Johnson, E. Patrick. “Performing Blackness Down Under: The Café of the Gate of Salvation.” Text and Performance Quarterly 22.2 (2002): 99-119. Print.
The article under consideration focuses on ethnical identity. The author explores the way African American gospels affect Australians. The author focuses on the way the performance changes Australian’s perception of the song and how it affects the Australians’ outlooks (Johnson 99).
Johnson claims that gospels have acquired quite considerable role in the society. The influence of this form of art has spread over communities of African Americans throughout the USA. More so, these songs also affect other communities.
These songs can be even regarded as the path people can choose to understand other people’s culture. Interestingly, the author provides particular examples how gospels can unite people. For instance, the author describes Judy Backhouse’s experience when she felt connection with African Americans who were very supportive when she sang (Johnson 113).
The author concludes that music has a great power over people and it can become one of those things that connect people pertaining to different cultures. Music can help people understand peculiarities of life of those pertaining to different cultures. Thus, White people can acknowledge difficulties Black people have to face in their lives. Whites can feel connected with Black people.
These two groups can experience certain unity. Nonetheless, the author also admits that even though White people can understand and empathize Black people, the former will still enjoy privileges available due to their skin color (Johnson 118). Finally, the author also stresses the importance of paying attention to such notions as blackness as such manifestations of ethnical identity reveal changes that take place in societies.
The issue of the privileges is also touched upon in works by Robin Coleman, Navita Cummings James, Margarita Gangotena and Gwendolyn Gong. Thus, Coleman focuses on position of Black females tracing constraints they have to face (53). James also dwells upon Black women who have strived to achieve equal position in the society (60). Gangotena analyzes position of Mexican Americans in the USA (93).
The author focuses on the role of family in the life of these people who have to endure certain suppression. Gong reveals issues concerning cultural identity in Chinese communities (104). All these works focus on one issue: position of minorities in the ‘white society’. The articles dwell upon interaction between minorities and White people. Notably, the authors note that Whites understand that those people are suppressed, though Whites are not ready to abandon their privileged position.
All these articles are important in terms of Communication Studies as they focus on interaction between different ethnical groups. The modern globalized world brings to the fore issues concerning this kind of interaction. Ethnical identity and communication between different ethnic groups is one of the major concerns of contemporary researchers.
Thus, it is important to understand the latest trends in the field. It is necessary to trace changes that have taken place throughout decades or even centuries to understand principles and laws existing in societies. This information can help to work out effective strategies to develop proper communication between different ethnical groups. This, in its turn, will inevitably lead to development of the human society.
Discussion question: Based on Johnson’s article, how do you think different forms of art can influence interactions between people pertaining to different cultures?
Works Cited
Coleman, Robin R. Means. “Tyler Perry: The (Self-Appointed) Savior of Black Womanhood.” Our Voices: Essays in Culture, Ethnicity, and Communication. Eds. Alberto Gonzalez, Marsha Houston, and Victoria Chen. New York, NY: Roxbury Publishing Company, 2011. 53-60. Print.
Gangotena, Margarita. “The Rhetoric of La Familia AAmong Mexican Americans.” Our Voices: Essays in Culture, Ethnicity, and Communication. Eds. Alberto Gonzalez, Marsha Houston, and Victoria Chen. New York, NY: Roxbury Publishing Company, 2011. 93-104. Print.
Gong, Gwendolyn. “When Mississippi Chinese Talk.” Our Voices: Essays in Culture, Ethnicity, and Communication. Eds. Alberto Gonzalez, Marsha Houston, and Victoria Chen. New York, NY: Roxbury Publishing Company, 2011. 104-112. Print.
James, Navita Cummings. “When Miss America Was Always White.” Our Voices: Essays in Culture, Ethnicity, and Communication. Eds. Alberto Gonzalez, Marsha Houston, and Victoria Chen. New York, NY: Roxbury Publishing Company, 2011. 60-65. Print.
Johnson, E. Patrick. “Performing Blackness Down Under: The Café of the Gate of Salvation.” Text and Performance Quarterly 22.2 (2002): 99-119. Print.