Hip Hop Music
In the following essay I will be applying Arjun Appadurai’s theory of global cultural flows and social imagination to the two African hip hop case studies written by Kunzler and Badsha. I will be analysing the case studies with regard to Appadurai and his theories.
Appadurai’s theory was to look at the effects of globalisation on culture and how it has affected the society. He makes five very important points towards global cultural flows. He thought of it as different streams that flow into and intersect each other. Many of these different flows conflict one another as well as overlap. These various flows reflected upon the way globalisation is on culture. The five points Appadurai makes with regards to the globalisation of culture are: ethnoscapes, technoscapes, financescapes, mediascapes and ideoscapes.( Appadurai, 1996) Ethnoscapes was the constant flow of humans. Examples of this are tourists, refugees, etc. Technoscapes was the way technology evolved and how this information reached different countries. Financescapes was explained by Appadurai to be the global capital; he also states that the flow of capital and the speed at which it flows is greatly unpredictable. Mediascapes refers to the media. The media has evolved to an extent that what the media portrays is considered to be truthful. He suggests that private and public interests throughout the world have control over media. Ideoscapes is the ideology. Appadurai likes to view it as ideas about politics. An example of an ideoscape would be democracy. Ideoscapes and mediascapes are linked closely together. ( Appadurai, 1996)
Apartheid was one of South Africa’s major setbacks. Apartheid was when people use to be classified by race. There were three races namely whit, coloured and black. The whites were the most privileged and the blacks were the least. The coloureds were basically in the middle. Due to Apartheid people were not allowed to go to certain areas as these areas were reserved for the
Appadurai’s theory was to look at the effects of globalisation on culture and how it has affected the society. He makes five very important points towards global cultural flows. He thought of it as different streams that flow into and intersect each other. Many of these different flows conflict one another as well as overlap. These various flows reflected upon the way globalisation is on culture. The five points Appadurai makes with regards to the globalisation of culture are: ethnoscapes, technoscapes, financescapes, mediascapes and ideoscapes.( Appadurai, 1996) Ethnoscapes was the constant flow of humans. Examples of this are tourists, refugees, etc. Technoscapes was the way technology evolved and how this information reached different countries. Financescapes was explained by Appadurai to be the global capital; he also states that the flow of capital and the speed at which it flows is greatly unpredictable. Mediascapes refers to the media. The media has evolved to an extent that what the media portrays is considered to be truthful. He suggests that private and public interests throughout the world have control over media. Ideoscapes is the ideology. Appadurai likes to view it as ideas about politics. An example of an ideoscape would be democracy. Ideoscapes and mediascapes are linked closely together. ( Appadurai, 1996)
Apartheid was one of South Africa’s major setbacks. Apartheid was when people use to be classified by race. There were three races namely whit, coloured and black. The whites were the most privileged and the blacks were the least. The coloureds were basically in the middle. Due to Apartheid people were not allowed to go to certain areas as these areas were reserved for the