OSP: Paul Gilroy - Diasporic identity

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and openFactsheet 170: Gilroy – Ethnicity and Postcolonial Theory. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets

Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:

1) How does Gilroy suggest racial identities are constructed?

Gilroy argues that racial identities are historically constructed, formed by civilisation, slavery, nationalist philosophies and consumer capitalism. 

‘Race’ [is not] the eternal cause of racism [but is] its complex, unstable product. I should probably emphasise at this point that neither race nor racism are the exclusive historical property of the minorities who are their primary victims. (Gilroy, 2004)

Gilroy is saying that racism isn’t caused by race, racism causes race. Racism is not caused by the clash of two or more races – racism is not a natural phenomenon

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

Gilroy is saying that racism isn’t caused by race, racism causes race. Racism is not caused by the clash of two or more races – racism is not a natural phenomenon. Gilroy states that racial difference and racial identities are the product of racial oppression. Racial identities are caused by historical conflicts that have brought different groups into opposition. He states that it's not to say there were no human differences before the historical conflict between groups, different human groups existed but their differences were not defined by 'race' lines. 

Gilroy suggests that race can be seen as shared biological identities inherited from the previous generations. He believes that race makes the identity of oppressors and the oppressed seem fixed, he states that: "racial categories are caused by human interactions and as such those categories are subject to change."

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. Ethnicity is the identity that is shared with others in your ethnic group; inherited from parents; passed down from generations. Ethnicity is defined by the national' religious holidays followed by an individual; the language;the food; the religion followed. Absolutism is about separate ethnic compartments that are "invisible" and "tightly bonded" together. Compromising your ethnic group would, for an ethnic absolutist, be against natural order and risk the future existence of that ethnic group. Gilroy identifies with a position that is opposite to ethnic absolutist compartments.

4) How does Gilroy view diasporic identity?

Gilroy's work focuses on the concept of the African Diaspora. The term is taken from the Greek 'dispersion' meaning 'scattering of seeds'. Diaspora means a scattering of people, from the original place to elsewhere. Diasporas comprises members of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious groups who live in countries that their ancestors migrated to. Identities of individuals within a diaspora are formed over time, as a result of the historical, social and cultural relationships within the group and other groups. Gilroy develops his concept of Diaspora from The Classic Diaspora. The classic Diaspora considers the place that people have originated from as the original source of unity and permanence for the diasporic identity. It means that the place the people have been displaced from will always be their identity and where they come from. He states, that despite their being geographical dispersion, people will still be united and connected to their origins through history and ancestry. Gilroy says that the further a group moves away, the more diluted their culture will become. Gilroy does not see diaspora as limited to national contexts in this way.

Gilroy sees black identities as a product of movement- the African diasporic identity is based on ROUTES taken throughout history, and not the ROOTS of origin. 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. Gilroy believes the Black Atlantic diaspora is irreversible because the experience of slavery is irrevocably changed the diasporic identity.  

The idea of diaspora and transnational allegiances offers a way of thinking outside ‘powerful claims of soil, roots and territory’ and so ‘the African diaspora’s consciousness of itself has been defined in and against constricting national boundaries’ (Gilroy, 1987).

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

At the time, the dominant representation of black Britons was as “external and estranged from the imagined community that is the nation.” As such, to accept the role of slavery into the cultural identities of Britain would be to challenge the negative stereotype of black Britons at the time, and reverse the “external and estranged” relationship with the nation.

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

Gilroy states that diaspora challenges national ideologies through the commitment and loyalty to the origin nation or place. However, diasporic identities can also become trapped within a national ideology; diasporic cultural ideologies and practices exist within a national ideology based upon its social, economic and cultural integrations and as such there is a cultural difference with the diasporic identities.

This tension between the national ideology and the diasporic ideologies helps to create the diasporic identity. Identities are created in both positive and negative ways.   Positive ways of creating an identity could be in the participation and relationships individuals experience. On the other hand, negative experiences of exclusion, exposure to regressive ideologies and marginalisation will also create 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.

Social media is an excellent forum for diasporic groups to communicate with those they identify as part of their group. It is also a way to maintain the links to the place of origin, cultural practices and ideologies. 

Diasporic communities use the media to stay connected to their cultural identity, for example, they may use the media to get information like reading the news and finding out what is happening in their country of origin. They may also watch films or TV shows from their home countries on media platforms like Netflix as there are more foreign films and shows being featured on platforms. 

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

Gilroy believes the Black Atlantic diaspora is irreversible because the experience of slavery is irrevocably changed the diasporic identity.  He states that Slavery caused the Diasporic identity and how the experience can't be changed.

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

It was first W. E. B. Du Bois that posited the idea of double consciousness. Du Bois considered the psychological dilemma faced by African American’s in The Souls of Black Folks (1903). Here Du Bois theorises that this dilemma is the position of having two modes of perception: • Seeing one’s identity from a black person’s perspective (as a thinking human being). • Seeing one’s identity from the perspective of the American state (as a second-class citizen not entitled to the same rights as other humans)

The media will offer a range of representations for various groups. However, these are often limited from some groups more than others. The dominant representations of black males, primarily in the US, is either a rapper, criminal or gang member, or an athlete. These representations then serve to reinforce the double consciousness of the black male, that he is not anything more than what he sees in the media.

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 stereotypical view of black women has been challenged through this trailer and the film poster as three women are seen working for NASA. These three women are very intelligent and help NASA in order to become better. This challenges the stereotype of black american women as they are proving to people that they can work and that they too are smart just like men. 

The trailer challenges 'double consciousness' by having women excel in jobs that they were never expected to do, jobs that white middle class men seem to have. The women are proud of who they are and are capable of doing anything any other person can do.