Week 14 - Multiculturalism Ads and Film

8/7/2019 Week 14 - Multiculturalism Ads and Film

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G205 Week 14 Binita Mehta

Emigrants Twice Displaced


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Write your name in a piece of paper:

Explain what you think the

meaning of the title Emigrants

Twice Displaced: Race, Color, and

Identity in Mira Nairs MississippiMasalaby Binita Mehta by

referring to the content.

Pass your answers to me.


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"chronotope" (from chronos, time, and topos, place) suggests the inextricable

relation between time and space;

Cinema (as opposed to novels) as a medium is where the "spatial and temporalindicators are fused into one carefully thought-out concrete whole."

Commercials/advertising as mini-drama (A.A. Berger)

In film time "thickens, takes on flesh, becomes artistically visible" and where "space

becomes charged and responsive to the movements of time, plot and history

cinema embodies the inherent relationality of time (chronos) and space (topos); it is

space temporalized and time spatialized, the site where time takes place and placetakes time.

Lets think about this in application to film. Mississippi Masala

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6CXzrtYjcg&feature=related


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How is one culture distinguished from another?

Language

Religious beliefs - morality and expressions of rightand wrong

Social groups - family, kinship, castes/classes.Responsibilities to each other

History - how it has been shaped, and treated inrelation to other cultures

Outward expressions of identity - e.g. appearance,symbols, gestures, food, behaviour


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Definitions of

multiculturalism/ cultural pluralism:

A term describing a state of affairs:

the coexistence of many cultures in a locality,without any one culture dominating the region.

A term describing a policy:

To encourage all nationals to integrate into their society and takean active part in its social, cultural, economic and political affairs

To encourage racial and ethnic harmony and cross-culturalunderstanding, and discourage ghettoization, hatred,discrimination and violence.


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1. Dispersal of people that includes two or more locations (origins and destination,

for example), which then become linked.

2. Relationship to actual or imaginary homeland

3. Self awareness of group identity that consciously binds group

4. Multigenerational in scope

Kim D. Butler, Defining Diaspora, Refining a Discourse, Diaspora, 10:2, 2001.


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Relating to several cultural groups

Co-existing

Inclusive - allows the equivalence of

those several

Respect for, and acceptance of,

differences

Breaks the binary pattern of

superior/inferior - invader/indigenous -

imperial/provincial


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Biology & natural sciences no longer since late70s (see researches in genetics bellow)

Race remains a legitimate concept for sociologicalanalysis because social actors treat is as real andorganise their lives and practices by reference to it(van den Berghe)

Robert Miles: race is only an ideological constructthat is used by social scientists for legitimising the

status quoD. Mason : Clearly there are no such things asraces. Yet it is equally clear that large numbers ofpeople behave as if there are


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Mason: race is a social relationship in whichstructural positions and social actions areordered, justified, and explained by reference tosystems of symbols and beliefs which emphasisethe social and cultural relevance of biologicallyrooted characteristics.

In other words, the social relationship racepresumes the existence of racism andinstitutional racism.

Rose, Steven, Lewontin, Richard, Kamin, Leon (1990) Not In Our Genes. Biology,ideology and human nature, London: Penguin Books

Stephen Gould (1996) The Mismeasure of Man

Ellis Cashmore (1996) Dictionary of race and thnic relations


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The culture of one group is seen as

the norm in a society

Other groups are allowed freedom forpersonal expression of their culture

but

Are expected to adapt their culturalmarkers to the pattern allowed by

that norm, if there is a contradiction.


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Ethnic character, background, or affiliation.

An ethnic group.

Stuart Hall argues ethnicity is responsible in part for

perceived difference. What do you think he means?

All around the world, members of ethnic and so-called

"racial" groups commonly use ethnic symbols as badges of

identity to emphasize their distinctness from other

groups. Language, religion, and style of dress are common

ethnic symbols. In addition to such cultural traits, biological

characteristics may be important at times as well.

An example might be blackness


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Premise of multiculturalism: potential forconflict between plurality and cohesion;

between multiculturalism and national unity.

Evidence: racial/religious discrimination.

Solution: the promotion of a super-categorywhich contains diverse sub-categories within it amulticultural national identity.


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Means: social ads / Public Service Ads (PSAs)

AD COUNCIL MISSION

Our mission is to identify a select numberof significant public issues and stimulate actions

on those issues through communications programs

that make a measurable difference in our societies.


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Racial Cooperationhttp://www.adcouncil.org/issues/antidiscrimination/

I am an American post 9/11 campaignE Pluribus Unum, or Out of Many, One.

From the nation's original creed rises a message that has

never been more appropriate than now that

diversity unites America, and that in the wake of this

national tragedy, now is the time to embrace and

celebrate that diversity instead of letting it divide us.


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http://www.cre.gov.uk/

The unique faces of Britain poster campaign celebratesand encourages recognition of ethnic diversity in this

country. It acknowledges modern Britain for what it is - a

fascinating multicultural, multi-racial, multi-faith nation


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The Family of Man

has been created in a

passionate spirit of

devoted love and faithin man.

It was conceived as a

mirror ofthe essentialoneness of mankind

throughout the world.

Edward Steichen, curator,

1955.

503 photographs

68 countries

2 million submissions


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I am an American

By showing people of many ages, races, and religions

saying the simple yet powerful line "I am an American,"the advertising communicates the idea that our differences

equal the very foundation and spirit of this nation.

http://www.adcouncil.org/campaigns/I_am_an_American/


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We all came over in different ships,but were in the same boat now.

Our origins, skin colors or religions may be different

But our hearts are all in the same place.

Please show tolerance for your fellow Americans


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AMERICANS STAND UNITED

Will hate bring it all back?Will it

bring back the innocence? Thesense of security? Will hate

make us better than those who

hate us?

Hate is our enemy, and whenwe start to hate other Americans

we have lost everything. Hate has

taken enough from us already.

Dont let it take you.


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The Freedom Center's mission is to inspire people to speak

up in the face of injustice and for the spirit of freedom.

http://www.freedomcenter.org/


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Benetton advertising

campaigns


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Commercial & Government ads: similarities

Oversimplification:

- Racial identity reduced to skin colour

- Nationalism reduced to patriotism.

Adamism / a-historicism:

- decontextualizing effect of photography

- shortcomings of humanism.

There is but one man in the world, and his name is All Men.

Commodification:- Multiculturalism on sale, something to buy/own to brand


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BRANDING signals the shift from selling products to

selling concepts, values, lifestyles and even ideologies.

To show a product is banal. To associate a product witha concept and show that, is clever marketing.

Commodification of Nations:

We are selling a product. We need someone who can

rebrand American foreign policy, rebrand diplomacy.(Colin Powell)

Naomi Klein, America is not a Hamburger, Guardian, 2002.


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QUESTIONS:

(1) To what extent have issues such as multiculturalism been turned into brand

names for the sake of commercial profit?

(2) To what extent has multiculturalism been used politically

for its brand appeal?

(3) If branding creates a one-way glossy irrefutable message, doesnt this contradict

the basic tenet of multiculturalism:


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Remaining issues:

Target audience: global or national? Minorities?

Backfire effect: dont knows have prejudices confirmedCardiff research: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-12/esr-haa120902.php

Double standards: institutional racism; immigration

policies; citizenship requirements and branding!

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Week 14 - Multiculturalism Ads and Film

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