Media, advertising, and development in Morocco

The passage below comes my dissertation. The hulking monster is nearly 100,000 words (now that I've cut this passage, it's 98,939 words). I am posting this text, which seems too good to sacrifice completely but not good enough to include in the final version.

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Media and advertising play a role in development around the world, and Morocco is not an exception. Advertising sells everything to everyone without distinction, as if the masses of society were classless.[1] To do this, advertising tries to reflect “an ideal world, sanitized of any tragedy.”[2] Commercial advertising ignores the underdevelopment, poverty, insecurity and exclusion that stem from the hardship that advertising sanitizes away. Commercial advertising never mentions weapons or wars. Commercial advertising presents an innocent, optimistic, and utopian world, full of happiness where there is absolutely no injustice or inequality.[3] Moroccan writer Abdeslam Bouhani asks: In the absence of representations of inequality and injustice, where in commercial advertising is the evidence or representation or validation or testament of the hundreds of millions of excluded people and outcasts, condemned to living their entire lives in abject poverty? How do marginalized people fulfill and perceive the fantasies or illusions of happiness which commercial advertising promises and which almost never come true?

Commercial advertising conveyed via the many types of mass media is targeted, well-defined and precise. For the advertisers, there is no consideration of those who are not a part of the targeted demographic and how they may be negatively affected or suffer harm as a result of consuming commercial advertising intended for a different audience. The individuals and communities not targeted by commercial advertising often comprise an overwhelming majority. Thus, for Bouhani, these audiences consume and process commercial advertising as aborted dreams and unfulfilled longings, accompanied by feelings of deprivation, frustration (especially among the impoverished) or even exclusion and marginalization. Those who are almost always excluded from the target audience demographic include rural residents, the handicapped, ethnic, racial, and religious minorities, overweight people, poor people, and any others who do not assimilate easily into the rosy picture that forms the heart of the image that commercial advertising creates and exploits. In the case of those living in poverty, Bouhani concludes that their exclusion and marginalization inevitably increases their awareness of the horror of the economic injustice and social inequality that they experience as a part of their everyday lives.[4]

In sum, Bouhani considers commercial advertising to be playing a pernicious role in development. Because commercial advertising presents only a fantastical, sanitized, ideal version of life, the images create a world where development is unnecessary because there is no suffering or inequality or poverty. Furthermore, commercial advertising exacerbates the exclusion and marginalization experienced by the poor and other subaltern populations because they consume that which was created for the consumption of others. Because commercial advertising is created for mass consumption by an imagined homogenous, prosperous, dominant population, those outside of that demographic experience exclusion and marginalization as a part of their media consumption.

[1] Ignacio Ramonet, "La fabrique des désirs," Le Monde Diplomatique, Mai 2001. cited in Abdeslam Bouhani, Sauvez la femme sauvez le monde, 1st ed. (Aïn Sebaâ: Les Editions Maghrébines, 2010). 70.

[2] Louis Quesnel, "La publicité et sa "philosophie."," Communications 17(1971). cited in Ramonet, "La fabrique des désirs." cited in Bouhani, Vers le declin de "la machine à vendre"?: 70.

[3] Quesnel, "La publicité et sa "philosophie."." cited in Ramonet, "La fabrique des désirs." cited in Bouhani, Vers le declin de "la machine à vendre"?: 70.

[4] Bouhani, Vers le declin de "la machine à vendre"?: 70-71.

Roundup of my favorite online foreign language resources

Update!

While preparing a presentation for my media Arabic class, I needed the term "middle income country" in Arabic. Crowd-sourcing came through as usual, and my lovely friend Alex sent me the link to a UN database of terms. I hereby enthusiastically add it to my list of favorite foreign language resources.

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United Nations Multilingual Terminology Database

"UNTERM is a multilingual terminology database which provides United Nations nomenclature, technical or specialized terms and common phrases in all six official UN languages - English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic."

http://unterm.un.org/

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ACON Arabic Verb Conjugator

This website, maintained by PhD student Erol Baykal, is fantastic. You enter the root letters of the verb and the form and poof, a chart of conjugations appears. Amazing.

http://acon.baykal.be/

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Le Devoir conjugal

Dr. Martin Beaudoin from the University of Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean maintains Le Devoir conjugal. This site likewise produces conjugations (for more than 7400 French verbs, including rare and Canadian verbs). Just gorgeous.

http://www.pomme.ualberta.ca/devoir/

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IATE (Inter-Active Terminology for Europe)

IATE (Inter-Active Terminology for Europe) is the EU inter-institutional terminology database, and provides translations of words and phrases from and into EU languages. It allows you to narrow results by domains, including politics, law, science and many others.

http://iate.europa.eu/

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LEO

Leo offers translations into and from German into several other languages. It has been simplifying my life since 2001 at least.

http://dict.leo.org/

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Hans Wehr Part 2: Update!

Dear Fellow Arabophiles and Hans Wehr Devotees!

The wonderful Alaina, who has starred in many of my posts, informs me this very morning that web searching "Hans Wehr biography" yields my blog entry Hans Wehr Part 1 as the #1 result!! This is exciting news!

I have a wonderful Hans Wehr tidbit to share, and then I promise to add a follow up on my research attempts in Leipzig in 2010.

Here is the tidbit...

I found this gem by chance while searching for information about where Hans Wehr is buried. The source is: Zeitschriften der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft (1983). There is also an information rich write up on Hans Wehr in German, which I will translate and summarize for the Hans Wehr devotees who haven't had time to learn my favorite foreign language!

You're welcome!

Being Unemployed Part II: How to Stop Mansplaining to Job Searchers

In general I write here about North Africa, the Arab world, and women’s rights issues. I a recent post, I wrote about fatshaming, an issue of great interest to me. In this post, the second in a possibly 3-part series, I am going to write about being unemployed.

There are certain experiences in life, such as attempting to diet/lose weight, pregnancy, or unemployment, where EVERYONE has advice. Let me repeat: EVERYONE has advice. Everyone seems to have a plan or know someone whose plan was successful. And every person wants to share it. Unsolicited, usually. Almost always. This phenomenon is known as “mansplaining,” explaining without regard to the fact that the explainee knows more than the explainer, often done by a man to a woman.

Being unemployed has been the third worst experience of my life.** I’ve tried at various times to rationalize it as “time to get stuff I’ve always wanted to do done,” or “time to get enough sleep and be rested” before facing the rejection/feelings of being invisibility that accompany the job search. The effectiveness of these rationalizations varies in terms of how much they can assuage my sadness/feelings of inadequacy/worthlessness. The unsolicited advice in general does not provide any solace.

A gracious, patient person might explain away these advice givers simply as compassionate individuals with the best intentions. That explanation is no longer enough for me to keep my rage at bay. I have currently been unemployed or underemployed since February 2012. Everyone, as I mentioned above, has advice.

I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR ADVICE GIVERS THAT I HOPE WILL BRING AN END TO THEIR “compassion” FOREVER AND ALWAYS.

Before I get to the nut meat, I want to qualify the above by affirming that I do value advice—the kind that is solicited and originates from an informed, reasoned source with actual knowledge and/or experience of the subject at hand.

But in terms of topics like weight loss, pregnancy, or unemployment—these topics that are somehow fair game for everyone to advise—I am much less receptive to the often inane, irrelevant, uninformed counsel of the public. It is insulting, annoying, and frustrating.

And now: 3 questions to ask BEFORE offering unsolicited advice to a job searcher

1. What are your educational/professional credentials?

This question sets the stage by providing the giver-of-unsolicited-advice a background upon which to base his/her otherwise uninformed, probably-too-general-and-not-relevant-anyway advice.

But STOP there. Don’t begin advising yet. Take in the answer you received for question one and then PROCEED TO QUESTION 2 WITHOUT ADVISING.

2. What is your industry/what type of work are you looking for?

This question, in conjunction with the first question, provides the giver-of-unsolicited-advice with a more precise idea of the unwilling advisee’s career ambitions.

But STOP there. Don’t begin advising yet. Continue to mull the responses and then CONTINUE ON TO QUESTION 3 WITHOUT ADVISING.

3. What have you tried?

This question is intended to provide the giver-of-unsolicited-advice with an idea of what websites, networks, methods, processes, etc. one has already tried or is already familiar with. This question and its response are designed to eliminate redundant suggestions about who is hiring (For example: I heard NATO is hiring. Oh really? Because I just got laid off from NATO), what kinds of websites are available (Have you heard of USAJobs? Have you considered the State Department? No, as a person with a Ph.D. in international relations-ey stuff and the recipient of multiple grants from the US Dept. of State, including one with a federal government service requirement, I'VE SOMEHOW NEVER HEARD OF THESE THINGS OR CONSIDERED THEM).

Ah ha!

In conclusion, dear giver-of-unsolicited-advice, now that you are equipped with this information, please heed it. I am confident that you will find that a good portion of your suggestions are redundant, not relevant, and/or superfluous.

However, because you were not self-aware enough to consider the above on your own, it is perhaps wishful thinking to believe that a giver-of-unsolicited-advice would even recognize him/herself as an offender.

** The worst experience of my life was my parents' divorce. The second worst was bed bugs.

TL;DR Take time to ask a few questions before launching immediately into advice-giving to a job searcher.

Being Unemployed Part I: Why Collecting Unemployment Isn't Demeaning

In general I write here about North Africa, the Arab world, and women’s rights issues. I a recent post, I wrote about fatshaming, an issue of great interest to me. In this post, I am going to write about being unemployed.

My experience reflects the state of affairs in Virginia. I’ve read a couple of other experiences, and the outcomes differ depending on the state. Different states require different things and provide different things.

I am among the fortunate who have been able to collect unemployment benefits. In another post, I am going to talk about where exactly unemployment benefits come from, because it’s a remarkable program. But for now, I will spare a few words to explain why I, in the eyes of some, demeaned myself and accepted checks from the government when I could have been working somewhere. I will be clear: I do not consider claiming benefits in any form demeaning.

In the state of Virginia, the maximum weekly benefit is about $378. This benefit is taxed. One may collect weekly checks in that amount for 25 weeks. Under a special emergency program, I was able to collect for an additional 19 weeks. I will discuss these programs, and the origins of unemployment funding, in another post. I will claim the final unemployment benefit check for which I am eligible on 29 December 2012.

So let me return to my current point: why did I demean myself and accept checks from the government when I could have been working somewhere? The answer may be explained by a cost/benefit analysis. My last day of full time work was 1 February 2012. Let’s assume I could have obtained work in retail at the VA minimum wage of $7.25 and begin working by 15 February 2012. Although it is extremely unlikely (see McMillan’s, The American Way of Eating, Part II Selling) let’s assume I was able to get a full time appointment. Full time employment in most cases would have made me eligible for health and other benefits. These benefits, should I have elected to claim them, would have required premiums. My gross pay for 40 hours per week would have been $290. That is pre-tax, doesn’t include any premiums for benefits, and doesn’t account for the cost of transportation to the workplace, and incidental expenses such as meals (purchasing onsite or bringing one) and uniforms/shoes.

$378 is more than $290. Even at an hourly rate of $10/hr, with the expenses I mentioned earlier, I would likely take home less per week as a worker than as a person collecting unemployment. And let’s not forget the most valuable (and paradoxically most threatening) benefit of collecting unemployment: time. Time allows me to look for work in my field, prepare high quality applications, participate in networking events, and attend interviews without needing to juggle a work schedule.

Anyway, I would have thought that this previous paragraph was obvious information. And perhaps I am taking things people say to me way too personally. But in case I am not being too sensitive or over analyzing the stuff people say on the subject of working versus collecting unemployment, I hereby offer this post.

This.

In my next post, I am going to write about the scourge of unsolicited advice-giving to job searchers.

TL;DR Collecting unemployment isn’t demeaning, and it gives me time to try to find work in my field.

Reading for pleasure (*snicker*): Sisters by Lynne Cheney

I first learned of Lynne Cheney’s novel Sisters earlier this year from an article at Cracked.com (5 Famous Artists Who Tried To Destroy Their Own Work)

Copies of the text are selling for more than USD 300 on Amazon, so I requested the book from ODU’s interlibrary loan office (my absolute favorite part of ODU, if I am every in a position to endow anyone or thing, it’ll be ILL…or Planned Parenthood…or both). If you search for the book title and author, you will land on a PDF version that you can read online if you are so inclined. I will not link to it here as I am not entirely sure the copy is legal.

Sisters was not the salacious, titillating, Sapphic piece I had hoped for. However, it was an educational read set in Wyoming with a feminist protagonist and a sex-positive message. I am not sure that I’d recommend the book—I found myself skimming large chunks of text. However, Cheney researched the work thoroughly, and her effort shows.

Fatshaming shows up in all sorts of places

I tend to write about issues directly connected to North Africa or the Arab world in this blog. However, since February I have not had the privilege of being paid to read about that region for 45 hours a week. As a result, my exposure has been greatly reduced. In addition to completing my dissertation on the role of illiterate women in political change (which I have written about here), I have been reading in other areas. I have written previously about fatshaming here.

For example, in preparation for my marriage in August, I read several books and blogs to educate myself about the privilege and injustice of the institution. The books include:

Rebecca Mead's One perfect day: the selling of the American wedding (2008)
Bella DePaulo’s Singled Out: how singles are stereotyped, stigmatized, and ignored and still live happily ever after (2006)
Tamara Metz’ Untying the knot: marriage, the state, and the case for their divorce (2010)
Stephanie Coontz’ Marriage, a History (2006)

I enjoyed all of the books, and all four provided a basis for my address at the ceremony. I did have a problem with some of DePaulo’s points.

DePaulo analyzed the rhetoric of a CDC press release that measures the correlation between health and marital status. Her goal is to show that being married or ever having been married is erroneously tied to enjoying better health compared to being single. However, she shows that the results of the CDC data conclude that those 'currently married' and those who have always been single are the two groups with the best health indicators. The other groups are cohabiting couples, divorced or separated people and widowed people.

But DePaulo is simply not satisfied that the data back up her hypothesis that marriage does not necessarily make one healthier or lead to a healthier life. No, she must also include a disparaging remark about the rates of obesity. It turns out that those in the "currently married" group have the best health indicators out of the 5 groups measured and also the highest rates of obesity. The group of people who have always been single have the second best indicators for health. DePaulo writes that she would change the title of the press release to "Adults Who Are Currently Married or Have Always Been Single Are the Healthiest". She adds, though, that she is tempted to say "currently married adults are the fattest."

What is she really saying this remark? What I read is, "sure, currently married people are healthier in comparison to other groups, but they're also a bunch of fatties." So what if they are a bunch of fatties? They are healthy fatties, and that is the point. The actual title of the CDC press release was "Married Adults Are Healthiest, New CDC Report Shows." The summary is "A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that married adults are healthier than divorced, widowed, or never-married adults." (page 45)

Considering that never-married adults have the second best health outcomes, the title and summary are certainly misleading, but DePaulo's remarks about obesity are baffling. She reasonably concludes on page 46 that those currently married may have been healthier than others before they were married. There is no proof that marriage causes greater health. So then why does she resort to quasi fat shaming of the marrieds? Why is it remarkable that the marrieds are fatter than the other groups? Marriage most likely didn't cause their fatness just as marriage didn't necessarily cause their better health.

Later in the book (page 154) DePaulo challenges a conclusion that married men consume more fruits and vegetables and less fat and cholesterol than single men. While she is right to challenge the conclusion, which is based on the "women belong in the kitchen" trope, she undermines her point by resorting to obesity=unhealthy=underconsumption of fruits/vegetables trope. She writes, "if married men are getting fed fruits, vegetables, and low-fat and low-cholesterol meals, and single men are not, then why did the CDC study show that married men are fatter?" Easy, because *News FLASH* fatties, like non-fatties, eat fruits and vegetables. A fair point is tainted by sloppy, heavy-handed bias.