Expolitation & Appropriation: How I Make Theory Walk
Spring semester 2017 I took a course called Literature and Cultural Studies. Our last day of class (today) we were asked to bring in a "speech" summarizing our thoughts about the content and learning that happened over the course of the semester. This course helped to reshape my thinking and how I interact with the world around me. This is a revised version of my "speech" on how I incorporate the different theories into my life.
Before taking this course, I always paired
theory with science, and science with intellectuals. Before this course, theory’s
only purpose was to deliver to me an overly complicated jargon-filled
explanation that confused me rather than simplifying the idea at hand. Before
this course, I never thought of theory as something practical or something that
could be applied to literature or social situations.
When exploring different theories in class
like; deconstruction, liberal humanism and critical race theory, I started to
experience a sense of enlightenment. These theories were things that I have
practiced and witnessed in life without even knowing. With a change of spirit towards how I viewed
theory, my outlook on life also changed.
After this course, I find that my sense of truth has been forever changed. When I read books, watch movies or look at advertisements,
I deconstruct the tone and ask myself if there is a hidden message that I am
not aware of. I now realize that anything in life can be viewed as problematic
if put into the right context with supporting facts.
Although the way I think and perceive things
will forever be fucked up (in a good way) I appreciate the beauty of literary
theory. Being stuck in a state of ignorance or stagnant growth does not
challenge the mind nor does it create space for critical and analytical
thinking.
In which case, when revisiting the reading Intellectuals and Power, a transcribed
conversation between Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze, I realized that I
started to think critically and analyze what they were saying instead of accepting their words at face value.
Foucault said something interesting
regarding exploitation during his discussion with Deleuze. He said “After all, we had to wait
until the 19th century before we began to understand the nature of
exploitation.”
This immediately redirected my attention to
the word exploitation. I began to
look at this comment through critical race theory. With the use of the word
exploitation and the reference to the 19th century I naturally
thought of Sarah Baartman.
In the early 19th century Sarah
Baartman was an African woman who had an encounter with European colonialists. Her
encounter with colonials resulted in being transported to London where her
unusual coloring and large butt were intriguing. After being reduced
to a scientific anomaly Baartman spent her life on display. She was put
up as an attraction, something for
people to look at, something to be
bewildered by. She was not human.
Thinking back to the word exploitation led me to the word appropriation. We are currently in the
21st century where people are still obsessed with the features of
black women. They want to act black and look black but they don’t want to be
black.
We see this so often, especially within
social media. People who want a big butt or big lips; something that is not natural to them. Inspite of that they still strive to attain these features. Then the appropriation comes when culture is being copied, being mass produced and misused.
The blatant disregard of black women's beauty and the appropriation of their culture has been so normalized
to the point that speaking out against such acts will make you appear as
someone who is counter cultural. Ironic, isn’t it? Someone speaking out to
someone else about how not to appropriate another culture is deemed as a person
who is “overreacting” or the “angry person of color”.
I make theory walk when I counter ignorance with knowledge.
