Pen-Full Resistance: Poetry, Power, and Persona
Naliyah Kaya
Advisor: Joseph A Scimecca, PhD, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Committee Members: Rutledge M. Dennis, Patricia A. Masters
April 13, 2015, 04:30 PM to 01:30 PM
Abstract:
During the fall of 2013 UCLA student Sy Stokes, along with fellow students, posted a video titled “The Black Bruins” on YouTube in an effort to highlight “unacceptable instances of injustice recently [at UCLA]” and to bring awareness to UCLA’s extremely low enrollment, retention and graduate rates of African American students, while claiming to be a diverse university (Stokes 2013). Within four days of posting the video their message went viral with over 39,000 hits (Mitchell 2013). It could be argued that the success of the video is largely due to the medium Sy used to convey the message. Rather than simply talking about the issues, Sy utilized the art of spoken word poetry to capture the attention of viewers. Beginning in the mid-to late 20th century spoken word, a type of performance poetry began to evolve and become increasingly popular, particularly within the U.S. (Walker and Kuykendall 2005). The 21st century brought with it a resurgence of the art form—first introduced by The Last Poets in the 1960s. Though not a new phenomenon, Jocson (2011:156) argues that poetry “has (re)emerged as more inclusive than ever, as well as more visibly connected to politics.” Howard University English professor, activist, poet, and writer Tony Medina argues that poetry is about self-definition, the defense of the self, and locating the self in society (through describing one’s environment) (Medina and Reyes Rivera 2001:xix-xx).
This dissertation explores the concepts of agency and social structure in relation to the phenomenon of spoken word performance culture. A safe haven for disadvantaged selves, the culture not only embraces the stories of the oppressed, but pays homage to marginalized identities. Many have argued that the art form serves as a site of resistance for the disadvantaged self, yet the question becomes one of whether a cultural medium—largely dismissed and denigrated by the gatekeepers of society—can effectively address the causes of inequality so frequently referenced by poets. Guided by the overarching question of how and why disadvantaged selves use the arts to define and address inequality and social problems, this dissertation seeks to answer the following questions: What themes emerge overall in spoken word performance poetry? How often do artists make the self the topic in poems? What types of public selves are exhibited or described by performers and which social problems/topics are these selves connected to? While many studies have looked at the role of spoken word as it relates to youth identity development and literacy practices, this study focuses explicitly on adult (age 18+) participants in the Washington Metropolitan Area.
The first chapter explores the resurgence of spoken word poetry as well as the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings that guide the research project. Given that few studies on this topic have addressed it from a sociological perspective, I attempt to reframe the discussion drawing upon the works of: Max Weber, George Simmel, George Herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer, Anthony Giddens, William James, David Gauntlett, Erving Goffman, Goerg Simmel, and C. Wright Mills. Chapters two and three examine spoken word as a contested art form, literacy tool, and its cultural ties to African and African American communities. The research sites and methodology are also outlined. Chapters four and five discuss the themes, selves, and conclusions that emerged from the data. By employing the grounded theory method I identify why many artists participate in spoken word and how they use the art form. Four recurring themes (1) Writing the Self Out of Trouble, 2) Creation, Continuity, and Modification of Self-Identity through Reflexive Practice, 3) Community, and 4) Poetry as a Form of Activism) and five public selves (1) the Passionate Self, 2) the Survivor/Helper, 3) the Reformer/Activist, 4) the Challenger) are identified and discussed. I conclude that poetry serves several important societal functions. Perhaps one of the most important is its role in combating social injustice. However, while most poets felt that poetry in and of itself was a political act, I argue that if poets solely rely on their messages inspiring change, then social justice is ultimately dependent on the actions of listeners. Therefore, if we truly want to address the inequities so frequently referenced by artists we must have a cohesive strategy, which includes micro and macro level components and addresses the structural causes of inequality.
