Premium
Translating Tradition: The Poetics and Politics of Diasporic Media
Author(s) -
Harindranath R.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2009.00240.x
Subject(s) - diaspora , plea , sociology , politics , public sphere , poetics , representation (politics) , consumption (sociology) , media studies , clarity , media consumption , gender studies , social science , political science , law , literature , art , biochemistry , chemistry , poetry
This essay argues that the recent academic interest in diaspora, the media and the research that it has engendered have provided unique insights into the media’s role in the creation and maintenance of an alternative public sphere. Despite this however, the difficulties in defining ‘diaspora’ as a concept, and the attempts, by both academics and diasporic cultural elites, to propose a degree of homogeneity within diaspora communities undermines the politics that is inherent in diasporic media representation and consumption. The essay makes a plea for conceptual clarity and the recognition of power within the diaspora communities, both of which are crucial for future research in the media and diasporas.