Advertising: Post-colonialism

1) Look at the first page. What is colonialism - also known as 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: in other words, trying to make them more like Western European society. This was how they justified their actions, while all the time stealing their resources and, in some cases, people to be sold into slavery.

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

Post-colonialism, like postmodernism, refers less to a time period and more to a critiquing of a school of thought that came before it. Post-colonialism exists 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?

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. If something is ‘other’ it is different to ‘us’; it doesn’t fit well within the confines of our society.

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

This process of othering has proved  very useful for populist politicians like  Nigel Farage, who rode to victory in  the 2016 referendum by harnessing a  sense of discontent in British society  and aiming it at immigrants, famously  standing in front of a poster with a  long line of mostly non-white migrants  and the slogan ‘breaking point’.  

6) What is 'double consciousness'? 

This othering can sometimes manifest in a confusion over identity, particularly for people from ethnic minorities living in the Western world. This confusion is referred to as a ‘double consciousness’ whereby people struggle to reconcile two nationalities or identities.

7) What are 'racial hierarchies'?

Another hold over from colonialism is the idea of racial hierarchies: the idea that some races are superior to other ones. In Western culture, people who promote these ideas are usually advocating for white supremacy.

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

There are numerous media texts that challenge these ideas of racial hierarchies by putting people in minority groups in positions of authority. Some choose to examine the implications of being BAME in these positions, such as Brooklyn Nine- Nine’s ‘Moo Moo’ episode from its fourth season, where Lt. Terry Jeffords is racially profiled by another cop. Some shows choose to largely ignore the character’s ethnicity and its impact on their role, such as Nick Fury’s role as director of SHIELD in the Marvel films, striving for a time when a person’s ethnicity doesn’t make a difference to anyone.