SYG2000 - 11FF Assignment 3 Media is a tool often used by society to relay underlying messages to the public. There are various forms of media individuals can use to get a message across, including: song, movie, magazine, or commercial. In the midst of the recent outrage against police brutality across America, the hip hop scene has been more centered around the topic of social injustice and power and inequality in federal court systems across the nation. One artist who frequently does this is Kendrick Lamar, who most notably discusses themes of hegemony and social inequality in his song, “Alright”. “Alright” broadcasts a hopeful message motivated by the struggle Black Americans face regarding the imbalance of power between them and law enforcement. Hegemony is a clear sociological theme of the song, and can be defined as “leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others” (Merriam-Webster). In this case, law enforcement symbolizes the “dominant” social group, while black people are the minority who are unfairly treated. He highlights these contrasting powers in this line: “And we hate po-po, wanna kill us dead in the street...my knees gettin’ weak and my gun might blow”. Here, Lamar expresses his frustration regarding police officers repeatedly being guilty of killing black people in modernday America. “Us”, in this line, is obviously referring to the disadvantaged group, who in this case, are black people. He also goes on to state “homicide be lookin’ at you from the face down”. “My gun might blow,” emphasizes these frustrations, seemingly implying that Lamar would take matters into his own hands if his prayers of the senseless violence ending are not heard. Despite the disadvantaged group’s hardships, Lamar can often be heard repeating “we gon’ be alright,” throughout the politically charged tune, as a way to comfort and stand in solidarity with those affected by police brutality. Hegemony also ties in with the concept of power and inequality. Power and inequality in Sociology can be defined as “the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society” (What Is Sociology?). It is not surprising that your social location, defined as “a way of classifying yourself based on your race, social class, gender, orientation, and religion” (What Is Sociology?), says a lot about your position in society. African-Americans are the minority in “Alright”, treated unfairly because of their social location. It is not a surprise that the “white man” possesses the power in our society and in this song, when it has been that way for centuries. Law enforcement in this song clearly symbolizes the “white man”, who unfairly uses his power in this case. There is a clear imbalance of power between the two groups, and it seems that black people are outnumbered in the song. Despite the backlash the song has received, “Alright” has also been seen as a “new black national anthem”, getting listeners through times of hopelessness and despair and lyrics from the song have even been regularly chanted at Black Lives Matter protests across America and assure protesters that “we gon’ be alright”. Works Cited “Hegemony.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony. Lamar, Kendrick. “Alright.” Rap Genius, Genius, 15 Mar. 2015, genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-alright-lyrics. “What Is Sociology?” What Is Sociology?, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnCJU6PaCio. SYG2000 - 11FF Assignment 3 Media is a tool often used by society to relay underlying messages to the public. There are various forms of media individuals can use to get a message across, including: song, movie, magazine, or commercial. In the midst of the recent outrage against police brutality across America, the hip hop scene has been more centered around the topic of social injustice and power and inequality in federal court systems across the nation. One artist who frequently does this is Kendrick Lamar, who most notably discusses themes of hegemony and social inequality in his song, “Alright”. “Alright” broadcasts a hopeful message motivated by the struggle Black Americans face regarding the imbalance of power between them and law enforcement. Hegemony is a clear sociological theme of the song, and can be defined as “leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others” (Merriam-Webster). In this case, law enforcement symbolizes the “dominant” social group, while black people are the minority who are unfairly treated. He highlights these contrasting powers in this line: “And we hate po-po, wanna kill us dead in the street...my knees gettin’ weak and my gun might blow”. Here, Lamar expresses his frustration regarding police officers repeatedly being guilty of killing black people in modernday America. “Us”, in this line, is obviously referring to the disadvantaged group, who in this case, are black people. He also goes on to state “homicide be lookin’ at you from the face down”. “My gun might blow,” emphasizes these frustrations, seemingly implying that Lamar would take matters into his own hands if his prayers of the senseless violence ending are not heard. Despite the disadvantaged group’s hardships, Lamar can often be heard repeating “we gon’ be alright,” throughout the politically charged tune, as a way to comfort and stand in solidarity with those affected by police brutality. Hegemony also ties in with the concept of power and inequality. Power and inequality in Sociology can be defined as “the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society” (What Is Sociology?). It is not surprising that your social location, defined as “a way of classifying yourself based on your race, social class, gender, orientation, and religion” (What Is Sociology?), says a lot about your position in society. African-Americans are the minority in “Alright”, treated unfairly because of their social location. It is not a surprise that the “white man” possesses the power in our society and in this song, when it has been that way for centuries. Law enforcement in this song clearly symbolizes the “white man”, who unfairly uses his power in this case. There is a clear imbalance of power between the two groups, and it seems that black people are outnumbered in the song. Despite the backlash the song has received, “Alright” has also been seen as a “new black national anthem”, getting listeners through times of hopelessness and despair and lyrics from the song have even been regularly chanted at Black Lives Matter protests across America and assure protesters that “we gon’ be alright”. Works Cited “Hegemony.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony. Lamar, Kendrick. “Alright.” Rap Genius, Genius, 15 Mar. 2015, genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-alright-lyrics. “What Is Sociology?” What Is Sociology?, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnCJU6PaCio. Assignment Rubric 2 Criteria Ratings Pts Concepts 5 pts Are the correct number of sociological concepts Full Marks used? Concepts correctly defined, Are the concepts defined and correctly? used, and required number is Are the concepts used in examples and met correctly? 3 pts Partial Marks Concepts not fully or correctly defined or used. O pts No Marks Concepts not used at all. 5 pts Topic Is the topic of the assignment addressed? 5 pts 3 pts O pts Full Marks Partial Marks No Marks Full addressed topic Poorly addressed topic Didn't address topic 5 pts O pts Formatting Is the paper at the required length? Is the paper single-spaced? Is the paper in paragraph, APA paper format? Is the font legible and professional? Are citations correctly used and referenced in- text and at the end in a references list (if applicable? 5 pts Full Marks Paper is formatted correctly in every way. 3 pts Partial Marks Paper doesn't meet all formatting requirements. No Marks Paper meets no formatting requirements. 5 pts Professional Presentation Is paper written professionally with academic prose? Are there no grammar or spelling errors? 5 pts Full Marks No errors, professionally written. 3 pts Partial Marks Some O pts No Marks Poor grammar, spelling, and prose. 5 pts errors. Total Points: 20 Assignment Rubric 2 Criteria Ratings Pts Concepts 5 pts Are the correct number of sociological concepts Full Marks used? Concepts correctly defined, Are the concepts defined and correctly? used, and required number is Are the concepts used in examples and met correctly? 3 pts Partial Marks Concepts not fully or correctly defined or used. O pts No Marks Concepts not used at all. 5 pts Topic Is the topic of the assignment addressed? 5 pts 3 pts O pts Full Marks Partial Marks No Marks Full addressed topic Poorly addressed topic Didn't address topic 5 pts O pts Formatting Is the paper at the required length? Is the paper single-spaced? Is the paper in paragraph, APA paper format? Is the font legible and professional? Are citations correctly used and referenced in- text and at the end in a references list (if applicable? 5 pts Full Marks Paper is formatted correctly in every way. 3 pts Partial Marks Paper doesn't meet all formatting requirements. No Marks Paper meets no formatting requirements. 5 pts Professional Presentation Is paper written professionally with academic prose? Are there no grammar or spelling errors? 5 pts Full Marks No errors, professionally written. 3 pts Partial Marks Some O pts No Marks Poor grammar, spelling, and prose. 5 pts errors. Total Points: 20
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