Msmicha’s learning about the child soldier

(imdb.com) courtesy of United Artist: Hotel Rwanda(2004) and Warner Brothers:  Blood Diamonds(2006)

(http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1808205,00.html)

This is the photo of a young gill in Columbia who is a soldier in the Marxist rebel group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia.

I picked these photos because I wanted  to show the contrast of what we have assumed of the child soldier and what is the actuality. I wanted to show how the power of the media, via entertainment, also informs our political knowledge.

Psychologically, the movie posters give a sense on an epoch story, a great tale of great men, during great circumstances. Movie posters are used to advertise the film and bring viewers into the theater. From these posters we see the lead actors faces, from them an express of inner struggle. The lay over of other transparent images form the film on top of the faces of the actors in the poster clue us that there is this story that we must be witness to. We are give clues that this story will have merit because the faces of the people, the main characters especially, are the focus of the poster, humanizing them and the events that will be feature. I picked these two films because my survey results yielded that most people got their information of who the child soldier was from these particular images. I find it interesting that neither poster has child soldiers in them and one of the movies doesn’t even address the issue of child soldiers. The cliché is a picture says a thousand words. These moving pictures say there is a crisis in the world that ‘we’ need to pay attention to. It is told by dramatically to have us bond emotionally. The creators of the film create an argument of pathos, through their art to connect us to the issue they want us to take action about.

The image of the girl gives such a different picture than we believe exist. For starters, it is a girl. No one really saw a girl as a soldiers. She also seems to wear an expression of confidence and self assurance. Many of us had described the child soldier as a victim, someone brain washed and abused for the fearless naiveté that only childhood offers. This girls does not at all look the role of the victim. She seem confident and in control.

I think the contrast of the movie images with that of the photo is unsettling. But the photo of the girl alone is more unnerving. It defies the image that we have created via the media outlets. It defies assumption about children and it defies the roles defined for girls/women in western society, accessing taboos that most westerners would find unsettling.

In my research I found that different idea of the child soldier became lumped together when circumstances of who and why a soldier was created can often be diverse and contrary. So what exactly define someone as a child? Does it come from our western normative of childhood? Does a child really have the ability to choose their fate as a soldier and if so, is it abusive if they consent, even seek out military service? Where is the line drawn of what is acceptable warfare and unacceptable in the eyes of the government recruiting soldiers? What about in the eyes of the nations, like the US, that turn a blind eye to it? When do say it is ok for one nation and not another?

I do not know if my research essay will end with a concrete answer of what to do about an issue that can be so horrid and contradicted. But I hope that my images will help show how complicated and emotionally charged the issues is. Hopefully, these images, the effects they have and finally my essay can at least start a dialogue to bring attention to an issue that seems often ignored.

The questions listed below are my survey and the results of the answers sent. While only receiving a few replys I feel that very interesting information can be abstracted. I have removed the names for the sake of privacy and aninimity but the answers are unaltered.

I suspected to find that we were influenced by the media in via fictional representation but I found it surprising to see that most of us feel our image of the child soldier comes from movies. Our image of a crisis situation comes form the way it has been fictional created for dramatic purposes!

It is also interesting to see that we have similar constructed idea that the soldiers are most likely boys, ages 10-16. We believe that they are from Africa and that they are used because they don’t seem to be afraid or understand the danger of what it means to be in battle.

Everyone see the soldiers job as killing, having a gun and being the agressor.

I believe my findings in this survey support my research but I must note that I will need to examine more closely how entertainment and celebrity influence our knowledge of global issues. I will need to se how this can be a positive and negative vehucle of information. I also wonder if the reason we all had similar results is because we are similar in demographic of being American college students.

This is interesting, and gives me lots to think about. Very interesting indeed….

-What do you know about child soldiers?

-Do you have an image of who the childe solder is? If so what is that image?

-What race are they?

-What age are they?

-What gender are they?

-What do you think are some of their duties or obligations?

-What has informed this image you have described?

Hi- Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I hope this is still
helpful.> -What do you know about child soldiers?
    I do not know much at all about child soldiers. After thinking about it
I see them as the children who are a part of the war without knowing that
they are. I feel like they are probably used in suicide missions mostly.
> -Do you have an image of who the child solder is? If so what is that image?
    not visually, but in a more general sense such as their duties and
objectives
> -What race are they?
    Depending on where the war is occurring that will affect their race I
think. For this current war, I do not think Americans are using child
soldiers, but I think the Iraqi people are.
> -What age are they?
    I see child soldiers as anywhere from 5 and up. They need to be able to
know what is going on in their surrounding, but not be able to fight back.
> -What gender are they?
    They are both male and female
> -What do you think are some of their duties or obligations?
    They probably help in suicide missions as well as being spies since
their enemies will not suspect them.
> -What has informed this image you have described?
    I do not know much about this topic at all, but the information I do
know I have learned from hearing stories on the news or reading a few
articles on the things going on in Iraq.

Hey,

Here are my answers to your questions:

As far as a child soldier, I picture a small boy, in a green army uniform, although
sometimes I could see them without one. As far as race, I can see mainly African,
although possibly Caucasian as well.  I would consider them anywhere from 8 to 18 years
old, but probably more towards 8.  When picturing gender, I usually picture a male. As
far as duties, I think they fight on the front lines with everyone else. They can use the
weapons and everything. I’ve seen images on television and have come across information
on the internet about it.

I don’t know much about child soldiers but I assume they are recruited through persuasion
I don’t have a specific image just one of a child.
They are black
16 years old
Males
There duties are to fight in the war in Iraq putting their lives in danger
I have been researching child recruitment for my paper

-What do you know about child soldiers?

I think child soldiers are underage children who are forced to join military due to some circumstances. These circumstances include protecting their families or saving their own
lives. It usually happens in the place where warfare is common and where human rights are
not protected.

-Do you have an image of who the child solder is? If so what is that image?

My most vivid image of child soldier came from the movie “Lord of the War” when a group of child soldiers are having inspection in front of the warlord. I remember the kid was
only 10 maybe and he was carrying a riffle almost as big as him.

-What race are they?

If you mean the child soldier I remember, he was an African.

-What age are they?

roughly 10 I think, I am not so certain.

-What gender are they?

Male

-What do you think are some of their duties or obligations?

To shoot their enemies with no mercy. To be absolutely loyal to their leader.

-What has informed this image you have described?

The image has informed me that the cruel reality of warfare and how absolutely inhuman that children are used as the tool to fight.

I do not have a lot of knowledge about child soldiers. Most of my information comes
from war movies about the Iraq War and from the documentaries from this class.
2) Not a physical image. I would picture them holding guns, though.
3) I can see some being from the Middle East and others being African American.
4) They vary from 10-16
5) They are males
6) I think they are mainly taught to kill, and kill only.
7) As mentioned previously, most of my information is based off of movies and
documentaries

• What do I want to discover? I hope to discover what people’s image is of the child soldier.
• How do I plan on discovering it? (This is called your research methods or methodology) I plan on analyzing contemporary media such as films (Blood Diamonds/ Hotel Rwanda) and tv programs (ER/ Lost) and by creating a small survey to find out what peoples knowledge and image of the child soldier is.
• Who am I going to talk to/observe/survey? (These people are called your subjects or participants) Due to the time contrants of this research projects deadline I will post a survey on my blog and send an email with survey questions to my fellow students in WRT 205. Hopefully from the response I collect from these individuals I can start to get a breif glimpse at the cultural collective image and understanding of the child soldier.
• How am I going to be able gain access to these groups or individuals? Through blackboard and my blod on wordpress.com I hope to gain access to these individuals and receive some responses?
• What are my biases about this topic? I am ver concerned for the welfare of children and my cultural understanding of the obligatins and age constructions of children comes from a US/ western point of view. It will be important for me to remember that cultural idetification of  “what is a child” can vary from culture to culture.
• How can I make sure my biases are not reflected in my research methods?  It will be important in my research methods, such as my survey to ask open ended questions. It is also important that I do not as loaded or leading question in order to try to project a desire response.
• What do I expect to discover? I hope to find out exactly what image people have of who a child soldier is.

*Possible Survey Questions:

-What do you know about child soldiers?

-Do you have an image of who the childe solder is? If so what is that image?

-What race are they?

-What age are they?

-What gender are they?

-What do you think are some of their duties or obligations?

-What has informed this image you have described?

*Possible Primary Source

(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts ) Open Forum Blog from Frontline Episode, “Ghost of Rwanda)

*Possible Secondary Source

(http://www.jstor.org.stable.3318250 )

I was truly taken aback at the images of an Amnesty International ad trying to bring awareness to the plight of the child soldier. In the image we are exposed to the contrasting image of boys handing from nooses. One collection of boys having been killed by the hangings, the other collection of boys playing and swinging from the nooses. This stark view of images gave pause to my life of western privilege to realize that some children in this world will not have the protected childhood that I have had.

            Further research of this topic according to the U.N and U.S. Department of States statistics list that over 300,000 children in this world are victims of being used in military purposes. Beyond the assume construction of soldiers being military warriors, they are used as cheap manual labor, front line decoys and to provide sexual service to troops. Boys and girls alike are abused and victimized in each of these roles, yet the image that is presented to us the most is that of the traditional soldier role. In accordance with that role is the assumed gender fulfilling the role is male.

            I wish to examine why this is the construction we believe in and perpetuate even when the statistical evidence proves otherwise? In other words, why is the child soldier a secret that we seem to know little about with in the United States. How does our media inform, or misinform us of who and where a child soldier is? What political actions in relationship to the U.S. support, condone or cause us to ignore such human right atrocities? Furthermore, as we are a society of which entertainment and education seem to overlap in twisting currents as we are more and more servants to the mass, commercial media of the information age, how does the stories we view in television and film inform our understanding and actions in regards to the use of children in warfare?

            By examining segments of storylines in popular television shows such as E.R. and Lost and films such as Hotel Rwanda and Blood Diamonds,  then comparing and contrasting them with documentary journalistic series such as BBC’S Investigative Report or PBS’s Frontline series I hope to discover where our media construction comes from. I also hope to see if the image we hold in public gaze through entertainment is, in actuality, the same image as reported to us through  news media sources.

            By contextual analysis of media sources via a post- structural feminist perspective I hope to show how the images we are present are greatly affected by our societies own cultural markers, thusly created and perpetuated through our media outlets. By using multiple source such as governmental agencies’ policies and statistics, in combination with academic resources, like globally women and child advocates, such as Barbara Ehnriech, and recorded interviews of former child soldiers themselves, I hope to create a better picture of who the soldier is and how we choose to recognize or ignore them.

            While the length of this paper will barely begin to address such an immense and complex topic I feel it is still an important one to consider all the same. By beginning to shine a light on the secrecy created around the child soldier, it can only help to draw attention and further discuss, research and exploration of this topic. Further, as this is a reflection of the media’s influence on our public perception and course of collective action, it could also bring about new consideration of how the story comes to the public gaze and through entertainment raise political awareness.

Primary Sources:

Abu Ghraib pics via Salon.com

Gerald Laing paintings

Fernando Botero painting

Clinton Fien paintings

Possibly You Tube and other web clips shot by soldiers ex: NowThat’sFuckedUp,com

Secondary Sources:

“Regarding the Torture of Others,” Susan Sontag

“Projecting Trauma:  War Photography and the Public Sphere” published in Third Text by, Haim Bresheeth

Bruno Latour>

Kevin Michael DeLuca> used as theory to support hypothesis  from primary visual

Jennifer Peeples>

“War Porn” by Jean Baudrillard

The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib & Standard Operating Procedure by Errol Morris

Through this introductory essay for a presentation on War Porn it is very clear the difference between primary and secondary sources.

            The primary sources as listed above are all the visual artifacts of analysis and interpretation. The secondary sources are used to support the authors analysis of the visual artifacts. It is very important that an author states what method or theory of analysis they will used to argue there hypothesis. The citing of Latour, DeLuca and Peeples illustrate the theory and methodology the author will use and guides the reader as the path of logic the argument will follow.

            Works of Sontag and Baudrillard are highly regard academic sources. They are both consider great scholars and visionaries in their designated intellectual spheres. As a source they carry much credibility and therefore when used to reiterate and illuminated the authors interpretations of the visual artifacts strengthens and adds credibility to the authors argument.

            Further sources such as Zimbardo go on to explain why the actions in the photos could have taken place and develop the authors argument of why this idea of war porn takes place in our public sphere and becomes as cultural marker of our current time. Using documentaries by Errol Morris shows that the author is using a variety of contemporary and academic sources expanding the body of evidence presented showing where mass media and academia connect.

            I believe it is important to understand that your primary source when interrupting a visual artifact will be a visual artifact. Your secondary sources are used to support the analysis of the artifact, to present you idea of what is the effect of such artifact and give credibility to the strength of your argument. From this essay we can see that sources can come from multiple area of contemporary and academic society. We are also witness to the fact that a sources can be used more than one to reiterate a point the author is making, ex: Santag being cited multiple time. This is effective as long as there is a balance of other sources and one is not primarily relying on the one source. The author does this very well as they have included multiple sources through out the piece.

            In the end, it is important to remember that a primary source is just that, primary layer of information. It is up to you, the scholar and author to ensure that secondary sources are credible to establish your theoretical methodology and provide evidence for the argument your are presenting. By properly citing your sources, you prove to the reader that there is a strong logos and ethos to your discourse.

Margaret Kant when discussing about creating and ethos for a rhetorical research paper brings up the excellent points. The first I see as know who your sources are, what is there credibility and ethos in the argument or information they are presenting of which you are drawing your research from. The example she gave was Alice’s paper.

When she asked Alice who her sources were she said Churchill and a French couple, Alice also stated that the sources had opposing views therefore, she believed both to be incorrect. What Alice was un aware of is that there is a long and conflicted history between England and France, not only would their opinions be possibly different on certain facts or events but within the material, a possible unfavorable opinion of the other nations actions or leaders could be held.

It is important as a research to understand the “social location” of the author whose work you are citing as a reference. It is just as important that you, yourself are aware of your own “social location” so you can understand what cultural influence will affect the way you are reading your research.

This connects to Said, who is a post-structuralist, when using the gaze that he terms as Orientalism. Orientalism is a post colonial theory that basically states that the color of a persons skin is used as a determination of “othering” to create an acquired knowledge of what we perceive a person of Arabic/Orient/Muslim to be. His example is the idea of the sensual, submissive, exotic woman or in contrast the non-modern, violent terrorist. It is a way of seeing the stereotype created in order to pursue a nations interest of occupation and abduction of resource through colonial practices, be it physical occupation and interest such as England and France or neo-colonial, which is a political occupation via the US fiscal investment and connection to oil.

To create ethos on the page, you must be careful and aware of your sources. Which will be more credible, a peer- review academic journal, an article in USA Today or a blog of personal opinion you located on the web? All have purpose in a rhetorical research analysis but it depends on the context used. If I’m doing a critique of blog articles and authors, a blog could be more valuable that an article about bloggers in USA today. An academic journal will have a more credible ethos in an academic setting. USA Today could have an excellent article but you must take into account that the major purpose of the paper is to be sold and distributed. Pressure for sales can alter credible reports within an article.

Accurate and competent citing is also a way to make a paper ethos powerful. A miss cited or miss quoted statement takes away from the competency of the author. It is very important to credit original author of your material that you have used to conduct your research. It is just as important to cite properly. One need to make sure that if someone is referring to the reference that they can extract the same information based on the citation give.

I believe that Kant was also trying to show, which Said can be connected to within his theory, that we need to be responsible to our reader about informing them of our social location. For example, I am a white, middle class American female who is currently living in Europe. That informs the reader of my possible location. I also rely heavily on the theories of deconsructionist and post structuralist like Michele Foucault and Jacque Derrida to help prove my argument. It is imperative that I explain this in the methods section of my paper so the audience can understand why and how I have presented my research and argument.

No work will ever be completely imperial. What Kant and also said showed through the idea of Orientalism is that we are products of our cultural inheritance and must be aware as a reader and an author of the influence it has upon us so when conducting research we can be as objective as possible and discern between fact and opinion as best we can. Our pitfalls in this process will be our own condition of “historical traces”, as Gramicci put it and our own lack or broaden perspective to be able to understand or empathized with the cultures we have “othered” from our own. We must take great care to evaluate our sources and use them in a responsible manor as we create a body of work.

Hello everyone! Well finally I have the blog up and running and will hopefully be able to navigate yours shortly. My piece for unit tow was about the Amnesty International add featuring child soldiers. The idea that military groups would enlist and force children into military service is such a shocking and disturbing fact. In the United States has strict child welfare laws that protect our own children with in our borders. We also, in connection with the UN policies have outlawed the use of child soldiers. But the practice is happening at an alarming rate of the UN stat believing more than 300,000 children are in service of armed combat. The picture focused on the idea of little boys being used as soldiers but neglects the fact that often girls, as well as boys are kidnapped, repeatedly raped and used in sexual service to the military force.

Two blogs that I hope to enlist as additional resource material to illuminate the severity of this very ignored crisis.

The 1^st is:

- Ana’s Playground  (https://anasplayground.com)

Ana’s playground is the title of the documentary about a girls life and struggles after being a child used in military conflict. The director of the film has kept a blog of the experience of creating the film, getting it distributed, after affects of screen, what government policies are affecting the current state of child soldiers. There is a lot of random info but I chose the site because of it journalistic quality. The person keeping the blog is very invested in the idea of bringing world wide attention to the issue, thusly why they made the film in the first place. It is someone using there art as a form of activism and I think it gives and interesting perspective than just dry statistical information. A good documentary will connect with an audience emotionally, and thusly from that pathos argument hope to enlist a reaction and action from its audience.

The 2^nd is:

-War Child International (www.warchild.org)

War Child International is a non-profit organization in connection with UNICEF that was established to be an advocate, resource and protective agency for children of war torn and military occupied area. The site itself give valuable statistical information while organization member have personal blog of there experience of work with the children the organization benefits. I think info from these blog will be a good resource of maybe hear what some of the children are feeling and experiencing in these situation, the will be 1^st and 2nd hand accounts, always a good resource in dealing with social/political issues.

I will also be looking at reports archived by the BBC and RTE news sites at (http://news.bbc.co.uk/) (http://www.rte.ie/)

There is much information from both these sites as they have been reporting of the issues of child soldiers in area such as Africa, the Americas and Near and Middle East for several years. It seems to be a highly neglected problem of concern with in the US so the fact that they are news sources outside US commercial interest could be useful.

Finally, Frontline, on PBS has excellent essays and blogs on a plethora of related issue and should be a competent sources as well, because it is not a national news program that is sponsored by cooperate advertising in the traditional sense the other major news networks are( I.E. NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CNN, ect…)

Frontline (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/)