Hegemonic settler-colonial structure: Difference between revisions

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{{d|Hegemonic settler-colonial structure|/ˌhiːɡɪˈmɒnɪk sɛtlə-kəˈləʊniəl ˈstrʌkʧə/|n}}
{{d|Hegemonic settler-colonial structure|/ˌhiːɡɪˈmɒnɪk sɛtlə-kəˈləʊniəl ˈstrʌkʧə/|n}}
A system where a dominant group (often from a colonising country) establishes control over a territory and its indigenous population.<ref>Thank-you Bing AI.</ref>  
A system where a dominant group (often from a colonising country) establishes control over a territory and its indigenous population.<ref>Thank-you Bing AI.</ref>  
====Hegemonic====
{{drop|“H|egemonic”, we suppose}}, because a small group with instutionalised power becomes dominant and imposes its own cultural, economic, and political influence upon the values, norms, and systems of a disempowered subordinate group.
In any case, some pre-existing [[power structure]] whose existing mechanisms impose political order and hierarchy on a “society” of some sort.
====Colonial====
{{drop|“C|olonial” suggests that}} the hegemony then involuntarily appropriates and exploits the marginalised society’s cultural artefacts and resources for its own ends — typically self-enrichment and personal vainglory. (In [[critical theory]] “colonisation” is supplanting the inferior expression “[[cultural appropriation]]” because it does not invoke the hegemonic structure’s own concept of intellectual property in the same way.)
====Settler====
{{drop|“S|ettler” because the}} Colonial hegemonists do not “eat, root and leave” as the Kiwis put it, but rather they ''occupy'', settling on the disenfranchised society’s own territory to the exclusion of the previously occupying indigenous population, who are expelled from their own homeland.


“Hegemonic”, we suppose because a group becomes dominant and imposes cultural, economic, and political influence, on the values, norms, and systems of a subordinate group. In any case, some pre-existing [[power structure]] whose existing mechanisms impose political order and hierarchy on a “society” of some sort.
“Colonial” suggests the hegemony then involuntarily appropriates and exploits the society’s cultural artefacts and resources.
“Settler” because the Colonial hegemonists do not just cut and run: they settle on the society’s territory and exclude the indigenous population from its own homeland.
Bing AI tells us:
{{quote|“This structure often leads to long-term social, economic, and political inequalities, with the indigenous population facing marginalization and loss of their land, culture, and autonomy.”}}


====Worked example====
====Worked example====
Dr Gunn highlighted a real possibility of this happening should “Breaking” be introduced to the Paris Olympics. Now we can carp about these grievance studies warriors writing self-regarding baloney on the public purse, but Dr Gunn’s warnings here were prescient: Her warnings about the colonial-settler hegemony, invading an
But is this really all that germane to, well, ''Australian breakdancing''?
{{quote|“expressive and social dance style originating in the Bronx, developed and largely practised by People of Colour ... [that] does not easily ‘fit’ with the construction of the idealized Australian sporting hero – the large, muscular, White, cismale uniformed body enculturated as part of an established sporting institution.”}}


indeed came to pass: Australia was represented at the Olympics by “Bgirl Raygun”, a uniformed, white, “cisgendered” female athlete — JC would not presume to remark on a lady’s musculature or size — enculturated as part of the established sporting institutions that coordinated Australia’s strikingly successful campaign at Paris.
Dr. Gunn, again: her paper, prepared in the lead-up to Paris 2024, highlights real risks should “breaking” leave its obscure intersectional roots in the dispersed “scenes” in the unfashionable fringes of Australian cities and go global.  


So, who is this Bgirl Raygun?
{{quote|“An expressive and social dance style originating in the Bronx, developed and largely practised by People of Colour ... does not easily ‘fit’ with the construction of the idealized Australian sporting hero – the large, muscular, White, cismale uniformed body enculturated as part of an established sporting institution.”}}


Well, it may be “near impossible for breakers in Australia to make a living from breaking” as Dr Gunn puts it in her monograph — but apparently you ''can'' make a living writing about it: BgirlRaygun is none other than Dr Rachael Gunn, lecturer in the cultural politics of, well, breaking, at Macquarie University’s Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature, and author of that very study in grievance.
Now, we can carp about critical theory grievance warriors churning out self-absorbed misery baloney on the public purse, but Dr. Gunn’s warnings here were prescient. Everything dr Gunn foresaw came to pass: Australia was represented at the Olympics by “Bgirl Raygun”, a uniformed, white, “cisgendered” female athlete — JC would not presume to remark on a lady’s musculature or size, but she seemed quite enculturated as part of the established Australian sporting institution. She even performed in a green-and canary yellow Aussie tracksuit, rather than the streetwear favoured by other younger contestants from other nations.


Come and see the violence inherent in the system indeed!
So, who wa this Bgirl Raygun? None other than one Dr Rachael Gunn, lecturer in the cultural politics of, well, ''breaking'', at Macquarie University’s Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature.


Don’t say she didn’t warn you, kids!


{{sa}}
{{sa}}

Revision as of 15:13, 13 August 2024

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“Here, breaking is a space for those ‘othered’ by Australian institutions to express themselves and engage in new hierarchies of respect. We argue that breaking’s institutionalization via the Olympics will place breaking more firmly within this sporting nation’s hegemonic settler-colonial structures that rely upon racialized and gendered hierarchies.”

Dr Rachael Gunn, The Australian breaking scene and the Olympic Games: The possibilities and politics of sportification, September 2023 [1]

Hegemonic settler-colonial structure
/ˌhiːɡɪˈmɒnɪk sɛtlə-kəˈləʊniəl ˈstrʌkʧə/ (n.)
A system where a dominant group (often from a colonising country) establishes control over a territory and its indigenous population.[2]

Hegemonic

“Hegemonic”, we suppose, because a small group with instutionalised power becomes dominant and imposes its own cultural, economic, and political influence upon the values, norms, and systems of a disempowered subordinate group. In any case, some pre-existing power structure whose existing mechanisms impose political order and hierarchy on a “society” of some sort.

Colonial

“Colonial” suggests that the hegemony then involuntarily appropriates and exploits the marginalised society’s cultural artefacts and resources for its own ends — typically self-enrichment and personal vainglory. (In critical theory “colonisation” is supplanting the inferior expression “cultural appropriation” because it does not invoke the hegemonic structure’s own concept of intellectual property in the same way.)

Settler

“Settler” because the Colonial hegemonists do not “eat, root and leave” as the Kiwis put it, but rather they occupy, settling on the disenfranchised society’s own territory to the exclusion of the previously occupying indigenous population, who are expelled from their own homeland.


Worked example

But is this really all that germane to, well, Australian breakdancing?

Dr. Gunn, again: her paper, prepared in the lead-up to Paris 2024, highlights real risks should “breaking” leave its obscure intersectional roots in the dispersed “scenes” in the unfashionable fringes of Australian cities and go global.

“An expressive and social dance style originating in the Bronx, developed and largely practised by People of Colour ... does not easily ‘fit’ with the construction of the idealized Australian sporting hero – the large, muscular, White, cismale uniformed body enculturated as part of an established sporting institution.”

Now, we can carp about critical theory grievance warriors churning out self-absorbed misery baloney on the public purse, but Dr. Gunn’s warnings here were prescient. Everything dr Gunn foresaw came to pass: Australia was represented at the Olympics by “Bgirl Raygun”, a uniformed, white, “cisgendered” female athlete — JC would not presume to remark on a lady’s musculature or size, but she seemed quite enculturated as part of the established Australian sporting institution. She even performed in a green-and canary yellow Aussie tracksuit, rather than the streetwear favoured by other younger contestants from other nations.

So, who wa this Bgirl Raygun? None other than one Dr Rachael Gunn, lecturer in the cultural politics of, well, breaking, at Macquarie University’s Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature.

Don’t say she didn’t warn you, kids!

See also

References

  1. Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature, Macquarie University. Aka “Bgirl Raygun”
  2. Thank-you Bing AI.