Different Body Cultures, Nation, and Diasporic Identities - Essay Example

Different Body Cultures Mediation of Space of the Nation, and Diasporic Identities Different performances or bodycultures mediate the space of the city, nation, and diasporic identities by sustaining structures, representations and subjectivities of their native spaces. The active body becomes engaged in physical body cultures which challenge the universalities of their new spaces such as class, national, racial and cultural representations. Such body activities include religious activities, physical activities, sports, exercise like mediation and yoga and theatrical performance. These body activities mediate the space created by the removal of individuals from their cities or nations by several reasons and enable them to feel attached to their original spaces. Mediation is motivated by globalization effects of many cultures such that people who are far from their cultures are able to connect with their cultural roots overtly through organization of various functions and events. The events enable the people to analyze their diasporic, national and transnational cultural identities and celebrate them. The celebration of the uniqueness of body culture results from cosmopolitan sociology, transnationalism and convergence. Mediation recognizes the role played by the media in enhancing interaction through cultural identity and participation. It aids in reframing the social dynamics of the different cultures which have diversified as a result of migration, changing identities and political refugees in exile. Religious practices mediate the space of the nation and people in the diaspora. Citizens of a country exiled or migrated to another country are able practice their religious cultures by making religious representations such as monuments and churches in their countries of religion. In Orsi’s ‘gods of the city’, although the Cubans have been completely altered in Miami since they were exiled, they continue to retain the fondness for their native land. According to Yi-Fu Tuan, a geographer, “to be evicted from one’s home is to be stripped of the sheathing which offers protection from bewilderment of the outside world”. Thus the diaspora sense of meaning and connection to the native land is enhanced through fondness and exercise of native activities. For the Cubans, the notion of ‘nation’ does not refer to the physical territories but instead exists in their minds. The Cubans maintain their diasporic identities by practicing their cultural religion in their urban settings. They worship at Our Lady of Charity, the Patroness of Cuba and they have erected a monument in her honor in Miami. This allows the Cubans in the diaspora to retain their cultural identity even in the diaspora. Body performances mediate the cultural distance between members of the same culture which enhance continued significance of geographical maps and religious affiliations in relation to civilization and characteristic city phenomenon like division of labour and struggle to accumulate massive capital. The city makes people very busy and far removed from their cultural practices and thus the need to engage in body activities which mediate the space of the city. In order to establish the connection between the various body performances and their relation towards mediating the space of the city, Heitzman Srinivas ‘warrior goddess versus bipedal cow,’ sheds more insights in to the issue. Wrestling is a sport that is typically Asian culture. Mediation of the city through sports takes place through its relationship with politics and the Asian people. The intersection between the two establishes a connection which leads to institutional interactions. The sports activities are transformed from the activities engaged in by the Asian people in other cities to landscapes of achievement done in big cities through wrestling competition. Sports professionalism is exposed in coverage due to media engagement which brings players from diverse backgrounds which share the same culture. The players and spectators are separated in the sports through bureaucratization. The interaction between sports and politics takes place as a result of interventions of the government. This intervention has established an interaction between sports and politics ever since the ancient Greek Olympic Games which has always served to bring people together. Different models in the city serve to bring interactions between people from different nations and cities. Capitalism has led development of different strategies which enhance mediation. Cities are seen as theme parks where complexes of activities are performed which utilize body performances to mediate the space. Globalization of sports and introduction of professional sports and other performances such as the beauty contests have limited the concept of public space. In Asia, the wrestling sport has cultural values. Even in professional competitions, the players are expected to observe some culturally sentimental aspects. The cultural aspects are observed as they have been in existence since the first millennium. The changing times and the professionalism of the wrestling sport have changed and north India wrestling have absorbed some aspects of ancient Hellenistic world. The intersection of the modern Indian wrestling and that of the traditional Hellenistic sports mediates the space of the city in India by linking people to their culture though sports. Although the system of wrestling in India has some aspects of European free-style wrestling, the two have a difference in their body theory. The Indians body performances have central aspects which involve use of sexual energy and exercises of celibacy which is believed to strengthen the players and structure their sexuality. Thus body performances which are required in preparations for the sport include a variety of activities such as Jackknifes and knee-bends which increase the balance of the players. Another body performance meant to mediate the space of the city is the festivals which are organized in the city alongside cultural performance. The festivals present models and rituals of the Indian culture and many Indians observe the festivals by interacting in common places after completion of cultural events such as sports. The festivals have explicit body performances which connect the Indians together by expressing their cultures. For instance, the Karaga festivals are an annual civil festival of the Indians which demonstrates the relationship between their body culture and the Tigalas through wrestling programs. Modernity has led to another body culture which was witnessed by the national Games held in Bangalore in 1997. However, the two festivals can be paralleled to show the body culture of the Indians and their consequences in public space. The festivals although differenced by modernity present sentiment elements of culture which cannot disconnect the worldviews and practices in the city. Due to changing trends, globalization, migration and increased cases of political refugees, mediating the nation becomes an inevitable phenomenon as distance and space is culturally challenged through engaging in national and international body cultures as religion, sports and different games. Festivals are also observed by people who share a common culture. This concept is highly exercised in the United States due to migration of many people in to the United States due to different reasons. While some of the historical migrants were motivated by political and economic reasons, increased cases of modern migration are caused by educational endeavors and search for employment opportunities. As such, there are many body culture exercised by different cultures to maintaining the diasporic identities sine the distance between their residence and their countries cannot be bridged physically. The concept of boundary in this case is considered more of the establishment of mental representational participation as opposed to that of real geographical maps and topography. Works cited Heitzman James and Smriti Srinivas. Warrior goddess versus bipedal cow: Sport, space, performance and planning in an Indian city. In James Mills, ed.  Subaltern Sports: Politics and Sport in South Asia. London: Anthem Press: 2005.139-171. Print. Orsi, Robert A. Gods of the City: Religion and the American Urban Landscape. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1999. Read More