Cultures of resistance
Cultures of resistance refer to the various alternative and oppositional strategies employed by marginalized groups seeking social and political change through noninstitutionalized means. These cultures arise in response to feelings of exclusion from mainstream societal structures, influencing norms, values, and behaviors that reflect their unique identities and experiences. They manifest in various forms, such as language, art, dress, and music, and often stand in contrast to the dominant culture. Historically, numerous racial and ethnic minorities, including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, have engaged in direct actions like sit-ins, boycotts, and protests to challenge discrimination and advocate for their rights. One prominent example of a culture of resistance in the United States is the Civil Rights movement, where activists employed nonviolent techniques to combat segregation and promote equality. Such cultures are deeply intertwined with issues of race, gender, and class, serving as vital sites for struggle and self-expression in the quest for justice and recognition. Understanding these cultures provides insight into the ongoing dynamics of power, identity, and resistance within society.
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Cultures of resistance
Cultures of resistance are forms of alternative or oppositional strategies, direct actions, norms, values, attitudes, behaviors, and agendas that are developed and employed by groups who seek change through noninstitutionalized means. Often, these are groups who feel marginalized from the mainstream and excluded from decision making in major institutions of society. Within political, educational, economic, family, religious, and other institutions, marginalized groups exhibit cultures (as reflected in language, dress, music, hairstyles, and so on) that stand in opposition to the culture of majority groups. Cultures of resistance are inherently political, based upon self-defined standpoint experiences, inextricably embedded in race, gender, and class relations, and serve as sites for struggle. Historically, African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and other racial and ethnic minority groups have engaged in direct action to protest discrimination, prejudice, and alienation. Individuals engaging in sit-ins, boycotts, and marches are expressing a culture of resistance.
One of the most well-known examples of a culture of resistance in the United States is the actions taken during the Civil Rights movement, when African Americans used nonviolent resistance techniques to bring awareness and force change in regards to segregation practices in the South.
Bibliography
Booth, Janine. “Black Culture and Resistance: The Harlem Renaissance.” Workers’ Liberty, 27 Oct. 2020, www.workersliberty.org/story/2020-10-27/black-culture-and-resistance-harlem-renaissance. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024
Bush, Roderick.The End of White World Supremacy: Black Internationalism and the Problem of the Color Line. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2009.
Cultures of Resistance. Dir. Iara Lee. Caipirinha Productions, 2010. DVD.
Featherstone, David. Resistance, Space, and Political Identities: The Making of Counter-Global Networks. Chichester: Wiley, 2008.