Reading Week 3: Doolittle, E. (2018). Off the grid. In Gerofsky, S. (Ed.), Geometries of liberation.

 02-05-2024

Weekly Reflection 3

Summary:

The grid, a common tool for organizing space and time, provides a sense of familiarity and control but sparks concerns about its potential for misleading sensations and dangers. Instances like Hamilton's precarious streets and the perplexing grid on the Six Nations reserve underscore its limitations. Uniformity sometimes needs to pay more attention to a place's unique qualities. Alternatives like hexagonal patterns or Riemannian geometry offer more adaptable approaches. Like correction lines in Saskatchewan's grid, failure points unveil the grid's challenges with nature's complexity. Recognizing these limitations is an antidote to uncritically promoting the grid, encouraging the exploration of alternative geometries suitable for diverse needs, including education. Indigenous perspectives introduce concepts like string figures, time grids, and territory definition, connecting them to alternative geometries. Explore Indigenous geometry's contemporary relevance, exemplified by the time grid in clocks and calendars. Unlike settler farming on fixed grids, Indigenous practices harmonize with nature, challenging grid-based rigidity. The concept of territory, exemplified in the Haldimand Deed, transcends mapped lines, embracing the entire drainage basin. Describing and navigating territory relies on the land, not imposed structures. Unfortunately, the history of the Grand River Mohawk territory reveals dispossession, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of Indigenous geometries.

Stops:

1. "Once one accepts the abstraction, what one might call the linearization of the problem, we can go no further than Euler’s negative result. On the other hand, we can find a new insight by widening our perspective, moving off the grid, and looking at the underlying reality of the situation. We have been drawn off the grid by following ancient traditions of giving thanks, thinking of the river and the town as just parts of a whole, and opening our eyes and widening our perspective to see the world as it is, not as we might just imagine it to be." pg.119

The given quote shows the importance of expanding our view beyond conventional methods. Just as Euler's solution was limited by a linearized approach, we should prepare our students to reflect on instances where thinking beyond established boundaries led to new insights and creative problem-solving and encourages them to recognize the value of diverse perspectives and the innovation potential when stepping off the metaphorical grid in their own experiences. Within the framework of traditional teaching approaches, I experienced a teaching style that does not give students any liberation to think outside the box or can allow to use traditional/indigenous approaches, and standardized evaluation asses them in a conventional way. My question is In what ways could educational systems foster an environment that encourages innovative thinking? With the rigid course outline, how might teaching can foster diverse talents and abilities?

2. "We go from “straight” lines and “right” angles to well-defined “equal” plots, to “rules” governing our own behavior, and finally, to a sense of control and mastery. This progression is due in some degree to culture and to some other degree to innate human nature, and the weight of each cause is subject to debate." pg. 104

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to explore Mohenjo-Daro, an ancient city dating back to 2500–1700 BCE in the Indus Valley Civilization of Pakistan. It struck me as one of the earliest instances of urban planning on a grid system, reflecting the cultural advancements of that era. This visit deepened my understanding of the historical roots of grid-based city layouts. Simultaneously, it sparked my curiosity about indigenous communities, highlighting their unique perspectives on culture and living, which stand in contrast to the organized grid patterns found in cities. There is an equal need to show respect for the diverse perspectives and needs of different communities and their ways of living.

My question is how can we establish a society where the imposition of a grid system aligns with the natural flow or needs of a community and nature?