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Interview with Author and Sociologist Robin Chandler

Koch, J. (2001, November 18). Interview with Author and Sociologist Robin Chandler. The Boston Globe Magazine, p.10.

OVERVIEW

At 51, Robin Chandler is head of African-American studies at Northeastern University in Boston. She teaches, among other things, a course on black culture “covering hip-hop and the history and global influence of rap music.” At one point in the interview she speaks of her own identity:

 

I came from a United Nations family. My real family name is Schindler; my grandfather changed it decades ago. He didn’t want to deal with the double jeopardy of being an African-American Jew. On the other side, I have Sioux Indian, Roman Catholic, Scots, mixed with a little African-American. Go figure! In our house, you had to reconcile these diversities of religion and class and taste and style and culture. It taught me what I call weaving.

When asked why 70 percent of rap sells to white, often suburban youth, Chandler had an interesting response that also involves identity:

 

Among other things, it has to do with identity formation. To young people trying to define their reality, urban black/Hispanic identity looks like it’s very well formed. It’s got body, a voice, a sound, style—it’s cool, it’s down. The language, the clothing, the music, have become fascinating to young people, including young white people. If they’re white, they look tot heir own culture and don’t see a powerfully constructed role to motivate them toward an identity that’s believable. So for good or for bad (they imitate what they see of hip-hop culture on MTV and at the movies).

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

  1. How are young people defining themselves ethnically these days? Does everyone have an ethnic or national identity?
  2. How important is an ethnic identity—or ethnic part of one’s whole identity?
  3. Do you see some young people defining their identity in terms of a certain group of friends and media style?
  4. How long do you think it takes for a person to work out his or her identity these days?
  5. What do you think of the ideas in this interview?

IMPLICATIONS

  1. As the major life task of a teenager, working out one’s identity is very important.
  2. Most of us can use some encouragement and help from others in this process.
  3. Encouragement and clarification should be a part of all schooling and youth work.

Dean Borgman cCYS

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Interview with Author and Sociologist Robin Chandler

Koch, J. (2001, November 18). Interview with Author and Sociologist Robin Chandler. The Boston Globe Magazine, p.10.

OVERVIEW

At 51, Robin Chandler is head of African-American studies at Northeastern University in Boston. She teaches, among other things, a course on black culture “covering hip-hop and the history and global influence of rap music.” At one point in the interview she speaks of her own identity:

 

I came from a United Nations family. My real family name is Schindler; my grandfather changed it decades ago. He didn’t want to deal with the double jeopardy of being an African-American Jew. On the other side, I have Sioux Indian, Roman Catholic, Scots, mixed with a little African-American. Go figure! In our house, you had to reconcile these diversities of religion and class and taste and style and culture. It taught me what I call weaving.

When asked why 70 percent of rap sells to white, often suburban youth, Chandler had an interesting response that also involves identity:

 

Among other things, it has to do with identity formation. To young people trying to define their reality, urban black/Hispanic identity looks like it’s very well formed. It’s got body, a voice, a sound, style—it’s cool, it’s down. The language, the clothing, the music, have become fascinating to young people, including young white people. If they’re white, they look tot heir own culture and don’t see a powerfully constructed role to motivate them toward an identity that’s believable. So for good or for bad (they imitate what they see of hip-hop culture on MTV and at the movies).

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

  1. How are young people defining themselves ethnically these days? Does everyone have an ethnic or national identity?
  2. How important is an ethnic identity—or ethnic part of one’s whole identity?
  3. Do you see some young people defining their identity in terms of a certain group of friends and media style?
  4. How long do you think it takes for a person to work out his or her identity these days?
  5. What do you think of the ideas in this interview?

IMPLICATIONS

  1. As the major life task of a teenager, working out one’s identity is very important.
  2. Most of us can use some encouragement and help from others in this process.
  3. Encouragement and clarification should be a part of all schooling and youth work.

Dean Borgman cCYS

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