MM58: Social Media and Black Identity
List three theorists discussed in the article and what they believe regarding black identity.- Aisha Harris - Social media play a negative role in the construction of black identities. "Ain’t nobody got time for that"
- Giddens - Social media can be an arena for the construction of positive black identities. An example of this would be ‘The Blackout’, a campaign that originated on the social network ‘Tumblr’, and involved a systematic ‘re-imagining’ and celebration of blackness.
- Alan Martin’s Echo Chamber effect - ‘The Blackout’ may be reinforcing ideas already held within the black community, but perhaps not in wider society, so when the two perspectives clash, it is often quite aggressive.
In your opinion, is social media a positive or negative force when it comes to issues of black identity?
I personally think there is a mix of both. Social media has created a platform of an equal playing field where any one with whatever view they might have, especially if its racist, can voice their opinion and be heard by millions around the world. However, people do not understand the fundamental idea behind trolls and racists online which can be held true in real life as well; do not give them the attention that they are seeking. Often times, people choose to use social media as a way to offer a rebuttal to ignorant and racist views being expressed, when people need to understand that simply by using social media's features of hiding or block said views, they are instantly limiting the spread of hateful speech and diffusing a situation rather than adding fuel to a spark.
However, I also agree with the magazine article in the sense that there is a greater amount of humour against non-white ethnic minorities. Although, I would like to argue that this is in all good fun, it does not make you a racist if you retweet a meme about "black culture". Humour is humour. I honestly believe that laughter and humour brings us all together as a society and by creating memes or jokes about certain cultures in a healthy way allows us to share ideologies amongst each other which goes to show that social media has actually eliminated certain boundaries or limit that are in place.
How could you apply the post-colonial theories we have learned in class to the issue of social media and black identity?
I think that in terms of social media and black identity you can definitely apply the post colonial theory of Alvarado in this context. This is due to the fact that there are many jokes and humourous posts that are repeatedly shared amongst users on social media that are related to black identity which reinforces Alvarado's theory of the "Brown Clown" and how ethnic minorities are humourous and therefore only exist for the sole purpose of entertainment for ethnic majorities. Furthermore, in the case of the "The Blackout" campaign on Tumblr, it inadvertently reinforces the ideologies of Alvarado that the ethnic minorities are exotic and sought after by ethnic majorities.
Finally, it can be argued as that social media as a whole is a platform that is seen to be a western norm and used highly by upper class western societies. Therefore, Said's theory of the west creating stereotypes and constructed meanings of the east and ethnic minorities can be applied to the case of social media and black identity as many of these stereotypes are perpetuated largely through the use of social media.
I personally think there is a mix of both. Social media has created a platform of an equal playing field where any one with whatever view they might have, especially if its racist, can voice their opinion and be heard by millions around the world. However, people do not understand the fundamental idea behind trolls and racists online which can be held true in real life as well; do not give them the attention that they are seeking. Often times, people choose to use social media as a way to offer a rebuttal to ignorant and racist views being expressed, when people need to understand that simply by using social media's features of hiding or block said views, they are instantly limiting the spread of hateful speech and diffusing a situation rather than adding fuel to a spark.
However, I also agree with the magazine article in the sense that there is a greater amount of humour against non-white ethnic minorities. Although, I would like to argue that this is in all good fun, it does not make you a racist if you retweet a meme about "black culture". Humour is humour. I honestly believe that laughter and humour brings us all together as a society and by creating memes or jokes about certain cultures in a healthy way allows us to share ideologies amongst each other which goes to show that social media has actually eliminated certain boundaries or limit that are in place.
How could you apply the post-colonial theories we have learned in class to the issue of social media and black identity?
I think that in terms of social media and black identity you can definitely apply the post colonial theory of Alvarado in this context. This is due to the fact that there are many jokes and humourous posts that are repeatedly shared amongst users on social media that are related to black identity which reinforces Alvarado's theory of the "Brown Clown" and how ethnic minorities are humourous and therefore only exist for the sole purpose of entertainment for ethnic majorities. Furthermore, in the case of the "The Blackout" campaign on Tumblr, it inadvertently reinforces the ideologies of Alvarado that the ethnic minorities are exotic and sought after by ethnic majorities.
Finally, it can be argued as that social media as a whole is a platform that is seen to be a western norm and used highly by upper class western societies. Therefore, Said's theory of the west creating stereotypes and constructed meanings of the east and ethnic minorities can be applied to the case of social media and black identity as many of these stereotypes are perpetuated largely through the use of social media.
A Hustle for Life: Refugees in the Media
What examples of different representations of refugees in the media are offered in the article?- Hostile Media Coverage - refugees are described as a swarm, horde or tide, marauding and invading their way across the world.
- Media coverage that appeals to humanity
- Iconic photos of a young Turkish police officer holding the body of Aylan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian drowned in an attempt to reach the Greek island of Kos.
- Keo films, wanted to illustrate what is actually involved in these dangerous journeys across thousands of miles, and to help us to relate to refugees as individuals, rather than nameless members of a huge mass.
In your opinion, is the documentary genre more or less biased than the news media? What examples can you provide from the article to support your view?
I personally think there is a mix of both more and less bias in documentaries compared to that of news media. I believe that the ideology behind news media exists to inform and therefore reduce as much bias as possible, however documentaries actually focus on one aspect of a topic and therefore unintentionally reinforce a certain ideology or theme regarding the topic which creates a greater sense of bias. However, it can be argued that in today's society, news media are not actually doing what they're supposed to and are actually holding a lot more bias by focusing on certain ideologies of a topic and also creating misconstrued readings, whilst documentaries are actually acting as hard news by focusing on topics that normal news outlets would normally choose not to and would rather focus on soft news as it gathers better profits.
How could you apply the post-colonial theories we have learned in class to the representation of refugees in the media?
In terms of the representation of refugees in media, post colonial theorists can definitely be applied. Alvarado can be applied in this context due to the fact that many representations of refugees in the media are very negative and therefore reinforces his theory that all ethnic minorities are seen to be dangerous in the eyes of the ethnic majorities. Furthermore, despite having negative representations, the only positive representations present regarding refugees in the media show that they showed be pitied as if they are "victims" that need the ethnic majorities help as they are obviously inferior.
Frantz Fanon's theory can also be applied in the case of representation of refugees in the media as these representations often times essentialize the refugee crisis as a whole and make all refugees out to be the same with a negative representation through stereotypes. This is due to the fact that many representations in media outlets describe refugees as a swarm, horde or tide, marauding and invading their way across the world.
Finally, Edward Said's theory can also be applied in this context as his theory states how the west has generally constructed a dominant meaning or representation of societies, cultures and people of the east. This is evident as many of the representations being made about refugees, both negative and positive are ultimately generated mainly be western elite countries and therefore have reinforced these stereotypes across the world.
I personally think there is a mix of both more and less bias in documentaries compared to that of news media. I believe that the ideology behind news media exists to inform and therefore reduce as much bias as possible, however documentaries actually focus on one aspect of a topic and therefore unintentionally reinforce a certain ideology or theme regarding the topic which creates a greater sense of bias. However, it can be argued that in today's society, news media are not actually doing what they're supposed to and are actually holding a lot more bias by focusing on certain ideologies of a topic and also creating misconstrued readings, whilst documentaries are actually acting as hard news by focusing on topics that normal news outlets would normally choose not to and would rather focus on soft news as it gathers better profits.
How could you apply the post-colonial theories we have learned in class to the representation of refugees in the media?
In terms of the representation of refugees in media, post colonial theorists can definitely be applied. Alvarado can be applied in this context due to the fact that many representations of refugees in the media are very negative and therefore reinforces his theory that all ethnic minorities are seen to be dangerous in the eyes of the ethnic majorities. Furthermore, despite having negative representations, the only positive representations present regarding refugees in the media show that they showed be pitied as if they are "victims" that need the ethnic majorities help as they are obviously inferior.
Frantz Fanon's theory can also be applied in the case of representation of refugees in the media as these representations often times essentialize the refugee crisis as a whole and make all refugees out to be the same with a negative representation through stereotypes. This is due to the fact that many representations in media outlets describe refugees as a swarm, horde or tide, marauding and invading their way across the world.
Finally, Edward Said's theory can also be applied in this context as his theory states how the west has generally constructed a dominant meaning or representation of societies, cultures and people of the east. This is evident as many of the representations being made about refugees, both negative and positive are ultimately generated mainly be western elite countries and therefore have reinforced these stereotypes across the world.
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