Ok. So Bettelheim is a controversial figure who probably deserves much of the criticism he's gotten over the years. But it was a book by Paul Marcus on Bettelheim, concentration camps, mass society and the extreme situation, that once a while back made an impression on me because it dealt with what I had been thinking about for some time: namely, extreme circumstances and how what we often think of as extreme circumstances, while they may be extreme, are not all that uncommon or unpredictable. They have a source and a logic and are the product of certain behaviours and ways of thinking. I did my llm thesis on law and democracy in the extreme circumstance and that is the theoretical crux of the diss.
So, imagine my surprise this evening when in the concluding remarks to a conference on torture and memory, out comes a reference to Bettelheim and the "extreme situation" -- in Cochabamba, Bolivia, of all places. Folks, I'm taking it as a sign.
The conference started early evening and was a pleasant surprise. Again, thanks to TWGT, who brought the whole thing to my attention and who kept me excellent company all the while. Panelists were sophisticated, articulate, and the whole thing started on time. It was sponsored by a relatively new organization involved primarily with the psychological needs of victims of torture, but panel members were inter-disciplinary and included many people or organizations I've already interviewed. The organization's main offices are in La Paz and it's run by the daughter of one of Bolivia's prominent men (a political dissident) and her husband, a very nice Swiss doctor of some sort, with whom I somehow ended up discussing 1950s westerns(about which I know absolutely nothing, except that they're simple and easy, good is good and bad is bad and no one has to worry about the gray areas).
Bolivia is such a surreal/real place sometimes, it's bizarre -- almost like a fable or magical realism or something. It's a place where people are still incredibly idealistic and yet realistic and where IDEAS matter. I heard a very young man in a simple white t-shirt and modest slacks give a remarkable, passionate, and very sophisticated talk on the problems with "the rule of law" discourse in Bolivia. Even if I didn't entirely agree, I was moved and impressed (and we'll be having a meeting, hopefully this week). It's a place where people still believe things can be done differently and the world made better. I respect that incredibly and I think we have to not only believe it's possible, but work to make it so.
And this in a country where just the other day, a block from the main plaza, I came upon a man face down in the street, blindfolded, wrists and ankles bound with duct tape, being kicked in the stomach and ribs by the surrounding crowd. It's a world of contradictions, I guess, but at least thoughtful people here seem to face them head on.
So despite being reluctant to return to Bolivia and having to battle differences of opinion and perspective on various fronts, my visit has resulted in just the reassurance I needed for my work. The thread is brighter and stronger and I almost believe I'll be able to see my way out of the woods. Where I was inclined to cut much of the theoretical aspect of my work to satisfy a predominantly poli sci audience, I'm more certain now than ever that's not the way to go at all. Stick to the original idea BT and you'll be fine.
Hope my committee realizes magical realism is more real than not.
BT
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