Oral-photographic narratives: other perspectives on Indisch-ness

This thesis considers Indisch-ness (a state of Indisch belongingness) as a phenomenon of cultural consciousness that is exhibited and communicated through word of mouth. Eurocentric historiographies, the silencing by the first-generation, and misperceptions of cultural definitions are a few reasons why defining Indisch-ness will remain problematic and incomplete. After identifying the gaps in the literature on Indo-European identity, the investigation draws attention to the experimental nature of combining oral-photographic interviewing with photographic poetry research. The aim is to demonstrate how the (artistic) narrative transmissions of second and third-generation descendants can portray the individual experience of Indisch-ness. Narratives can be thought of as world recreations, a tool for revisiting the inaccessible past. As Indisch-ness is generally understood as a feeling of belongingness, the photographs involved rather became mnemonic pieces of evidence of their...Show moreThis thesis considers Indisch-ness (a state of Indisch belongingness) as a phenomenon of cultural consciousness that is exhibited and communicated through word of mouth. Eurocentric historiographies, the silencing by the first-generation, and misperceptions of cultural definitions are a few reasons why defining Indisch-ness will remain problematic and incomplete. After identifying the gaps in the literature on Indo-European identity, the investigation draws attention to the experimental nature of combining oral-photographic interviewing with photographic poetry research. The aim is to demonstrate how the (artistic) narrative transmissions of second and third-generation descendants can portray the individual experience of Indisch-ness. Narratives can be thought of as world recreations, a tool for revisiting the inaccessible past. As Indisch-ness is generally understood as a feeling of belongingness, the photographs involved rather became mnemonic pieces of evidence of their interpreted cultural unity. Therefore, this paper further explores the semiotics of sign recognition in common cultural representations as well. Although Indisch-ness remains largely indefinable, this study suggests a method to capture the narrative environment of the Indisch world in Dutch society.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Oral-photographic narratives: other perspectives on Indisch-ness