Homesick

I miss my Tamils. I miss waking up to their screechy voices in the morning mixed with the din of laundry as it’s beaten against a rock. I miss my face (and bum for that matter) being slapped, pinched, and generally handled. I miss people looking in disbelief between my currently rice fattened cheeks and short hair to my college pictures in western clothes and curly locks, then generally making some comment on how this decision was a catastrophe of epic proportions that may affect my eligibility. I miss food being shoved into my mouth my some mother’s hand without my permission. I miss the intrusive (and innocent) questions about how much my father makes, when I will be married, and what my class rank was. I miss the same old conversation and the triumvirate of questions:

Stranger: “Hello. How are you?”

Me: “I am fine” (this is the only acceptable answer to that question. If you say “good”, they won’t understand. I have no idea what English teacher decided this would be the standard response, but it sure caught on.

Stranger: “Where are you from?”

Me: USA

Stranger: “Where are you going?”

Me: I am going to –fill in the blank-

Stranger: Ok. Bye. (or sometimes tata…. Don’t ask)

Note: “What is your name?” is sometimes added to these questions, but generally people know who we are before we know them.  This isn’t really as creepy as it sounds.

The tamil version of this conversation (gosh I wish I could have it recorded for you) goes something like this:

Friend (or stranger): Nallarkingala? (Are you doing well?)

Me: Nallarku. Neenga Nallarkingala? (I am well. Are you well?)

Friend: Ooooh. Nallarkarome. (

Me: awkward silence while I give high fives to their kids.

Friend: Sapetingala?* (Have you eaten?)

Me: Ippathan sapetaan or illai (I just ate or nothing)

* Side Note: This is just a question you ask. People care deeply about one another. Questions like this are good manners.

As limited as our conversation was at times, I absolutely loved it. Tamilians, especially when you are friends, can be extremely affectionate and loving. A culture book that I have been devouring recently commented on the cultural differences in Indian relationship. It said something to the effect of Indians make friendships that they expect to last a lifetime. Let’s just say that really illuminated a lot of things for Laura and I. We were sometimes confused at the expectations that seemed to come along with our friendships as well as the offers (ranging from constant dinner invitations to the memorable offer to live in their home while they arrange marriages for Laura and I).

I already know I’ll return, but in the meantime I just have to make do with phone calls to my Indian friends that follow the basic outline above and study up on Tamil.

food glorious food

Anyone close to me will understand how much I love food, so it is no surprise that I have dedicated this entire post to the subject. I can now say with very few reservations that I love Indian food. It has certainly taken some getting used to, but at long last I find myself looking forward to meals and relishing in the stinging lips that inevitably accompany our feasting.

I was initially surprised at the lack of variety in South Indian food. The different dishes can be counted on one hand. The food culture is just different. It seems like Indians do not necessarily eat for enjoyment. The minute the food comes out, it is quickly and without ceremony devoured. The idea of social eating or lingering over a meal for hours is a foreign one. Whether this is due to the scarcity that millions experience here, or something else entirely, I cannot say.

The table manners too are entirely foreign to me. Food will be served on a banana leaf. When you first sit down, you are expected to sprinkle your leaf with water and rub it all over the leaf. Is this to clean it you ask? Or maybe the purpose is to moisten the leaf for the hot food? Or could it just be habit? I’m sorry to say, I really am not sure. But when Indians do something, you do it too.

Once the food is served, you dig in. No utensils necessary, just put your fingers (right hand only please- left hand is reserved for bathroom duties) together, pick up a handful, and shovel the food into your mouth using your thumb as a kind of caterpillar tractor. The breads are eaten in pieces. Grasp a chunk with your thumb and pointer finger, and using your remaining three fingers, pull off a piece. Resist the temptation to, in a fit of frustration, use your left hand. We have standards here.

Warning. If you, like me, decide to ignore all good medical advice and drink the water, know that the cups are communal. The cups here are small and heavy steel things with a large lip, perfect for pouring. Just tilt your head ever so slightly back and pour it in. Touching your lips to a drink, even a water bottle is repulsive in the extreme. The king of faux pas, not to mention a scream to germs everywhere “infect me, I’m just dying to be ill!”

Don’t even think about licking your fingers. Instead, fold the banana leaf towards you (that means you liked the meal), pick it up and dump it in a bucket outside, next to which will be a bucket of water where you can pour some water over your hand (hand mind you, never rub your left and right hand together) and wash up.

I will now proceed to describe the cuisine…. For the full effect I will include cost.

TIFFIN (breakfast/dinner)

The day begins and ends with a meal deemed “tiffin”. This is a small meal with little variety.  Early on, our group discovered a small tiffin stand a couple blocks away with cheap delicious food. We quickly made friends with the husband and wife who run the stand and joined the crowd that normally frequent the fly-ridden place. There is no need for menus, any stall will be sure to sell these items only. (Excuse my pathetic attempt at humor. Indians love to add the word “only” most unsuitably at the end of sentences).

Dosai………………………………………………………………..............………… 5 Rs. ($ .10)

(pronounced dosa) A thin and oily legume pancake. It essentially tastes like a lightly crunchy, sour crepe. It comes in many varieties: onion, ghee (clarified butter), tomato, and egg. It is then served alongside a sampling of coconut chutney and sanbar. If you are lucky they might throw mint or tomato chutney to the mix.

Expect to eat 2 to 3

Idly………………..………………………………………….............…… 4 Rs. per piece ($ .08)

A kind of rice cake made of dal that is soaked, ground and then steamed in a circular mold. These, like dosai have a faintly sour taste that is both parts addicting and disconcerting. It is best eaten (in my less than humble opinion) with chutney.

Expect to eat 4 to 5

Chapati………………..………………………………………….........…. don’t know don’t care

Unless you like bland, whole wheat, dry and cold tortilla like bread without even a hint of salt, stay far away. I beg of you. Chapati is unleavened horridness. I occasionally feel the urge to generously give chapati another chance, but it never fails to disappoint.

Do yourself a favor, try it once, then stop.

SAPPADU (lunch)

Lunch or sappadu…………………………………………………...…… 30-40 Rs. ($ .60- .80)

Lunch is always some form of rice- in tamil it is referred to as “sappadu”. This is similar to the oft inquired question “sapetingala?” or “have you eaten?”  It is generally the free white government rice. (Let me just take a small moment to explain- just know this is dreadfully simplified. India’s caste system has been illegal for a good half a century, but the government still distributes welfare through a kind of affirmative action system based on caste. I will devote an entire post to the sheer idiocy of this kind of policy later, but for now I will leave it at that. Each family is given a card based on their caste and then receive free rice (this is available to pretty much everyone) and then other commodities like sugar, salt, and kerosene for the lower castes). It’s dry, not well-salted, and very much in need of some moisture and flavor. It is topped with rasam or sanbar.

As brief warning, rice, especially white government rice is really not one of those things you should eat every day. Your bowels will thank me later.

Rasam

Chili broth. That’s really all it is. The transparent liquid is unfortunately devoid of any salt. It graces the top. And yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds. It’s really not my favorite.

Sambar

The wealthy cousin of rasam. Take the same spices you use for rasam, thicken it up a bit, add a few paltry vegetables-tomato, fibrous okra, maybe a few cubes of potato (which will probably consist of your entire vegetable intake) and cook the heck out of them. Its definitely not fine dining, but it does the job just fine.

Curd

Curd is my personal favorite, and entirely too scarce for my liking. Curd (you know what I mean right? Yogurt/sour cream/buttermilk) can seriously be put on anything. It is generally served with more onion than curd. It is a true testament to just how spicy the food is when I say that these onions doused in curd are more cooling than the balm of Gilead.

Parotta…………………………………………………………………………… 8 Rs. ($16)

This is a little ritzier than the normal fare. Just hie on over to any hotel (don’t ask me why India decided to adopt this English word to denote ‘restaurant’) and ask for parotta. You will not be disappointed. Like most Indian breads, this is made with the complicated mixture of flour, salt, and water. It is teased into a gluteny dough, then rolled into small balls. The small round of dough is then taken and beat against an oily surface until it resembles a long play dough snake. This is then placed in a swirl and rolled out into a thin circle. This circle is fried then (by the questionable looking hands of the cook) and when complete, beaten. It loosens up into the original spiral shape, perfect for tearing off flaky and oily pieces.

Poori…………………………………………………………………. 25-30 Rs. ($.50- .60)

(pronounced booty) This name is entirely too apt. Eaten often and you will develop your very own set of ‘booty’. Poori is served in a “set” of two. It is a dough rolled out into an impossibly thin circle, then deep fried at lightning speed. It turns into this huge puff ball of goodness. Served with goorma, a glorified sanbar filled with onions and potatoes and infinitely better. Save one poori to eat with sugar. You’ll have to request it (it’s called sacare in tamil).  The poori tastes similar to thin Indian (ahem… native American) fry bread. I’m pretty sure that poori sprinkled with the flavorful and large grained sugar favored here is the closest I’ll ever get to nirvana.

Expect to eat  As our Indian friend put it when we ate poori at her house, “we don’t count here”.

Laura and I have adopted this motto as our own. We recently ate dinner with two Brits we befriended in the forsaken town of Kanakumarai. At the close of the meal, we looked up into their faces to see something I hope was awe, but was probably closer to disgust. The redhead in her adorable posh accent asked “how do you eat so much and stay thin?” We countered, “we don’t eat that much…”. The empty plates spoke for themselves however. The smiley brunette chimed in, “You eat more than the boys”. Well, deprivation is not something we neither enjoy nor condone. Just don’t expect any hollow cheeks when I return.

How do you like India?

I can’t really think of a good way to start this post. Today (well Sunday- when I started this post) I went to the Coimbatore branch (a 45 minute bus ride from our village). The trip was worth the effort. The meetings were wonderful, the branch members welcoming. The toilets, A/C and cold filtered water were an added bonus. I talked to a new senior missionary couple assigned there.  I think the poor woman approached me for some good venting. Her loaded question “How do you like India?” resulted in my appraisal thus far (usually consists of something to the effect “It’s really hot, but I’m used to the heat, well not to the humidity, I’ll be fine though.  The traffic is a little scary, but everyone is so welcoming here. The branch is wonderful”… PS this is all sincere). Her response? Well maybe it’s easier for young people to adjust. She then proceeded to tell me how difficult it is and how unprepared her and her husband were. Their area convers four languages- none of which they have the slightest knowledge of). The poor husband looked positively shell shocked.

The adjustment has been different, to be sure, but not overwhelmingly so. Sometimes I’ve had to just think about the next day to avoid panicking entirely. My introduction to India was probably the most overwhelming. After two days of travel, we arrived in Chennai. The past few days spent solely in pristine airports (with the exception of the roaches that would occasionally scurry across the spotless floors of the New Delhi airport only to be swept up by one of the many members of the “Team Housekeeping”).  The cleanliness in no way prepared me for the city.

 The few days in Chennai filled my head with false expectations for the remainder of the trip. Once we arrived in Coimbatore and Chavadi Pudur these misperceptions were quickly corrected. The record now stands as follows.

Most Indians- at least around Coimbatore- do not speak English. In fact very few do. This is not to say that there are not quite a number of people that know a handful of useful English words. It turns out that these words in order to be understood must be pronounced in an Indian accent. This usually results in what would be a comical scene if we didn’t feel so completely ridiculous. Laura and I usually start in our normal English, add an Indian accent somewhere along the way, toss in a Tamil word or two, then finally resort to ridiculous charades. 

Indian food is spicy. Not just spicy, but burn my eyes, make my nose run, permanently damage my taste buds spicy. I am not sure how easy it will be to adjust.  I’m trying, but in the meantime, I will relish in the nutella we dearly purchase and daily ration.

Despite every instinct to the contrary, buses coming full speed towards you actually do see you and are not going to hit you (probably). The drivers seem to instinctively know exactly how many times to honk and exactly how fast they can go to get you to speed up and avoid hitting you. 

And other impressions proved completely accurate:

Laura recently read me this statement from her travel book “The only real rule in traffic? Fill every possible space”. This usually means buses coming full speed at each other waiting for the other to back down while motorcycles weave in and out through nonexistent space. During my first bus ride, I stuck my hand out of the window only to have it viciously pulled back in by the woman sitting next to me who then scolded me in rapid Tamil.

The sleeping has been another matter. The power generally turns off around nine in the evening at which point Laura and I will stumble around in the dark trying to move the sundry items that have collected on our bed (I use the term bed loosely- it consists of a grass mat covered with a thin throw on the cement floor). We blunder around with trepidation, weighing the benefits of sleeping on a clean mat with the fear of our fingers touching one of our resident roaches. Once we finally fall asleep (that intermittent purgatory between waking and sleeping can range anywhere from 10 seconds to four long hours) we often wake up, sticky and covered with a plethora of new mosquito bites. It’s hard to feel like the sleeping beauty I am when I am awakened not by a prince’s lips, but a mosquito’s bloody kiss of death. The children at the Ashram are growing increasing concerned by the scabs that cover my arms and feet. I’m kind of an idiot and often refuse to put bug repellant. The smell can’t be worse than my sweat, but I can’t bring myself to do it. In the dead of the night I often regret this obviously idiotic stubbornness when I am constantly accosted by the buzzing of tiny wings in my ears. I first shoo them with my hands, then finally, my temper long lost resort to slapping my own face with the hope of killing just one of the pests. It’s only a matter of time before I show up to Ashram with a fat black eye of my own making.

Laura realized to her bitter disappointment, that most people think she’s Indian. People often turn to her in frustration and ask her to translate when they fail to understand my broken Tamil. This means that I’m often the sole recipient of blatant staring (it’s not rude at all here to stare) unless we are in the company of the three very white boys in our group. The fact that I recently cut my hair in a pixie probably doesn’t help. I too late realized that many little girls and a few adults sport a similar hairstyle to my own because of a wicked bout with lice. I have however grown rather accustomed to the stares and it rarely perturbs me.

P.S. To the family and friends that are reading this, my post was not intended to evoke feelings of pity. I love every (well almost every) minute in this place. My confessions are meant to be honest and amusing (humor is a must to maintain my daily sanity). 

Welcome to India

I have been in India for nearly three weeks (yes this is my first blog post). I am staying in a small village called Chavadi Purdur. It is located in the state of Tamil Nadu an hour outside of the city of Coimbatore (nearly bordering the state of Kerala.... I'll post a map later). Just to give some context, I am interning at Shanti Ashram, a Gandhian organization and researching prenatal healthcare. I am thankfully not alone. Four BYU students are with me, Laura (I say hallelujah everyday that I am not the only girl), Steve, Josh, and Nate. To make the scattered post that will follow somewhat intelligible I will give a brief overview of my journey thus far. I arrived in New Delhi at the end of April. I then flew to Chennai (or Madras- the capital of Tamil Nadu) where I met up with my group. We stayed there for two days. We were taken care of by the most amazing Indian family (also Mormon), Joshua (the father), Mercy (the mother), Zibiah and Solomon. We then took a ten hour train ride to the city of Coimbatore. We stayed there for a day or so then continued on the final destination of Chavadi Purdur where I will be living until August. 

Annotated Source

Narayan, Pushpa. 2011. Birth rate is on upward swing in Tamil Nadu. Times of India. February 23. <http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-23/chennai/28626425_1_fertility-rate-contraceptive-pills-tamil-nadu>


Tamil Nadu, one of the richer states in India with one of the lowest birthrates has recently taken a reverse trend. Sterilization procedures have dropped 19.3% since 2003. Public healthcare experts are concerned. 

Less than a month

As class wind down, papers abound, and finals approach I find myself more and more just thinking about India. I have been looking forward to May for so long, but now that the end is in sight I feel like it is entirely too soon. It's been a year of big changes for me, my first year of going to college and being away from my family has been difficult. I was hesitant at first to go to India because I was certain I would not be able to handle being away from my family for that long. However, with reassurance from my parents and buddies from field studies, I decided to go ahead. I am so glad that I did. I was devastated to hear that the field studies program is being eliminated. I am so grateful I was able to participate their last year. It is an amazing program. The loss will be sorely felt.

I prepare for yet another huge change, but this time more prepared. I may be in a foreign country that speaks a language I can barely understand, but I have learned so much from Venkat. I may not be able to speak to my family very often, but I can always pray to my Heavenly Father. I will not have many people I know, but I am so grateful for our great little India group. I am nervous to go, but I know I am prepared and will face my challenges with optimism and faith.

Hinduism

Annotated Source- Birth on the Threshold

Cecilia Coale Van Hollen. Birth on the threshold childbirth and modernity in South India c2003

I recently started reading an amazing book called "Birth on the Threshold". The author, Ceilia Can Hollen takes the generally western argument of home birth verses hospital birth and brings it to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She finds that while women amenable to western obstetric "interventions", there is still vast inequality in access to quality healthcare. Her aim is not to demonstrate the superiority of hospital birth, in fact she explores quality at home births. She explores the concept of sakthi, the idea the Tamil women derive power from their own suffering. She travels through these women's feelings contradictory feelings, namely their criticism of caste, gender, and class inequality yet recognize their part in perpetuating the system. I was thrilled when Ashley recommended this book. It is exactly what I have been looking for. I look forward to reading it more. 

In class Wednesday we discussed entering the community. We made social situation triangles to help us think about where we will find our target research populations and what we will be doing everyday. We then wrote about entering the community. I will include some of the questions and answers here.

1.  Which communities will you be seeking entrance to?
In short, I will be seeking to enter the world of women, especially mothers and mothers to be.

2. What is your primary project site/social situation?
My primary site is the Shanti Ashram.  I will also be interviewing women in their homes.

3. Is it suitable for your proposed project and why (consider logistical and safety concerns)?
The Shanti Ashram will be a great site to find women from all of the surrounding communities. They are accustomed to the NGO. As an intern I will be less intrusive than if I were to just enter their homes.

4. List possible sites (social situations within your primary site/social situation and whether they are open or closed sites (include those that would be appropriate for your project even if inaccessible).
Some open sites include the Shanti Ashram, the bus, the village, and various women's homes. It would be interesting to enter the community of a midwife or traditional style doctor. This may no be a possibility however.

We discussed how being able to answer these questions will prepare us to be able to still continue on with our project when things go wrong. If our plans fall through and our original plan are not panning out, being able to ask ourselves and answer these questions will help us be flexible and revamp our projects.

Here are some pretty pictures of saris.

 

IRB and Ethics

I enjoyed our class discussion on the IRB a few classes ago. It is amazing how new these standards for research really are. I always thought that harmful research had generally ended with the Nazis. I was shocked to hear about the research on syphilis and the deception of those involved. What really disgusted me was the compliance of the government agencies. Learning about the history of the IRB made writing my IRB much more meaningful. I was no longer annoyed at the length and stipulations, but grateful that research is evaluated so that risk is minimized. 

I recently read an blog post on an Indian doctor's blog that somewhat criticized the obsession with ethics and the IRB. He told the story of a doctor who encountered a medical problem he was not qualified to diagnose. Using social media he was able to collaborate with a specialist in another country to diagnose and treat the man who would not have been able to be treated or diagnosed otherwise. He sent the information in a secure manner, and exercised caution. After the treatment, the specialist and another doctor involved suggested that they together write up the experience and submit it to a medical journal to extol the benefits of using social media. The journal was immensely interested, but did not publish the article since the doctor was unable to locate the man he had treated. He tried to explain that he was from a tiny rural village very far away and despite his efforts he could not find him. They were too concerned with what the blogger referred to as "red bureaucratic tape" and the possibility of a lawsuit to publish a very enlightening piece. He expressed frustration that these well intended regulations are often harmful to the scientific community. It was interesting to hear his perspective. While it may have been harmless was not conducted as research, but more as a kind of after the fact case study I see the journal's concerns. Unfortunately there are those that without these precautions would conduct harmful research. Until we reach the point where these rules are no longer necessary, we will have to put up with the inconvenience of the IRB. If nothing else, it brings the possible repercussions of your research to your attention and makes you exercise caution.

Oh and enjoy the pretty picture of henna.....

Caste

Our class reading on Indian caste was fascinating. The book, took a realistic view of caste. While it has been illegal for some time, that does not mean that it does not still have a significant presence in society. The caste system has significantly changed, and not always for the better. The government's affirmative action welfare for low caste individuals has created a reverse caste system where people clamor for the benefits of a low caste. This system does have its merits, but it also perpetuates the very system it tries to correct. The author interviewed members of several different castes and explained the way each viewed caste.

What really struck me was the fatalistic undertone of each caste. This made me realize that perhaps the capitalistic desire for money, power, and prestige are not human nature at all. Here is an entire culture that is built on the idea that whatever class you are born into is a direct result of your past actions. God (or the gods in this case) want you to live the best life possible in your caste. This was quite a shift in my thinking. I considered further. Do I even like the pressure to dress better, work harder, earn more money, gain respect? Ok, fine, I do. But I am a competitive person. Do others? Sometimes I think it might be nice to have an outline of responsibilities and jobs available to you and a list of virtues to adopt. The choices are limited to be sure, but you can always do your job as well as you are able, and the promise of a better life in the future is rather alluring. Gaining insight into the caste has helped me better understand the cultural attitudes of the Indian people and question the foundations of my own culture. I feel greater sympathy for the caste system. We should not fully condemn them through our own individualistic lens. Neither view is better. In fact, they both would likely benefit from understanding one another.

Sorry for the influx of annotated sources, just transferring all my past reading/ catching up. Have a splendid day!

Annotated Source- WHO

Dr. Margaret Chan (Director- General of the WHO)
2008 Address at the WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine http://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2008/20081107/en/

1. What is the source’s stated purpose (the argument or thesis)?

Dr. Chen discusses the challenges that development faces in attempting to meld traditional medicine in mainstream health care in an appropriate, effective, and safe manner and argues in favor of utilizing it more fully.

2. What evidence does the author provide to support his or her main argument? How is the author attempting to logically prove his or her thesis and how does this affect the organization of the document?

Dr. Chen discusses that for many who live in rural areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, traditional medicine is their main or only healthcare provider. She says that was this is the way things are at present, it is not ideal; modern drugs can greatly ease suffering and enhance chances for survival. In Afria, they estimate that 60% of children with high fever (some of which is caused by malaria) are treated with herbal remedies. Out of 136 million women giving birth, 58 million receive no assistance. There are still a high number of preventable maternal deaths. She points out that this is NOT a failure of traditional medicine, but the failure of health systems to effectively serve those in greatest need.

On the other hand however, in more developed societies there is a (sometimes) dangerous move towards traditional medical techniques that are unproven. She observes that many are purusing these methods in response to a “hard-hearted highly specialized “ system of medicine that feels impersonal. She advocates moving towards a melding of the two methods, specifically primary health care. She believes it to be a “people-centered, holistic approach to health that makes prevention as important as the cure”.  Dr. Chen believes primary health care to be the cure to the 21^st century ills of “globalization of unhealthy lifestyles, rapid unplanned urbanization, and demographic aging… seen in the rise of noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and mental disorders”. She does not advocate abandoning traditional medicine, but augmenting it and evaluating the appropriateness of its situational use.

3. Who is the audience? What does the author assume the audience already knows about the topic?

Dr. Chen is addressing the WHO Conference in a speech. She assumes they have a shared purpose and goal. They are well informed about development and medicine. 

4. Describe the author’s methods (i.e. how does the author know what he or she knows)?  In your opinion were they appropriate why or why not?

Dr. Chen is a high-ranking member of a well-established organization. Her points were well made and credible just by virtue of her position in WHO. She treats both sides of medicine with respect and seemed concerned for people as a whole.

5. To what other sources (theorist, researchers, artists) does the author refer? Explain the specific ideas the author draws upon from these other sources to support his or her own argument (the theoretical framework).

Since Dr. Chen is giving a speech, many of her sources are not cited. Since the Wolrd Health Organization is a reputable group (albeit with an agenda) her facts are likely well researched, credible, and derived from the organization itself.

6. What are the connections between this source and your project? How useful or applicable is this source’s approach to your own project? How is yours new and different? 

I have not yet decided what field of development I will be studying, but modern medicine and traditional medicine deeply interest me. I am interested in the seemingly contradictory move away from traditional medicine in developing nations while affluent nations are often ignoring modern medical techniques for popular and unproven ancient medical practices. 

Annotated Source- Amartya Sen

Sen, Amartya. 2000.Development as Freedom, Chapter Four:                Poverty as Capabilities Deprivation. 87-110.

1. What is the source’s stated purpose (the argument or thesis)?

While the source is not exclusively about India, it discusses the poverty problems that India faces in great detail. In Amartya Sen’s eyes, poverty ought to be viewed as more than a lowness of income. Poverty is the deprivation of opportunity and means, whether this is gender inequality and preferential treatment within families, social deprivation and isolation, physical disability, lack of medical care, the inability to become educated, or simply the psychological results from unemployment. 

2. What evidence does the author provide to support his or her main argument? How is the author attempting to logically prove his or her thesis and how does this affect the organization of the document?                                                                                                                                                                                 Sen offers instances where families sacrifice their means to send the boys to school while the women at home are malnourished. Sen offers that nearly half of India’s children are malnourished, while a more recent study finds similar results. In fact, 42% of India’s children under the age of five are malnourished. (I verified Sen’s facts since the book is ten years old). He combines these facts to expand upon and support his theories.

3. Who is the audience? What does the author assume the audience already knows about the topic?

Describe the author’s methods (i.e. how does the author know what he or she knows)?  In your opinion were they appropriate why or why not?

 Sen is targeting the book to a fairly well educated audience that is interested in the field of international development. Sen, as an economist focuses primarily on the data rather than the human aspect of development. His clear writing style and logical approach afforded him an apparent impartial shield under which he was able to reach a wider audience. Sen’s economic background as well as his international renown (Nobel Prize winner) lent him credence. Many authors who write on similar material can put readers off with their sentimentality and personal stories. While a balance between the numbers and the people behind them is certainly necessary, Sen’s concise and logical approach felt less like an attack and more like a mutual revelation.

4. To what other sources (theorist, researchers, artists) does the author refer? Explain the specific ideas the author draws upon from these other sources to support his or her own argument (the theoretical framework).

Sen mainly references facts in his book. His ideas are his own and the facts are there to support his argument. He draws from credible sources like the UN, WHO, etc. He uses his own economic knowledge as well to augment his evidence. This also widens his audience.

5. What are the connections between this source and your project? How useful or applicable is this source’s approach to your own project? How is yours new and different? 

Having a holistic view of development is vital for a field study. Sen uses facts, philosophy… Sen’s article expanded my definition of poverty. I am a international relations major, which means I study both political science and economics. I loved how Sen was able to pull information from so many fields and not just economics. I would like to be able to support my findings from several fields of study. I was intrigued by his writing style, something I would like to emulate. He wrote clearly and concisely, but still maintained the reader’s interest.

Annotated Source- Poverty and Hope

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/world/asia/in-indian-slum-misery-work-politics-and-hope.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=india&st=cse&scp=10

1. What is the source’s stated purpose (the argument or thesis)? 

Jim Yardley analyzes the simultaneous presence of “misery, work, politics and hope” in a city-slum, Dharavi, in order to highlight India’s similar incongruities as a whole. India has a large economy, yet is riddled with pockets of some of the worst poverty in the world. Yardley illustrates the “parallel economies” of India: the formal and informal sector. To illustrate the lack of opportunity in the formal economy Yardley focuses on a particular slum, Dharavi. 

2. What evidence does the author provide to support his or her main argument? How is the author attempting to logically prove his or her thesis and how does this affect the organization of the document? 

Yardley uses the latest statistics such as “42% of children under the ago of 5 are malnourished” gathered from other sources in order to support his more philosophical and culture based approach to the incongruities in India. He uses a mixture of quotes, vivid imagery, and photography to bolster his thesis. He begins with a broad overview that lends him validity using mostly statistics. He then transitions into separate focuses of misery, work, politics, and hope. This progression allows him to begin with misery, an altogether depressing and draining subject, and move towards the

3. Who is the audience? What does the author assume the audience already knows about the topic? 

This article was intended for a fairly well educated audience that may not have extensive knowledge about India. Generally speaking, the audience of the New York Times is more educated and focused on international issues than the average newsprint audience.

4. Describe the author’s methods (i.e. how does the author know what he or she knows)?  In your opinion were they appropriate why or why not? 

I appreciated the mix between the abstract and concrete. However, the origin of some of the numbers, especially those that painted the picture of the city were unclear. Yardley’s overview of the city’s history was very solid. As a reader, I felt like he had spent a significant amount of time both in the city and researching his topic. The quotations he used were a tool to state his own opinion through the words of others. As a researcher and observer, this is really the best way to present ideas. The citizens of a country have lived there longer than you and have greater insight. One can learn from them and then draw conclusions.

5. To what other sources (theorist, researchers, artists) does the author refer? Explain the specific ideas the author draws upon from these other sources to support his or her own argument (the theoretical framework). 

The author has compiled the statistical research of others and peppered it throughout his piece to support his arguments. He utilizes highly respected sources like the World Bank to quotes from Indian leaders. This strategic use of these sources lends validity to his points and gives the reader the illusion that they reached this conclusion on their own rather than being led to it.

6. What are the connections between this source and your project? How useful or applicable is this source’s approach to your own project? How is yours new and different?                                                                                                                                       As I narrow down my focus for my research it is important that I evaluate its pertinence to my current interests. This article fits into both my interests of development and medical research. Additionally, I really liked the way the author was able to use statistics and facts to bolster his more abstract thesis. I will be doing something very similar. Like Yardley, I need to remember that my audience will not be people as interested in India as I; my final result needs to include enough background to allow others to understan