THE WAY IN WHICH THIS MUSIC VIDEOS CREATES AND COMMUNICATES MEANING IE MEDIA LANGUAGE.

• The music video and song is a symbolic sign for societies state at the time. It isn’t explicitly said that the song is referring to the British riots but the audience can infer that from the lyrics and the setting of the video.
• The empty and desolate streets are a representation of the way the streets felt during the riots. it could also link to people’s emotions as they feel lonely and sad due to the divide in society.
• The line ‘Bands won’t play no more, too much fighting on the dance floor’ was incorporated into the song as a sign that the band were upset with the way people were treating one another at their shows, and that they were deciding to not tour anymore because of the violence.
• ‘took the political situation and boiled it down to the personal’
• The song creates personal links to the listeners because it addresses things like people being angry, their favourite places closing down and unemployment

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Cultural, Social and Historical background of the music and video

• Released during the riots in Britain – Brixton, Toxteth
• Can be seen as the soundtrack to the unbelievable civil unrest
• It was as if they were singing about the way Britain was at the time
• They were addressing the current social issues surrounding the riots
• The band formed a few months after Margret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister and the style of music they created was slightly rebellious but not in an obvious way
• Two-tone made music that was relating to politics but in a neutral way.
• There were huge unemployment issues in the UK in 1981
• The Brixton riots were fuelled by the police stopping and searching black people much more than white people. This was seen as discrimination and understandably, people became angry, therefore riots began.

Copyright Free Song: Aurora Borealis – Dizaro

Images

• Released on 12th of June 1981
• 3 Weeks at No.1 in the UK charts
• Released during the time of riots in British cities
• Written by Jerry Dammers – the bands keyboardist
• Performed by The Specials – a British band formed in 1977
• Produced by John Collins
• The song was recorded at Woodbine Street Recording Studios
• The genre is Reggae
• Video created by Barney Bubbles
• Video consists of the band driving around London and shows shots of the city

COLONIALISM – When a country attemtps to gain authority over people and territories. Usually with the aim of economic dominance.

Post Colonialism – The academic study of colonialism and imperialism

Diaspora – The dispersion of people from theire homeland

Bame – A word used in the UK to describe minorities

Double Consciousness – A term to describe the internal conflict faced by colonized people of an oppresive society

Cultural Absolutism – There are certain principles and sets of values that are objectivly right and wrong.

Cultural Syncretism – Disticnt aspects of different cultures merge together to create something new and unique.

Orientalism – The way the west views easten cultural

Appropriation – When certain cultures adopt aspects of other cultures

Cultural Hegemony – It is usually achieved through social institutions, which allow those in power to strongly influence the values, norms, ideas, expectations, worldview, and behavior of the rest of society

The Public Sphere – an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems and influence political action

THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS – often biased when representing minority groups which causes society to develop stereotypes.

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1. COLONIALISM – the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. 
2. POST COLONIALISM – academic study focusing on the human consequences of the control and exploitation of colonized people and their lands. 
3. DIASPORA – the dispersion or spread of people from their homeland. 
4. BAME – UK slang that refers to minorities (asian, hispanic etc). 
5. DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS (GILROY) – Internal conflict by subordinated groups in an oppressive society. 
6. CULTURAL ABSOLUTISM / RACIAL ESSENTIALISM – a belief in a genetic essence that defines all members in racial categories. 
7. CULTURAL SYNCRETISM – Different cultures merging together to make something new. 
8. ORIENTALISM (SAID) – How we view Arab countries. 
9. APPROPRIATION – When something sacred to someone is sexualised or made fun of (e.g. native indians of america and their culture appropriated for childrens costumes on halloween). 
10. CULTURAL HEGEMONY –In Marxist philosophy, cultural hegemony is the domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class who manipulate the culture of that society
11. THE PUBLIC SPHERE (HABERMAS) – An area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action. 
12. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS – These public service broadcasting groups (PBS) are mostly biased when representing ethnic minority groups which can make society adopt stereotypes and misunderstandings of these ethnic minorities.