1. COLONIALISM: practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country and then occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically.
2. POST COLONIALISM: academic study of colonialism and imperialism
3. DIASPORA: A large group of people with similar heritage or homeland that have spread around the world.
4. BAME: used to refer to non-white communities in the UK ie, minority groups.
5. DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS (GILROY): the internal conflict of a minority in society
6. CULTURAL ABSOLUTISM / RACIAL ESSENTIALISM: The assumption that one persons cultural norms and values take more importance over others.
7. CULTURAL SYNCRETISM: Different cultures merging and coming together to create something new in a positive way.
8. ORIENTALISM (SAID): The way that the Middle East is viewed.
9. APPROPRIATION: the adoption of elements from one culture by members of a different culture.
10. CULTURAL HEGEMONY: domination maintained through ideological or cultural means
11. THE PUBLIC SPHERE (HABERMAS): a realm of our social life in which a public opinion can be formed.
12. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS: Public service broadcasting eg, the news, is often biased when representing minority groups which causes society to adopt stereotypes and misunderstandings of these groups as they are under-represented.

Postcolonialism is the study of colonialism and the human consequences it has caused today of the control and exploitation of colonized people and their lands.

Theorists

Syncretism, double consciousness (the idea that you can be black and british or black and American etc) & hybridisation – these words are mechanisms for understanding cross-cultural identities.

People who write about this are Paul Gilroy (a British black academic)

He talked about double consciousness which is a term that came from W. E. B. Dubois meaning being black and british. He also talk s about ‘the place of racism in contemporary political culture.’

COLONIALISM – The policy of a country/ nation attempting to retain or extend its current authority over other territories or people – Usually for economic terms.

POST COLONIALISM – The political/ Cultural condition of a previous colony, the lasting impact of colonization in former colonies.

DIASPORA – The spread or dispersion of any people from their original homeland.

BAME – Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (used to refer to members of non-white communities in the UK). (Even though many have been a part of UK culture since Roman times)

DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS – Looking at ones self through the eyes of others – An identity which is divided into several parts. (2nd Video) Or similarly someone cane be ‘Black British’ or ‘Black American’ – Dual identity.

CULTURAL ABSOLUTISM – The assumption that one persons (e.g ones own) cultural norms and values take precedence over others. e.g the ideals of Nazi Germany.

CULTURAL SYNCRETISM – When distinct aspects of different cultures blend together to make something new and unique. Since culture is a wide category, this blending can come in the form of religious practices, architecture, philosophy, recreation, and even food.

ORIENTALISM (SAID) – The acceptance in the West of “the basic distinction between East and West as the starting point for elaborate theories.

APPROPRIATION – Taking a theory, idea, object or even culture and giving it a meaning different from its original. e.g “Honoring” other cultures through stereotypical depictions of them.

CULTURAL HEGEMONY – Refers to domination or rule maintained through ideological or cultural means. 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. E.g Governments/ Royalty

Hybridisation – (mechanism for understanding cross-cultural identities)

THE PUBLIC SPHERE (HABERMAS) – society can globally communicate via the media and share opinions rather than being completely controlled by those higher up such as royalty or the government.

THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS –  The BBC’s own research indicates that it is failing to attract ethnic minority audiences (BBC Service Review 2012). Theorists such as Hall have suggested the problem is the media construction of “race” as an issue and its definitions. PBS’s such as the BBC lack representation of minority groups, although claiming they do represent ethnic groups fairly, there is a clear difference between those ‘dominant’ ethnic groups and those who may be considered as a ‘minority’ group.

Notes –

Cultural Absolutism can expressed in Commons letter to the free music video and the lyrics ‘We ain’t seen as human beings with feelings, will the US ever be us? Lord Willing!’ which can also be linked to the theory of Double consciousness.

Theorists –

Edward Said – Orientalism is a 1978 book by  Edward W. Said, in which the author developed the idea of “Orientalism” to define the West’s historically patronizing representations of “The East”.

WE.B. Du Bois – Coined the term Double Consciousness.

Paul Gilroy – (Key Course Theorist) Gilroy’s 1993 book The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness, Gilroy’s theme of Double Consciousness involves Black Atlantic striving to be both European and Black through their relationship to the land of their birth and their ethnic political constituency being absolutely transformed.

Lenny Henry – Guardian article.

I still think that these right need to be fought for, as even though the BBC director, Tony Hall, may have started a ‘fund’ in order to train those who want to be a part of this career/ life, It may not be training they need but jobs. Although representation of different cultures and races has improved through the years, the BBC still has quite a long way to go.

Colonialism – when a country/nation takes control of other lands/regions

Post colonialism – academic study of colonialism and imperialism

Diaspora – big group of people with similar heritage that have spread around the world

Double consciousness (gilroy) – internal conflict of a minority in society

Bame – used to refer to non-white communities in the UK

Cultural absolutism / racial essentialism – cultures do not differ in honesty or intelligence levels

Cultural syncretism – distinct aspects of various cultures mixing together together to form something positive

Orientalism (said) – The way in which the east is viewed

Appropriation – the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture

Cultural hegemony – domination maintained through ideological or cultural means

The public sphere (habermas) – a place where the public can come together and opinions can be formed

The role of public service broadcasting in terms of fair representation of minority groups / interests – Public service broadcasting is mostly biased when representing minority groups which causes society to develop stereotypes and misunderstandings

How is our identity formed? How do we understand our own identity and how is our identity represented in the local, national and global media? 

The Shadow of Slavery. Reaction and reform. The emergence of Postcolonial critical thinking.

ORIENTALISM:

The Link between culture, imperial power & colonialism

the power to narrate, or to block other narratives from forming or emerging, is very important to culture and imperialism

 POSTCOLONIALISM operates a series of signs maintaining the European-Atlantic power over the Orient by creating ‘an accepted grid for filtering through the Orient into Western consciousness‘. 

1. COLONIALISM – Colonialism occurs when a country or a nation takes control of other lands, regions, or territories outside of its borders
2. POST COLONIALISM – the academic study of the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism
3. DIASPORA – a large group of people with a similar heritage or homeland who have since moved out to places all over the world
4. BAME – Used to refer to members of non-white communities in the UK
5. DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS (GILROY) – the internal conflict experienced by subordinated or colonized groups in an oppressive society
6. CULTURAL ABSOLUTISM / RACIAL ESSENTIALISM – cultures do not differ in honesty or intelligence levels 
7. CULTURAL SYNCRETISM – distinct aspects of different cultures blend together to make something new and unique
8. ORIENTALISM (SAID) – the way the east is viewed 
9. APPROPRIATION – is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture
10. CULTURAL HEGEMONY – domination or rule maintained through ideological or cultural means
11. THE PUBLIC SPHERE (HABERMAS) – A place where the public can come together and discuss opinions freely 
12. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS – PSB is mostly biased when referencing minority groups of society resulting in stereotypes 

1. COLONIALISM– When a country has power over it’s people
2. POST COLONIALISM– The study of the effects of colonialism and the ideas that remain once a country has been decolonised 
3. DIASPORA– The involuntary spread of a population from their home country
4. BAME-Used to refer to members of non-white communities in the UK
5. DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS (GILROY)– Describes the internal conflict of a minority in society
6. CULTURAL ABSOLUTISM / RACIAL ESSENTIALISM– A political approach places views of ethnic groups as fixed 
7. CULTURAL SYNCRETISM– When aspects of different cultures merge together resulting in something positive
8. ORIENTALISM (SAID)– How we view people of the middle east
9. APPROPRIATION– Is the adoption of an element or elements of one culture by members of another culture
10. CULTURAL HEGEMONY– The domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class
11. THE PUBLIC SPHERE (HABERMAS)– A part of our social life in which public opinion can be formed 
12. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS– Public service broadcasting is often biased when representing minority groups which causes society to adopt stereotypes and misunderstandings of them

1. COLONIALISM– the policy that gain control of people of territory in order to have economic control.
2. POST COLONIALISM– the after effects of colonialism on a country.
3. DIASPORA– an ethnic people outside their original country.
4. BAME– a term to describe ethnic minorities (black, asian, etc) in the uk.
5. DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS (GILROY)– internal conflicts caused by ethnic minorities in a oppressive society.
6. CULTURAL ABSOLUTISM / RACIAL ESSENTIALISM – the idea that biological characteristics do not differ from different cultures.
7. CULTURAL SYNCRETISM– aspects of different cultures being blended to create a new culture.
8. ORIENTALISM (SAID)– the western worlds view of the Middle East.
9. APPROPRIATION– is the acquiring of aspects from another culture and using it in a different culture.
10. CULTURAL HEGEMONY– a diverse culture being controlled and owned by the upper class.
11. THE PUBLIC SPHERE (HABERMAS)– a place in society where opinions can be freely expressed to each other.
12. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS– PSB have a duty to represent minority groups fairly, if they are not it can lead to minorities experiencing discrimination by a more dominant cultural group.

Q2: Explain how representations used in Music Videos communicate information about their cultural and political contexts.

The Specials, who are an English band formed in 1977, produced a song called The Ghost Town, that was released on the 12^th of June in 1981. This song managed to spend 3 weeks at no. 1 and 10 weeks in total on the UK Singles chart Top 40. Their music combines a danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk energy. The binary opposition theory by Levi-Strauss can be linked to this song because there are 2 contrasting genres of music, which is Ska and Jazz.

Being in the top charts, helped them address the themes of urban decay, deindustrialization, unemployment and violence around the UK. They had confused their audience by producing “The Ghost Town” is it seemed different. The title track incorporated discordant horns, haunted chords and demonic vocal harmonies that was uncomfortable to listen to. Jerry Dammers, who was the keyboard player, stated that “the overall sense I wanted to convey was impending doom.”

The song was inspired by the economic state that the band saw when touring the UK. Local businesses were closing down and people were becoming unemployed. They said that “we were touring the country and we could literally see it happening.” They addressed the problems throughout their lyrics, referencing to the violence that was shown at their shows. When they noticed this violence, they decided to quit touring.

The St Pauls riots in Bristol 1980 happened due to police employing stop and search tactics on minorities. 130 people were arrested, 25 taken to hospital, including 19 police involved. Other similar situations started to occur, which was addressed in the song lyrics “the people getting angry”.

To give the song a gloomier atmosphere, the lighting of the music video was made to be very dark. This would have suggested the idea of a ghost town. during the middle of the music video, around 1min 13secs, a car swerves out of control. This could possibly signify how the employment situation in the UK at the time of 1981, unfortunately blew out of control. Through research, I’ve seen that 1981 was the height of employment, due to Margaret Thatcher’s decisions on closing down businesses, because they went “profitable”. This was what made the riots erupt all over the country.

The strong political message of the video is a challenge to the audience with a direct mode of address which is both angry and plaintive. The video was unusual for the time in conveying a strong social message (in contrast to the dominant style of pop music in the charts at the time), meaning that the audience of the time might well have been shocked or discomfited by it.

Finally, there is a hybrid mix of references the music video forms, as there’s an experimental combination of narrative, performance and concept. This means that the video can be read through a postmodern approach with reference to intertextuality and hybridity. 

1.COLONIALISM – When a country seeks to gain control over another countries territory, thus owning a colony

2.POST COLONIALISM – effects that occur/stay from a colonising country after a set colony is ended

3.DIASPORA– The spread of people who follow Judaism across the world

4.BAME – Black and Asian Minor Ethnicity

5.DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS (GILROY) – The internal/mental conflicts of minor ethnicity

6.CULTURAL ABSOLUTISM / RACIAL ESSENTIALISM – A belief that states that cultures do not differ in intelligence levels or honesty

7.CULTURAL SYNCRETISM – when cultures blend together their distinct aspects to make something new

8.ORIENTALISM (SAID) – believing that eastern societies/cultures are below us, inferior, backwards and exotic

9.APPROPRIATION – taking elements from a set culture by another culture

10.CULTURAL HEGEMONY – when a certain culture takes up leadership, assumes itself superior to others

11.THE PUBLIC SPHERE (HABERMAS) – a social area in which people can discuss and overcome societies problems, promoting political action in order to help the society

12.THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS – PSB should help us to understand BAME instead of enforcing dominant ideologies

1. COLONIALISM– When a country has power over it’s people
2. POST COLONIALISM– The study of the effects of colonialism and the ideas that remain once a country has been decolonised
3. DIASPORA– The involuntary spread of a population from their home country
4. BAME-Used to refer to members of non-white communities in the UK
5. DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS (GILROY)– Describes the internal conflict of a minority in society
6. CULTURAL ABSOLUTISM / RACIAL ESSENTIALISM– A political approach places views of ethnic groups as fixed
7. CULTURAL SYNCRETISM– When aspects of different cultures merge together resulting in something positive
8. ORIENTALISM (SAID)– How we view people of the middle east
9. APPROPRIATION– Is the adoption of an element or elements of one culture by members of another culture
10. CULTURAL HEGEMONY– The domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class
11. THE PUBLIC SPHERE (HABERMAS)– A part of our social life in which public opinion can be formed
12. THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IN TERMS OF FAIR REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS / INTERESTS– Public service broadcasting is often biased when representing minority groups which causes society to adopt stereotypes and misunderstandings of them