Blog #8

1. Freedom from Reality:

Hook’s art class assignment let him be free from political realities. The assignment was to create your dream house. Nothing had to be accepted by the “real world.” He could create anything he wanted without being judged by others. With this freedom nothing was impossible, anything he could imagine could happen. As hooks brings up, “ if we had been encouraged to think critically about the actual spaces we inhabited, the neighborhoods and houses that were our world, we would have learned to think about space politically, about who controls and shapes environments”(Hooks 396). An example would be if someone in Pullman dreamed to have a house that looked like a husky and had University of Washington colors painted on it, they probably would not end up building that house here. But with an assignment like this you have no social or outside expectations, it can be whatever you want without the pressure. No matter where you are from, what class your considered, race, or ethnicity, anything could be created.

 

2. Architecture:

Architecture is a cultural practice in many ways. A few examples of buildings that represent different cultures are the Pullman Islamic Center and many buildings in the east coast. The Islamic Center’s architecture strongly represents the Muslim culture. Because of how they chose to create the building with golden color and big cylinders on top, this building has a strong representation.  My other example is buildings on the east coast are often built with brick. In many places in the east it seems as if an older style is more common as well. Usually when you move or travel to new places, one of the first things you recognize is how the architecture differs from what you are used to.

 

3. New Racism:

New racism according to Van Dijk is old racism transformed to sound less sever. It is presented in everyday conversations, seen on television, and used among many people. Although it is common use among some people, many either do not know they are using racist terms or deny that they are racist terms or actions at all.  Van Dijk mentions that “they may hurt even more than old racism, especially when they seem to be so ‘normal’, so ‘natural’, and so ‘commonsensical’ to those who engage in such discourse and interaction”(Van Dijk 34). Instead of using common racist terms, new racism appears more discrete. Van Dijk says that “this unique control of the majority over the prevalent forms of public discourse, policies and social conduct makes minority resistance against such racism even more difficult and precarious”(Van Dijk 34) Because new racism does not result in forceful and violent actions and old racism is usually considered so “normal,” it is difficult to convince people that many terms and actions used are actually racist.

Works Cited

Hooks, Bell. Art on my Mind: Visual Politics. New York: The New Press, 1995.

 

Van Dijk, Teun A.. "New(s) Racism: A Discourse Analytical Approach." Ethnic Minorities and the Media p. 33-49.