Peripheral Visions

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Peripheral Visions
Mary Catherine Bateson Nicole Bickley Toni
Cladianos
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Metaphors

• Humans Think in Metaphors and Learn Through
  Stories
• Activity in Metaphors

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Metaphors

• The Metaphors We Use Determine How We Interpret
  Reality Experience

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Metaphors For Love

• My Love Is A Rock
• Stability, Permanence, Strength, Rigidity, Static
  Growth
• My Love Is An Open Book
• Honesty, Frankness, Self Disclosure, No Secrets,
  No Mysteries
• My Love Is A Flower
• Delicacy, Beauty, Fragility, Impermanence

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Peripheral Visions
A Collection of stories reflections strung
together to suggest a style of learning from
experience Humans think in metaphors learn
through stories
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Peripheral Vision Depends On...

• Openness to peripheral vision means rejecting
  narrow mindedness and rejecting the belief that
  questions of meaning have unitary answers.
• There is no correct way, just different ones..

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About the Author

• Mary Catherine Bateson
• Professor in Anthropology and English at George
  Mason University
• Ph.D from Harvard University
• She takes us on a journey through her reflections
  in Israel, Iran the Philippines
• School girl in Israel
• Young wife in the Philippines
• New Mother in Iran

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Central Points of Peripheral Visions...

• Learning From Strangers
• Cultural Diversity
• Metaphors

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Learning From Strangers.

• We learn from feeling discomfort in a strange
  situation
• This becomes a starting point for a new
  understanding
• We relate these new truths to our own experiences
  making connections along the way
• There is a lot to be learned from observing
  strangers and immersing ourselves in other
  cultures

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Cultural Diversity

• Differences in Cultural Greetings
• How are you America
• Where are you going, Where are you coming from
  Philippines
• I salute the God in you Nepal

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Cultural Diversity

• Differences in dealing with death
• How we use words or actions to convey sympathy
• Philippines
• Customary to ask many questions, interrogate
• Noisy games played, gambling and celebrations
  ensures no solitude
• Opportunity for youths to court
• America
• Handling of death implies silence, intrusions
  unwanted
• We treat death like a disease, embarrassing and
  infectious

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Activity Knots

• We combine known patterns in unknown situations
  to determine appropriate behavior
• Perception, attention, grace, all of these varied
  or sustained provide materials for constructing
  both self and the world, and patterns for joining
  in the dance

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Conclusions

• Deeper Appreciation For What May Be Gained By
  Observing And Understanding Other Ways Of Life