Research On Paul Gilroy's Diaspora Theories

Paul Gilroy is a leading cultural critic on race and diaspora culture which was initiated in Cultural Studies by Stuart Hall who set the tone and directions for Gilroy's further study, the most cited black scholar in America. In terms of diaspora studies, Gilroy's major contribution lies roughly in the following two aspects. Firstly, he makes a difference in the class-dominated/oriented Cultural Studies of CCCS by turning to African Diaspora in Britain. Gilroy probes into the hybrid culture created by African Britain and by doing so enriches the implication of the word "diaspora" and marks a turning point in the diaspora studies. He exposes the internal connection between occidental modernity and the colonial terror as well as violence committed by the slave-owners on black slaves and tries to establish an alternative modernity from slaves' perspective. Therefore, African Britain attained, or more exactly, restored, their historical depth and they came to Britain as a result of its colonial adventure in the past. Secondly, Gilroy makes great contribution to the study of black diaspora music. He was hailed as the most influential critic about black music. Gilroy argues that the making of British black music is inseparable from the source of African music, Caribbean music and American black music, which exert distinctive influence on the former. Gilroy analyses the politics of resistance contained in the British black music and is deeply sorrowful for its decaying as the result of the global consumerism.The dissertation studies the related materials as much as possible and forms its own arguments on the basis of close reading and theoretical summary. This dissertation begins with the life expierence of Paul Gilroy and his theoretical development at different historical articulation. His perspective about race changes due to different historical context. Nevertheless, under the seeming discontinuity remains his stubborn insistence on the attack of nationalism of any forms, racism as well as (new) fascizm, which are entangled together in Gilroy's diaspora studies. Then the dissertation deals with the historical condition of the British blacks by analyzing the British government nationalist policy designed to repel the blacks in the country. Unfortunately, the British blacks risk themselves in structuring their own nationalism. However, they gradually form their distinctive culture by means of crossing "the Black Atlantic" repeatedly and endlessly. Their diaspora culture expresses their resistance agaist capitalism, occidental modernity and consumerism as well as their sincere hope towards a Utopian future which is free of racial oppression, violence and inequality. Finally, the dissertation evaluates Gilroy'diaspora studies by putting it in the course of the development of diaspora studies, which is in peril nowadays due to 911 terrorist attack. Despite of the present difficulties, diaspora study will flourish in the near future thanks to the development of globalization and multiculturalism. Gilroy's theory may contribute to the Chinese American diaspora literary studies as well as African diaspora literary studies in China.