Ethnic Identity and Hip Hop Music, Research Paper Example

Introduction

According to Jackson (81), hip-hop is the manifestation of identity among young people. It is more than a sub-culture and much more than an artistic style. Further, the author also states that “Hip Hop as a culture has, as we now know, expanded across the 21″ Century global cultural stage with such force and transformative power that identity, language, and, of course, music have all been changed everywhere it has surfaced”. The above statement will be examined today based on examining the literature of sociological research.

Hip-hop as cultural identifier

The culture of hip-hop can be examined from different perspectives; social, cultural and aesthetic. As Jackson (83) states, the society viewed the emerging culture and style of hip hop with suspicion, and members of the community were often stigmatized, as those belonging to the underground culture. Indeed, even today Rap music is associated with street culture. While rap and hip-hop are developed from street performances, it is important to note that the music and style itself have been picked up by several white artists during the past few decades, making the culture and style enter the mainstream culture, mass media communication. This is the reason why Hip Hop Culture is featured and discussed in media today as a representation of ethnic and cultural diversity. (Jackson 85).

The social justice aspect of black culture

Turner, Hayes and Way (341) look at Hip Hop production from a social justice aspect. The authors state that by representing Hip Hop music in extended school programs would increase social justice among classes and racial groups. Further, it would allow non-black students to fully understand the essence of the cultural phenomenon through music, attitudes and conversations related to Hip Hop and street culture. The article also discusses the unique characteristics of African American language; the context, structure and literacy, rhetorical practices of communities that represent culturally diverse identities, experiences and ideologies (Turner et al. 343).

The importance of incorporating hip hop in education

Learning outcomes and cultural equality were measured by Turner et al. The authors created a new pedagogical approach: “Critical Multimodal Hip Hop Production” to promote equal representation of cultures, feature other uses of English than “standard American”, to allow students to synthesize information gathered by African American cultures, to create a respect for unique literacy uses and to address the issue of social justice within education (Turner et al. 345). The critical pedagogy approach of the authors has proven that through active engagement, students developed a full understanding of inequities, cultures and representation of social groups. Further, featuring linguistically and culturally different ideologies, views and productions, students were able to reflect on their own lives and the society as a whole. Incorporating students’ home and culturally relevant language can create engagement that no standard curriculum can. This approach engages culturally diverse students, allows them to be themselves without being penalized for improper use of standard American language. Further, they were taking active part in the productions, which allowed them to reflect on and analyze social and ethnic stereotypes related to Hip Hop Culture. The implementation of the CMHHP project has also increased teachers’ social and cultural awareness, their understanding of students’ background, way of thinking and using language to express their ideas.

Influence of hip hop, rap music, cultural messages on ethnic identities

Travis and Bowman (456) state that exposure to rap music has not only negative, but positive impacts on health related behaviors through a conceptual model measuring the influence of exposure on youth behaviors.  While several authors before have claimed that featuring risky health and sexual behaviors can influence young people to engage in the same activities as video clips and song lyrics feature. Still, there is another aspect of rap (and hip hop) music that has not been studied adequately; and this is its purpose of expressing racial and ethnic identities. The authors state that specific music genres like “rap, techno, and reggae were linked to increased alcohol and substance use, while rap was also associated with increased aggression”. Featuring behaviors, however, might not necessarily have only one purpose; to encourage listeners to copy the activities. Indeed, there are several songs in the above genres that caution young people to use a condom or tells them stories how drugs can make one’s life a misery. An example for effective and culturally relevant delivery of positive health behavior messages can be the Condom Nation and AHF 97.9 The Beat’s Hip Hop for HIV Concert (AIDS Healthcare Foundation), where artists sang and spoke about getting tested and using protection against STD-s. Travis and Bowman (458) found that “not all rap music is laden with ‘negative’ themes” and “health-enhancing and other ‘positive’ attitudinal and behavioral correlations have been associated with rap music exposure”.

The other aspect of music genres like hip hop and rap, according to Travis and Bowman (457) is to help create a confident and well-defined cultural and ethnic identity. A sense of belonging can increase confidence, one’s determination. The authors created a study that attempted to evaluate “the protective relationship between ethnic identity and risky behavior intent” (457).  Rap music can, indeed empower and support marginalized teenagers, according to the study. The empowering effect is based on the positive confirmation of unique culture, language use, ideology and cultural diversity provided by rap and hip hop music. The study describes an individual and community empowerment framework that analyzes the positive impact of rap music engagement. Indeed, it is important to note that culturally relevant messages related to health behavior can have a stronger impact on minority populations.

Travis and Bowman (459) further state that Rap and Hip Hop music can have a positive impact on youth development. In teenage years, defining one’s self is one of the hardest challenges. When adolescents are confronted with identities and groups that they can culturally, linguistically, and ideologically relate to, they are supported in this task. Young people learn to appreciate their own strengths and assets related to their diversity. However, the study also revealed that exposure to rap music was not significantly related to increase in the risk of developing depression, however, it impacted young people’s attitudes towards risky behavior. Younger males were more likely to be influenced to engage in risky health behaviors than other groups.

Conclusion

While research of the above literature has found that there are positive and negative impacts of Rap and Hip Hop music exposure, it has also been confirmed that it can be used as an educational and empowerment tool. Delivering culturally relevant and meaningful messages to diverse populations, speaking their language is a powerful method to target social and cultural inequalities. Strengthening one’s identity development and cultural confidence can have a positive impact on self-esteem. Further, it has also been found that Hip Hop culture can be a way of helping adolescents discover and respect their own diversity.

Works Cited

AIDS Healthcare Foundation/Youtube.com. “Condom Nation & AHF Sponsor 5th Annual Hip Hop for HIV Concert” 2012. Web.

Jackson, L. “Discourse Methodology in Service of Narrative Strategy: Nommo Seeking in a Hip Hop Universe, James Spady’s Hip Hop Oeuvre” The Western Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2013. Print.

Travis, R., Bowman, S. “Ethnic identity, self-esteem and variability in perceptions of rap music’s empowering and risky in?uences”. Journal of Youth Studies. Vol. 15, No. 4, June 2012. Print.

Turner, N., Hayes, N., Way, K. “Critical Multimodal Hip Hop Production: A Social Justice Approach to African American Language and Literacy Practices” Equity & Excellence In Education, 46(3), 342–354, 2013. Print.