Inside Notes from the Outside - Hardcover

Picart, Caroline

9780739107638: Inside Notes from the Outside

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0739107631 ISBN 13: 9780739107638

Publisher: Lexington Books, 2004

In this innovative work of autoethnography, Caroline Picart weaves across letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, and visual art in an attempt to reconcile her personal experience with her professional identity as a philosopher and scientist living in the U.S. In part a dialogue with her past and ancestry-she was raised in the Philippines and educated in England and the United States-and in part a scholarly analysis, Picart asks what it means to be defined as a member of a specific "race," especially as a "foreigner" married to an American, living within multi-cultural America. Inside Notes From the Outside wrestles with issues that have loomed over anyone who has had to come to terms with concrete, pragmatic questions regarding identity within the interacting spheres of race, gender, class, and power. Based on the premise that discourse regarding these issues tend to be cast into a relationship of powerful vs. powerless, the author contends that power is not a fixed thing, but a subtle, complex matrix that shifts over time. A thoughtful approach toward issues of cultural difference, Inside Notes From the Outside provides a sincere and uniquely interior perspective on identity formation.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Caroline Joan S. Picart is Associate Professor of English and Courtesy Associate Professor of Law at Florida State University.

Review:

Caroline Joan S. Picart writes about the politics of race, gender, class, and power, especially as she has experienced such politics as a "Filipino" woman educated in the Phillippines, England, and the United States as a biologist, philosopher, cultural critic, artist, and dancer. Her analyses and stories are intended to educate readers about what she terms the liminal space of the "insider" who is both burdened and blessed with the status of being an "outsider." The educational experience that is offered here is brave, stunning, exceptionally insightful and entertaining―in short, absolutely first rate. (Michael J. Hyde, university distinguished professor of communication ethics, Wake Forest University)

A stunning accomplishment. Bold and innovative, it defines a new trajectory for autoethnographic and performance inquiry. . . .well-crafted, clearly written, and quite accessible for teaching and instruction purposes. (Norman Denzin, University of Illinois)

Picart addresses the common questions of race, gender, class, and power from her personal perspective as a woman of ambiguous ancestry raised in the Philippines; educated in the Philippines, England, and the US as a biologist and philosopher; who has traveled in Europe, Asia, and the US as an academic, artist, and dancer. Not fitting easily into expected categories, she explores the meaning of them for her and society as a whole. (Reference and Research Book News)

Kay Picart's work and very being persistently elude neat categorization. She uses the diverse sensitivities of a philosopher, artist, dancer, and scientist to deepen our comprehension of interwoven controversies of class,gender, and race. This book invites and challenges us to engage the diffuse matrix of power that is our political and aesthetic reality and to resist living as master or slave, enclosed or excluded. (Lenore Langsdorf, Southern Illinois University)

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.