1. THREE KEY PARTS TO THE
THEORY
1. Racial hierarchal ideologies born out of colonialism are still
present in today’s post colonial era. This can be seen through the
stereotypical representations of ethnic minorities as ‘other’ (the
colonised descendants) in the western media.
2. Diasporic identities are not rooted in the nation of origin but are
re- created and formed as cultures mix and evolve along the
routes of the different countries the diaspora have travelled to.
3. The oppression of the colonised Africans has lead to a state of
being Gilroy refers to as double consciousness. This idea states
that the minority groups see themselves but also objectively
through the systemic structures of white supremacy.
2. APPLYING POST- COLONIAL THEORY
TO FORMATION
In pairs watch Beyonce’s Formation music video. focusing on a key part of
Gilroy’s theory make notes on how it can be applied or challenged. Refer to
specific examples from the video text as evidence to support your points.
Be prepared to feedback to the class in 20 minutes.
3. RACIAL HIERARCHY AND
BLACKS AS ‘OTHER’
• Juxtaposition of the young black
child in a hoodie dancing in front
of the police.
• Is the child an innocent victim or
a deviant criminal?
• The child raises his arms in
surrender – does the child
represent the unarmed black men
and teenagers that are routinely
killed by the police?
• The police raise their arms in
surrender- why do they fear the
boy? Are they surrendering for
their crimes against African
Americans?
4. RACIAL HIERARCHY AND
BLACKS AS ‘OTHER’
• The shots of flooded streets and submerged
houses in ruin portray the socio economic
oppression of African Americans in New Orleans
due to Hurricane Katrina.
• The shots of the Police car being submerged with
Beyonce standing defiantly on top may hint at
the desire to stand up to police brutality and
oppression of African Americans in wider
American society.
• At the end of the video an aerial shot depicts the
police car being fully submerged taking Beyonce
down with it. This might portray the dependency
of African Americans on American society and
how the racial social structures fail them as they
are not seen as equal citizens but still as ‘other’.
5. REPRESENTATION OF
DIASPORA IDENTITIES
Examples from the video
• Beyonce and her back up
dancers perform in a
group showcasing
distinctive Rhythmic dance
styles referencing female
college/high school dance
troops.
• Dance style is heavily
rooted in black southern
American culture but also
has historical and cultural
links to African culture.
6. • Historical reference to Beyonce’s Creole
heritage.
• This depicts an often underrepresented
narrative of blacks not as slaves but
enjoying relative economic freedom in an
era when may blacks were still slaves and
living on plantations.
• Close up shot of women wearing straight
haired weaves references diaspora
identities . Due to racial oppression many
black women living in western countries
had to wear their hair straight, however
overtime this has become a symbol of
expression rather than oppression within
black communities.
• These women are being depicted as
defiantly wearing their hair in an array of
colours, with big gold jewellery.
• In western mainstream media this
representation is often deemed ‘ghetto’
and lower class, however in this video it is
being represented as a distinct part of
African American culture without the
REPRESENTATION OF
DIASPORA IDENTITIES
7. • References to gospel church
portrays Southern African
American culture as being
religious and god fearing.
• African American slaves were
indoctrinated into Christianity
by their white owners as a
method of controlling them
on the plantations.
• However Christianity was
used amongst many blacks
and still is today as a source of
hope through their
oppression.
REPRESENTATION OF
DIASPORA IDENTITIES
8. DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS
• The video offers positive representations of
southern African American culture with a
focus on female empowerment, unity and
black cultural pride. It is an unapologetic
portrayal of African American culture made
fro a black audience.
• On closer analysis however these
representations are juxtaposed with more
nuanced representations that Gilroy might
refer to as reflecting the Double
consciousness he states black people have
due to seeing themselves too often
represented through the eyes of white
mainstream media.
9. • Shots of black women with stoic
facial expressions in a hair shop
with rows upon rows of
European wig stands hints at
the complex relationship many
black women have with wearing
and accepting their natural hair,
due to historical colonial
oppression which is reinforced
in today’s western beauty
standards.
• This is juxtaposed with shots of
Beyonce’s dancers wearing
natural Afros dancing
confidently in formation.
DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS
10. • Shots of Blue Ivy positioned in the center of
two girls smiling and dancing confidently.
She is wearing her hair natural and again
juxtaposed against the two girls either side
who also have their hair in afros but are
standing motionless with stern looks on
their faces.
• Does this suggest issues of colourism and
also class that reinforces further oppression
and division within black communities?
• Blue Ivy has a lighter skin tone which is
often celebrated as being near to
Eurocentric beauty ideals. Blue Ivy is also
the daughter of a famous and powerfully
rich star icon.
DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS
11. • Again more positive
representations are offered
in the video through the
wide shots of group of
women of all different
shades being represented
not as slaves but as free
people of colour.
DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS
14. • Gloria Jean Watkins (born September 25, 1952)
• American author, professor, feminist, and social activist.
• Noting a lack of diverse voices in popular feminist theory, hooks
published Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center in 1984
bell hooks
15. FEMINIST THEORY
• Feminism is the struggle to end patriarchal oppression.
• Argues that if feminism seeks to make women equal to men, then it
is impossible because in Western society, not all men are equal.
• hooks challenged feminists to consider gender's relation to race,
class, and sex, a concept which came to be known as
intersectionality.
• Intersectionality refers to the intertwined relationship of race, class
and gender and what hook describes as their ability to produce and
perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination.
16. INTERSECTIONALITY OF
FEMINISM
Oppression
Race
GenderClass
The intersectionality of
race, class and gender, and
what she describes as their
ability to produce and
perpetuate systems of
oppression and class
domination
Consider how white working
class women may have a
different set of oppressions
linked to their class that white
middle class women may not
endure.
Then consider how black or other
ethnic minority women may have
a different set of oppressions
linked to their race that white
middle class or working class
women may not endure.
17. Watch the video from 28
minutes-38 minutes to hear
the section where bell hooks
discusses Beyonce’s
representation on Time
Magazine.
Beyonce Carter-Knowles
A role model for the
oppressed or a ‘cultural
terrorist’?
18. READING HOMEWORK
Read the following articles and answer
the questions on the next slide
• https://www.indiewire.com/2016/02/heres-the-problem-with-
beyonces-formation-video-22050/
• https://www.salon.com/2016/05/17/bell_hooks_vs_beyonce_wha
t_the_feminist_scholarly_critique_gets_wrong_about_lemonade_a
nd_liberation/
19. 1. Do you think the Formation music video seeks to offer representations of feminist ideology? use examples
from the video to support your points
2. To what extent does the music video challenge sexist/patriarchal oppression?
3. How has Beyoncé been represented throughout the music video?
- describe her onscreen persona (which characteristics/personal attributes does she seem to posses e.g.
strong powerful woman? A leader? A 'star' etc, Beyoncé have a consistent representation or multiple
representations throughout the video? Why do you think this is? How has Beyoncé's representation been
constructed?( consider dress, hair/make up/camera shots and any significant lyrics that help to construct
her star image).
4. Does the representation of Beyonce reinforce and possibly condone the objectification of women?
5. Is Beyoncé exploiting the pain of New Orleans people for her own financial gain?
6. Is Beyoncé adopting feminism as a lifestyle choice to sell music or has she made a political commitment to
feminism?
7. Has the feminist interpretation in Formation been overemphasised or misinterpreted in the video? Is the
video perhaps less concerned about portraying a specific feminist stance and more about Beyoncé's wider
concerns around racism and police brutality in modern day America?
8. As bell hooks suggests, is Beyoncé less of a feminist because she wears revealing clothes and uses her body
and sexual appeal to sell music?
9. Are the political messages less valid or questionable because they are packaged in a music video, which is
essentially a vehicle to promote Beyonce's star image and more financial gain?
KEY QUESTIONS
https://www.indiewire.com/2016/02/heres-the-problem-with-beyonces-formation-video-22050/
https://www.salon.com/2016/05/17/bell_hooks_vs_beyonce_what_the_feminist_scholarly_critique_gets_wrong_about_lemonad
e_and_liberation/
