Pauwke Berkers

Globalization and Ethnic Diversity in Western Newspaper Coverage of Literary Authors: Comparing Developments in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, 1955 to 2005

In contrast to most studies on cultural globalization, this article examines the dynamics of cross-cultural exchange between and within (Western) nation-states. Through content analysis, the authors study the extent and composition of newspaper coverage given to literary authors of non-Western ethnic origin—both foreign and domestic—in four nations across 50 years.The analysis reveals, among other things, that newspaper attention to ethnic minority authors appears related to various features of a nation’s ethnic minority population, the extent that a given national literary field is receptive to ethnic diversity, and the relative position of that nation in the literary world-system.

Assimilation into the Literary Mainstream? The Classification of Ethnic Minority Authors in Newspaper Reviews in the United States, the Netherlands and Germany:

This article addresses to what extent literary critics in the United States, the Netherlands and Germany have drawn ethnic boundaries in their reviews of ethnic minority writers between 1983 and 2009 and to what extent these boundaries have changed in the course of ethnic minority writers’ careers and across time. By analysing newspaper reviews, we find that American reviewers less often mention the ethnic background of Mexican American authors than their Dutch and German colleagues refer to the background of Moroccan and Turkish minority writers. While these relatively strong ethnic boundaries become weaker over time in the Netherlands (boundary shifting), Turkish German authors encounter particularly strong boundaries in subsequent book publications (ethnicization). In the US the reverse is true: ethnic boundaries weaken after the debut has been reviewed (boundary crossing). The findings are likely to be the result of national differences in the chronic accessibility of ethnic classifications (US and Germany) and specific field dynamics (Netherlands).

Rock and roll or rock and fall? Gendered framing of the rock and roll lifestyles of Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty in British broadsheets

Combining insights from gender, popular music, and celebrity studies, this article addresses to what extent British broadsheets frame Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty differently with regard to their rock and roll lifestyle. Our content analyses of The Guardian and The Independent indicate clear gender differences. First, Dohertys excessive behavior is often framed in positive terms (rock and roll), while the media discuss Winehouses conduct more negatively (rock and fall). Second, British newspaper journalists admire Dohertys courage to lead such a lifestyle, oftentimes justifying – or even negating – his behavior, arguing he is an independent individual or even a hero. Such adoration is absent when Winehouses escapades are reported on; most articles treat her as a victim, expressing concern regarding her poor health. As such, our findings show how music journalists use relational complicit practices – admiration/justification/negation of male and victimization of female enactment of hegemonic masculinity – to maintain masculine monopoly over the archetypical rock and roll lifestyle.

“These Critics (Still) Don’t Write Enough about Women Artists” Gender Inequality in the Newspaper Coverage of Arts and Culture in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, 1955-2005

This article addresses the extent and ways in which gender inequality in the newspaper coverage of arts and culture has changed in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, 1955-2005. Through a quantitative content analysis, we mapped all articles that appeared in two elite newspapers in each country in four sample years 1955, 1975, 1995, and 2005 (n = 15,379). First, despite increasing women’s employment in arts and culture and a quantitative feminization of journalism, elite newspaper coverage of women in arts and culture has hardly changed, making up about 20-25 percent consistently over the last 50 years. Second, our results show surprisingly few cross-national differences in the amount of the newspaper coverage devoted to women in arts and culture. Third, although women are underrepresented in the coverage of all artistic genres, there is some evidence of horizontal sex segregation—particularly in architecture (stereotypical masculine) and modern dance and fashion (stereotypical feminine)—as well as vertical sex segregation—in that attention to women has increased in “highbrow” genres that have declined in status. Finally, as the status of an actor type increases from laymen to artistic directors, the proportion of women decreases in newspaper attention to arts and culture.

Ethnic boundaries in American, Dutch, and German national literary policies, 1965-2005.

This article addresses the extent and ways in which ethnic diversity has been part of American, Dutch and German national literary policy from 1965 until 2005. By analyzing the content of policy documents of the National Endowment of the Arts and the Dutch and German Literary Fund, I found that ethnic boundaries were weak in the USA, moderate in the Netherlands and strong in Germany. First, national literary policy organizations made much, moderate and little use of ethnic discourse respectively. Cross‐national and longitudinal variations were closely related to the need for political legitimacy. Second, ethnic minority granters and grantees were (relatively) the least underrepresented by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Dutch Literary Fund, while the German Literary Fund included hardly any ethnic minority panelists or authors. The differences in the representation of ethnic minorities could largely be accounted for by demographics and variations in the need for legitimacy.

Genderongelijkheid in de dagbladberichtgeving over kunst en cultuur

textabstractDit artikel behandelt de mate waarin en de manier waarop genderongelijkheid is veranderd in de dagbladberichtgeving over artistieke genres in Frankrijk, Duitsland, Nederland en de Verenigde Staten van 1955 tot 2005. Via een kwantitatieve inhoudsanalyse van twee elitekranten per land voor de jaren 1955, 1975, 1995 en 2005 zijn alle artikelen over kunst en cultuur in kaart gebracht (n = 15.379). Onze resultaten laten ten eerste verrassend weinig cross-nationale verschillen zien in de dagbladaandacht voor vrouwen in kunst en cultuur. Ook constateren we dat er in de afgelopen vijf decennia in geen van de onderzochte landen ook maar bij benadering gendergelijkheid is bereikt. Hoewel vrouwen ondervertegenwoordigd zijn in de dagbladberichtgeving over alle artistieke genres, vonden we duidelijke verschillen tussen genres, met name tussen architectuur (stereotypisch ‘mannengenre’) en moderne dans en mode (stereotypische ‘vrouwengenres’). Ten vierde neemt het percentage vrouwen vooral toe in de dagbladaandacht voor in prestige gedaalde genres die behoren tot de ‘hoge’ cultuur. Ten slotte vonden we dat naarmate de status van het type actor toeneemt (van leken naar artistieke leiders) het aandeel vrouwen in de dagbladaandacht voor kunst en cultuur afneemt.

Assimilatie in de literaire mainstream? Etnische grenzen in dagbladrecensies van etnische minderheidsauteurs in de Verenigde Staten, Nederland en Duitsland

textabstractThis article addresses to what extent literary critics in the United States, the Netherlands and Germany have drawn ethnic boundaries in their reviews of ethnic minority writers between 1983 and 2009 and to what extent ethnic boundaries in literary criticism have changed in each country in the course of ethnic minority writers’ careers and across time. By analyzing newspaper reviews, we find that American reviewers less often mention the ethnic and/or majority background of Mexican American authors than their Dutch and German colleagues refer to the background of Moroccan and Turkish minority writers. But while these relatively strong ethnic boundaries become weaker over time in the Netherlands, Turkish German authors encounter particularly strong boundaries in subsequent book publications. In the U.S. the reverse is true: ethnic boundaries weaken after the debut has been reviewed.

Gender Inequality in Metal Music Production

In metal, it seems that women are nowhere but gender is everywhere. This title offers a sociological analysis of metal music’s historical and global gender imbalance to investigate why this genre is such an impenetrable fortress for female musicians and how it could change.

Navigating the Margins between Consent and Dissent: Mechanisms of Creative Control and Rock Music in Late Socialist Romania

This study seeks to delineate the highly convoluted relationship between (rock) musicians and the state in late socialist Romania (1975–1985). By investigating extensive archival files originating from the Securitate records, Agitprop branches, and the ideological committees of the Romanian Communist Party, we examine how the Romanian regime employed its mechanisms of creative control and how it made sense of Romanian musicians’ attempt to navigate them. First, such intricate mechanisms ranged from rewards and penalties in order to ensure ideological compliance, to repression by means of surveillance, recruitment, and harassment. Second, in our exploration of the margins of consent and dissent, the relationship between musicians and the state fluctuated between one of duplicity (that proved beneficial for both entities) and (symbolic) resistance (through collective and individual forms of dissent). Successful dissent came mostly from abroad, while, domestically, musicians were much more rigidly controlled; without being able to articulate coherent forms of dissent through their music, musicians challenged the Securitate through issues of morality. Music also led to the formation of subcultures—csöves and punks—which practiced anti-proletarian rituals of dissent. Thus, this research throws considerable light on broader sociological debates, such as the role of musicians in totalitarian settings, the hidden mechanisms employed by the state, and the ongoing literature concerning the configuration of subcultural movements in the Eastern bloc.

Culture, Heritage, Art: Navigating Authenticities in Contemporary Hungarian Folk Singing

In Hungary, the decline of traditional peasant culture and its heritage has prompted urban revivals, leading to the acceptance of traditional Hungarian folk singing as a performing arts genre. Drawing from a series of in-depth interviews, this study shows how contemporary Hungarian folk singers navigate (define, learn, police) different forms of authenticity within the field of folk music. While we find that objectified authenticity – heritagized classification systems – is the dominant form of symbolic capital, the broader symbolic economy of authenticity is complicated by competing definitions of folk singing as, variously, culture, heritage, and art. Third-person authenticity is more highly regarded, but it is more difficult for contemporary urban folk singers to achieve because they were not socialized in peasant communities. Therefore, they use objectified authenticity such as ‘original recordings’ as a proxy for learning about living folk culture. Although objectified authenticity constrains the agency of artistic expression, it affords discriminatory creativity (choosing one’s own repertoire) and rationalized creativity (adapting traditional material to external values and contexts).