Now, to, round out our discussions, both Kim and Akanksha, are going to talk about some of the images that they're using for their own research. So, Kim, if we can start with you, could you talk us through this particular image? >> Yes. So my research is looking at citizenship and how Palestinian women particularly Palestinian feminists in Israel, practice citizenship, in radical, and alternative ways. And how they consciously decide to take their positions at marginal spaces, as something that empowers them. And gives them the power to challenge the boundaries, and extend them. And it's very, very difficult for me to put space in in one image because space in contrast to place is not something instant. There's a time that goes into the idea of space to under, for me time one way to portray time in an image is movement. So I really like this so much because it captures one Palestinian feminist lady who I know who I worked with, who is actually someone who doesn't have very much time to reflect for herself because she's a very, very busy lady, but at this moment she doesn't know that I'm taking this picture of her. And it's something where she's part of the group, and at the same time she's alone, reflecting on the specific issue that's being talked about. And I think it's this feminist idea that I have in mind, of moving away from dualities, moving away from margin verses periphery. And and really here in a group versus individual it's both. And it's, as I said it's very difficult but in this image rather than me taking an image a photograph that I'm just taking to inform my research as, as a method. This is an image that I used or try to produce, as an image that captures my research. So, here, I am actually the source, I am the source, she's not the source of the image. [CROSSTALK]. >> You have the control over your selection piece. >> Yes. And there's a lot of ethical issues going into this in orientalism, of course. You know, the other and what is my response, what is, what is my position in this power relationship again, in front of the camera, but also behind the camera. And in the interpretation, and, and who am I selecting to view this image, and how am I, again, to pick up your favorite word context what does the kind of context that I'm presenting along with this image. >> Now I take it that, am I correct this is your friend? >> Yes. >> Yes, okay. So figuratively she's marginalized. You have issues of movement since there's a slight blur in the image as well. >> Yeah. >> But, there is if you like, a commonality of direction. in the way in which the women here are looking yet, they're not interacting with each other. >> Yeah. >> Okay, so is that broad statement that you want to make with this image in both interpretation and statement. >> Well, the problem with images is that they are wholly polysemic. There are a lot of meanings attached to them. >> Mm-hm. >> And even when you shoot out of the hip you have meanings. Or even if, in this case, I try to control the image and I try to produce the image the way that I think it can portray my research. >> Mm-hm. >> There's obviously a lot of things that go into it that I'm not, I can't control. So, I'm still reflecting on the images that are part of this image, and I'm still reflecting on the movements and the different elements that are going on, that I didn't control and that maybe I wasn't aware of. And still, I'm not aware of, so- >> But not in a journalistic way, this has a reportage element to it? >> Oh, of course. >> Yeah, okay. That's great. Thank you, Kim. Now Akanksha, you sent this as an addition to the images you, you initially went through. And you were very particular about it. You describe the image. How is your research and some of the issues you have around it? And we appreciate it. >> This is the first time I'm sharing this image with anyone. because I took this image about three years ago in a very remote part of India. Which is very much neglected. It's in the north east and it's had war for 30 years now. And my research is on Right Wing Women's Movements in India. And also looking at women and violence and how women use violence rather than women being affected by violence. >> Mm-hm. >> And this area was a very predominantly Muslim and Christian area, and the Hindu right wing group that I'm looking at, is made up of women who have been trying to feminise the Muslim man and basically drive him physically and, sort of physically and ideologically out of India and Indian nationalism. And in this particular area they engaged in large number of riots, and thousands of Muslims were killed and thousands of Muslim women were raped, and children were killed and mostly of them moved into Bangladesh. A lot of them originally came from Bangladesh as well and when they didn't find acceptance, because this district doesn't bother with Bangladesh. >> Mm-hm. >> So, I just stumbled upon this image when I was doing research in this area three years ago, and it depicts a man who's, clearly very, in a very in a very, what can I say, in a very emaciated state. >> Mm-hm. >> Who's very broken and hurt and is, and you don't even see his face because I did not want to use a picture where you can see his face. But at the same time, to me he epitomizes what happened in that area in terms of the isolation, in terms of also, like, portraying him in this weak manner, which is what the Right Wing Movement was trying to do to all the men from the other faiths, from the Muslim and Christian faiths in the area. >> Mm-hm. >> To feminise them and talk about Hin, Hinduism being the masculine, being the dominant religion in the region. But it's, I have lots of problems with this photograph being out there because it raises ethical issues about my proper relationship with my [UNKNOWN] as well as the victims of my [UNKNOWN] and it also raises the same questions about my research I have to empathize with people on the right, people are violent. And then you know, sort of not empathize with their victims. So, it puts me in this very difficult position in general. Which is why I don't share this image at all. Because I can't talk about these things very easily. >> Okay. Do you appreciate this will be shared because at the point we're talking about it >> Yeah. >> I will need to also share it with >> Definitely. >> Coursera students as well. Now, what strikes me, you mentioned emasculated, and I, I think in terms of impoverishness,. >> Yeah. >> Clearly issues of nutrition here went through. Now anonymity, which we talked about before, but also which river or pool is he standing? >> It's a lake. >> Thank you, I know nothing about water, but it's a large body of water, so isolation. >> Yeah, because there aren't many people left in this area because a lot of people which is [UNKNOWN] and neighboring districts. So it's very few people left, and also because there's been war here for 30 years now and no one talks about this because nobody knows about these districts in India, you only hear about the cities. So, there's been war for 30 years and there are no jobs and there's no food. But there's a very small group of Muslims who are still living there inspite of all the threats. >> Mm-hm, so what we have conveyed here is. Not purely the the, the circumstances of this individual, but it's it's an analogory for the state of Muslim men in this particular area- >> Yeah, definitely. >> Of, of southern Asia. >> Yeah. >> Thank you very much for sharing that with us and it gives you at least an idea of the extent at those who are trained to be historians in a professional sense, are taking really a selection of their images and also great care when it comes to the display of interpretation. [BLANK_AUDIO]
