‘When i rap, i feel more like myself’: Equality and enjoyment in young women’s rapper dreams

Kathrine Vitus

doi:10.1057/sub.2015.20

‘When i rap, i feel more like myself’: Equality and enjoyment in young women’s rapper dreams

Kathrine Vitus

Afdeling for Sundhedstjenesteforskning

2 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between subjectivity and ideology in a short film, Rapper Girl, produced by young women living in multiethnic Copenhagen, and develops the concept of the ‘RapX fantasy’. Through Jacques Rancière’s and Slavoj Žižek’s theoretical lenses, the article explores how the RapX fantasy produces subjectivity not only through young people’s political identity claims for ethnic, racial and gender equality, but also by offering a ‘solution’ to – by healing and concealing – the lack of equality in Western post-politics societies. In addition, the article shows how subjectivity within and in opposition to ideological hegemony in the film is driven by affects such as enjoyment and shame. The article argues that the RapX fantasy not only de-politicizes young people’s political struggle for equality across intersecting identity hierarchies, but also, through the commodification of ethnic otherness, (re)produces enjoyment in embodying a symptom of the lack of national social cohesion.

Originalsprog	Dansk
Tidsskrift	Subjectivity: international journal of critical psychology
Vol/bind	9
Udgave nummer	1
Sider (fra-til)	59-82
Antal sider	24
ISSN	1755-6341
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1057/sub.2015.20
Status	Udgivet - 1 apr. 2016

Adgang til dokumentet

10.1057/sub.2015.20

Citationsformater

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title = "{\textquoteleft}When i rap, i feel more like myself{\textquoteright}: Equality and enjoyment in young women{\textquoteright}s rapper dreams",

abstract = "This article analyzes the relationship between subjectivity and ideology in a short film, Rapper Girl, produced by young women living in multiethnic Copenhagen, and develops the concept of the {\textquoteleft}RapX fantasy{\textquoteright}. Through Jacques Ranci{\`e}re{\textquoteright}s and Slavoj {\v Z}i{\v z}ek{\textquoteright}s theoretical lenses, the article explores how the RapX fantasy produces subjectivity not only through young people{\textquoteright}s political identity claims for ethnic, racial and gender equality, but also by offering a {\textquoteleft}solution{\textquoteright} to – by healing and concealing – the lack of equality in Western post-politics societies. In addition, the article shows how subjectivity within and in opposition to ideological hegemony in the film is driven by affects such as enjoyment and shame. The article argues that the RapX fantasy not only de-politicizes young people{\textquoteright}s political struggle for equality across intersecting identity hierarchies, but also, through the commodification of ethnic otherness, (re)produces enjoyment in embodying a symptom of the lack of national social cohesion.",

author = "Kathrine Vitus",

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