A Space on the Side of the Road: The Importance of Language and Listening

Kathleen Stewart’s book A Space on the Side of the Road was filled with so many rich observations that I had difficulty selecting one or two aspects that I wanted to focus on. I enjoyed making connections to the other readings such as, the importance of language and stories and the definition of place and neighborliness, which made me think of Glassie’s experience with his observations of these topics in Ballymenone.
When Stewart first arrives and is listening to stories and “scanning for signs” of culture, she discusses the difficulty in listening and understanding the local language: "Missing pieces and unknown meanings taught me to listen not just more intently, but differently—a listening in order to retell" (8). This experience is a reminder that not only does every country have its own language but so does every community or group, and in order to belong and understand, one must learn the terminology of that particular community. Stewart’s description of listening “more intently and differently” is of importance due to the fact that it seems many people in today’s societies are not accustomed to listening, either due to a lack of time, a lack of interest or an emphasis on visual stimulus. Stewart goes on to say, "And of course over time it became necessary to tell stories in the local way with words so that people would still visit me and stopped to talk" (8). She, of course, has the motivation for carefully listening because she wants to become a part of this community; she does not want to have to “look over the shoulders” of the people she is observing. I found it interesting that once she is accepted into this community, she is confronted with the same issue as every person who is a part of any group—taking a side. She writes, "Things happened and were retold in ways that drew people together or push them apart. There were people and places I knew to avoid from the stories some told about them. Talking to some neighbors, I found myself prohibited from talking to others" (9). This idea of being asked to take a side or not being permitted to speak with others because one risks being alienated from their established group is a culturally accepted practice in many societies and reinforces the “us” and “them.” This prevention of Stewart from speaking with others is some indication of her belonging and acceptance, which on one hand is something she desires for her research but on the other hand is limiting.
Stewart recognizes that culture is not easy to represent, so she uses many “tricks” in order to have her readers fully grasp the sense of language and culture; she even implements “direct appeals such as, ‘picture’ this and ‘imagine’ that” to guide the reader through the cultural language and create a true depiction of this space. This guidance may be necessary to remind those from a western culture to listen and use our imaginations.
As a society, we have lost some of our ability to listen intently for any length of time, and consequently, we have lost some of our imaginative capabilities. Children and adults alike are bombarded with visual stimulation every day—from television to iPhones, to computers—where nothing is left to the imagination. Unlike cultures where story-telling still takes place and is a dominant way of communication, many societies are not trained to listen carefully—their imaginations have become stilted—instead, they require some type of visual representation. With the technological advances in film, television, computers, etc., we will continue not to have to listen as closely because the visual aspects will become even more dominant and sweeping as time moves forward. Kristin