OSP: Paul Gilroy - Diasporic identity
Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet 170: Gilroy – Ethnicity and Postcolonial Theory. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets
Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:
1) How does Gilroy suggest racial identities are constructed?
Gilroy states 'racial difference and racial identities are caused by historical conflicts that have brought different groups into opposition.
2) What does Gilroy suggest regarding the causes and history of racism?
racial categories are caused by human interactions and as such those categories are subject to change. Around the world structures of political and social life have been constructed under race thinking. As Gilroy sees race as a result of racism, the fact that these aspects of society are based upon race thinking is problematic, and as such there is scope to evaluate the equality of representations and identities created in the media.
3) What is ethnic absolutism and why is Gilroy opposed to it?
Ethnic absolutism is a line of thinking which sees humans are part of different ethnic compartments, with race as the basis of human differentiation. Gilroy is opposed to ethnic absolutism as it is counter to his argument that racism causes race.
4) How does Gilroy view diasporic identity?
He considers a transatlantic diasporic identity, where groups across the Atlantic share cultural practices – a “single, complex unit” of black cultural practitioners as a result of a shared history of oppression and slavery. Gilroy sees black identities as a product of movement – the African diasporic identity is based on ROUTES taken throughout history, and not the ROOTS of origin. Gilroy sees this as a diaspora that cannot be reversed, unlike the classic position which offers the myth of returning to the place of origin. For Gilroy, the Black Atlantic diaspora is irreversible because the experience of slavery irrevocably changed the diasporic identity.
5) What did Gilroy suggest was the dominant representation of black Britons in the 1980s (when the Voice newspaper was first launched)?
Gilroy suggests the dominant representation of black Britons in the 1980s was as external and estranged from the imagined community that is the nation. As such accepting the role of slavery into the cultural identities of Britain would be to challenge the negative stereotype of black Britons at the time.
6) Gilroy argues diaspora challenges national ideologies. What are some of the negative effects of this?
Negative experiences of exclusion, exposure to regressive ideologies and marginalisation will also create an identity which is then shared within the diasporic community and perhaps from the origin country.
7) Complete the first activity on page 3: How might diasporic communities use the media to stay connected to their cultural identity? E.g. digital media - offer specific examples.
For example on social media apps such as twitter we see many diasporic communities using the app to their advantage as they are able to come together and communicate on a huge range of topics that without a platform they wouldn't be able to do in such an expressive way.
8) Why does Gilroy suggest slavery is important in diasporic identity?
Gilroy also argues the importance of slavery to modernity and capitalism. The modern world was built upon a normalised view of slavery, particularly plantation slavery. Slavery was only rejected when it was revealed as incompatible with enlightened rationality and capitalist production. Gilroy argues that the figure of the black slave of ‘the Negro’ provided enlightened thinkers and philosophers an insight into concepts of property rights, consciousness and art.
9) How might representations in the media reinforce the idea of ‘double consciousness’ for black people in the UK or US?
The media offers a range of representations for various groups. However, these are often limited for particular groups. An example of this is the dominant representations of black males, primarily in the US, is either a rapper, criminal or gang member, or an athlete. Therefore these representations then serve to reinforce the double consciousness of the black male.
10) Finally, complete the second activity on page 3: Watch the trailer for Hidden Figures and discuss how the film attempts to challenge ‘double consciousness’ and the stereotypical representation of black American women.
This film challenges the stereotypical view of a black woman in many ways. In this film she is shown to be extremely academically gifted and very independent, working in a very high class job which isn't something you'd usually see in the media as most of the time the males are seen as breadwinners and working the high experienced jobs. The film also challenges 'double consciousness' as it allows us to see from the perspective of an American black woman instead of them being misrepresented by somebody else perspective
Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:
1) How does Gilroy suggest racial identities are constructed?
Gilroy states 'racial difference and racial identities are caused by historical conflicts that have brought different groups into opposition.
2) What does Gilroy suggest regarding the causes and history of racism?
racial categories are caused by human interactions and as such those categories are subject to change. Around the world structures of political and social life have been constructed under race thinking. As Gilroy sees race as a result of racism, the fact that these aspects of society are based upon race thinking is problematic, and as such there is scope to evaluate the equality of representations and identities created in the media.
3) What is ethnic absolutism and why is Gilroy opposed to it?
Ethnic absolutism is a line of thinking which sees humans are part of different ethnic compartments, with race as the basis of human differentiation. Gilroy is opposed to ethnic absolutism as it is counter to his argument that racism causes race.
4) How does Gilroy view diasporic identity?
He considers a transatlantic diasporic identity, where groups across the Atlantic share cultural practices – a “single, complex unit” of black cultural practitioners as a result of a shared history of oppression and slavery. Gilroy sees black identities as a product of movement – the African diasporic identity is based on ROUTES taken throughout history, and not the ROOTS of origin. Gilroy sees this as a diaspora that cannot be reversed, unlike the classic position which offers the myth of returning to the place of origin. For Gilroy, the Black Atlantic diaspora is irreversible because the experience of slavery irrevocably changed the diasporic identity.
5) What did Gilroy suggest was the dominant representation of black Britons in the 1980s (when the Voice newspaper was first launched)?
Gilroy suggests the dominant representation of black Britons in the 1980s was as external and estranged from the imagined community that is the nation. As such accepting the role of slavery into the cultural identities of Britain would be to challenge the negative stereotype of black Britons at the time.
6) Gilroy argues diaspora challenges national ideologies. What are some of the negative effects of this?
Negative experiences of exclusion, exposure to regressive ideologies and marginalisation will also create an identity which is then shared within the diasporic community and perhaps from the origin country.
7) Complete the first activity on page 3: How might diasporic communities use the media to stay connected to their cultural identity? E.g. digital media - offer specific examples.
For example on social media apps such as twitter we see many diasporic communities using the app to their advantage as they are able to come together and communicate on a huge range of topics that without a platform they wouldn't be able to do in such an expressive way.
8) Why does Gilroy suggest slavery is important in diasporic identity?
Gilroy also argues the importance of slavery to modernity and capitalism. The modern world was built upon a normalised view of slavery, particularly plantation slavery. Slavery was only rejected when it was revealed as incompatible with enlightened rationality and capitalist production. Gilroy argues that the figure of the black slave of ‘the Negro’ provided enlightened thinkers and philosophers an insight into concepts of property rights, consciousness and art.
9) How might representations in the media reinforce the idea of ‘double consciousness’ for black people in the UK or US?
The media offers a range of representations for various groups. However, these are often limited for particular groups. An example of this is the dominant representations of black males, primarily in the US, is either a rapper, criminal or gang member, or an athlete. Therefore these representations then serve to reinforce the double consciousness of the black male.
10) Finally, complete the second activity on page 3: Watch the trailer for Hidden Figures and discuss how the film attempts to challenge ‘double consciousness’ and the stereotypical representation of black American women.
This film challenges the stereotypical view of a black woman in many ways. In this film she is shown to be extremely academically gifted and very independent, working in a very high class job which isn't something you'd usually see in the media as most of the time the males are seen as breadwinners and working the high experienced jobs. The film also challenges 'double consciousness' as it allows us to see from the perspective of an American black woman instead of them being misrepresented by somebody else perspective
Comments
Post a Comment