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Griffin - Week 6

 

In “On postmodernism and articulation,” Hall writes about how many theories of postmodernism are “Euro-centred” and ignore the fact that “three-quarters of the human race have not yet entered the era” that postmodernists say is already gone (132-133). White supremacy is constantly reproduced throughout cultural circles, including academia. How do we know when cultural theorists, or humanistic theorists more generally, are centering hegemonic “Western” culture vs taking a more accurate and egalitarian approach? How does the work of Hall and the CCCS fare in this question?

Articulation is broadly applicable but also the lines of cultural studies “sometimes get unquestionably crossed” (Slack, 114). What type of research is a misapplication of cultural studies/articulation? What should we prioritize or not when choosing topics of study? Are there texts that truly don’t have political significance?

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2/2 Discussion Questions

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Week 6 Discussion Qs

 Hall brings up the concept of interpellation as applied to social formations. (p 335) How is interpellation related to articulation? How are the two different, if at all? Must the two be discussed together? I have more difficulty conceptualizing interpellation than I do articulation. If we are to take up Hall's warning not to study racism as a set of "historically specific racisms" (336) nor as something with a "universal structure" (337). What balance can we strike today between these two approaches in our current historical moment? Eduardo Bonilla-Silva has written that certain forms of modern racism have been impacted by the prevalent ideology of "colorblindness." Are we still in this moment or are new specificities arising?