Taste of Ethnographic Things
Aniekan, Ben, Jiarui, Nina
Reading:
Stoller, Paul, and Cheryl Olkes. The Taste of Ethnographic Things: The Senses In Anthropology . University of Pennsylvania Press, 1989.
What is the purpose and main arguments of the article?
The point of the article is to argue that anthropology should be rooted in sensory experience, immersion, and storytelling instead of just pure academic analysis, as that methodology can lead to a detached perspective. By recounting the story of Djebo, her husband, and in-laws, the authors emphasize how taste, food, and daily life serve as cultural material that reveals power structures, resistance, and identity in the Songhay community.
How does the article highlight or explore the course theme for the week?
This week’s theme, purity and pollution, is reflected in how Djebo is treated by her family. She is treated poorly by her in-laws because she is not Songhay, but Fulani. They feel that she doesn’t belong among them and is therefore out of place — dirt, and they treat her as such. They see her as a pollutant of their “pure” Songhay family. Djebo responds by intentionally preparing a terrible sauce as an act of rebellion, which exacerbates this negative view of her held by the family.
How would you describe the “vibe” of the text?
The “vibe” of the text is quite sensory-heavy with a focus on understanding the culture and ways of life of the Songhai people not through an objective scientific approach, but rather how that way of life is reflected through their choice of food and taste. It invites the reader to immerse themselves within this culture by experiencing it firsthand through personal activities, focusing on taste and feel as compared to observation from afar.
How does this playlist complement the vibes of the text (somatically, sonically, taste, tempo, genre)?
This playlist complements the vibes of the text by zooming in on certain themes embedded within the ethnography such as the importance of taste and feel and personal experiences as a way to better understand a culture. While the genres of these songs vary from hip-hop to R&B to Indie Rock and are primarily more upbeat with a wide range of instruments, we decided to choose songs that both incorporated the sensory feel to the narrative as well as a philosophical analysis of the disconnect between observing something from afar in a scientific approach as compared to experiencing it firsthand.
How did each of you go about finding songs to include in the playlist?
We all had slightly different reasonings for each of our song choices, but had a few methodologies in common. Many of the songs were inspired by lyrics which connected with the themes, such as the idea of expressing pent-up emotion in “FEEL” which is a recurring theme in the text. We also chose songs with lyrics which align on important ideas or moments. For example, “Delicious Things” is about a woman’s journey leaving home and facing similar difficulties to Djebo. We also picked some songs based on the practices of the text, one of which being “Summertime Clothes,” which was chosen based on how the artists’ emphasize the song’s message through metaphorical sensory means rather than literal lyrics.
Which song(s) reflect your critiques of the text?
We generally agreed on the messages of the text, though the shift from Songhay storytelling to the philosophical arguments on ethnographic study method was a bit confusing. The first song on our playlist somehow critiques the gender inequality and oppression Djebo encountered that was not only from men but also the women around her.
How did you decide on the order and transitions between each song, including how to begin and how to end?
We decided to format the playlist similarly to the article, which discusses the story leading up to Djebo’s infamous sauce, then delves into the philosophies behind taste and the “tasteful” way to write ethnography before closing out with a narrative follow-up. Essentially, the songs which were more inspired by the narrative portions of the text were placed at the beginning and end. The songs which were chosen based on their connection to the philosophical portions of the text were placed in the middle. In doing so, we hoped to accurately capture the experience of reading Stoller’s work in a way that allows the reader to reexamine sections of the text though a musical lens, and support the idea that there are alternative means to understanding research other than academic writing.
Were there ethical concerns or debates that came up while creating this playlist?
We had a discussion on the accessibility of non-English songs to English-speaking audiences. Some songs from certain countries or independent artists were not available on US mainstream platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. This also raises concerns about cultural representation and bias in the current music industry, as music from non-Western cultures are excluded. However, for the sake of accessibility to our audience, we had to give up on the songs that we weren’t able to find on the mainstream platforms.