OSP: Paul Gilroy - Diasporic identity

1) How does Gilroy suggest racial identities are constructed?
Race can be seen as shared biological identities inherited from previous generations. Racial categories are caused by human interactions and as such those categories are subject to change.

2) What does Gilroy suggest regarding the causes and history of racism?
Around the world structures of political and social life have been constructed under race thinking. As Gilroy sees race as a result of racism,

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?
Diaspora means a scattering of people, from the original place to elsewhere. 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)?
"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?

Diaspora challenges national ideologies, through the commitment and loyalty to the origin nation or place.

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 may use the internet for them to connect with each through the platform for example they can use youtube to watch content from their homeland.

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

Slavery was only rejected when it was revealed as incompatible with enlightened rationality and capitalist production.

9) How might representations in the media reinforce the idea of ‘double consciousness’ for black people in the UK or US?
Double consciousness provides more ways of understanding the world, but it places a great strain on black Americans as they consistently feel they are looking at themselves through the eyes of others; there is a ‘two-ness’ within the identity of the black American which is
unreconciled.

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.
Black women in American were treated with less respect and humanity in science, politics, culture and even everyday life. The trailer shows how she had a larger impact on the Russian launch.

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