Camille Abaya October 11, 2014
Zia De Leon Emily Roque
Ethan Mallari
Pilar Matoto
Renee Nuevo
SA 21 – A
Organic Is Orgasmic: Deviance Day Report
1.
Who
is the identity you want to imitate? Why did you choose this identity?
Originally we called the identity “extreme
environmentalist”, yet after more research we have discovered that it is much
more than that. Some people would call this identity “modern-day hippies” or “granola children”. (Fuller, 2014) It is
closely related to the hippie movement/subculture of the 60’s and 70’s, but not
the same. Within the context of the 60’s and 70’s, the hippies advocated peace,
love and freedom especially in relation to the Vietnam War, which was their
main cause. Along with that they also advocated a laid back, all natural
lifestyle because they believed that this would bring them freedom. Modern-day
hippies have adapted and appropriated parts of the old hippie subculture into
the contemporary society. To be a hippie one only needs a cause, and a
dedication to live out that cause through a new lifestyle.
Our particular identity (referred to as
“granola children” in Fuller’s article) chooses to emphasize the naturalistic
part of the old hippie subculture. We would like to label our identity as “naturalists” because their main belief
is really to be one with nature, and to live a very environmentally friendly,
organic lifestyle. By consequence of this lifestyle and value system, we are
also environmentalists and are against commercial industry.
We chose this identity because we wanted
to take a more peaceful approach to Deviance Day, and we believe that this is a
multi-faceted identity that we can get to know more on a less superficial
level. This is also quite relevant in today’s world with growing concern for
the environment, and a search for new and better ways to end the environmental
crisis. On another note we were also inspired by the famous actress Shailene
Woodley who also ascribes to this sort of lifestyle. We find it interesting
that this identity is considered deviant in the first place, even if their
whole advocacy is to go back to the world’s natural roots and live a simplistic
lifestyle rooted in the first indigenous cultures.
2.
What
is your identity’s main function in society?
Our identity functions to bring balance to
those individuals in society living highly artificial and industrialized
lifestyles, by “giving back” what they take away from nature. Because our
lifestyle is very much in harmony with nature, we strive to bring back the
balance in the ecosystem by “cancelling out” destructive actions of others in
the society toward the environment. We function as an identity that makes our
causes of natural and healthy living and environmentalism known to the larger
community.
3.
How
does he/she look like?
They wear clothes as much as possible out
of natural fibers (things that can easily be biodegradable), or if not, reused materials.
Sometimes they make their own clothes to reduce the negative environmental
impact any form of mass production will have, or better yet buy used and
second-hand clothes. Usually these clothes look very loose, of thin material
and look well-worn. Long sleeved linen shirts, bell-bottom pants, and fringe
are popular fashion pieces. They would prefer to go barefoot, but if forced to
wear footwear, they prefer to wear slippers, sandals, or espadrilles.
They may look generally unkempt or even
unclean, because they don’t wash or take a bath on a normal basis by society’s
standards. They believe artificially produced cleaning substances harm the
environment and water systems, and that natural substances are the proper (and
only) way to go. They also believe that by taking less baths they are
conserving water than can go instead to the nourishment of the body and life
around them. Another reason for their being unkempt may be that they like to
live as close to nature as possible, and do not rule out sleeping outside,
close to the wildlife. Because of this highly simplistic lifestyle free from
most artificially produced products, they may also have very long hair (both on
the head and on the body).
4.
How
does he/she speak and behave? (How do they talk to people? What are there
mannerisms?)
Generally they’re peaceful people so they
speak slowly and in a calm manner (sometimes as if they’re humming to a rhythm).
They also tend to move in a slow relaxed way, as they don’t have a fast-paced,
active lifestyle. As much as possible they would like to avoid confrontation or
aggressiveness, and are generally accepting of different people and
personalities. They don’t like to interfere with situations and would much
rather let things take their course, as nature does. The exception to this
would be when the situation involves destruction to the environment or to
mother earth. Then they would take some measure of “standing up” for what they
believe.
5.
What
are their beliefs in life? What are their values?
The identity’s main belief in life is that
the only way to live truly is to be one with nature, to live with it rather
than just in it. What this means is that they prefer every aspect of their life
to be 100% natural, organic, and not artificially or man-made. This extends to
everything they do: their work choices, hobbies, the way they eat, drink,
cleanse themselves, and treat other people. They value thriftiness, simplicity,
acceptance, love, and harmony. They believe since humans are part of nature, we
must all be in harmony with each other, and love every living thing. They do
not judge or vilify, but are concerned with everyone’s well-being.
More than just an identity or a trait, it
is a lifestyle. They believe that anything artificially made has negatively
impacted the environment by some degree, and this is to be avoided. They make
their own shampoo, toothpaste, lotions, tea, etc. (Did you know you can make
your own toothpaste using clay and sesame/coconut oil? Plaque is oil-soluble,
so it will be removed much more effectively with oil than water. This mixture
also aids in whitening teeth) Basically, everything they own has to come from
nature. They are vegan, and mostly grow their own food because they believe
that all animals are part of nature and must be respected, and that to live in
total harmony with nature we must take from it as little as possible. This is
why the extent of their diet is only vegetation and fungi, which they mostly
grow themselves to avoid any harmful effects of mass production, artificial fertilizers,
or pollution caused by transportation of produce. Sometimes they also forage
for wild food and herbs. If they are in need of products they cannot produce
themselves, they will source them directly from organic farms or growers to
ensure quality. They are also herbalists, which means that they rely on natural
herbs and plants as healing substances rather than pills or commercial
medicine.
They value nature above all, in that it
rules most of the decisions they make in life. Artificiality, industrialization
and mass production are the enemies of nature. Because of this, they are also
environmentalists and stand for the protection of the earth and the correction
of most environmental problems such as pollution, overfishing, deforestation,
and ozone depletion. Marine reserves are a huge part of current environmental
campaigns in the Philippines because of the rapid destruction of coral reefs.
Currently, this is the advocacy they are supporting in terms of a wider,
larger-encompassing issue.
6.
How
does his or her day look like?
They start their day very early, and try
to wake with the sun. A new day is a positive thing for them so they greet the
morning as if it were their friend. This would be followed by a healthy
breakfast of food gathered or harvested from the day before (or from earlier
that morning if there was time). Then, any cleansing regimen would take place,
whether washing of hair, brushing teeth, or applying oils and lotions. After
this they may choose to go sunbathing (they strongly believe in the benefits of
vitamin D from the early morning sun), and do some morning exercises and
stretching (this may be in the form of yoga, or in any other freestyle form).
Afterwards they may go for a walk through the woods, mountain, nature reserve,
or any form of nature close to where they live to get in touch with the
environment.
Then they would go about any normal
routine such as work or school. Take note that just because they want to be one
with nature does not mean they are not educated or capable of generating
income. They are open to working and sustaining themselves as long as it does
not support large industrial enterprises (jobs such as working at a small café
that sells fair trade products, a specialty food store, or a shop selling
organic products). The middle of the day would be spent having another healthy
organic lunch. After the regular activities, food would be tended to (by that I
mean harvesting, tending to the garden, gathering wild food, or going to the
farmer/grower to collect food for the next day). At night any herbal remedies
or regimens would be attended to before bed, and nightly exercises or
stretching would also take place. This would be followed by a long restful
sleep. (*Bathing is optional at any point in the day.)
7.
Any
personal reflections?
The exercise was actually quite enjoyable,
and even enlightening to a certain degree. Our research on natural living
brought to light some realizations about how wasteful the “normal”,
“mainstream” lifestyle can really be. It was fun to channel that inner hippie.
Becoming this identity actually did give a certain degree of peace to us,
relieving some stress. It was fun reaching out to strangers we normally
wouldn’t have talked to, and even held hands and engaged in conversation with
them. Being a deviant was maybe uncomfortable at first, but since we were being
deviant as a group it was significantly easier because we knew we weren’t
alone. This is probably why group deviance in the form of subcultures, or even
cults and activist groups are much more common in society than individual
deviance. Sharing the burden, so to speak, with other people makes it easier to
actively resist conformity and defy norms. There is somehow a sense of
community within deviant groups, which makes it feel less like a deviant act
since there are others who are joining you. Doing this made some of us even
consider adapting certain parts of a more natural lifestyle, so that was quite
interesting! (Also, we encourage you to be a Greenpeace Online Activist! It’s
the simplest way to get your voice heard in terms of environmental problems!
The link to their site can be found below.)
Sources:
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