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K MAFATE

Blog on Stereotypes , Othering

10 Mar 2024, 22:01 Publicly Viewable

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In this blog I discuss the use of language to generate as well as to frame the representations  of people through Stereotypes and Othering by my view of diversity and identity.I gained my understanding on the reading of Wainaina (2005) "How to write about africa" and 

 

Stereotypes has played a crucial role in making the representation of people and Cultures in various froms of media and literatures. In portrayals of Stereotypes, Wainaina Challanges the widespread cliches and tropes that are currently deeply established in western storytelling about Africa , highlighting how these stereotypes not only fail to capture the diversity and complexity of African societies but the reinforce a " one size fits all" representation and often reducing people to depreciation of the continent and its people. Some examples of Stereotypes that Wainaina pokes fun at  is Associating Africa primarily with poverty,diseases  and war , without acknowledging its vibrant urban centre's , technological advancements and cultural achievements and Protraying Africa as as a unchanged,homogenous entity, rather than acknowledging its diverse cultures, languages and landscapes.

 

Basically Othering is a way of characterizing oneself as a "other". This has led inaccurate assumptions to be created about Africa which serves to maintain a one dimensional and offensive image of the African continent and its people.Writing about Africans in need of western help has maintained an idea that sees them as poor silent and passive recipients of knowledge and support from the west. It is seen by presenting africans as passive, overshadowed by the actions and perspectives of outsiders.

 

I underlined the  examples on Wainaina to emphasize the use of language to create and make representations of people  and how i view it from Wainaina perspective.