OSP: Paul Gilroy - Diasporic identity

 Paul Gilroy - blog task

Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:

1) How does Gilroy suggest racial identities are constructed?

Gilroy suggests that racial identities are historically constructed- firmed by colonisation, slavery, nationalist philosophies and consumer capitalism.

2) What does Gilroy suggest regarding the causes and history of racism?

Gilroy suggests that racism isn't caused by race, he says it is a natural phenomenon and a product of racial oppression.

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

5) What did Gilroy suggest was the dominant representation of black Britons in the 1980s (when the Voice newspaper was first launched)?

He suggests that the dominant representation of Black Britons was as 'external and estranged from the imagined community that is the nation'.

6) Gilroy argues diaspora challenges national ideologies. What are some of the negative effects of this?

Gilroy argues that the negative effects are exclusion, exposure to regressive ideologies and marginalisation which creates 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.

Diasporic communities use the media to stay connected to their cultural identity through social media where they can connect with one other and create a sense of community.

8) Why does Gilroy suggest slavery is important in diasporic identity?

Gilroy suggests slavery is important in diasporic identity as the modern world was built on a normalised view on slavery.

9) How might representations in the media reinforce the idea of ‘double consciousness’ for black people in the UK or US?

Media representations reinforce double consciousness for black people as they are constantly viewing themselves through the eyes of others in the media and this can be negative.

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.

The film challenges double consciousness as typically in the media black people are represented as criminals and other negative things whereas this film challenges the stereotypical representations as the black characters are strong, intelligent characters.

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