Introduction to Postcolonialism: blog tasks

 Create a new blog post called 'Advertising: Postcolonialism blog tasks'. Read ‘The Theory Drop: Postcolonialism and Paul Gilroy’ in MM75  (p28). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here - remember you'll need your Greenford Google login to access.

Answer the following questions on your blog:

1) Look at the first page. What is colonialism - also known as cultural imperialism? 

From the 16th century onwards, European countries effectively took part in a race amongst themselves to see how many 'undiscovered' lands they could claim for themselves. These colonists pillaged, fought, and enslaved the native populations of these countries as a means to 'civilise' them. The people did not have the advanced technological weapons to fight effectively against these unwanted colonists and most ended up adhering to their rule. 

With colonialism came the term 'cultural imperialism' - the belief that native

people were intellectually inferior, and that white colonisers had a moral right to subjugate the local populace as they were ‘civilising’ them.

2) Now look at the second page. What is postcolonialism? 

A common misconception is that it refers to a time period, however it more references a critique of a school of thought that came before it. Postcolonialism exist to question white patriarchal views with a particular reference to how they relate to race. 

3) How does Paul Gilroy suggest postcolonialism influences British culture?

With process of decolonisation gathered speed in the 20th Century and with it, many of the attitudes associated with colonialism began to be challenged.In his 2005 book Postcolonial Melancholia suggested that Britain had not quite faced up to its colonial past,that the national psyche had not quite come to terms with no longer being

a global superpower, and this had resulted in the desire to still subjugate those from different races, particularly immigrants.

4) What is 'othering'?

Othering is the phenomenon whereby we identify something as being different from, or alien to our social identity. Something is considered 'other' if it doesn't fit within the confines of society. 

5) What examples of 'othering' are provided by the article?

Nigel Farage and his 'leave' campaign - 

Othering based on race has existed in mainstream media for as long as

there has been mainstream media, but not always in the same form. For example hows like since Love Thy Neighbour, the seventies sitcom about a Black family living next door to a white family with a bigot for a man of the house. This contracts the way today's TV landscape is, if we take as Man Like Mobeen, Top Boy and I May Destroy You - they offer a much more nuanced depiction of ethnic minorities. 

6) What is 'double consciousness'? 

This refers to a confusion in identity, particularly for people from ethnic minorities living

in the Western world. Whereby people struggle to reconcile two nationalities or identities.

7) What are 'racial hierarchies'?

It is the idea that some races are superior to other ones; in Western society those who advocate for this are usually promoting white supremacy.

8) What examples from recent media products challenge the idea of racial hierarchies? 

Paul Gilroy recounted an anecdote on Russell Brand’s Under The Skin podcast about how he was waiting in line at the post office and an older white woman said to him - "You're with us now", then started going on about how 'the blacks' are 'alright' because "they've been wit us for a long time but it's now the Muslims that are the problem.