Abstract

This thesis explores images of power and powerlessness. Through an inquiry of social rhetoric, through literature and tape-recorded interviews with youths, I shall consider issues of racial dominance and its portrayal in popular cultural trends. Race is one of the most emotional and politically charged subjects in America. What race represents goes deeper than material aspects of pigmentation; but to the core of identity and the fear and pain of cultural displacement. Whether in blatant rebellion or subtle transactions, the negotiation of racial images, boundaries, and hierarchies have been a constant in America. I shall explore the concepts of "Blackness" and cultural authenticity versus stereotypic emulation.

Advisor

Meyer, Eric

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

Publication Date

1994

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 1994 Hannah C. Guggenheim