Blog Post #3

Hip Hop and Stereotypes

This is an article that was written by Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, for Ebony magazine, and describes how she views that hip-hop culture has reflected negatively on the image of African American women.

Dr. Cole describes how powerful words can be, especially on younger generations who have yet to solidify their opinions and perceptions of people and their place in the world. In hip-hop, the lyrics relate closely to life experiences and personal views, and provide an outlet for those feelings and views to be expressed. Dr. Cole argues that it is this expression of certain images and ‘roles’ that women should conform to, are demeaning and only perpetuate negative stereotypes of African American women. The article explains that by encouraging the subjects that make up most of the hip-hop lyrics, the stereotypes and images they present are also encouraged.

When searching for articles, this one struck a chord with me, as I remember hearing this subject debated a lot in various different contexts. I don’t have a real strong personal connection to the subject, as I don’t listen to much hip-hop music and I’m not African American, but as a female I think that negative images of women is not something that should be taken lightly. I think this article presents an interesting perspective, as the cultural context of the music needs to be taken into consideration in order to understand why hip-hop is the way it is. I don’t believe that these feelings originated out of the blue, but have a significant amount of history behind them. I do think that the perpetuation of these stereotypes is not healthy, as no one really benefits from them, but causes a deeper rift between men and women. I think change is something that will be very difficult, as it is hard to change behavior and perceptions that have been ingrained so deeply, but hopefully some change will come in time. (320)

Link to article:
www.proquest.umi.com?pdqweb?did+1227415901&sid=8&Fmt=3&clientid=23824&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Blog Post #2

Media Bias and the Culture Wars

This is a commentary article written by Robert J. Bresler that was published in USA Today in July of 2004. In this article Bresler summarizes how the media has had a hand in shaping the political views of the country and has forced a deeper divergence between the liberal and conservative viewpoints.

In the article Bresler describes the ‘culture wars’ between the liberals and the conservatives, and how the media reflects a certain viewpoint based on the political affiliation of the current government. He goes on to describe how early on the media reflected a conservative viewpoint and arguments and disagreements were rarely seen on television, but now the media reflects a much more liberal viewpoint and more argument and questioning of the government goes on. The article also suggests that the media is now more ‘scandal hungry’, and programs on television and articles in magazines and newspapers have a certain sense of sensationalism about them. Bresler argues that this division between liberals and conservatives is growing larger instead of converging, and that the media should reflect a more unbiased perspective, and report stories without putting a liberal or conservative perspective on the situation.

I think this article makes some valid arguments about the media influence on the political viewpoints of this country. It is hard to turn on the television or read the newspaper without being bombarded by one political viewpoint or the other. I think it is interesting how the media has switched from a conservative viewpoint where argument and heated discussion were rare, to the place where it is now. Most programs on television do have a sense of sensationalism about them, who was the first to land the story, reporters behind the scenes or on the front lines, and the obsession that many in this country have with celebrities and their scandals. I think as good as it would be to present an ‘unbiased look’ at the stories that make the headlines, it think it would be very difficult if not impossible to accomplish. Every person in this country has an opinion and wants to make sure that it is heard, even those who are reporting on the news stories. I think as long as we are able to engage in intelligent discussion and debate, and try our hardest to understand both sides of the situation, we will hopefully in the end be able to come up with our own take on the situation. (408)

Link to article:
http://proquest.umi.com/pdqweb?did=662819231&sid=5&fmt=3clientid=23824&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Blog Post #1

Pope Concedes Unjustifiable Crimes in Converting South Americans

This article was published in the New York Times on May 24, 2007 and summarizes the controversy surrounding a speech that Pope Benedict XVI made to South Americans in Brazil about the introduction of European missionaries around 500 years ago.

While on a visit to South America Pope Benedict XVI made some remarks to an audience in Brazil that the European missionaries who visited the area nearly 500 years ago brought their beliefs to the indigenous people because it is what they were asking or longing for. The Pope described the entire situation as an “encounter between faith and indigenous peoples” and he went on to mention that a “foreign culture wasn’t being imposed” and the culture of the people who lived in the area would not be forgotten. He maintained that the mission was not to convert the indigenous people to Catholicism, or to impose a foreign culture on them. These comments sparked outrage among leaders of several South American countries who viewed the situation completely differently. One leader described the situation as “one of the most horrible genocides that humanity as ever seen”. In an effort to calm the waters, the Pope later conceded that “unjustifiable crimes” were committed during this time period, and that “fundamental human rights were often trampled”. The backlash from his original comments gives insight into the two different perceptions of the situation, one from the perspective of the Catholic church, and the other from the people of South America.

I believe that this article provides a good example of two cultures and the identities that are associated with each of them. On one side is the Catholic church, who views the situation, as explained by the Pope, as an introduction of the Catholic faith to the indigenous South American people. While on the other hand the South American people view the situation differently. They feel they had no choice in the matter; it was either convert or be ostracized or killed. On some level I think this trend has been echoed throughout history in many different formats. One culture is exposed to a larger and maybe more influential one and is forced to conform or adopt the new beliefs otherwise face serious consequences. In some situations they may not have been given a choice, they were just eliminated without being given a chance to change. Overall this article highlights how these two cultures view themselves and their role in this particular situation, and how the one perception can vary so drastically from the other. (421)


Link to article:
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30717FF3D540C778EDDAC0894DF404482
or:
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1276146111&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=23824&RQT=309&VName=PQD



Links to other articles about the same situation:

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1275496861&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=23824&RQT=309&VName=PQD

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1276093981&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=23824&RQT=309&VName=PQD

This blog was created for my CMU/SOC 150 class at Cascadia Community College.