psychtransitions-blog

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View from the top of the memorial

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Learning about The Velvet Revolution and Modern Czech History

Learning Materials

Velvet Revolution Documentary

Vitkov Memorial Visit

I am a little embarrassed to admit that I did not know anything about Czech history prior to arriving in Prague. I was excited to learn, but I had no idea what I had in store. In five weeks I went from knowing nothing about life under communism, Charter 77, The Velvet Revolution, and Vaclav Havel to buying books on these topics and doing independent research! This did not happen all at once. It happened gradually, as I realized how recent this history was, and how surprisingly accessible it was to me. One of the moments that fueled my interest in this topic was my visit to the Vitkov Museum and Memorial. When I arrived I was alone, on the top of a huge hill in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, when I was actually in the middle of Prague. The museum had an eerie feeling about it, but somehow this made all of the artifacts and documents seem much more important and real. Seeing Jan Palach’s ID card and face cast was surreal, seeing copies of the original Charter 77 was amazing, and seeing a guitar played by a folk artist during the Prague Spring was unbelievable. I left the museum with a deeper, more personal connection to the history that I had previously just learned from lectures in a classroom.

However, sometimes those classroom lectures were more interesting that I anticipated. This was the case with my class “Communism and Nazism Reflected in the Arts” taught by Monika Pajerova. She always found time in class to talk about her memories of and experiences with helping to organize the 1989 student protests. I always found her anecdotes fascinating, and I was constantly in shock that she is my teacher! However, one class stood out to me the most. We were watching a recently produced documentary about the Student Protests and Sit-ins, and Monika was sitting next to me. All of a sudden, clips of her when she was a student in ‘89 started to play on the screen. As a class we watched as she made tea for her fellow organizers, spoke to a crowd of thousands detailing the students’ demands, and translated Havel’s words into English at the Civic Forum. I was in awe. Although I knew she was an important figure in the revolution, it was not until I had watched those clips with her sitting right next to me when I started to put the pieces together and understand the significance of it all.

I continued to have more moments like these throughout the semester, big and small, that would help me get closer to the history and understand it on a more personal level.

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Hiking in Bohemian Switzerland 

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Lasting Effects of Communism

Learning Materials:

“Tram Face”

Hiking Face

During orientation it seemed like one of the most important pieces of information to know was that smiling on the tram was taboo. We were told not to be offended when people on public transportation seemed cold or distant, as they just have their “Tram Face” on. In the beginning I thought I was going to have a natural talent for the “Tram Face”, but I soon realized that I was going to have to practice alot! I did not realize my affinity for smiling until I was told that I couldn’t do it anymore, and everytime I would give up my seat for someone older than me and they would smile to show appreciation I would savor the chance to smile back.

There was a bit of time when I assumed that the “Tram Face” was  just a symptom of the Stereotype that Czechs were a cold people. It was not until week three or four when I started to connect the dots, and understand that it was a residual coping mechanism for living in a city under Communism. The reality for many people living in Prague under the communist regime was that they had do do everything possible to avoid suspicions. A secret police officer or informant could be anywhere, and Czechs had to protect themselves from all possible threats to their and their family’s safety. When I learned this I immediately started to pick up on something on the trams, that this “Tram Face” and silence was generational. For example, when a group of young Czechs would board the tram they would often be speaking loudly, laughing, and joking with each other. Looking around, the older passengers on the tram would not seem bothered by a little lively conversation. However, if I ever was a group of older men and women board the tram I would rarely see them strike up a conversation, even if it was obvious that they were all travelling together. I was so fascinated by this generational divide, and It never occured to me that a habit like this can still linger on even after the Communist regime is long gone.

The “Tram Face” however did not last as you travel even a few kilometers from Prague. On a hike in Bohemian Switzerland I quickly noticed that it was considered rude not to greet your fellow hikers on the trail. As I passed by entire families on the trail I would receive a hearty “Dobry Den” and a warm smile, even from the littlest hikers. Even in the US, being a notoriously friendly country, it is a rare occurance to get such a friendly greeting on the trail. It’s a good day when someone gives you half of a smile on their way! I was pleasantly surprised on my hike, and it wasn’t until later that the Czech Republic had one of the highest percentages of weekend-country houses to citizens in Europe. This surprised me at first, until I considered what it might have been like to live under the oppression of Communism, especially in a city as intimate as Prague. People seem to have such a positive attachment to their weekend houses, even now that the city is safe to live in. It just seems that the freedom of the country and the positive feelings that are associated with it have carried on into the 21st century.

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Czech Consumerism

Learning Materials:

Family Concerns Prior to Arrival

Noticing Consumerism

“Czech Dream” Movie

Prior to arriving in Prague many of my family members joked that I needed to bring all of the essentials with me, as I might not be able to find some necessary toiletries abroad. Although they meant these comments to be taken as jokes they are also clearly rooted in a prior knowledge of life in Communist Czechoslovakia. Long lines at stored and empty shelves were once a reality, but when I got to Prague this was far from the case. I was actually surprised at the level of consumerism that was present here, especially considering the transition out of communism happened only thirty years ago. In the first week I had to buy some basic toiletries and groceries, and I was overwhelmed by the number of locations I could go to buy all that I needed. I could go to one of three Tescos, the Palladium, or any other mega grocery store nearby like Alberts or BILLA. The number of shopping options in Prague is reflective of the demand for variety, and there is clearly a high demand. Not only is there a demand for inexpensive goods, there is a surprisingly large demand for luxury goods, as is represented in the presence of the department store Marks and Spencer and some of the higher end stores at The Palladium.

I started noticing this level of consumerism early on, but I didn’t know how to describe it. Ads began to clutter my facebook for chain restaurants like McDonalds and KFC, each grocery store I went in was more stocked and colorful than the last, and whenever I would visit the mall I would have to leave after an hour because I was so overwhelmed by all of the options. As an outsider this is how I felt, and when we watched “Czech Dream” in class alot of my suspicions about how Czechs interacted with this culture were confirmed. In the movie I remember Czechs were making fun of themselves, saying that they will “fall for anything” and will do anything for cheap merchandise. It is obvious that these quotes were used in the movie to make a general point, but I would argue that even if this is true it is completely understandable given the history of the country and its people. It is a difficult transition to make from Communism to Capitalism, and consumerist culture is based off strong emotional response. It is hard to resist the urge to buy into this culture, especially when marketing campaigns are targeting your emotions rather than your actual material needs. Through no fault of their own Czechs are now caught up in a world of production, consumption, and innovation that is still relatively new to the society as a whole. This culture is not easily suppressed, and it is not going anywhere soon.  

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Guest Visit Refelctions

Learning Materials

Jakodoma Guest Lecture

Fokus Praha Visit

I will admit that I am still severely under educated on the subject of homelessness. That is why I was so grateful to have the opportunity to meet members of the organizations Jakodoma and Fokus Praha. There is so much misinformation regarding homelessness and mental health, and it is easy to get caught up in rumors and speculation.

When Jakodoma visited I was blown away by their passion and their drive. Working with the people that they do is not easy, especially “outside of the system”. They facilitated a great conversation on the causes of homelessness, ways that people cope with mental health issues while homeless, and stressors that could contribute to mental health while homeless. After their presentation I am much more inclined to view homelessness with an open mind, and not be so judgemental about their situation. They also presented a convincing argument for organizations that operate “outside of the system”. As one of those organizations they have the freedom to offer services with “no strings attached” and to apply for whatever grants and scholarships they want with no restrictions.

In addition to learning about homelessness in Prague, it was extremely valuable to learn about out-paitient non-profit care options for people suffering from Mental diseases in the Czech Republic with Fokus Praha. I was extremely impressed with the vastness of the Fokus network. They have so many programs and locations that I could hardly keep a track of it all. It seemed like they were in a good situation to provide sufficient care to those who could provide proof of a diagnosis. Not everyone, however, is capable of aquiring such formal documentation. This was the biggest flaw in their model that I noticed, but it does seem like they try to address the needs of those who cannot get a formal diagnosis through their “club” program.

Overall, although Jakodoma and Fokus Praha are very different organizations, they share a common passion for helping others. They both reach into the margins of society and try to help stabilize and mobilize people who have the odds stacked against them.

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Class and Mental Health Reflections

Limbert chapter on Class

BuzzFeed Article: Refugees are Not Getting the Mental Health Help They Need

Around week twelve I came across the article from BuzzFeed News “Refugees are Not Getting the Mental Health Help They Need”. The topic struck me as relevant to what we had been learning about in class, and it seemed especially related to the reading for that week, a chapter from Bullock and Limbert about classism and access to affordable healthcare. According to the author of the article, refugees living in camps in Greece are required by law to receive the “necessary healthcare”. In order to do this, some doctors are over prescribing the nerve pain medication Lyrica in an attempt to address the extreme anxiety of many of the inhabitants of the camp. However, this gross over prescription is turning the prescription drug into a trafficked drug for recreational use, where people are buying leftovers from others and then taking more than one pill at a time. It is understandable to want to prescribe someone medication that will help them cope with stressful circumstances, however the situation with Lyrica in refugee camps goes far beyond the desire to help people. It is a gross misunderstanding of what it is like to live with anxiety, and it is giving these people much larger problems to deal with on top of their status as refugees. This is a prime example of how people in poverty receive a lower quality of healthcare compared to someone in a working or high class position. Refugees are not in an effective situation to demand change from those who are providing them shelter, and often any type of healthcare they recieve is the best that they have immediate access to. It is obvious that healthcare needs to improve, especially for those in marginalized segments of society and for those who identity as impoverished, that is not and has never been the question. In addition, healthcare needs to improve for the most vulnerable people, especially refugees, as they have so much more to worry about on a daily basis, and they will not be able to resettle successfully if they are not well enough to do so.

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Conclusion

Overall, this semester has been very impactful. This class has encouraged me to consider the world a little more, and make connections between what we learned in the classroom and the real world. This portfolio was meant to illustrate a handful of those connections that were made, and these connections were some of the most impactful ones to my learning process.