Paul Gilroy - Diasporic Identity

 

Diasporic Identity

1) How does Gilroy suggest racial identities are constructed?

Gilroy repeatedly claimed that colonialism, slavery, nationalist ideology, and consumer capitalism have all shaped racial identities throughout history.

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

'Race' is the complicated, dynamic result of racism, not the everlasting cause. Race and racism are not only the historical property of the minority who are the major victims of both.

3) What is ethnic absolutism and why is Gilroy opposed to it?

We must evaluate the terms ethnicity and ethnic absolutism at this point. Ethnic absolutism is a school of thought that believes humans are divided into ethnic groups and that race is the root of human differentiation. Gilroy opposes ethnic absolutism because it contradicts his claim that racism is the source of race.

4) How does Gilroy view diasporic identity?

Because he believes that identity and culture are fluid and change depending on where you are, Gilroy sees diasporic identity as an increasingly active element of society. This implies that people's traditions are scattered all across the globe.

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

The prevalent image of black Britons in the 1980s was "external and alienated from the imagined community that is the nation."

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

The disadvantage is that diasporic identities can become imprisoned inside national ideologies, resulting in cultural disparities across diasporic identities. These distinctions are subsequently linked with minority groups, causing  the tension between national and diasporic ideologies contributes to the formation of diasporic identities.

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 groups rely on the media to maintain their cultural identity.

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

Gilroy also makes the case for slavery's relevance to capitalism. Slavery has become a normalised concept in the modern world. Slavery was only abolished once it was shown to be incompatible with enlightened reason and capitalist production. 

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

Because of the movement of black lives matter and the consciousness to be aware of one's surroundings, media portrayals  support the concept of double consciousness for black people.