with it, and one of the biggest problems with prostitution is STDs such as HIV/AIDS. The risk of this disease brings us back to the story of Acephie. Because of the job opportunities available to her, the environment she worked in was risky which exposed her to the disease, which ended up killing her. This is a constant cycle that many Westerners fail to recognize. Because we distance ourselves from the "others" we tend to blame the victim. Since we have the privilege to distance ourselves from the "others" we have no knowledge of what is going on and we are blind, oblivious, and ignorant to the structural factors of violence and the history of this nation.
I wish I could see the video but the option to play isn't available for me unfortunately. I'm sure her story would have been very moving like most Haitian people who suffer from structural violence. It is crazy to think that these people have to give up so much to be able to provide for themselves like the lady in the video you said had to do prostituiton. It's unimaginable because we never have to think of options like that on a daily basis. My heart feels for the suffering in Haiti.
ReplyDeleteLike ia said we are blind to the obvious situation that is going on bc we do have that privilege of distancing ourselves. Even we are on their island we have that privilege by distancing ourselfs on the resort part of the island where we are happier ignoring the things that are actually going on.
ReplyDeleteHey everyone, this was a very touching video Lili and I must say this is exactly like Acephie's story. In the video Mrs. Pierre was only 23, and lost her spouse and her mother during the earthquake, leaving her alone with a one year old child . Just like Acephie, Mrs. Pierre had to endure horrific situations that place her in several unsafe sexual encounters because they had to, in order to survive and provide for their families. We did not talk about it in class or on this blog but after last weeks reading on structural violence I find it very noble of both women to risk their lives. The reason why I believe these two women are very noble and I have grown to have a high respect for them because they are willing to risk their lives to make sure their families are provided with the things they need to survive. I also find them to be brave because they are taking a very scary risk but still manage to be very spiritual and have faith that God will protect them as they risk their bodies for a better and bigger cause. Lastly, I find Acephie and Mrs. Pierre very strong because not only are they risking their health they are ripping their self-esteem apart for their families. Both endured humiliation, shame and guilt but still manage to suck up their pride and do what needs to be done. Like Nia said many fortunate countries like to blame "others" for living like this but if this is all the resources they have, this is all they can do. I have learned that you can never be judgmental to a situation you, yourself has or will never deal experience.
ReplyDelete