The Kids Are Alright - Exploring Religion, Youth and Sexuality (in the UK)

This study was done in the UK, but my guess is that young adults there are not much different than they are in the United States. This press release summarizes the findings of Religion, Youth and Sexuality: Selected Key Findings from a Multi-faith Exploration - the link takes you to a full PDF of the study summary.

I think this is an interesting and highly relevant study - and I like that they allow the young people to speak for themselves - a more open-ended qualitative approach rather than using a pre-written measure that shoe-horns them into fixed categories.

In my quick reading of the findings, I am heartened to see an emphasis on monogamous sexuality, a desire to see heterosexuality and homosexuality as equally valid forms of sexual relationship, and "(48.2%) of the participants considered themselves ‘liberal’/‘very liberal’," while only "a quarter of them (25.1%) considered themselves ‘conservative’/‘very conservative’."

Then were the religious views (a mixed bag):

In terms of religious participation, the majority of the participants (65.1%) were involved in a religious community .... Religious faith was by far the most important source of information for the participants’ sexual values/attitudes and sexual practices. Religious texts, parents/caregivers, friends, the internet and the media also played a role in this respect, but less significantly.

The entire executive summary is posted at the bottom, after the press release. There is a also a video presentation on the study and its findings:

And here is the press release summary (just the beginning - follow the link to read the whole thing):

Exploring religion, youth and sexuality

28 February 2011 Nottingham, University of

Sexuality and religion are generally considered uncomfortable bedfellows. Now, for the first time, a team of researchers from Nottingham have carried out a detailed study around these issues and how they affect and influence the lives of British 18 to 25 year olds.

Led by The University of Nottingham, in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University, experts spent two years investigating the attitudes, values and experiences of sex and religion among young adults.

The study, which involved nearly 700 young people from six different religious traditions; Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism as well as young adults of mixed-faith, highlights the challenges they face in reconciling their sexuality and their religion and the concerns they have about the stigmatisation of religion and the increasingly sexualised culture in British society today.

The project Religion, Youth and Sexuality: a Multi-faith Exploration received funding of nearly £250,000 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council.

Dr Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip and Dr Sarah-Jane Page, in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at The University of Nottingham and Dr Michael Keenan from Nottingham Trent University’s School of Social Sciences asked all the participants to fill in online questionnaires. Some were also interviewed individually and recorded week-long video diaries.

Young adults were asked to talk about their sexual and religious values, attitudes, experiences and identities. As well as looking at their family background, social and cultural expectations and participation in religious communities the researchers also examined young people’s experiences of living in British society and how they understood and managed their gender identity in relation to their religious faith.

Executive Summary (from the PDF of the study outcomes and analysis.

1. This report presents selected key findings from an AHRC/ESRC-funded project entitled Religion, Youth and Sexuality: A Multi-faith Exploration, undertaken between January 2009 and February 2011. The research team are committed to data dissemination within academic and non-academic user communities. This report is written primarily with non-academic users in mind. Academic outputs have been planned for the near future, including a book provisionally titled Religious and Sexual Journeys: A Multi-faith Exploration of Young Believers (Yip, Keenan and Page, Forthcoming). Up-to-date information about the project is available at www.nottingham.ac.uk/sociology/rys.

2. The research set out to explore the lives and identities of religious young adults, aged between 18 and 25. Specifically, it studied the sexual and religious values, attitudes, experiences and identities of young adults from different religious traditions, namely Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. The research also investigated the significant factors (for example family, social and cultural expectations, religious institution) that inform their decision-making in these areas, and the diverse ways they managed their religious faith and sexuality. In addition, the research also aimed to examine these young adults’ experiences of living in British society; and how they understood and managed their gender identity in relation to their religious faith.

3. The research consisted of three stages: (i) An online questionnaire was completed by 693 participants between May 2009 and June 2010; (ii) 61 participants of diverse religious faiths and sexual orientations were interviewed individually between November 2009 and June 2010; (iii) 24 participants respectively recorded a video diary over a period of approximately seven days between February and November 2010.

4. 455 (65.7%) participants were female, 237 (34.2%) were male, and one participant was transgendered. Further, 57.1% of participants were Christian, 16.6% Muslim, 7.5% Jewish, 6.8% Hindu, 4.5% Buddhist, 3.8% Sikh and 3.7% identified with more than one religious tradition. In terms of sexuality, 74.3% were heterosexual, 10% were lesbian, gay or homosexual and 7.5% were bisexual.

5. 64.9% of participants self-identified as white, followed by those who self-defined as Indian (11.3%) and Pakistani (5.8%). 82.4% of participants were British citizens. With reference to participants’ geographic location, 83.8% lived in England, 7.6% in Scotland, 3.2% in Wales and 1.7% in Northern Ireland.

6. The majority of participants (65.8%) were single; 3.3% were married and 0.3% were in a civil partnership. Further, 25.4% were in an unmarried heterosexual relationship and 4.2% were in an unregistered same-sex relationship. 72.4% of the sample were students, 20.2% were employed and 4.6% were unemployed. In terms of highest academic qualification, the majority of the sample (60.3%) had achieved A-level qualifications, 25.4% had a degree, and 6.3% had a postgraduate qualification.

7. The participants held different meanings regarding their religious faith. These meanings were not mutually exclusive. Many considered being religious as having a belief in, and a relationship with, a personal God or a divine power. To them, this belief and relationship gave strength and meaning to life. In addition, some participants considered religious faith as a form of personalised spirituality and philosophy for life that promoted self-improvement and enlightenment.

8. The participants acknowledged the significant social dimension of religious faith which not only illuminated their personal lives, but also helped foster interpersonal and community connections. Some participants also emphasised the sense of ethnic and cultural belonging that their religious identification offered. However, some participants separated personal spirituality from institutional religiosity, considering institutional religion a social control mechanism that excessively regulated gender and sexual behaviour.

9. Almost half (48.2%) of the participants considered themselves ‘liberal’/‘very liberal’, and a quarter of them (25.1%) considered themselves ‘conservative’/‘very conservative’. In terms of religious participation, the majority of the participants (65.1%) were involved in a religious community in one way or another and just over half of the participants (56.7%) attended a public religious gathering at least once a week.

10. While the majority of participants used a particular label to identify their sexual orientation, some deliberately questioned the usefulness and accuracy of such labelling. On the whole, the participants were less reflective and articulate about their sexualities compared to their religious faiths, particularly heterosexual participants.

11. Fewer than half of the participants (43.1%) were sexually active. Further, 12.9% of the participants engaged in casual sex. Just over a quarter of participants who were single (28.7%) were sexually active. Further, 36% of participants in partnered but unmarried heterosexual relationships were not sexually active, perhaps reflecting their commitment to the religious ideal of ‘sex within marriage only’.

12. Most participants thought that the expression of one’s sexuality was desirable, and 29.9% thought that celibacy was fulfilling. While many participants thought that consenting adults should be allowed to express their sexualities, opinions varied on the ways in which they should do so, with some participants believing that consenting adults should be able to express their sexualities however they wished, while others believed sexual expression should be limited to marriage or a committed relationship.

13. The participants were almost equally split on the idea that sex should only occur within marriage, suggesting that some religious young adults had moved from ‘sex in marriage’ as the ideal to ‘meaningful or committed sexual expression’ as the ideal (but in diverse relational contexts). In addition, monogamy within a partnered relationship was highly valued.

14. About one-third of the participants (31.6%) believed that heterosexuality should be the only expression of human sexuality, and a bigger proportion (52.4%) thought that it should be the ideal for human sexuality. 58.1% of the participants were committed to treating heterosexuality and homosexuality on equal terms.

15. Just over half of the participants (54.8%) thought that their religions were positive towards sexuality issues. However, there was also a significant proportion who viewed fairly negatively the knowledge base of priests or religious leaders in relation to sexuality, particularly matters pertaining to youth sexuality. For lesbian, gay and bisexual participants, while some had successfully reconciled their sexuality to their religious faith, some reported the psychological and social costs of ‘coming out’ and managing their sexual and religious identities.

16. Religious faith was by far the most important source of information for the participants’ sexual values/attitudes and sexual practices. Religious texts, parents/caregivers, friends, the internet and the media also played a role in this respect, but less significantly. Only around 1% of the participants considered religious leaders the most important source of influence.

17. Further, in terms of sexual practices in comparison to sexual values/attitudes, the significance of the role of friends and the internet/the media increased, and the role of religious faith, religious texts and parent/caregivers decreased. This is likely due to the fact that friends and the internet/media were perceived to be the safer and more supportive sources to address the specific issues of how to practise one’s sexuality.

18. The participants’ experiences in connecting their religious faith and sexuality were diverse. There are three primary manifestations: (i) tension and conflict due to difficulty in managing these two dimensions; (ii) compartmentalisation of these two dimensions in order to minimise tension and conflict; and (iii) accommodation and harmonious acceptance of these two dimensions.

19. The participants identified a variety of challenges for them as young religious adults in secular society. These included: stigmatisation of religion, sexualised culture, drinking culture and consumer society. However the majority (67.4%) did not believe that being religious made their everyday life more difficult.

20. The majority of participants (68.5%) believed that religious people were stigmatised in Britain. 35.3% thought that it was difficult to talk about their religious faith with non-believers. Further, some felt that references to religion in society often took the form of jokes or gross generalisations.

21. The majority of participants (76.1%) believed there was too much focus on sex in mainstream society. Particularly, they considered sexualised culture and the prevalence of sexual promiscuity significant issues for religious young adults.

22. The majority of participants (63.4%) believed that their religions upheld gender equality in principle. However, some expressed concern that this was not the case in reality, with, for example, perceived gender inequality being evidenced at places of worship.

23. A high number of participants (73.2%) agreed with women being involved in religious leadership. This was particularly important for young women who saw women in leadership as role models.

24. Religious faith was considered the main factor influencing how the participants lived their lives as women or men. Some participants acknowledged that there were discrepant expectations for women and men particularly in the context of relationships and raising children. However, 65.6% of women and 68.1% of men disagreed that women should have primary responsibility for raising children. To them, it should be a shared responsibility.

25. Religious young adults can benefit from hearing the stories of their contemporaries to understand the wide range of experiences and negotiations in their religious and sexual lives. This knowledge could offer help in integrating religious faith and sexuality more successfully. Engagement with mainstream society may also encourage understanding and respect between non-religious and religious young adults.

26. Young religious adults desire an increased openness to discussions of faith and sexuality within their religions. Religious leaders and professionals should be open to such discussions, willing to reflect on young adults’ interactions with secular culture and to engage with secular youth workers and health professionals to find ways of providing support for religious young adults.

27.Training of practitioners working with young adults in secular contexts needs to recognise the role and importance of religious faith in some young adults’ lives. More collaboration is also needed between religious leaders and professionals who work with young adults in secular contexts, in order to formulate policy and practice that provides consistent advice and guidance.

Tags: Young Adults, Exploring, Religion, Youth, Sexuality, UK, Key Findings, Multi-faith, Exploration, University of Nottingham, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, mixed faith, monogamy, relationships, Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip, Sarah-Jane Page, Michael Keenan, sexual values, religious values, attitudes, experiences, identities, family background, social, cultural, expectations, religious communities, gender identity, religious faith

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week - Buddha Nature is the Nature of Our Mind

DZOGCHEN: The Heart Essence
of the Great Perfection,
Dzogchen Teachings Given in the West
by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa and
Richard Barron (Chokyi Nyima),
edited by Patrick Gaffney
more...

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week

Our fundamental nature--what we term 'the buddha nature', the very nature of our mind, is inherently present within us as a natural attribute. This mind of ours, the subject at hand, has been going on throughout beginningless time, and so has the more subtle nature of that mind. On the basis of the continuity of that subtle nature of our mind rests the capacity we have to attain enlightenment. This potential is what we call 'the seed of buddhahood', 'buddha nature', 'the fundamental nature', or 'tathagatagarbha'.

We all have this buddha nature, each and every one of us. For example, this beautiful statue of Lord Buddha here, in the presence of which we are now sitting, is a representation that honours someone who attained buddhahood. He awakened into that state of enlightenment because his nature was the buddha nature. Ours is as well, and just as the Buddha attained enlightenment in the past, so in the future we can become buddhas too.

...In any case, there dwells within us all this potential which allows us to awaken into buddhahood and attain omniscience. The empowerment process draws that potential out, and allows it to express itself more fully. When an empowerment is conferred on you, it is the nature of your mind--the buddha nature--that provides a basis upon which the empowerment can ripen you. Through the empowerment, you are empowered into the essence of the buddhas of the five families. In particular, you are 'ripened' within that particular family through which it is your personal predisposition to attain buddhahood. (p.29)

--from Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great Perfection by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, Foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion Publications

Dzogchen • Now at 5O% off
(Good through March 4th).

Tags: Dalai Lama, Quote, Buddha Nature, Nature of Mind, Buddhism, dharma, books, Dzogchen, Snow Lion Publications, Buddhahood

Rick Hanson - See Progress: The Wisdom of Appreciating What's Improving

A new post from Rick Hanson appeared recently at HuffPo - a nice teaching on recognizing our growth and progress.

See Progress: The Wisdom of Appreciating What's Improving

Rick Hanson, Ph.D. - Neuropsychologist, Author of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom
Posted: February 26, 2011

The practice: See progress.

Why?

There are always things that are getting worse. For example, over the past year, you probably know someone who has become unemployed, ill or both, and there's more carbon in the atmosphere inexorably heating up the planet.

But if you don't recognize what's improving in your own life, then you feel stagnant, or declining. This breeds what researchers call "learned helplessness" -- a dangerously slippery slope: in the original experiments on dogs, whose motivational neural systems are like our own in important ways, it was very easy to train them in helplessness but very, very hard to teach them later that they could actually walk a few steps to escape from painful electric shock.

If you don't recognize what's getting better in the people around you, then you'll continue to feel disappointed -- and they'll continue to feel criticized, not seen, and "why bother."

If you don't see the positive trends in our world over the past several decades -- such as the end of the Cold War, improved medical care and access to information, and a growing middle class in many third world countries -- then you'll get swallowed up by all the bad news, and give up trying to make this world better.

It's not that you're supposed to look through rose-colored glasses. The point is to see life as it is -- including the ways it's improving.

How?

Be aware of little ways you move forward each day. Like getting to the bottom of a sink of dishes or to the end of a stack of e-mails. Knowing a little more when you go to bed than you did when you woke up. Earning a day's wages, or a thank you, or a nod of respect.

Then consider a longer timeframe: How have you moved forward over the past 12 months? What have you grown, built, learned? What problematic things have you dropped?

See some of the many ways that your material circumstances are better than they were a year ago (no matter if they have worsened in other ways). Notice any shrubs that have grown, fences mended, new clothes acquired, more earning power, improved net worth.

See how things have improved in your relationships. With whom do you feel friendlier or closer or more trusting today than a year ago? And what's gotten better in a different sense: stepping back from people who don't treat you that well?

Recognize the sincere intentions, good efforts, and growing abilities in children you raise or teach, and in the people with whom you live and work.

Consider our sweet, soft planet. Given your values, what's gotten better over the past 20 years? 50? 100? 1,000? 10,000 years? Sure, we face unprecedented challenges. But all the major problems our ancestors had to solve were by definition unprecedented when they first appeared!

Would you rather deal with our global issues today, or -- looking farther and farther back in time -- with the threat of thermonuclear war between America and the Soviet Union; with Dickensian levels of poverty and misery throughout the 19th century; with millennia of feudal lords, widespread slavery, and the abuse of women and children reaching back to the development of agriculture 10,000 years ago; or with pervasive hunger and pain and violence in hunter-gatherer bands in which, as Thomas Hobbes put it, life was usually "nasty, brutish, and short"?

Personally, I'm tired of the widespread cliché "in these dark times," however it gets expressed. It's ignorant, defeatist, and often used to further an agenda. Every time in human history has been dark in some regards -- and bright in many others. In hundreds of ways, daily life is better for the average person worldwide than it's ever been.

We've got our work cut out for us. But to keep going we need to feel we're making headway. Take heart: zigging and zagging, three steps forward and two steps back, slowly but surely we can and will make our world a better place.

***

Just One Thing (JOT) is the free newsletter by Rick Hanson that suggests a simple practice each week that will bring you more joy, more fulfilling relationships, and more peace of mind. If you wish, you can subscribe to Just One Thing here.

Tags: personal growth, Psychology, progress, See Progress, Wisdom, Appreciation, Improving, Rick Hanson, HuffPo, practice

Winners for the 2011 Academy Awards

Apparently, a whole mess of famous and infamous people got all dressed up last night and gave each other awards. It seems they do this every year. I did not watch, but it's considered a big event and the winners are often quite happy, as you can see in the above photograph that I assume was taken after the awards were handed out.

Is it just me, or does it look like Christian Bale is wearing a fake beard?

In all seriousness, Inside Job won for best documentary (I was hoping for Restrepo) and it is a deserving winner - if you have not seen it, you should.

Winners for the 2011 Academy Awards, via People Magazine

Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
WINNER - The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Best Actor
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
WINNER: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours

Best Actress
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
WINNER: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Supporting Actor
WINNER: Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
WINNER: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David O. Russell, The Fighter
WINNER: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
David Fincher, The Social Network
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit

Best Original Screenplay
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
WINNER: The King's Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
WINNER: The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Best Animated Film
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
WINNER: Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film
Biutiful
Dogtooth
WINNER: In A Better World
Incendies
Outside the Law

Best Art Direction
WINNER: Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

Cinematography
Black Swan
WINNER: Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Costume Design
WINNER: Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King's Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
127 Hours
WINNER: The Social Network

Sound Mixing
WINNER: Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Sound Editing
WINNER: Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Original Score
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King's Speech
127 Hours
WINNER: The Social Network

Original Song
"Coming Home" from Country Strong
"I See the Light" from Tangled
"If I Rise" from 127 Hours
WINNER: "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3

Documentary Feature
Exit through the Gift Shop
Gasland
WINNER: Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

Documentary (short subject)
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
WINNER: Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Makeup
Barney's Version
The Way Back
WINNER: The Wolfman

Animated Short Film
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let's Pollute
WINNER: The Lost Thing
Madagascar, a Journey Diary

Live Action Short Film
The Confession
The Crush
WINNER: God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
WINNER: Inception
Iron Man 2

Tags: films, awards, culture, 2011 Academy Awards, winners, nominees, Hollywood

Sub Zero: Winter Time-Lapse in South Dakota

Wow, and beautiful, and amazing - we live in a spectacular world. This video comes via Open Culture. Randy Halverson is the artist - check out his site - he has many amazing videos.

Sub Zero: Winter Time-Lapse in South Dakota

February 21st, 2011

Earlier this month, Randy Halverson braved the cold South Dakota nights (where temperatures often drop to -25 below wind chill), to create this nighttime time-lapse film. Using a Canon 60D and T2i, Halverson gave each shot a 20 second exposure, with a one second interval placed between shots. The result is pretty jaw-dropping. H/T @matthiasrascher.

Sub Zero - winter night timelapse from Randy Halverson on Vimeo

Tags: Art, Photography, Nature, life, Sub Zero, winter night, time lapse, Randy Halverson, Vimeo, Open Culture, South Dakota, Dakotalapse

The Disintegration of Glenn Beck

CNN/Headline News got rid of Glenn Beck because he had become unpredictable and irrational in many of his rants. Fox News scooped up him and his loyal conspiracy-loving viewers. But even Fox News must be concerned with how little sense Beck makes these days.

For a while it was easy to write off Beck as just a fringe conservative being manipulated by his media overlords to further their agenda to keep Americans watching one hand while the other hand steals them blind (literally [money] and metaphorically [rights and liberties]). It's not so easy to write him off that way now - he is a human being who seems to be losing touch with reality.

To anyone on the outside, those who don't watch him regularly, it would appear that he has come progressively unglued. I believe it's time to consider that this "dry drunk" may not be mentally well. Someone needs to step in if, indeed, he is in need of help.

Even Joe Scarborough is questioning his sanity it seems.


I could care less that Fox News might suffer, or that the conservatives might suffer, or that the GOP might suffer - and I don't like anything about Beck. BUT, if this guy is ill, someone needs to get him some assistance. It's alarming (and the norm) that the conservatives are only concerned about their cause and their reputation - not about the man they use when it serves them.

He needs mental health care - sooner than later.

Tags: media, mental illness, Psychology, Politics, Glenn Beck, Joe Scarborough, Fox News, conservatives, GOP, cable news, conspiracy theories, CNN, Obama, rants, irrational

The Body and the State - Session One | The New School for Social Research

The New School for Social Research hosted a conference on The Body and the State, and these two videos comprise Session One (also included in the Keynote Address to begin the conference). There are at least four sessions posted now, each with two videos (I believe). Over the next several days I will post the individual sessions.

This is some interesting stuff - the discussions cover a variety of different topics about how the body is conceived in relation to various collective structures (LR in integral speak), including health, disability, media, soldiers, human rights, religion, and citizenship.

THE TRACE:
VIOLENCE, TRUTH, AND THE POLITICS OF THE BODY
KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Moderated David Van Zandt, President of The New School

Didier Fassin, MD, MPH, James D. Wolfensohn Professor, School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study; Director of Studies, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris

Join us as speakers discuss the body as a human rights arena in which many forces, such as religion, science, media, and the market, struggle for control over policies that control our bodies. We hope to illuminate how the often tacit assumptions about the "normal," "healthy," and "acceptable" body lead to policies which are, at their core, unjust.

Keynote:


And now on with the conference.

The Body and the State - Session I - Part 1
CONCEPTIONS OF THE "NORMAL" BODY

We all have our own ideas about what a "normal," "healthy" body is, but these ideas are neither given nor based on some eternal biological definition. Rather, they reflect many different forces within a culture and they change over time. How do these views influence public policy in different locations? How do social dynamics affect conceptions of maleness and femaleness and how do they differ in different societies?

RELIGION
Religions exert powerful pressure on how the conception of the normal or morally acceptable body is understood. How do images of the normal body differ across religious traditions? Case studies are reviewed on the role of religion in affecting state policy with regard to the body.

Joan's Two Bodies: Was Joan of Arc Killed by the Church or the State and Does it Matter?
• Winnifred F. Sullivan, Member, School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study; Associate Professor, Director of the Law and Religion program, University at Buffalo Law School

Ascribing Citizenship on the Muslim Body
• John Bowen, Dunbar-Van Cleve Professor in Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis

MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
Notions of the "healthy," "normal" body often bring with them the imprimatur of science. What role does science play in our understanding of what is normal and what is not? How are these understandings reflected in policy? Does this science-policy interplay differ across cultures?

The Body as a Biological and Genetic Entity
• Elof Axel Carlson, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University

Moderator: Ann Stoler, Willy Brandt Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology and Historical Studies, The New School for Social Research

MORE INFORMATION

Part One:

The Body and the State - Session I - Part 2
THE CITIZEN & MEDIA

Bodies of Rights and Biomedical Markets
• João Biehl, Professor of Anthropology, Co-director, Program in Global Health and Health Policy, Princeton University

THE CITIZEN
What is the relationship between individual bodies and the body politic? What constitutes the "normal" body of the citizen, and does this vary from country to country? What does the foreigner, the non-citizen, reveal about the body of the citizen? Do existing laws and policies differentially shape certain types of bodies and affect genders and races differently? Why does the health of the citizen matter?

Disability and the Normal Body of the Citizen
• Susan Schweik, Professor, Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities, University of California, Berkeley

Making Willing Bodies: Manufacturing Consent Among Prisoners and Soldiers
• Bernard E. Harcourt, Julius Kreeger Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago

THE MEDIA
Advertising, film, television, and the internet have profound impacts on our idea of the "normal" body and how it is or should be treated. What is the media's impact on policy with regard to the body? How does this vary across cultures?

Losing Bodies
• Susie Orbach, Visiting Professor, Sociology, London School of Economics

Indian Cinema and the Beautiful Body
• Sumita S. Chakravarty, Associate Professor of Culture and Media, Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts

Moderator: Ann Stoler, Willy Brandt Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology and Historical Studies, The New School for Social Research

Part Two:


THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH

Tags: body, society, media, citizens, normal, healthy, The Body and the State, New School for Social Research, normal body, social dynamics, gender, Winnifred F. Sullivan, Joan of Arc, John Bowen, Elof Axel Carlson, Ann Stoler, João Biehl, Susan Schweik, disability, bodies, Bernard E. Harcourt, soldiers, prisoners, Susie Orbach, Sumita S. Chakravarty, David Van Zandt, Didier Fassin, politics

Keith Rice - A Biological Basis for vMEMES?

Over at Keith Rice's site, Sociopsychologist, he lays out what feels to me like a preliminary look at finding neural correlates for the developmental values memes (vMEMES) in the Clare Graves, Beck & Cowan model of Spiral Dynamics.

Although it's a good first effort, there are only brain regions suggested and not specific structures. He hints at some better detail (in the work of Joseph LeDoux, for example), but he also derails his project by using Freud's concepts of id, ego, and superego - something most psychoanalytically trained folks don't even do these days.

I would propose that there is much to be gleaned from the work of interpersonal neurobiology (especially the brilliant work of Allan Schore, which is psychoanalytically based, in the neuroscience of attachment affect regulation [a major component of the development of the self]), especially regarding the more communal memes. Likewise, I suspect there is much to learn from the work of Antonio Damasio about how the "self" is created in the brain, and how that applies to the more individualistic memes. That is only for starters.

I would also look at work by Jaak Panksepp, Rodolfo Llinás, Vilayanur S. Ramachandran, Merlin Donald, Gerald Edelman, Francisco Varela, Steven Rose, Michael Gazzaniga, Robert Sapolsky, and so many others. I would also look at people like Jerome Bruner, Geroge Lakoff, Kenneth Gergen, and other people working in language and interpersonal realms.

Anyway, here is the beginning of Rice's post.

A Biological Basis for vMEMES?

vMEMES, the motivational systems identified in Spiral Dynamics, clearly have to have a neurological basis. Whatever your views on Dualism and the Mind-Body Debate - whether or not we think there is a ‘mind’ or ‘soul’ distinct from the brain - the motivational effect we recognise as the work of what we call a ‘vMEME’ has to have a concomitant pattern of neurological activity.

So where is it? Or: where are they...the 8 vMEMES identified so far from the work of Clare W Graves, that is?

According to Spiral Dynamics co-developer Don Beck (Wright Foundation, 2009) a project has been launched with the Brain Research Laboratory at the University of Cologne to track the neurology of the vMEME systems. Until Cologne’s Brain Research Laboratory publish their findings, just how vMEMES operate in the brain will remain a mystery...or will it?

In fact, by some judicious mapping of existing neuroscience, it is possible to build a picture of how 1st Tier vMEMES might work in the brain. 2nd Tier systems appear to be decidedly more tricky.

1st Tier vMEMES and Sigmund Freud

In our quest to track how vMEMES might function neurologically, we need to consider the work of arguably the single most influential psychologist ever, Sigmund Freud. It is possible to create a rough match between Freud’s structure of the mind (based on observation and reflection) and that of Graves (based on arduous research).

Read the whole article.

Tags: Spiral Dynamics, brain, development, Psychology, cultural evolution, neural correlates, Clare Graves, Don Beck, Christopher Cowan, Keith Rice, Biological Basis, vMEMES, values, stages, neuroscience

Are we hard-wired to continuously connect?

Here is another article that purports to look at the impact of technology on our lives - both good and bad. The focus of the article is on Hal Niedzviecki and his book & documentary, Peep Culture, which observes that . . .

pop culture has morphed into peep culture, where voyeurism becomes an entertainment in which we watch ourselves or strangers in unscripted moments. Or days. Through this, he says, ordinary people become objects of entertainment, not of empathy.

He goes further however . . .

In The Peep Diaries he describes how he tracked his wife’s progress to work on a Google map. She had a GPS in her purse. He saw how easily he became obsessed with his wife and child’s whereabouts, just because he had the technology that allowed him to follow them.

So he reluctantly became the subject of his own reality show and documentary which aired on CBC back on February 16 (the show is called The Passionate Eye). If you live in Canada, you can watch the show online, if you are in the US, you're sol. For the rest of us, here is the trailer:


The article also looks at Sherry Turkle's Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, a new book that explores the intrusion of the digital world into modern life.

You can read more from Niedzviecki's perspective in this "first person" article from the National Post.

Are we hard-wired to continuously connect?

Leslie Scrivener, Feature Writer
Published On Sun Jan 30 2011

“It’s an old, outmoded concept to say we’re only friends if we spend time together in real life.”

— Adam, in the documentary Peep Culture

Hal Niedzviecki reflects on who he is, acerbic but loving, a loner with a handful of friends, a wife and a child. A writer — nine books — he works from home in his basement office. He’s active on the Internet but has no cellphone; he’s says he likes to be alone with his thoughts when he walks.

The 40-year-old is content not to be connected, but curious about how technology changes the way people — the Tweeters, texters, bloggers, peepers, Facebook posters and reality show wannabes — relate to one another.

Not really the kind of man who would want to be on a reality show, you’d think. But there he is, in a documentary film looking hopeful, keen even, at a reality TV casting call.

“Interesting look, the glasses, the hair — but not hot,” says one casting agent viewing Niedzviecki’s audition video.

“Schlubby look,” says another.

“All talk and no action,” says the first.

Why expose oneself to this embarrassment?

In 2009 Niedzviecki wrote a book called The Peep Diaries, in which he argues that pop culture has morphed into peep culture, where voyeurism becomes an entertainment in which we watch ourselves or strangers in unscripted moments. Or days. Through this, he says, ordinary people become objects of entertainment, not of empathy. Researching the book, he discovered how hard it is to resist snooping around in other people’s lives.

RELATED: Is the Internet detrimental to human relationships?

In The Peep Diaries he describes how he tracked his wife’s progress to work on a Google map. She had a GPS in her purse. He saw how easily he became obsessed with his wife and child’s whereabouts, just because he had the technology that allowed him to follow them.

It was similar, though less compelling, watching what was going on in his back alley, where he’d installed a surveillance camera. His wife, Rachel Greenbaum, got the bug too, saying, “Nothing ever happens, but I can’t stop looking at it.”

Pursuing this theme, he became the subject and narrator of a documentary film called Peep Culture, for which he reluctantly — he is a private person — installed web cameras in his west Toronto semi for nearly two months, starring in his own on-line reality show. How would he respond to being followed, to having fans who could comment, uncensored, on his quiet life, which is often dull? After all, he is a writer, not a lion tamer.

The film, to be broadcast Feb. 16 on CBC’s The Passionate Eye, coincides with the publication of a new book by Massachusetts Institute of Technology psychologist and ethnographer Sherry Turkle. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, explores the intrusion of the digital world into modern life.

Turkle pares down the hope and optimism she had in the mid ’80s about the Internet and other technologies. Now it’s time for a correction, she says, since we’ve come to use technology as a substitute for face-to-face connections, and to create “the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.”

Niedzviecki was surprised to see how quickly he yearned for this “illusion of companionship.” He wanted fans, and he wanted them to watch him.

“I began to be very interested in who was watching me and what they had to say. I began to have this nagging sense if I wasn’t on line, sharing some aspect of my life in as dramatic as possible a form, I was wasting my time.”

Then he began altering his behaviour to make the watching more interesting, once even putting a pot on his head and dancing around his kitchen for no reason other than a fan urged him to do it. “Even though I knew what I was doing, I couldn’t stop myself. It is a really powerful addiction and it taps into this human need for connectivity that modern society has made very difficult.

“That was the insidious, really scary aspect of it — someone like me with a lot of resistance gets sucked into.”

Niedzviecki (whose parents called him Hal after his great-grandfather and the computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey) does get out of the house — to the reality TV casting call, to a lonely man in San Francisco who finds community in the people who follow him on his home webcam as he vacuums or endures insomnia, and to Vancouver, where he meets a group of 20-ish hipsters who have no reservations about making their private lives public.

There’s Adam, who works in IT and records lists of every aspect of his life — from buying a hot dog to sex acts, given and received — on a website. Anyone can read them.

The film’s director, Sally Blake, says for high users such as Adam there’s no line between physical and online reality.

“He really scoffs at people who use the word ‘real’ life,” she says. “That’s so 1995. It’s such an outmoded way to think of your real life and online life. It’s so integrated. He knows so many people because he met them on the Internet. It’s so natural. It’s kind of fourth dimension.”

Since Adam — who was Tweeting constantly throughout the filming, “without thought” — volunteers so much about his life, it doesn’t bother him that strangers know a lot about him, Blake says. “He wasn’t defensive about privacy.I felt the whole paradigm of privacy has shifted. He was getting more out of participating in these networks than not . . . He doesn’t really have a choice. If you don’t participate, you don’t actually have a social life.”

This blurring of real and digital friendship is worrisome to psychologist Turkle. “Does virtual intimacy degrade our experience of the other kind and, indeed, of all encounters?” she asks.

American teens from 13 to 17 now text about 120 messages every day, according to a Nielsen report released this month. And this at a time when, as Turkle observes, teens should be developing not only their identity but also empathetic skills. They need stillness, they need down time, they need to have secrets, she writes, and they need to separate. And yet she says, they are constantly “tethered . . .

“The text driven world of rapid response does not make self-reflection impossible but does little to cultivate it.”

But it’s not only a generational compulsion. Who hasn’t been annoyed by a friend’s attention to his cellphone rather than the conversation he’s meant to be part of?

Turkle attends a funeral and to her dismay sees mourners around her texting during the service. “I couldn’t stand to sit that long without getting on my phone,” one of the texters, a woman in her 60s, explained.

Some find constant connection a tyranny and admit the triteness of much that’s said. In an extreme example of text overload, a 16-year-old interviewed by Turkle politely turned off his cellphone while they were speaking, then found he had 100 texts when he turned it back on an hour later. As he walks away, he murmurs to himself, “How long do I have to continue doing this?”

Maddy Hope-Fraser, a 19-year-old fine arts student from Toronto, recalled for the Star the freedom she experienced last summer when her phone was broken. “I felt sort of released,” she says. “I didn’t have the responsibility to be in touch and always texting to show I was still their friend. When I went back to school I had to get a cellphone and I was dreading it.”

There are practical reasons for texting — it’s free, and young people also say it poses less risk. “You can feel more comfortable texting someone you’re less close with,” says Elizabeth May, a 21-year-old MBA student who has studied social media. “Talking on the phone is a much more personal interaction.”

Sonia Wong, a fourth-year Montreal economics student, knows the strategies behind texting. “In the first stage of dating, in terms of ‘the game,’ texting works better than meeting the person. It reinforces that distance, builds a mystique or wall.”

Yet many people, especially the young, use texting and social media to stay constantly connected. “That’s what all our friends are doing,” Hope-Fraser says. “That’s where the updates are, because all our friends are in the loop and you want to be in the loop and not missing out things. There’s a bit of addiction. You open your computer and the first thing you do is check Facebook. I realize I don’t need to.”

The banalities of the postings surprise even the posters. “It’s where I put instantaneous ideas,” says May. “This morning I posted ‘caffeine is fantastic.’ Why would I do that? You think about it after the fact — well, that was not really necessary.”

Niedzviecki says he was surprised that the most ho-hum experiences seemed to attract the most viewers to his webcam footage. “That’s the allure of peep culture. . . It is so banal, you’re fascinated by its nothingness.”

He recalls that when he disconnected the video cameras he felt a little lost without his online fans. First there was the elation of being freed from the bonds of constant surveillance. Then, he says, “I fell into a kind of depressed state as I missed my followers and their constant presence watching every move of my life.”

He did not confuse friendship with followers. “I thought of them as people in my life, background. It’s not a real community and it’s not real friendship.”

Tags: Sherry Turkle, Alone Together, Technology, Hal Niedzviecki, Peep Culture, Peep Diaries, The Passionate Eye, CBC, Leslie Scrivener, Are we hard-wired to continuously connect?, Tweeters, texters, bloggers, peepers, Facebook, media, culture, technology, Psychology, social networking

Open-Minded Man Grimly Realizes How Much Life He's Wasted Listening To Bullshit

From The Onion, America's Finest News Source:

Open-Minded Man Grimly Realizes How Much Life He's Wasted Listening To Bullshit

February 26, 2011 | ISSUE 47•08

Richman estimates he's squandered 800 hours alone by letting salespeople
pitch things to him that he's not going to buy.

CLEVELAND—During an unexpected moment of clarity Tuesday, open-minded man Blake Richman was suddenly struck by the grim realization that he's squandered a significant portion of his life listening to everyone's bullshit, the 38-year-old told reporters.

A visibly stunned and solemn Richman, who until this point regarded his willingness to hear out the opinions of others as a worthwhile quality, estimated that he's wasted nearly three and a half years of his existence being open to people's half-formed thoughts, asinine suggestions, and pointless, dumbfuck stories.

"Jesus Christ," said Richman, taking in the overwhelming volume of useless crap he's actively listened to over the years. "My whole life I've made a concerted effort to give people a fair shake and understand different points of view because I felt that everyone had something valuable to offer, but it turns out most of what they had to offer was complete bullshit."

"Seriously," Richman added, "what have I gained from treating everyone's opinion with respect? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

According to Richman, it was just now hitting him how many hours of his life he's pissed away listening intently to nonsense about celebrity couples, how good or bad certain pens are, and why a particular sports team might have a chance this year. The husband and father of two said that every time he's felt at all put out or bored by a bullshit conversation—especially a speculative one about how bad allergy season was going to be—he should have just turned around, walked away, and gone rafting or repelling or done any of the millions of other things he's always wanted to do but never thought he had time for.

At various points throughout the day, Richman could be heard muttering to himself that he couldn't believe he was almost 40 years old.

"Twenty minutes here, 10 minutes there. It all starts to add up," said Richman, who sat down and figured out that between stupid discussions about favorite baby names and reviews of restaurants in cities he'll never visit, he'd wasted 390 hours of his life. "And you know what the worst part is? It's my fault. Here I thought being considerate to others by always listening patiently to what they had to say was the right thing to do. Well, fuck me, right?"

According to Richman, he started thinking about how much time he's flushed down the toilet being an approachable person after a work meeting in which he let a coworker, David Martin, ramble on and on with an idea everyone knew was "total shit" the moment the man opened his mouth. Richman said that a single glance at the clock made him realize he had just spent 14 minutes of his finite time on earth not playing with his kids or being with his wife, but listening to garbage.

"It was like I stepped out of my body and saw myself actually listening to this man's worthless drivel—but it wasn't him who looked like a moron, it was me," Richman said. "I was nodding my head like an asshole and saying ridiculous things like, 'Right,' and, 'I see your point, Dave,' when I should have just said, 'Dave, your idea isn't good and you are wasting our time and you need to shut up right now.'"

By his estimates, Richman's receptiveness has resulted in 160 irreplaceable hours of listening to grossly uninformed political opinions, 300 hours of carefully hearing out both sides of pointless arguments, and at least a month of listening to his parents' bullshit about how important it is to be open-minded.

Eighty days have been wasted on the inane blather of his college friend Brian alone.

"All those hours I could have been relaxing, or reading all these great books, or getting into shape, or working on side projects that I'm really excited about," Richman said. "But instead I've been listening to overrated albums recommended to me by my asshole friends."

"Did you know that in my life I've listened to five days' worth of people talking about their furniture?" he added. "It's true. That's a trip to Europe right there."

While Richman has vowed to cease being open-minded to absolute horseshit, acquaintances reflected on his approachability.

"I love Blake," coworker David Martin said. "He's such a good listener. A lot of people are closed-minded and self-absorbed, but Blake always makes an effort to hear where I'm coming from. The world could use more people like him."

Tags: humor, satire, Psychology, The Onion, Open-Minded Man, Realization, Life, Wasted, listening, Bullshit, clarity

National Institute for Civil Discourse to open at University of Arizona

I am seriously skeptical that this new National Institute for Civil Discourse will be anything more than a vanity project for those involved (especially the U of A). They are all too prominent to do anything meaningful - although if they were actually qualified, the selections would be too low profile to get any attention.

The Institute was created in response to the Gabrielle Giffords shooting in January - and one might even credit Sheriff Dupnik (who has been virtually crucified in the media, and faces a recall here in Tucson) for his comments about the violent rhetoric in the media in making the quality of discourse in this country a hot topic.

Here is the mission statement:

The National Institute for Civil Discourse

Mission: The National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD) is a national, nonpartisan center for debate, research, education and policy generation regarding civic engagement and civility in public discourse consistent with First Amendment principles. It offers an institutional structure to support research and policy generation and a set of innovative programs advocating for civility in public discourse, while encouraging vigorous public debate, civic engagement, and civic leadership.

Putting aside my sense that this is going nowhere, it's a great idea. As a nation and a people, we need to be able to talk about serious and important issues without resulting to yelling over the top of each other, using half truths, or simply refusing to actually listen to other points of view. Maybe we need an institute for open minds.

And another thing . . . Greta Van Susteren . . . seriously? She is married to John P. Coale, who has been an occasional adviser for Sarah Palin (and Van Susteren has done three powder-puff interviews with Palin). She and her husband are both Scientologists, which is not illegal or anything, but cult membership should always be a red flag.

Anyway, here is the story from the U of A site for the Institute.

Bush, Clinton to Chair New National Institute for Civil Discourse at University of Arizona

February 21st, 2011

A new center – to be chaired by two U.S. Presidents – has been created at the University of Arizona to advance the national conversation currently taking place about civility in political debate.

The National Institute for Civil Discourse is a nonpartisan center for debate, research, education and policy generation regarding civility in public discourse.

Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton have agreed to serve as honorary chairs for the institute.

"I am honored to join President Clinton in supporting this important effort at such a critical time in our nation’s history," said President Bush. "Our country needs a setting for political debate that is both frank and civil, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse can make a significant contribution toward reaching this goal."

"America faces big challenges in revitalizing the American Dream at home and preserving our leadership for security, peace, freedom and prosperity in the world. Meeting them requires an honest dialogue celebrating both a clarification of our differences and a genuine stand for principled comparisons. I believe that the National Institute for Civil Discourse can elevate the tone of dialogue in our country, and in so doing, help us to keep moving toward 'a more perfect union.' I'm pleased to join President George H.W. Bush to help advance this important effort," said President Clinton.

"It is right and fitting that two of America's most successful practitioners of American democracy – Presidents Bush and Clinton – have now joined to help save it," said Fred DuVal, vice chair of the Arizona Board of Regents and originator of the idea for the institute. "And equally that the Tucson-based University of Arizona would host this bipartisan effort. This institute is the right people in the right place at the right time."

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (retired) and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle will be the institute’s honorary co-chairs.

A diverse array of political backgrounds are represented among the institute’s other board members, who include:

• Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State
• Ken Duberstein, former chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan
• Greta Van Susteren, host of "On the Record", FOX News Channel
• Trey Grayson, director of the Harvard University's Institute of Politics
• Jim Kolbe, former U.S. Congressman

Several new board members will be announced over the next few months.

National Institute for Civil Discourse initiatives will include:

• Convening major policy discussions with elected officials, policymakers and advocates on topics that tend to generate polarized positions.
• Promoting civil discourse, civic engagement and civic leadership.
• Organizing workshops and conferences in Washington, D.C., Tucson and across the country.
• Promoting a national conversation among prominent public figures from government, business and media regarding challenging political issues in a non-partisan setting.
• Developing programs and research centered around the exercise of First Amendment freedoms conducted in a way that respects both the ideas of others, and those who hold them.

The commitment by the honorary co-chairs and board members reflect a commitment by highly influential leaders to cross political boundaries to address issues that divide many Americans.

"The mission of the National Institute for Civil Discourse is essential for our nation's future success," said O'Connor. "I am pleased to be part of the effort to unite Americans across the political spectrum in constructive debate about critical issues."

"Civil discourse does not require people to change their values, but should provide an environment that all points of view are heard and acknowledged," said Daschle. "If our nation is to successfully address its problems, we must unite behind shared values and principles and bring people together to develop solutions."

The institute is in the process of naming a working board that will be chaired by DuVal.

The National Institute for Civil Discourse will be housed in the UA's School of Government and Public Policy, in collaboration with the UA Rehnquist Center on the Constitutional Structures of Government in the James E. Rogers College of Law and other departments throughout the University.

Fletcher McCusker, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Providence Service Corporation, headquartered in Tucson, is the first to step forward to provide community support for the project.

Joseph Anderson, former chairman and chief executive officer of Schaller Anderson, also has pledged a major gift to enable the establishment of the institute.

"The University of Arizona is a place where all political views are welcome and where discussion and vigorous debate can take place in a respectful manner," said UA President Robert N. Shelton. "I am pleased that the National Institute for Civil Discourse will advance the cause of elevating the tone of our nation’s political rhetoric."

"The University of Arizona is committed toward helping provide solutions to the challenges facing our country," said UA Provost Meredith Hay. "It is an ideal home for the National Institute for Civil Discourse, which will focus on bringing Americans of all political backgrounds together to solve problems collaboratively."

One of the key goals for the institute is to connect people with diverse viewpoints and to offer a venue for vigorous and respectful debate.

Among the institute’s first events will be an executive forum with media, foundation, academic, government and corporate leaders regarding moving forward the national conversation about civil discourse and proceeding with constructive solutions.

Tags: language, communication, Politics, society, civility, National Institute for Civil Discourse, University of Arizona, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Fred DuVal, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Tom Daschle, Madeleine Albright, Ken Duberstein, Greta Van Susteren, Trey Grayson, Jim Kolbe

Film - Exit Through the Gift Shop

Exit Through the Gift Shop is one of this year's Academy Award nominations in the documentary category - I've been wanting to see it, but it isn't on Netflix last time I checked, so it shows up online for free (probably not for long, so see it while you can).

Exit Through the Gift Shop

February 25th, 2011

Exit Through the Gift Shop: The story of how an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner with spectacular results. Billed as ‘the world’s first street art disaster movie’ the film contains exclusive footage of Banksy, Shephard Fairey, Invader and many of the world’s most infamous graffiti artists at work.

Please Excuse The Ads Which Pop Up On First Click. These Have Nothing To Do With Us. They Are Built Into MegaVideos Player & We Do Not Support Popup Ads of Any Kind!

Watch it in full size by clicking the "full screen" function in the tool bar.

Tags: film, documentary, Art, culture, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Banksy, street art, disaster movie, Shephard Fairey, Invader, graffiti artists