Can hip-hop be used to further social justice?
Is hip-hop conventionally seen as a tool for social justice or critique? Why or why not?
Why can hip-hop be a powerful tool for activism? Do you believe it is more useful for this than other genres of music? Why or why not?
Please find a youtube video of an artist that you believe is using hip-hop in a more conscious matter and post it on your blog. Explain your reasoning behind choosing this video.
What are some of the barriers to hip-hop artists creating and marketing critical hip-hop?
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Week Eleven Post-Reading Questions
What was the most interesting thing you learned from the video? Did it make you change how you thought about hip-hop?
The filmmaker, Byron Hurt, proposes the following arguments in the film. Which ones do you agree or disagree with? Why?
1. The hyper-masculinity and violence present in hip-hop is part of the larger American culture that values and promotes violence.
2. Hip-hop is both homophobic and homoerotic simultaneously.
3. Music corporations, which are run by wealthy white men are responsible for prioritizing the messages that hip-hop promotes.
4. The genre of hip-hop is denigrating to women.
5. Hip-hop utilizes the stereotypes of black masculinity to sell records to primarily white audiences.
What examples from contemporary hip-hop can you find that either supports or refutes these arguments?
In what ways does race intersect with gender and class in the construction of black masculinity?
What are some of the similarities between how black men were represented during slavery and Jim Crow and their representations in music today?
Do you think that hip-hop is homoerotic? Why or why not?
What was the cause for the shift from hip-hop that engaged with political and social issues to 'gangsta rap' (which one could argue that does not engage with these things). What role did race play in that shift?
Do you think that hip-hop can be problematic? In what ways?
Does hip-hop have a responsibility to be socially responsible? What about country music? Pop?
The filmmaker, Byron Hurt, proposes the following arguments in the film. Which ones do you agree or disagree with? Why?
1. The hyper-masculinity and violence present in hip-hop is part of the larger American culture that values and promotes violence.
2. Hip-hop is both homophobic and homoerotic simultaneously.
3. Music corporations, which are run by wealthy white men are responsible for prioritizing the messages that hip-hop promotes.
4. The genre of hip-hop is denigrating to women.
5. Hip-hop utilizes the stereotypes of black masculinity to sell records to primarily white audiences.
What examples from contemporary hip-hop can you find that either supports or refutes these arguments?
In what ways does race intersect with gender and class in the construction of black masculinity?
What are some of the similarities between how black men were represented during slavery and Jim Crow and their representations in music today?
Do you think that hip-hop is homoerotic? Why or why not?
What was the cause for the shift from hip-hop that engaged with political and social issues to 'gangsta rap' (which one could argue that does not engage with these things). What role did race play in that shift?
Do you think that hip-hop can be problematic? In what ways?
Does hip-hop have a responsibility to be socially responsible? What about country music? Pop?
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Pre-Reading Questions Week Eleven
Over the next two weeks we will doing a critical examination of hip-hop: how do issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and social justice engage with hip-hop and the music industry?
What do you think the purpose of hip-hop music is? Is it just to entertain? Does it have some kind of agenda?
What do you about the role that race plays in hip-hop? What race are the majority of hip-hop artists? Are the consumers of hip-hop racially diverse or racially homogenous?
If hip-hop is problematic, why is it so popular?
Are their artists or songs that don't employ the more problematic aspects of hip-hop? What are they? Why are they different?
Watch Chris Rock talk about how tired he is of defending rap music. (Warning: explicit language).
What do you think the purpose of hip-hop music is? Is it just to entertain? Does it have some kind of agenda?
What do you about the role that race plays in hip-hop? What race are the majority of hip-hop artists? Are the consumers of hip-hop racially diverse or racially homogenous?
If hip-hop is problematic, why is it so popular?
Are their artists or songs that don't employ the more problematic aspects of hip-hop? What are they? Why are they different?
Watch Chris Rock talk about how tired he is of defending rap music. (Warning: explicit language).
Why does Rock feel that he has to defend Rap Music? What are some of the things that he thinks are bad about this genre?
What are some of the positive aspects of hip-hop? What are some of its more problematic aspects?
What is the role of women in hip-hop? Is hip-hop misogynistic? Why or why not?
How does gender intersect with race in hip-hop?
Watch: Jay-Smooth discuss the tension between personal responsibility and societal change in hip-hop.
What does Jay Smooth think needs to happen in order for hip hop to become healthy again?
What flaws does he find in each side of the argument?
What does Jay Smooth think needs to happen in order for hip hop to become healthy again?
What flaws does he find in each side of the argument?
Monday, October 29, 2012
Wage Discrimination Stats
As discussed in class, here are some 'highlights' (lowlights may be more appropriate here) from the Usual Weekly Earnings from Wage and Salary Workers, Fourth Quarter 2010, published by the United State's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
White Men: $857
White Women: $695 (81% of what their white male counterparts make)
Black Men: $629 (73% of what white men make)
Black Women: $605 (70% of what white men make, 96% of what their black male counterparts make)
Asian Men: $947 ( 110% more than what white men make)
Asian Women: $719 (75% of what Asian men make, 83% of what white men make)
Latino Men: $567 (66% of what white men make)
Latina Women: $510 (59% of what white men make, 89% of what their Latino male counterparts make).
Here is a link to the report in its entirety- if you have some time, look it over,
- Women who worked full time had a median weekly earnings of $679, versus men whose full-time weekly earnings were $830-- 22.8% less than their male counterparts.
White Men: $857
White Women: $695 (81% of what their white male counterparts make)
Black Men: $629 (73% of what white men make)
Black Women: $605 (70% of what white men make, 96% of what their black male counterparts make)
Asian Men: $947 ( 110% more than what white men make)
Asian Women: $719 (75% of what Asian men make, 83% of what white men make)
Latino Men: $567 (66% of what white men make)
Latina Women: $510 (59% of what white men make, 89% of what their Latino male counterparts make).
Here is a link to the report in its entirety- if you have some time, look it over,
Friday, October 26, 2012
Lack of Comments :/
Howdy Class,
Technology strikes again! For whatever reason, I was unable to post comments on your blogs today but generally, I really enjoyed them and think you all are making some AWESOME connections between race, disability and education- nice work! All of you that posted on time, received credit for your blogs as usual.
Next week will be 'catch-up' week: from the cards I got in class, we will be spending some time reviewing and discussing intersectionality. I will spend the weekend brainstorming some fun ways to do that.
Thanks as usual for your hard work :)
Technology strikes again! For whatever reason, I was unable to post comments on your blogs today but generally, I really enjoyed them and think you all are making some AWESOME connections between race, disability and education- nice work! All of you that posted on time, received credit for your blogs as usual.
Next week will be 'catch-up' week: from the cards I got in class, we will be spending some time reviewing and discussing intersectionality. I will spend the weekend brainstorming some fun ways to do that.
Thanks as usual for your hard work :)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Race, Education and Disability Post-Reading Questions
Hi Students,
Thanks for you engagement during class today- I love it when we get a good conversation going!
What are some reasons that students may be 'misdiagnosed' with a learning disability? What factors play a role?
How do ideas about normalcy play into the diagnostic process for Learning Disabilities?
Almost all LD's are diagnosed by teachers. How might race, class and gender play into this process?
What, if any, are the similarities between race as a social construct and disability as a social construct? How are they different?
According to the authors for this, what are some of the problems when disabilities are viewed are "in-child"? What might this kind of framework hide?
What are the connections between racism, classism, sexism, ableism and 'the medical model'? In other words, does medicine (as an institution made of up of doctors, nurses, hospitals, medical research industries, ideologies about disease and health) uphold our racial, gender, and class hierarchies? In what ways?
Did anything from this week surprise you? What are you still having some trouble understanding?
How does race, class, language background or other factors work together (think intersectionality here) to set-up how we define learning disability?
Thanks for you engagement during class today- I love it when we get a good conversation going!
What are some reasons that students may be 'misdiagnosed' with a learning disability? What factors play a role?
How do ideas about normalcy play into the diagnostic process for Learning Disabilities?
Almost all LD's are diagnosed by teachers. How might race, class and gender play into this process?
What, if any, are the similarities between race as a social construct and disability as a social construct? How are they different?
According to the authors for this, what are some of the problems when disabilities are viewed are "in-child"? What might this kind of framework hide?
What are the connections between racism, classism, sexism, ableism and 'the medical model'? In other words, does medicine (as an institution made of up of doctors, nurses, hospitals, medical research industries, ideologies about disease and health) uphold our racial, gender, and class hierarchies? In what ways?
Did anything from this week surprise you? What are you still having some trouble understanding?
How does race, class, language background or other factors work together (think intersectionality here) to set-up how we define learning disability?
Monday, October 22, 2012
Today is the last day to register to vote in CA!
Hello Students,
As promised in class, here is the link to register to vote online. It must be submitted by 5pm today.
Register to Vote online here!
As promised in class, here is the link to register to vote online. It must be submitted by 5pm today.
Register to Vote online here!
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