Using a specific example from the book, discuss how Chambers’ vision of Mediterranean of hybrids and multiplicities exists in the present.
Using a specific example from the book, discuss how Chambers’ vision of Mediterranean of hybrids and multiplicities exists in the present.
ethnographiesofthemediterranean 
post:
Naples is an example of a hybrid Mediterranean culture both historically and now. As Chambers says Naples is a “multifaceted city” comprised of various customs, practices and architectural designs. It has many historical buildings as well as a modern skyline. The city has an old water supply and though the city has traffic problems of present day big cities, the public streets are from the 17th century. They have ludity and public urination in the streets but it is one of the most beautiful cities to travel in Europe. According to Chambers the people of Naples are obsessed with personal hygiene but they don’t seem to care about the public filth in the streets. They allow individualism especially on the highways. If you drive in Naples they have a complete disregard for the traffic rules like we know in the US. As another article said, Napoleans believe the traffic lights are just Christmas decorations and not really traffic rules you have to follow. Their building construction is also individual but they make it work. The architecture also is hybrid. As Chambers states “ yesterday it was Baroque and today it is Modern” highlights that the city embraces all styles of structures. They continue to encourage their street culture and local identity and have urban folklore. Naples has its own way of modern life which is different from other European structured cities, it is a cosmopolitan hybrid culture of its own kind.
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Reply: Naples truly is a cosmopolitan hybrid, even in comparison to the West which is widely diverse and often a melting pot of architecture, people, and cultures. I often feel as the definition of cosmopolitan largely stems from this blend of old, current, and future. Naples is an example of those things in more ways than one, as you exampled. With an outdated water supply but modern-day traffic rush hours and yet the streets are dated all the way back to the 17th century. Most interestingly, a point by Chambers as you stated in your post; how the people of Naples are obsessed with personal hygiene and appearance but disregard the filth of the modern cityscape. Yet somehow it all works together to make Naples a hybrid cosmopolitan existing in this seemingly harmonic existence.
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Architecture, much like many aspects of a city or even a country, are reflections of the people who resides within them and the cultures that surround it. Naples, I believe, is a good reflection of this thought and how you described it was very well put. It seems as though that , as you’ve pointed out Natale, the architecture that has been developed as a form of symbiosis that continues to create a thriving street culture that is unique to the history and modern strides of Naples. It seems that the city has almost evolved into itself, so to speak. That is to say, the cosmopolitanism that flows through the city and helps regulated things like traffic or the behavior of the people upon the streets is uniquely their own that helps with a mixture of their modern day and their past, as both you and Chambers have pointed out. It’s such a fascinating thing to see, the difference almost alluring in a way from some of the other prospects that we’ve studied so far.
Good post, and thank you for doing so!
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Naples is a great example of this concept. The city has traits which date back centuries but still maintains a modern city life. Culturally, the people of Naples exemplify a cosmopolitan city as well, as you stated they embrace many different styles of architecture, individualism is rampant, and local identity is highly encourages.
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Week 11 Reply:
Naples’ reputation as a cosmopolitan hybrid stems from multiple understandings of what the area has to offer. My personal approach to cosmopolitanism is not one of a melting pot, but rather one resembling a salad bowl. In this salad bowl analogy, the cultures blend together to create one cohesive community while the heterogeneity remains a present and important component of the meal. Naples more closely resembles this definition of cosmopolitanism; with culture coexisting while individuality remains paramount. The individual responsibility of hygiene juxtaposed with the dirty nature of the street illustrates the collective understanding for personal grooming across culture; while the responsibility of keeping the street clean does not fall onto them. Cosmopolitanism as a definition in southern Italy particularly should include the valuable assets of nonwestern cultures within the community; particularly immigrant voices.
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Week 11 Blog:
Chapter two of Mediterranean Crossings dives deep into the idea of the Postcolonial Sea. One of the examples of hybridity and multiplicity that exists throughout the Mediterranean today is the threshold of sounds and music. Chambers explains that music is a way to give a voice and sound to the invisible. There is popular Neapolitan music that appeals to immigrant communities and this allows them to adapt to the musical and cultural aspects of different parts of the Mediterranean. Chamber then explains that there is a Neapolitan singer, Peppe Barra, who captures every sense of contemporary music through vague tempos and tonalities. There are also musical sounds of the European tradition that give a voice to performative language, this then allows tradition to continue throughout the Mediterranean. These traditions have allowed younger generations of Neapolitan musicians to use technology to make certain musical productions. These musical productions now play an important role in Mediterranean culture as well as their future. The Mediterranean has come a long way from what was once classical Neapolitan music and song, and have now shifted to metropolitan sounds. Music throughout the Mediterranean will continue to grow and form different historical complexities that keep up with all the different sound and musical aspects that take place all around the Mediterranean.
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The aspect of music is interesting when talking about hybridity and multiplicity because it is always evolving form and function. We can see through these examples given that there are many instances in which music is adopted and changed to fit the form that one wishes. I believe that music is a good example of culture as it allows for sound, verbiage, and meaning to be passed on throughout history. Tradition can also be formed into a more modern and postmodern context which allows for further connection of people and ideas.
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Kacie, I like that you brought up this part of the reading because I found the topic important to discuss. I think that in classroom settings, unless they are music classes specifically, music is not talked about enough as a part of the greater culture of any group. Everything about the music that pertains to a certain people – the beat, the lyrics, the melody, the instruments, style, etc. – is representative of their culture as a whole. It is cool to see how earlier music influences music today and highlights the significance of aspects of culture, whether it be history, current events, common topics, beliefs, and many more. Once analyzed, much like in this chapter, music shows a deeper aspect of culture, especially of the Mediterranean, than what we ever knew.
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The idea of hybrids and multiplicities explains the shared geography and history that different regions of the Mediterranean share. Although the culture varies, there is shared communication and encounters which have helped make the Mediterranean a complex system. One of the examples that Chambers explains is how postcolonial Mediterranean societies view their history and colonial pasts. Chambers explains that places in Africa that were forcefully colonized by Italy have often been rejected from the postcolonial Italian society and education about Italy’s past. However, Italy’s presence in Africa included violent and brutal moments that are important to recognize in the postcolonial societies of each Africa and Italy. It is important for Italy to take responsibility for their history, but it is also important to recognize that even though this colonization lasted for a short period, it made major impacts and influences on current contemporary African countries. Because the Mediterranean is encompassed with encounters and multiplicities, the histories of each region are shared and in one way or another, connected. However, in postcolonial society, these histories are not taught or perceived the same way. It is important to be aware of this idea and understand the complexity of the influences and communication from other regions.
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Reply:
Great post! I liked how you talked about the impact of Italy’s colonization of Africa and how, while brief, it left a lasting influence and major impact. I agree that it’s important to be aware of these ideas and I also agree that Italy should take responsibility for its history. I found it shocking to learn that their colonization of Africa isn’t taught in postcolonial Italy.
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Reply:
I find this to be very interesting! I wonder if these histoires were taught to both groups they might see similarities between them culturally.
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It’s interesting to me how little we hear about Italy’s colonization of African peoples. While noting that the influences in other cultures are interesting, it’s important to ask exactly how these elements were introduced in the first place.
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It is interesting to see how the relation of different countries change over time and especially during and after colonialism. I think that it is important to recognize what has happened within these countries due to colonialism and an attempt to understand that damage that it has done.
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It’s important that you mentioned Italy’s colonial history and I’m glad that Chambers spent time discussing it, because while it’s not often mentioned Italy was responsible for many cruelties in Africa. While most European colonizers are still hesitant to acknowledge their imperial past, Italy, in particular, has struggled to fully recognize the impact they’ve had in North and East Africa.
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Blog Post
I choose to focus on Sound. Chambers begins by discussing how the physical shape of cities contributes to the sound they make. He says there is a cultural testimony of music. The idea that sounds emerge from specific places was very interesting to me. This recalled the idea of accents. How people pick up accents when living somewhere for a while. I feel myself picking up the lingo and turns of phrases my coworkers use and losing my use of “wicked” from out east.
He identifies very specific types of music such as German symphonies and Italian operas. As well as modern trends such as reggae and rap. He states “yet, localities inscribed in sound do stick out and sometimes remains as though untranslatable” (43). This sentiment is echoed through the rest of the chapter. The idea of Naples having its own distinct sound but also being influenced from everything. They were affected from Arabs and foreign influences, which is visible in their music, language, historical identity, and he goes on to say destiny.
The tradition of new music with the younger generation brought in the urban soundscape while older generations cling to the original. We seek out the homogenous while younger people are striving to find new sounds. And as he stated in previous chapters nothing is created new but recycled.
Voices link locations, north to south and east to west. They spiral down the path of time and allow for us to come together in new ways. We will create new cultural textures as we pass traditions from one place to another.
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