Recap of Readings PDF

Recap of Readings Red: what to add in the terms list Week 2 - lecture 1 Meghji, Decolonizing Sociology Summary -​ His sociology critiques the eurocentric bias in sociology -​ He argues that the dominant social theories (marx, weber) are western theories and have skewed views of social rea...

Recap of Readings Red: what to add in the terms list Week 2 - lecture 1 Meghji, Decolonizing Sociology Summary -​ His sociology critiques the eurocentric bias in sociology -​ He argues that the dominant social theories (marx, weber) are western theories and have skewed views of social realities and the real world today -​ Southern standpoint: it emphasizes and recognizers the agency of formerly colonized cultures and forms a counter-narrative to the eurocentric perspective of sociology -​ modernity/coloniality: it is a framework which highlights the link between the modern nature of the western world and colonial practices -​ Pluriversal sociology: is starts a conversation and between different sociological traditions and tries to achieve more of a comprehensive understanding of the social world What are the key tenets of decolonial, southern standpoints? -​ Relationality: it recognizes the intersectionality and connectedness between hierarchies and imperial relations -​ It recognizes southern perspectives -​ Values, uplifts, and amplifies southern voices and perspectives Collins, Black Feminist Epistemology Summary -​ She critiques eurocentric knowledge validation -​ She questions why white mens knowledge is always assumed as right while southern knowledge is questioned -​ She introduces black feminist epistemology -​ Valuing lived experiences, conversation, and personal accountability -​ Challenges dominant paradigms -​ Offers informed counter-narratives by black women's experiences of oppression How do power dynamics shape knowledge production and validation processes? -​ Elite white men control knowledge validation -​ They validate knowledge that is similar to theirs -​ Not open to new perspectives that differ from theirs -​ Suppresses knowledge by marginalized groups -​ Black feminist epistemology is considered subjugated knowledge because they rely on alternate spaces to get their knowledge recognized instead of going through the mainstream route Smith and Riley, Cultural Theory Marx  -​ Base superstructure model of society -​ Real motor in capitalist society: mode of production -​ Sphere of private ownership: means of production -​ Relations of production: exploitation of productive labor -​ Class system: owners and workers -​ Industrial society as dominant ideology (reflects views of the rich) -​ False consciousness: allowing us to feel happy with their miserable lot -​ Demystification: the act of making something easier to understand and less complicated by explaining it in a clear and simple way -​ Species being: solidarity to aspire to -​ Alienation: experiences in industrial capitalism and its objective is to explore the exploitation of labor and power Week 3 - lecture 2 Bourdieu’s theory of class and culture -​ This talks about his theory of social reproduction of inequality -​ He says the different type of capital you have shapes your social stratification -​ Three types of capital -​ Economic: financial assets (money, property) -​ Cultural: knowledge (education), skills, dispositions (how you speak, dress, interact etc) -​ Social capital; network and social connections providing access to resources -​ The relationship between those forms of capital -​ He says that these 3 capitals can be exchanged and converted -​ People with high economic capital can invest in cultural capital through donating to education or arts -​ People with high cultural capital can get higher economic capital with their knowledge and personal resources -​ High social capital can lead to increasing economic or cultural capital -​ The role of habitus -​ It has to do with ingrained dispositions, perceptions, and tastes that people develop through how they've been socialized in this world -​ It shapes people's preferences and actions like what they eat, what they wear, what they do in their free time etc (it's all unconscious) -​ Habitus influences the way we individually navigate the social world -​ The concept of “taste” -​ He says that taste is a social construct not only individual preference -​ The taste we develop for food, music, art etc reflects our social standing -​ Bourdieu and gender -​ He says that gender inequality and gendered dispositions are embedded in the habitus and shaped and skewed by societal norms -​ He said that the assigning of responsibility based on gender is a deeply embedded habitus in our society  -​ Criticisms -​ They say that his emphasis on social reproduction downplays the potential for individual agency and social change -​ They say his focus on class neglects significant forms of social divisions like race and ethnicity Alexander, Sociology of the Arts -​ Explores the sociological perspective of art -​ Focuses on how artistic fields are structured -​ Artistic field -​ Social spaces where people and institutions engage in production, distribution and consumption of art -​ They aren't isolated entities but interconnected with fields like economics and politics -​ Key characteristics of autonomous and heteronomous poles in an artistic field -​ Autonomous pole: it values artistic merit over commercial success, the artists gain recognition from peers rather than financial awards, these artists reject commercialism -​ Heteronourmous pole: heavily influenced by external factors and market forces. Commercial success drives the artistic production (these artists are viewed as less esteem than the ones in the autonomous pole) -​ How aesthetics relate to social power dynamics -​ Aesthetic preferences are shaped by social power structures -​ Popular aesthetic: favored by the dominical class, values realism -​ Pure aesthetic: emphasizes form and artistic technique over subject matter -​ Pure gaze -​ Aesthetic perspective that prioritizes formal qualities of art over content or commercial value -​ It emerged alongside the romantic ideal of the artist -​ People who subscribe to the pure gaze often associate with the autonomous pole -​ How ideologies shape dynamics within an artistic field -​ Ideologies (art for art’s sake) influence values, behaviours, and power dynamics in a field -​ Shape the criteria for an artists success -​ Understanding dominant ideologies helps explain power structures and aesthetic preferences that govern it -​ Does Bourdieu’s framework account for the complexities within popular art forms? -​ He acknowledges that popular art forms can contain internal hierarchies and variations -​ His framework does not fully capture the nuances and complexities within popular art genres Week 4 - lecture 3 Cultural Theory Smith and Riley What is poststructuralism -​ An extension of structuralism -​ It builds on core structuralist concepts but also introduces new ideas about culture, subjectivity, and knowledge -​ It argues that to understand an object, one must study the object itself and the system of knowledge that produced the object A post structuralism approach the concept of culture -​ Post constructuralism use linguistic and textual models to understand culture -​ They emphasize codes, narratives, and symbolism in cultural analysis -​ They reject marxist notions of ideology and propose the concept of discourse to explore how knowledge and power intertwine Death of the subject in post structuralist thought -​ It challenged the humanist idea of the rational individuals as primary sources of analysis -​ This thought argues that subjectivity is shaped by powerful cultural and historical forces and discourses that construct the self -​ Calling it the “subject” rejects the notion of free will and autonomy -​ It highlights the influences that shape individual identity What are the key characteristics of disciplinary power, according to foucault? -​ He said disciplinary power replaced the brutal sovereign power from the earlier eras -​ Disciplinary power relies on regulation, monitoring, and surveillance -​ The prison design where inmates are always under some sort of surveillance is an example of disciplinary power How post constructuralism views history -​ It rejects grand narratives of progress -​ It emphasizes the contingent nature of history -​ It challenges structuralist tendency to see history as linear -​ This new way of looking at history encourages the exploration of marginalized stories and perspectives Some common criticisms of post structuralist thought -​ Its empirical accuracy has been questioned by sociologists -​ Some think that its focus is too narrow, it neglects border social structures and inequalities S.Mills - Michel Foucault Why is Foucault an important figure in critical theory? -​ He had groundbreaking work on the concepts of power, knowledge, and discourse -​ His theories impacted fields like post-structuralism, postmodernism, feminism, and postcolonial studies -​ His work challenged conventional thinking What's his primary focus in his analysis of social conditions -​ It's a historical analysis of social conditions  -​ He argues that the way we approach analysis shapes our findings and understanding -​ He examines perspectives and assumptions we bring to the study of social phenomena His approach to the concepts of “the subject” and “the economic” -​ These concepts are foundational to psychoanalysis and marxists theory The role of skepticism in his work -​ It’s central to his approach -​ It challenges the self-evident truths we often accept without scrutiny -​ He encourages us to question what we think is “true’ and re-evaluate those theoretical frameworks What is the concept of discourse in his work and why is it significant? -​ Discourse refers to the systems of knowledge production and circulation -​ It emcompasses all statements, the rules governing their formation, and the process through which certain statement are authorized while others and excluded The relationship between power and knowledge -​ Knowledge isn't neutral but emerges within and is shaped by power relations -​ Establishing facts and truth involved discrediting and silencing alternative perspectives (usually POC perspectives) -​ He determines the institutional practices that determine what counts as valid knowledge -​ Shows a power structure in the knowledge validation process Week 5 - lecture 4 J. Procter - Stuart Hall -​ Talks about identity politics -​ Hall says identity is fluid, contextual, and politically engaged -​ He argues that he moved beyond the traditional exclusionary models of identity politics to embrace a more nuanced approach -​ He emphasised difference, self-reflexivity, and contingency -​ New ethics: examines the evolution of black british identity from a unified, resistant stance to a recognition of internal diversity Halls politics of identity -​ Recognized the fluidity and complexity of identities. It stresses differences (acknowledging the diversity within a group) , self-reflexivity (understanding the specific position from which one speaks), contingency (recognizing that identities are shaped by context and can shift over time) -​ This approach moves away from fixed, essentialist notions of identity to embrace the many within the one How Hall's concept of “new ethnicities” challenge traditional notions of race and ethnicity -​ He uses ethnicity as an anti-essentialist concept, moving away from biological or fixed racial categories -​ Emphasises the cultural and historical construct of identity  -​ New ethnicities acknowledges the internal diversity within groups previously considered monolithic The burden of diaspora in understanding identity and representation -​ Refers to the pressure on minority artists to authentically depict and speak for their entire community -​ Realist and postmodern aesthetic -​ Realist refers to portraying a unified black experience to counter negative stereotypes -​ Postmodern aesthetic refers to recognizing the constructed nature of black identity and highlighting its internal complexities The concept of diaspora in understanding -​ Diaspora used as a metaphor to highlight the fluid and interconnected nature of identities -​ It's a challenge to nation-centric thinking and a move towards recognizing the multiplicity of experiences within globalized societies -​ Positionality of diaspora identities acknowledged the specific contexts and power dynamics that shape their experiences How Hall approaches the multicultural question -​ It's an ongoing debate surrounding the social and political implications of increasingly diverse societies -​ It's a sight of opportunity and tension where the celebration of difference coexists How does Hall's work contribute to a deeper understanding of contemporary social dynamics? -​ His theories provide insight into the complexities of identity, power, and representation -​ Moving away from essentialist categories embraces the fluidity of identities -​ His work prompts people to consider the historical and social forces that shape our understanding of ourselves and others S.Hall - New Ethnicities -​ This reading talked about a shift in black cultural politics in the Uk How has the understanding of “black” identity evolved in British cultural politics? -​ Black identity in the UK moved from a struggle for representation to a more nuanced politics of representation -​ Highlights the complexity and diversity within the “black” category -​ Originally black cultural politica focused on gaining access to representation for black artists and workers to challenge the stereotypical portrayals of blackness -​ This involved critiquing how black experiences were marginalized and othered -​ There was also more recognition to the fact that “black” is a constructed category and encompasses a wide range of subjective positions and social experiences -​ It was important to recognize how race intersects with other categories like identity, class, gender, and ethnicity -​ There is a need to move beyond a singular focus on race and recognize the complex interplay of various dimensions shaping individual and collective experiences  -​ The term ethnicity was used in the context of british racism and the reading highlights the need for a re-theorization of the concept of ethnicity -​ The concept of ethnicity should recognize historical, cultural, and linguistic influences on identity -​ The reading suggests that the understanding of black identity in british culture evolved from a focus on securing representation to a complex engagement with the politics of representation in itself -​ The shift recognized the fluidity and diversity of black culture and identity -​ The end of the essential black subject: signifies a cultural shift in understanding black identity and it acknowledges that “black” is not a fixed or inherent category rooted in biology but rather a politically and culturally constructed concept shaped by historical, social, and political forces Misogynoir in women’s sport media Controversy around Osaka's Win -​ She won the US open in 2018 against serena williams -​ Williams got penalties for what she thought was unfair officiating which lead to “outbursts from williams” -​ This shifted the focus of the win from Osaka to williams -​ Osaka was seen as a victim of the situation How the media represented Osaka while perpetuating misogynoir -​ Misogynoir is a specific type of anti-black misogyny experienced by black women -​ The media focused on the fact that she was japanese and depicted her as meek and apologetic while erasing her blackness in the process -​ They stereotyped serena as an angry black woman which contributes to the narrative that privileged white femininity Colorism -​ A form of discrimination that favours lighter skin tones over darker ones within race groups -​ Osaka's skin tone was often lightened in illustrations and animations of her, sometimes erasing her black ancestry -​ The whitewashing reinforces the idea that the proximity to whiteness is desirable Osaka and her identity -​ The media oversimplifies osaka's identity by framing her primarily as japanese while downplaying her haitian heritage -​ Osaka leverages media platforms to assert agency over her own narrative and resists the simplifies, often racists representations of her found in the media The role of ICTs challenging misogynoir in sports -​ ICTs (information and communication technologies) offer a crucial space for challenging misogynoir and prompting more diverse and accurate representations of women in sport Week 6 - lecture 5 An emotional economy of mundane objects What was the cultural significance of kurdish music in Turkey during the late 20th century -​ Kurdish music held a big place in the lives of kurdish people -​ Music was significant for transmitting history, legends, and emotions within the community How did cassette technology impact the dissemination of Kurdish music during periods of restriction? -​ Cassette tech revolutionized the dissemination of kurdish music -​ People could record and share their music, circumventing the bans imposed by the turkish state What emotional experiences are associated with the circulation of Kurdish music cassettes? -​ Joy and excitement -​ Fear and anxiety: stemming from the risks of possessing and distributing illegal recordings -​ Sorrow and longing: evoked by songs about loss and displacement -​ Anger and defiance: fueling acts of resistance against the state’s suppression of kurdish culture Tactics Kurds used to hide and protect their music cassettes -​ Concealing cassettes -​ Using children as lookouts -​ Drivers hiding cassettes during military checkpoint inspections What is the lasting legacy of the Kurdish music cassette culture? -​ Strengthening a kurdish identity -​ Inspiring ongoing resistance -​ Documenting a period of struggle Politics of articulation: The "politics of articulation" is a concept used in political theory and cultural studies to describe the processes by which ideas, identities, and social movements are formed, negotiated, and contested Saying all marginalized groups can be grouped as “black” Second movement there was a shift of difference over unity and that goes against essentialist views because there are differences Hall is anti essentialist because he says categories are fluid