After spending time reading and contemplating this weeks articles on Multicultural literature, I am still struggling with my stand on the insider outsider debate. Though the articles made a few points on who should be writing multicultural lit I felt the main focus of the papers were on what defines multicultural literature and how it should be viewed and used. It would be easy to debate my point of view on many of these issues based on the reading but that was not the assignment. So based on the short statements on the insider/outsider debate in our reading and my personal experience I would say that yes it is possible for an outsider to write about a particular group.
I say this with great apprehension. I feel that an outsider of a group can never fully put themselves in the shoes of the group or person they are writing about. Yes, they can write a very good book about a person from another culture and if they are socially conscious the book should be free of generalizations or stereotypes. On the other hand, I feel that it is near impossible for the outsider to fully understand what it is like to be a part of that culture and face the experiences that group may face. Thus I am very hesitant when taking the yes stand on this.
Can the outsider write the book without knowing those emotions and still have the audience feel them? Are the emotions and feelings around the experiences of a culture important to the story? These are the questions I am left with unanswered in my head when attempting to understand my stance on this debate.
As well, I find it a misnomer that people feel or believe that just because someone is an insider that they are the expert on that group or qualified to write about it or write at all for that matter. This is a result of personal reading experiences that left me questioning why a (insider) writer felt qualified or was allowed to write such a story. Realizing that you can find issue with and insider and an outsider leaves me with my stand that yes a qualified and socially conscious outsider can write a book about a culture or social group that they are not a part of.
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Being free of generalizations and stereotypes isn't the same as capturing the detailed nuances and perspectives of one's experience. Can an "outsider" do that as well?
A number of people have raised the question of whether one insider can speak for a whole group. We should talk about this!
The Middle East Book Award
The following information is paraphrased from the official website for The Middle East Book Award:
http://socialscience.tyler.cc.tx.us/mkho/MEOC/middle_east_book_award.htm
The Purpose:
MEOC established the Middle East Book Award in 1999 to recognize books for children and young adults that contribute meaning-fully to an understanding of the Middle East.
Selection Criteria:
Books are judged on the authenticity of their portrayal of a Middle Eastern subject, as well as on their characterization, plot, and appeal for the intended audience. (Awards are announced in November for books published during the period from January of the previous year through September of the current year.)
Eligible books are books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of the Middle East. Award categories include picture books (for ages 3-8), literature for children or young adults, and reference books for children or young adults.Sponsor:
Middle East Outreach Council (MEOC) is the sponsor of the award. Established in 1981, it is a national nonprofit organization working to increase public knowledge about the peoples places, and cultures of the Middle East, including the Arab world, Israel, Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan. MEOC is a national network of educators dedicated to disseminating apolitical and nonpartisan information, resources and activities furthering understanding about the Middle East.
While researching The Middle East Book Award, there were only four websites that had helpful information. The information on each website was similar both in information and word usage. Information on the selection committee qualifications could not be found on any website. An interesting fact is that the book winners have no recognition on the cover of the book or on the inside of the book. All the recognition for the Award Winning Books is on the website. Some of the books that won The Middle East Book Award also won other awards; those awards were mention as "An Award-Winning Book" or "An Award-Winning Author" inside of the book jackets.
Other websites that were used are:
http://socialscience.tyler.cc.tx.us/mkho/MEOC/
http://www.outreachworld.org/article.asp?articleid=45
http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/outreach/news/meoc_2006
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