In the ‘Colonial Impacts 2100’ we will be learning about the colonial ideologies that are redesigned in various societies, especially societies that have been directly affected by colonization. We will mainly focus on third-world countries; the countries that have fallen prey to the imperial hunger of many nations.
Methodologies:
This course will involve many discussions regarding how society’s standards changed/influenced by colonial rule. (ex. Beauty standards in India and the role of British rule). We will have mini debates regarding colonization, imperialism, and economy and more. (ex. Would the world be any different without colonization? How different? Would it be better or worse?)
Readings: I encourage you to find other resources that may benefit you or the class. But these are just some I recommend and will touch upon. Intro to the New Jim Crow – learn about the concept of racism being ‘redesigned’ and make connections to colonialism. Colonialism & the Modern World Colonialism
I value creativity! One of the important parts of this course, students will be instructed to unleash their creativity through a poem, narrative, song, painting, drawing, memoir, meme, stick figures or anything of their liking that relates to the topic of colonialism. It doesn’t necessarily have to depict colonialism a whole but can also show how colonialism affected nature, society, identity, etc. This world needs change with creativity on top.
Grading System 🙂
Students will be assessed in their participation in discussions and debates.
Students will be assessed in their responses in various prompts.
Students will be assessed in their research paper that focuses on one third-world country affected by colonization while focusing on one aspect of society that was influenced by colonialism such as religion, lifestyle, etc.
Class Participation – Total: (20%)
Class discussions – (10%)
Mini Debates – (5%)
Responses – (5%)
Research Paper – (45%)
Creative Piece – (35%)
“(1:23-1:30)- This scene is contradictory to it’s meaning. BTS is in this celebratory state, such as Jhope throwing the cake at RM, when in actuality this scene represents the attacks one receives from seeking justice similar to how society/government reacts when one is trying to confront injustice. (One example in American society: police brutality)
(1:32- 1:40) – All the other members, besides Jin, are going up the stairs. Jin represents the ones who have died due to the accident. He is at the bottom of the stairs watching the others climbing up and growing up unable to live life with them.
(1:43-1:47) – This scene shows Jungkook in front of a worn down Merry-Go-Round which symbolizes a loss of childhood. The lyrics keep saying “I miss you, I miss you.”
(2:00-2:12) – These collective scenes shows the daily lives of the survivors. The lyrics captures the empty feelings of the survivors, “how many sleepless nights do I have to spend to see you” as well as counting the days they can see their loved ones “until the days of the spring”.”
This excerpt is from the blog where we were supposed to dissect a music video that speaks to us and look for meaning and purpose of the art. This blog stood out to me because I remember spending a lot of time watching the music video and writing down everything I saw and then researching a little bit. I was not disappointed. I found about a beautiful and tragic meaning that was conveyed through the music video and was struck by the visual metaphors incorporated in the video.
But I also love all my other blogs as well. I feel like every blog made me think about the society we live in and enlightened me about my surroundings for the better or worse. Reading my peers blogs was also interesting because they have different perspectives as you. Overall, these blogs really educated me and I feel more enlightened than before.
This was a shocking piece to read. I had no idea. One half of me is surprised and other half is not as surprised. I did not expect Kobe Bryant to be the aggressor of a sexual assault case, however, I did expect this situation to be covered up considering his popular status. One main quote that stuck to me is how “we compartmentalize the people we love or admire” and “cling to myths about “monsters” and “good guys.” I agree with these statements because I think I have either seen or been a part of it. We have a hard time associating the ones we admire with harmful actions because of this over-protectiveness we develop towards them. We often reply with “this is not true” or statements that are somewhere around these lines during these type of situations. Another quote that stood out to me was “They become footnotes to the legacies of great men.” I believe society almost shames or “mute” the victims of sexual assault especially if they are victims of well-known figures.
When I think about this philosophical question “can something be not your fault, but still your responsibility?” I think about the racial context of America that has been going on for generations. Some may say that racism isn’t their fault and was not something that they contributed to, however, I believe that this form of ignorance is what keeps racism alive. I believe things that have been going on for a long time, such as slavery, creates this foundation of accepted behavior within society. Ta-Nehisi points out that America still follows treaties that dates back to hundreds of years ago and follows the writings of people who are not alive. Therefore, it is our responsibility, from authorities to ordinary civilians, to fight discrimination and racism that has been forming since the country’s past and aim to create a society more just for the country’s future.
Throughout the ‘The Case for Reparations’, I kept on thinking about Michelle Alexander’s statement in’The New Jim Crow’ that revealed how the racial caste system in America is just redesigned. This re-branding of discrimination towards the black community prevents them from fulfilling their natural rights. John Locke stated that an individual’s natural rights includes life, liberty and property. However, individuals from the black community are unable to execute their natural rights due to the disadvantages America implements on them. According to Ta-Nehisi Coates, during the 1930s through the 1960s, black individuals were cut out from the “legitimate home-mortgage market through means both legal and extralegal”. Coates also includes sections throughout the reading illustrating this social hierarchy that is dominated by whites as well as the normalization of segregation. Now post 50 years, some may say that segregation does not exist, however, it does take into new forms as society modernizes. It’s harder to distinguish and easier to manipulate which connects to Alexander’s statement that America is utilizing legal methods to induce discrimination. For example, the faulty infrastructure of the criminal justice system that allows others to immediately call black and poc individuals ‘criminals’. This is harder for us to realize because to us, we are just completing our duty by following the laws as a devoted citizen.
Islamophobia – Did 9/11 create a new form of discrimination?
For this topic I’m planning on researching media/communication culture change and how this form of discrimination became prevalent in other countries around the world surrounding the 9/11 incident.
South Asian beauty standards post colonization.
I’m not sure about this topic but it’s something I am interested in researching, how beauty standards changed post colonization. I know that in South Asia “looking white” is the ideal beauty standard, so I was wondering if colonization have anything to do with that.
“we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” A statement made by Michele Alexander illustrating the immutability of racism within the structures of American society. Alexander begins with an anecdote of an African American’s male family members and their inability to exercise their right to vote, from several generations back to the present, calling out how America utilizes different tactics to legalize discrimination. Each method used to initiate racism correlates to that era, for example, in the past it was slavery and now in the present it is the criminal justice system. African Americans as well as people of color are vulnerable to the systematic racism that is deeply in rooted in the foundation of America, creating what Alexander says a “racial caste system”. This system allows for mass incarceration and social control over minorities, deflecting their natural rights. America’s redesign of racial caste makes it easier for African Americans as well as people of color to fall prey to this incriminating system by ripping away their bill of rights and completing America’s picture of a perfect society filled with white collared workers.
The general intake acquired from the movie ‘Snowpiercer’ is the unjust behavior the lower class experience by the upper class. Further analysis of the movie ‘Snowpiercer’ comments on the social, political, and economic constructs of societies around the world and it’s problems regarding class systems.
I agree with this article’s interpretation of the train symbolizing the world and the ‘freeloaders’ being restrained by contemporary societies resulting in little social progress. An interesting point the article makes regarding the people from the tail section of the train is that they symbolize the “slums” of the third world and that the empty cars within the train indicates the great distance between the wealthy and the poor. The article continues to create connections between each section of the train to an aspect of contemporary society. Finally ending the segment on the engine at the very front of the train conveying the “perpetual motion” of contemporary society and how it will remain implemented through generations after generations if the structure is not destroyed. The article also comments on the significance of the main characters as well as the acts of revolution. Both the article’s and my interpretation have a similar understanding on the ‘Snowpiercer’ act in creating a parallel to the societies around us helping us “see” the harsh reality of our worlds.
I was reading another article called “How to Understand Snowpiercer” and an important piece of information that helped me gain a better understanding about the social constructs in the movie is to view it as a “parable of Darwinian economic and political determinism.”
One of the quotes which stood out to me was “racial categories and meanings may be social constructs, but they take the life of their own over time.” I agree with this statement because as social constructs becomes a widely held belief it implants itself deep into society which then passes on to future generations. These social constructs have been learned and adapted from the past generation and will be passed onto the future generation (similar to gender roles). The racial category soon becomes an learned perspective which individuals adapt to. We learn certain behaviors and ideologies unconsciously which relates to Kim saying that the racial categories that are social constructs will take the life of their own.
BTS’s music video ‘Spring Day’ is a commemoration of the lives lost due to the Sewol Ferry incident.
(0:10-0:35) – The beginning scene of ‘Spring Day’ features one of the members named Taehyung (or V) placing his head on the snowy train tracks. This scene shows that Taehyung is acknowledging the survivor’s guilt, this guilt of being alive rather than being dead like their loved ones.
(0:40-0:43)- In this scene, Jungkook is reminiscing about his friends who have died.
(0:44-0:49)- Jimin went back to the ocean to think about those who passed. This is where the song begins and the first lyrics being sung is “miss you”.
(0:55-1:02)- In this scene, RM is surrounded by abandoned suitcases which represents the students who went to the ferry with all their belongings but never returned. According to reports of the incident, the captain instructed the students to stay put instead of evacuating from the sinking ship. As a result, most of the students drowned while the captain and the staff members evacuated from the scene. The Korean government received a lot of backlash in how they dealt with the incident, the media did not fully report the truth and most families did not receive the assurance that they needed.
(1:11) – RM is going to the back of the train and says “My heart is running on the time alone on the Snowpiercer.” RM refers to the Korean movie ‘Snowpiercer’, where the setting of the movie is on a train symbolizing human society; the ‘front’ of the train meant for the upper class and government officials while the ‘tail’ of the train is composed of the working class. The movie creates a parallel to our human society by showing how the wealthy treats the working people harshly. Similarly, RM exposes the harsh society where the students who drowned were oppressed by the authorities. Furthermore, in the movie ‘Snowpiercer’ one person built the courage to face the injustice and started to go in front of the train, similarly, RM is seen doing the same.
(1:08-1:13) – RM is running to some sort of motel called ‘Omelas’ and right underneath there is a neon sign saying ‘no vacancy.’ Omelas is a fictional place from the book ‘The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” This fictional piece involves a Utopian society where happiness and prosperity is dependent on someone else’s sufferings. The 2 members, Jhope and Suga, are standing next to the ‘no vacancy’ sign to show that Omelas has a large population.
(1:15-1:20)- RM is going to the ‘front’ of the train to symbolize the fight for justice.
(1:23-1:30)- This scene is contradictory to it’s meaning. BTS is in this celebratory state, such as Jhope throwing the cake at RM, when in actuality this scene represents the attacks one receives from seeking justice similar to how society/government reacts when one is trying to confront injustice. (One example in American society: police brutality)
(1:32- 1:40) – All the other members, besides Jin, are going up the stairs. Jin represents the ones who have died due to the accident. He is at the bottom of the stairs watching the others climbing up and growing up unable to live life with them.
(1:43-1:47) – This scene shows Jungkook in front of a worn down Merry-Go-Round which symbolizes a loss of childhood. The lyrics keep saying “I miss you, I miss you.”
(2:00-2:12) – These collective scenes shows the daily lives of the survivors. The lyrics captures the empty feelings of the survivors, “how many sleepless nights do I have to spend to see you” as well as counting the days they can see their loved ones “until the days of the spring”.
(2:19) – Jimin picking up the shoes of a survivor of the Sewol ferry accident that washed up on shore
(2:31-2:35) – There is a note on the dryer that says “Don’t Forget” which are the pleadings of survivors who are telling others to not forget the people who died even though society is telling them otherwise.
(2:38-2:53) – Suga is on top of this enormous pile of clothing. This mountain of clothing is an artwork created by Christian Boltanski. The clothes represents the souls lost and the ‘souls’ of the clothes who went to a ‘higher place.’ Suga raps, “Yes I hate you, you left me but I never stopped think about you”, he raps from a survivor’s perspective.
(3:16) – Lights of the Merry-Go-Round lights up symbolizing the realization that it is the boy’s duties to fight for justice. The yellow ribbons of the Merry-Go-Round is alike to the Sewol Ferry Yellow Ribbon Campain.
(3:30-3:45) – Jungkook is following RM’s path in seeking justice along with the other members.
(3:47-3:55) – As the train goes past, this scene symbolizes that what is done is done. No matter how far you are in seeking justice, the dead will not come back to life.
(3:59-4:05)- Jungkook is playing with a match stick, when he strikes the match stick the other members are around him. This scene conveys that as long as we remember the death they will forever live in our memories. This scene refers to the fairy tale “Little Match Girl” where a girl lights up a match to see her dead loved ones.
(4:39- 4:43) – Jimin breaking free from the oppressive society which is symbolized by the train and ushering us to follow him
(5:00- 5:10) – tree of life and brand new spring day
(5:20) – shoes are hung on the tree to commemorate those who have passed away.
