Papers by andrea hollington
The liminal position of musicians, as well as the fact that many people are drawn to the power of... more The liminal position of musicians, as well as the fact that many people are drawn to the power of music, is also reflected in music's contribution to bringing about social change, for instance by challenging authorities or established "truths", or by expressing issues that are yet to become widely considered. There are countless examples that show how music has been an expression and essential part of the protests of various political and social movements or subcultures. Sometimes musicians and their listeners mark(ed) the arrival of a new generation and/or challenge(d) dominant customs, this often leading to worries among the authorities, such as in the case of rock and roll. In other instances, the target of opposition is more explicitly political. For example, Pink Floyd's song Another Brick in the Wall became a popular anthem of protest against, and a critique of, the British educational system, while the current revival of punk rock may also relate to increasing concerns about geopolitical instability, inequality, and the future of our planet-even though it is argued that punk will not regain the position it had as protest music as in its heyday. Music, in such cases, may be part of the aim of promoting structural change. Also, in the case of Bob Marley, and reggae more generally, music was part and parcel of the hope of underminig the position of dominant forces, such as the imperial state. In his song Zimbabwe, for example, Marley targeted the white minority regime in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia). Yet even in the case of music genres that are associated with resistance and revolution, such as Reggae and Hip Hop, this is often not a static condition. Over time, genres may transform (or diversify) from being explicitly political to more mainstream and/or focusing on mundane issues rather than the revolutionary potential of their listeners. When we go back in time, however, many music genres and styles at one point (in time) or another challenged social realities and propagated change, as Attali (1985) demonstrates-even music styles associated with established groups, such as classical music, often have a history of challenging social realities. But also in the music industry itself, one often sees competing interests. These may not necessarily be expressed in the songs, such as in protest songs mentioned above, but the struggles may nevertheless be apparent. Especially due to the commercial realities of music production, consumption and distribution, singers, record companies, listeners, etc. are involved in an almost constant struggle about the costs and distribution of gains-see also an interesting contribution on the Focaalblog about the link between music and capitalism. There are many examples of singers abandoning their record companies. The arrival of new technical possibilities also often leads to the challenging of existing power balances, such as the Internet has clearly shown. The usual suspects in the form of powerful record companies can now more easily be circumvented, a fact which forms part of the subject matter of Sylvie St-Jacques' contribution about cutting out the middlemen. In this regard, apart from the illegal downloading of music of renowned (and often already wealthy) musicians, moreover, a particularly interesting aspect of the World Wide Web is that it allows independent and beginning artists to spread their music across the world-via, for example, SoundCloud. The physical reality of geographical distance has been collapsed and nowadays we can as easily listen to African hip hop as to a band three blocks down the road.
We encounter water every day. It is a vital substance biologically as much as socially. We may no... more We encounter water every day. It is a vital substance biologically as much as socially. We may notice this in art exhibitions and university courses communicating submersed and subversive facts about water; the rhythms of floods and tides resonating with fishing techniques and conflict patterns; inundations carrying moral and political weight as much as water and pollution; and particular mixtures of water and land generating wealth, anxieties and memories. In short, wherever people deal with water, they are involved not only with a physical element, but also with social relations. In fact, whenever we pretend that water is foremost the molecule H2O, we ignore all the political, economic, infrastructural, emotional and legal aspects of this element without which water would not be what it is for us today. This issue explores some of the ways in which water is profoundly social, both in the sense of being co-produced by social life, and by being a core constituent of it. Some contrib...
Global South Studies Center, Nov 20, 2018
http://voices.uni-koeln.de another category that varies widely across times and places. While spe... more http://voices.uni-koeln.de another category that varies widely across times and places. While specific relations of coerced and precarious labour may appear as aberrations in the context of so-called 'regular employment', they are hardly exceptional when viewed through historically-informed perspectives from the Global South. Beyond conditions of work itself, what is considered 'decent' work often relates to work's perceived contribution to society. In his recent book, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, 2 David Graeber examines how some people consider the content and effects of their jobs to be useless for society at large, for example, because they profit from selling products that jeopardise consumers' health or even the entire planet. Financiers involved in speculation, may consider themselves as performing an essential social function, but there is a long history of others who judge their practices as socially undesirable and even pathological. But who decides what is a meaningless job and what is not? How and why does this change over time? 'Decent Work'-Voices from around the world Global South Studies Center, University of Cologne, Germany-http://voices.uni-koeln.de focuses on a specific aspect of the 1999 ILO Decent Work Report-the 'social dialogue' goal-to show the difficulties of implementing ILO frameworks on the ground. So far, this dialogue seems to serve the interests of the management rather than to increase the bargaining power of the Vietnamese workers or improve their working conditions. Gerda Kuiper, in her contribution, discusses labour conditions at the global hub of flower production around Lake Naivasha, Kenya. She demonstrates the complexities of defining (in)decent work conditions in a global industry, not least because what is considered 'decent' is often decided by (global) actors who are not directly involved. To gain a better understanding, Kuiper argues, we need to also pay attention to how local workers perceive the content of their work (and related conditions), instead of portraying them as actors without agency. 'Decent Work'-Voices from around the world Global South Studies Center, University of Cologne, Germany-http://voices.uni-koeln.de 'Indecent' Work? The Case of Colonial Indentured Labour by Oliver Tappe After the foundation of the ILO in 1919, a key element of the organization's activities was the fight against forced labour-as it were, 'indecent' labour relations-worldwide. Many decades later, following numerous campaigns against 'modern slavery' and in favour of decent labour, this struggle is far from over. Global variants of contract labour, in particular, still recall colonial systems of indenture that often implied coercion and violence. The ILO's engagement with colonial labour relations was a precursor of the ongoing global battle for decent work. 'Decent Work'-Voices from around the world Global South Studies Center, University of Cologne, Germany-http://voices.uni-koeln.de the Transvaal, from 1904 supplemented by 63,000 Chinese indentured labourers (Lindner 2016). Colonial capitalists were obliged to provide suitable lodgings, food, and medical care. However, breaches of these obligations were common, in addition to illegal floggings, withheld wages, and sexual assault (ibid.).
Clothing and dress are among the most central and common aspects of social and cultural life arou... more Clothing and dress are among the most central and common aspects of social and cultural life around the world. Dress may be used to represent a person’s or a group’s identity, and to create similarity or difference. Clothes are deeply social as they are commonly handed on in families, among friends and in transnational communities. They may be changed over the course of a day and their styles change over time in response to global and local fashion trends. To explore the significance of clothing in identity formations, we have invited authors from around the world to reflect on this topic.
How can we achieve a better understanding of the variations in international migration to, from, ... more How can we achieve a better understanding of the variations in international migration to, from, and within the Global South? To facilitate a dia-logue about this topic, we asked a number of contributors to write or to provide a video statement about their region of expertise. To some we explicitly posed the following question: Is it possible to distinguish current or historical experiences or patterns of migration in the Global South that differ from patterns in the Global North?
Has there been a major (epistemic) transformation towards more balanced global knowledge producti... more Has there been a major (epistemic) transformation towards more balanced global knowledge production or have inequalities been intensified? How are terms defined or what do we understand by ‘global knowledge production’ or ‘epistemic inequality’? How can we adapt our research topics or methods to shape a more egalitarian (global) kind of knowledge? Can we identify the (conscious) ‘gatekeepers’ of epistemic exclusion; for example, disciplinary conventions, modi operandi of publication and funding schemes, or interiorized ‘colonial’ practices? And if so, what can we do about them at conferences, in the publishing and funding sectors? How can privileged scholars engage in critical self-reflection of their academic practices – both at a theoretical and methodological level but also in everyday practices? By means of addressing these questions in a variety of ways, the aim of the issue is to investigate to what extent, how and why institutional, financial and ideological factors restrain ...
Where and what is the Global South? If you ask people on the street, many would probably not have... more Where and what is the Global South? If you ask people on the street, many would probably not have the faintest idea. In everyday parlance and mass media, Global South has hardly become a household term. In academic and (global) policy circles, though, the term is used with much more gusto. Politicians refer to it. The United Nations organize their statistical data in accordance with the term. Academics write books about it - or, as in our case, explicitly include the term in the name of a research center: Global South Studies Center (GSSC). But what does the term entail? Who uses it and why? And what are the implications of marking distinctions between the Global South and the Global North? We thought it relevant to address these questions in more detail – after all, we work for a recently established research institute featuring the term in its name. Accordingly, we asked a number of academics, journals and academic institutions to reflect on the term. In this online issue, we shar...
Are ghosts modern? It seems that modernization and spirituality do not contradict each other in m... more Are ghosts modern? It seems that modernization and spirituality do not contradict each other in most parts of the world. Animist beliefs and ghost rituals often form part of people’s everyday lives vis-a-vis a globalized economy. For them, the unpredictable forces of ‘the market’ correspond with the elusive world of spectral entities. Facing economic risk, flexibility, and precarity, people address the ghosts for protection and luck. This issue of “Voices” will explore the interplay of economic and ritual practice, of everyday uncertainties and ghostly agency, of emerging modernities and (re-)emerging spiritualities.
Revista Do Gel: O contato linguístico e a área transatlântica, 2021
This paper is concerned with Africa and the African Diaspora in Jamaica from a linguistic perspec... more This paper is concerned with Africa and the African Diaspora in Jamaica from a linguistic perspective. It will shed light on linguistic and communicative practices which illustrate the dynamic and reciprocal relationship between Africa and the Caribbean. My objective is to go beyond the approach of traditional (Caribbean) creolistics, which usually investigates African "substrate" influences in so-called creole languages, and to look at the Atlantic contact area as a dynamic zone with mutual and multidirectional influences. This will involve not only the historical dimension of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, through which the African Diaspora in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the Americas emerged in the first place, but also a focus on the role of the dynamicity of current language practices on identity, language ideologies, linguistic creativity, and agency. An important aspect in this respect is the emblematicity of African elements, as linguistic elements, which are different from 'Standard English' (often perceived as the colonial language and the language of the slave master and oppressor), and which are marked in the context of conscious linguistic choices. Moreover, there is an awareness of the African heritage in Jamaican language practices that informs conscious efforts to use African linguistic elements (for instance, names). For many Jamaicans, their African heritage and identity play an important role. This can be observed, in particular, in Rastafari discourses and in Reggae music and culture, which emphasize a strong focus on Africa. These phenomena are also relevant in (Anglophone) Africa, where Jamaican linguistic practices are adopted through the influence of Reggae, Dancehall, and Rastafari. Therefore, this contribution will also feature some examples of how influences from the Diaspora come back to Africa, for example, in music and youth language practices.
Colonial and Decolonial Linguistics, 2020
Swearing and Cursing. Contexts and Practices in a Critical Linguistic Perspective, 2020
The Cambridge Handbook of African Linguistics, 2019
Global Perspectives on Youth Language Practices, 2022
Ever since the 15th century, when the various societies of present-day Uganda were established, s... more Ever since the 15th century, when the various societies of present-day Uganda were established, sports education, which also included music, dance and drama (MDD), has been an integral part of the education system for the training of young people, with language always being an important means of instruction. The combination played a fundamental role in the processes of nation building and state formation. With the introduction of “modern” schooling and education by the Christian missionaries in the 1890s, and the enactment of the first offi- cial education policy of the British Colonial Government in 1925, the combina- tion of sports education with MDD has developed into one of the most important aspects of schooling, used to educate, indoctrinate and produce citizens of the colonial and the national system. For example, the recent introduction of tradi- tional sports including wrestling commonly known as Ekigwo, shows how sports education has been used to educate the young generation that traditional sport is equally important. Meanwhile the use of music in military education commonly refered to as Mchakamchaka demonstrates how sports education has been used for political indoctrination by the current ruling government of the National Resistance Movement. In this chapter, we will illustrate how youth language and language manipulation in the context of sports education has formed part of the institutional and historical processes that have constituted the current education system, as well as forming part of everyday practices and rituals in school assem- blies, classes, sports and school ceremonies. We will discuss how the youth use the linguistic manipulation of colonial, national and school rituals as a tool of resistance and as a decolonial practice. In particular, we will look at the linguistic strategies, and show the ways in which youth language practices and music have been playing and continue to play a significant role in the context of education and politics in Uganda.
Linguistics Vanguard, 2020
This contribution seeks to shed light on global dimensions of language contact and language chang... more This contribution seeks to shed light on global dimensions of language contact and language change with regard to African youth languages. Looking at the influences of Jamaican speech forms on youth language practices in Africa, the focus will be on transatlantic linguistic ties that link Africa and its Diaspora. As the case studies will illustrate, Jamaican has a huge impact on youths in Africa and is used extensively in their communicative practices. Music, in this regard, plays an important role: Reggae and Dancehall music are highly popular in many (especially Anglophone) African countries, and these Jamaican music genres are quite influential with regard to language practices among African youth and beyond. Music thus represents an important site of language contact, and also serves as a means to learn the Jamaican language. In our paper we will draw on examples from different African countries to illustrate the wide spread of Jamaican influences. Our focus will be on case studies in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa and the Gambia. We will discuss selected song examples from a sociolinguistic perspective that takes these various language practices as a base and then looks at the contexts and motivations for the use of Jamaican speech forms.
Approaches to language and culture, 2022
Research that concerns the intersection of language and culture is diverse, interdisciplinary, an... more Research that concerns the intersection of language and culture is diverse, interdisciplinary, and often contested. While many fields and domains have been discussed extensively (such as the connection between language and cognition, initiated under the controversial theory of linguistic relativity), others constitute new and still understudied approaches (such as the role of culture in language acquisition; see Hellwig, this volume, Rumsey, Singer, and Tomlinson, this volume). There are not only different domains and themes in the study of language and culture, but also different conceptions of the very notions of language and culture, and the relationship between them (as discussed by Nassenstein and Völkel in the introduction to this volume). And that's before one even begins to consider the great linguistic and cultural diversity on this planet. With regard to the African continent, for example, Axel Fleisch (2020: 780) states: "A vast field of study like that of African languages and cultures is necessarily fragmented, diverse, and characterized by manifold research approaches with their specific theoretical preferences and methodologies." A similar statement is found at the beginning of Ameka and Amha's contribution on language and culture research in Africa in this volume. For the European context, Underhill and Głaz (this volume) note, likewise, that given the great amount of diverse language and cultural practices, "the chances of developing a coherent pan-European concept of cultural linguistics certainly appear to be slim." Similarly, other parts of the world exhibit enormous linguistic diversity in general and great variety in the ways in which language(s) and culture (s) interact and in the ways these interactions are studied and analyzed, as the contributions to this volume testify (see Enfield and Sidnell, this volume, Aikhenvald, this volume, Rumsey, Singer, and Tomlinson, this volume). Considering Enfield and Sidnell's (this volume) statement that "[l]anguage is a part of culture and culture is a part of language", and given the fact that both language and culture are dynamic and ever changing, the possible relations, interactions, and mutual influences between language and culture, and the domains and aspects that could be studied, extend to infinity.
International Journal of Language and Culture, 2019
Arts Bias »Arts Bias. The misunderstanding of creativity that equates it with artistic talent. Th... more Arts Bias »Arts Bias. The misunderstanding of creativity that equates it with artistic talent. The result: only individuals with artistic talent are labeled creative.« Runco, Mark A.
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Papers by andrea hollington