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Gilroy - Ethnicity and
Postcolonial Theory
The aims of this Factsheet are to consider Gilroy’s ideas and theories on
ethnicity and post-colonial theory, with a particular focus on diaspora
and double consciousness.
For further consideration of other ethnicity theory see Factsheet
102 – Representation of Ethnicity I; further application of
ethnicity theory can be found in Factsheet 103 –
Representations of Ethnicity II.
Paul Gilroy
Paul Gilroy is a black British critical theorist. His work encompasses
postcolonial studies, and a consideration of cultural and race identities.
Gilroy has published work on a range of subjects, including literature,
art, social theory and music. He has consistently argued that racial
identities are historically constructed – formed by colonialization,
slavery, nationalist philosophies and consumer capitalism. This Factsheet
will be considering his work on race identity and postcolonialism.
‘Race’ [is not] the eternal cause of racism [but is] its complex, unstable
product. I should probably emphasise at this point that neither race
nor racism are the exclusive historical property of the minorities who
are their primary victims. (Gilroy, 2004)
This quote, from After Empire: Melancholia or Convivial Culture?
(2004), strikes at the heart of Gilroy’s position on race and ethnicity.
This position is opposite to what we might accept in the mainstream.
Here Gilroy is saying that racism isn’t caused by race, racism causes
race. Racism is not caused by the clash of two or more races – racism
is not a natural phenomenon. Instead, Gilroy states that racial difference
and racial identities are the product of racial oppression. Racial
identities are caused by historical conflicts that have brought different
groups into opposition. That is not to say that there were no human
differences before historical conflict between different groups; different
human groups existed but their differences were not defined by ‘race’
lines. After the Renaissance, lines of race were established as a useful
way to legitimise oppression (the slave trade reflected the European
perspective that their ‘race’ was superior to those whom they
enslaved, and as such it was acceptable for less intelligent, less moral
races to be taken as slaves for Europeans).
Gilroy
What do we mean by race?
Race can be seen as shared biological identities
inherited from previous generations. Gilroy
would argue that race makes the identity of
oppressors and the oppressed seem fixed and
uniform; that racial categories are caused
by human interactions and as such those
categories are subject to change. Around the
world structures of political and social life
have been constructed under race thinking. As http://www.phillwebb.net/
regions/caribbean/gilroy/
Gilroy sees race as a result of racism, the fact gilroy.jpg
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Number 170
that these aspects of society are based upon race thinking is problematic,
and as such there is scope to evaluate the equality of representations
and identities created in the media.
Ethnic Absolutism
At this point, we need to consider the term ethnicity and ethnic
absolutism. Ethnic absolutism is a line of thinking which sees humans
are part of different ethnic compartments, with race as the basis of
human differentiation. Gilroy is opposed to ethnic absolutism as it is
counter to his argument that racism causes race.
Ethnicity is the identity that is shared with others in your ethnic group;
inherited from parents; passed down from generations before. Ethnicity
is defined by: the national and/or religious holidays an individual
observes; the language spoken; the religion followed; the food eaten.
Absolutism considers separate ethnic compartments are absolute which
are invisible & tightly bonded together. Compromising your ethnic
group would, for an ethnic absolutist, be against natural order and
risk the future existence of that ethnic group. Gilroy identifies with a
position that is opposite to ethnic absolutist compartments.
Diaspora
Gilroy’s work focuses on the concept of the African diaspora. The
term diaspora is taken from the Greek ‘dispersion’ meaning ‘scattering
of seeds’. It is first seen in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy when
Moses warns Jewish people that there would “be a diaspora in all
kingdoms of the earth” if they did not observe God’s commandments.
Diaspora means a scattering of people, from the original place to
elsewhere. Diasporas are considered to comprise of members of
ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious groups who live in countries
to which their ancestors migrated. Identities of individuals within a
diaspora are formed over time, as a result of the historical, social and
cultural relationships within the group and other groups. Transnational
diasporas have emerged over time due to global migration, such as the
mass migrations of the 18th century to the New World. Within these
groups, slaves and Europeans moved and displaced the indigenous
communities. A diaspora is generally considered to exist within a
small group in scattered numbers within countries across continents.
Classic or Centred Diaspora
The classic diaspora is the position from which Gilroy develops his
concepts of diaspora. The classic diaspora considers the originating
place for those displaced as the original source of unity and permanence
for the diasporic identity. The means that the country a group have been
forced to leave will always be the place that defines the cultural or ethnic
identity for those individuals. Furthermore, despite the geographical
dispersion, people will still feel connected to their origins via history
and ancestry. Within the classic diaspora there is the belief or myth that
people of diaspora can return to the place of origin. As such, the further
a group move from the place of origin, the more their culture is diluted.
Gilroy does not see diaspora as limited to national contexts in this way.

170. Gilroy - Ethnicity and Postcolonial Theory
He considers a transatlantic diasporic identity, where groups across the
Atlantic share cultural practices – a “single, complex unit” of black
cultural practitioners as a result of a shared history of oppression and
slavery. Gilroy sees black identities as a product of movement – the
African diasporic identity is based on ROUTES taken throughout
history, and not the ROOTS of origin. Gilroy sees this as a diaspora
that cannot be reversed, unlike the classic position which offers the
myth of returning to the place of origin. For Gilroy, the Black Atlantic
diaspora is irreversible because the experience of slavery irrevocably
changed the diasporic identity. It cannot be ‘rewound’ to a state of
cultural purity and cannot return to Africa as the place of origin has
changed – the place of origin doesn’t exist as it did before diaspora.
Africa has changed socially and politically. The idea of diaspora and
transnational allegiances offers a way of thinking outside ‘powerful
claims of soil, roots and territory’ and so ‘the African diaspora’s
consciousness of itself has been defined in and against constricting
national boundaries’ (Gilroy, 1987).
Why is diaspora relevant?
Gilroy’s intervention in the diasporic thinking was an attempt to
challenge those that would see black culture as the property of a
single nation. His argument is most critical when considering ‘black
American cultural and political histories’ (Gilroy). Intellectuals of
African-American musical genres would often cite jazz and spirituals
(similar to gospel music) as the first truly American culture.
Fisk Jubilee Spirituals,
http://cdn.ipernity.com/128/94/61/20029461.6bb4c239.640.jpg?r2
This was also the case with the rise of hip-hop, which was acclaimed to
be a purely American form evolving out of earlier American genres. For
Gilroy, both assumptions diminish the complex historical and cultural
origins of music. Gilroy was alone in his consideration of a diasporic
identity wider than America, moving towards an Atlantic sphere.
He challenged those academics who claimed that African-American
culture was a self-contained unit set off from American society, and
was a culture that needed to be translated or interpreted by black
academics for the rest of the world. Hip hop’s origins are attributed
to, among others, Kool DJ Herc who had moved to the South Bronx
from Kingston, Jamaica. Gilroy argues that hip hop originated from the
Jamaican sound system culture being transplanted to the Bronx, and
Kool DJ Herc was part of bringing a new musical genre that developed
from cultures outside America.
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DJ TonyTone (left) with Kool DJ Herc (1973)
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/wm/live/1280_720/images/live/p0/1d/wg/
p01dwgk3.jpg
Gilroy insisted that black culture was interwoven into the wider society
and cultural identities. In seeing the African diaspora in a wider context,
Gilroy was challenging us to consider black culture and Britain – that
‘non-European traditional elements, mediated by Afro-America and the
Caribbean, have contributed to new & distinct black culture amidst…
Welsh, Irish, Scots and English.’ Gilroy argues that we need to take
British slavery into account & consider the influence on history, culture
and identity. However, in acknowledging the British slave trade as an
essential component to British culture caused political issues in the
1980s.
At the time, the dominant representation of black Britons was as
“external and estranged from the imagined community that is the
nation.” As such, to accept the role of slavery into the cultural identities
of Britain would be to challenge the negative stereotype of black Britons
at the time, and reverse the “external and estranged” relationship with
the nation.
Diaspora challenges national ideologies, through the commitment and
loyalty to the origin nation or place. However, diasporic identities can
also become trapped within a national ideology; diasporic cultural
ideologies and practices exist within a national ideology based upon
its social, economic and cultural integrations and as such there is a
cultural difference with the diasporic identities.
This difference becomes associated with minority groups and a cultural
tension occurs. This tension between the national ideology and the
diasporic ideologies helps to create the diasporic identity. Identities are
created in both positive and negative ways. Positive ways of creating
an identity could be in the participation and relationships individuals
experience. On the other hand, negative experiences of exclusion,
exposure to regressive ideologies and marginalisation will also create
an identity which is then shared within the diasporic community and
perhaps from the origin country.
The Media’s Role in Diaspora
As a diaspora is transnational, communication needs to also be
transnational. As such, social media is an excellent forum for diasporic
groups to communicate with those they identify as part of their group.
It is also a way to maintain the links to the place of origin, cultural
practices and ideologies.

170. Gilroy - Ethnicity and Postcolonial Theory
BBC World Service Logo
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1200x675/p029jc4l.jpg
Digital diasporas and the BBC World Service
With an audience of 180 million across its radio, TV and online
services, in many regions the BBC World Service is a valued and
trusted information source. At times of political crisis or ecological
disaster, it has often been a lifeline. It no longer sees itself as a
broadcaster targeting audiences conceived of solely in national
terms or situated only in their country of origin. Changes in
technology bring new audiences and connect them in novel ways.
Over 50% of the users of BBC World Service sites in languages
other than English can now be defined as “diaspora users”. For
example, 60% of the weekly users of www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/ are not
from within the borders of Pakistan.
Visitors to www.bbc.co.uk/persian/ go to the site mainly to consume
news about Iran, but the BBC Persian service also caters for them
by providing a voice on life in the diaspora. In contrast, www.
bbc.co.uk/arabic/ generates more cultural and information traffic
between the Middle East and the Arabic diaspora on topics such
as religion, language and the ‘war on terror’.
From Tuning In: Researching Diasporas at the BBC World
Service
http://www.movingpeoplechangingplaces.org/identities-cultures/
media-migration-diasporas.html
Activity
Consider the different ways that a diaspora might maintain their
community and connections using different media platforms.
Find some examples where communities from across the globe
are still connected to their cultural identities through their use
of media. Start with digital media, for example Twitter’s role
in quashing the #1millionshirts campaign or reaction to Kony
2012 (see Factsheet 99).
Double consciousness
It was first W. E. B. Du Bois that posited the idea of double
consciousness. Du Bois considered the psychological dilemma faced
by African American’s in The Souls of Black Folks (1903). Here Du
Bois theorises that this dilemma is the position of having two modes
of perception:
• Seeing one’s identity from a black person’s perspective (as a
thinking human being).
• Seeing one’s identity from the perspective of the American state
(as a second-class citizen not entitled to the same rights as other
humans).
Double consciousness provides more ways of understanding the world,
but it places a great strain on black Americans as they consistently
feel they are looking at themselves through the eyes of others; there
is a ‘two-ness’ within the identity of the black American which is
unreconciled.
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Gilroy extends this concept of double consciousness to the whole
African diaspora which he argues is simultaneously outside and
inside the modern world. Black people are outside modernity as
they have been deigned freedom and full citizenship; it was ‘proved’
by supposedly rational race scientists that black people were less
evolutionally developed than Europeans (obviously this was not true!).
Black people are also inside modernity as a result of the various and
many contributions to science, literature, politics and society that has
made the modern world (although these contributions have not always
been acknowledged).
Activity
Watch the trailer for Hidden Figures. How does this and the
poster attempt to challenge the double consciousness and
diasporic identity of the black American females?
Hidden Figures (2017)
http://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/styles/gallery_adv/
public/2016/11/hidden_figures_0.jpg?itok=fNiXfMIo
Gilroy also argues the importance of slavery to modernity and
capitalism. The modern world was built upon a normalised view of
slavery, particularly plantation slavery. Slavery was only rejected
when it was revealed as incompatible with enlightened rationality and
capitalist production. Gilroy argues that the figure of the black slave of
‘the Negro’ provided enlightened thinkers and philosophers an insight
into concepts of property rights, consciousness and art.
These areas were often defined in relation to slavery or blackness;
the philosopher Hegel theorised that the master/ slave relationship
was ‘a modernising force in that it leads both master and servant first
to self-consciousness and then to disillusion.’ Gilroy claims that the
inside/outside position of black people enabled writers and thinkers to
question the liberty offered to white North Americans and Europeans.
It ‘forced a special clarity of vision – a dreadful objectivity’ (Du Bois)
as a result of being black and living in the modern world with a sense
of double consciousness.
The media will offer a range of representations for various groups.
However, these are often limited from some groups more than others.
The dominant representations of black males, primarily in the US, is
either a rapper, criminal or gang member, or an athlete.
These representations then serve to reinforce the double consciousness
of the black male, that he is not anything more than what he sees in
the media.
 Media Factsheet
170. Gilroy - Ethnicity and Postcolonial Theory www.curriculum-press.co.uk

Activity
Visit lifeandtimes.com – the website for the multi-platform brand focused on music, sports and lifestyle content. The site is pitched as
conceived and curated by Shawn “JAY Z” Carter.

What are the representations of black American culture?

How does the site challenge or reinforce ideologies of double consciousness and diaspora?

Conclusion
When discussing texts and applying Gilroy’s concepts, it is important to keep his key ideas in mind: racism created race; diasporas are not limited
to national contexts; slavery is a key and influential part of the black culture and changed the diasporic identities irrevocably.

Acknowledgements: This Media Factsheet was researched and written by Katrina Calvert and published in September 2017 by Curriculum Press.. Media Studies
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