Full interview: Ethan Zuckerman on Xenophiles and Cultural Bridge Figures
“The Internet Age should be a golden age for bridge figures and for xenophiles.”
That’s what Ethan Zuckerman, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society wrote in his blog post, Bridgeblogger and Xenophile, a tale of two bloggers. But just what is a xenophile, according to Ethan?
It’s been a challenge for me to define xenophiles as a category without falling victim to definitions that are trivial or superficial. It’s easy to dismiss the idea by suggesting that everyone who eats sushi and listens to world music is – or considers herself to be – a xenophile. Too loose a definition and “xenophile” ends up sounding like a synonym for “liberal”, “multicultural or even “politically correct”, which isn’t what I’m intending.
Xenophilia is about connecting with people, not with cultural artifacts or other things. Liking Japanese food or Senegalese hiphop doesn’t make you a xenophile – xenophilia is about making connections across language and cultural barriers motivated by your interest in making better sushi or translating Daara J lyrics. Xenophilia is broader than the love for a specific culture or an aspect of that culture – it’s a broader fascination with the complexity and diversity of the world. Xenophilia changes your behavior, especially your behavior in seeking for information, leading you to pay attention not just to the parts of the world that have caught your attention, but to others that you know little about.
This morning, Nora interviewed Ethan about the benefits of xenophilic thinking. A shorter version of their conversation will air on the January 7, 2009 episode of Spark, but you can hear the whole thing below, or download the MP3 (runs 31:37).
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[Original photo by whiteafrican]
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Fascinating conversation. Particularly so because I started listening to it within minutes of receiving the link from Twitter, which I had only just signed up for. Within five minutes of finishing listening, I had posted comments to my own blog. The world changed between that first and second cup of coffee, as did my perspective. Keep up the good work!
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
@Leonard,
I have to say, I am completely entranced–possibly even obsessed–by twitter.
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Interesting conversation.
I have been working in Telecommunication industry in Ottawa for 15 years. Where I have been working with colleagues from all over the world, from China, India to Europe. Working with people from all over the world and learning about their cultures is probably one of the best part of my job. It has certainly opened up my views of the world.
Does that make me a xenophile?
January 7th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
CISV (Children’s International Summer Villages)
http://www.cisv.org has been in the business of developing a xenophilic attitude in youth for over 50 years.
The change in 11 year olds after attending a CISV Village is normally substantial.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
It is to all of our benefit to become Xenophile due to the changing world we live in. Over the holiday I picked up a DVD called “Fiddler on the Roof” and I am glad that I did. Being Christian I believe that we all have traditions that are changing and I could identify with the parents in this movie. Change happens within our own traditions and family as does through out the world. We would all be better off if we understood the makings of other human beings different than ourselves. Remember we too are different to the others. Until there is a cultural melt into each others’ perpectives and faiths we will be at wonderment and sometimes at odds with and over cultural misunderstandings. After all we too are at odds and wonderment over our own cultural personality difference more often than not. So this is just one more difference to accept and understand. As I see it!
January 7th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
In October 2004, midway through my undergrad, I went to Morocco to learn Arabic. I spent 3 weeks living in Fez going to the language school there. How different life was there from my home in the Yukon. I learnt so much about Islam and Muslim culture, especially about the place of women there. It opened my eyes to the beautiful variety of cultures, ideas, values and dreams we have in this world. Wherever I go now, I carry with me an open mind to those with whom I do not initially agree. Open ears, open eyes and open heart make the world a better place.
January 7th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
The sentiment expressed in this “Other Cultures”
poster….
http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/poster-other-cultures
is one which is fundamental to the xenophile.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Personally I was born and raised in Canada but my parents had immigrated to Canada from Italy. As a child I had to, to some extent, live in two different cultures and balance getting to know my heritage and still be part of the greater Canadian culture. My friends growing up also were from immigrant families ranging from East Asia, Europe, and India and so as kids we learned from and taught each other about different cultures everyday. I think most 2nd generation, and even 3rd or 4th generation Canadians, do the same and to be a xenophile is pretty much a very Canadian thing to be in my opinion. I have lived in Japan as an English conversation school instructor for 5 years now and daily it’s my job to effectively communicate my mixed Canadian culture with that of my students while teaching language. Without the internet and modern ‘netertainment’, such as video streams (like The National) and podcasts (kudos to the show among others), my ability to stay in touch with Western culture and be a more globally informed teacher would be greatly diminished. I have used topics from Spark in many classes so thanks for your great work and know that your podcast is helping make xenophiles out of some Japanese people as well
February 8th, 2009 at 4:31 am
If xenophelia is the cross connection between language and cultural barriers on a particular topic, do these awesome pictures of north american vs. asian motorcycles on the same page count?
Found at:
http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php...
February 8th, 2009 at 4:37 am
Also here.
http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php...
April 14th, 2009 at 12:14 am
[...] 14, 2009 by plind About a month ago I listened to a great interview on Spark with Ethan Zuckerman. He was speaking about “bridge figures”, people who, [...]