The Race-Religion Constellation
Eli, Elaine, and Isa
Reading:
Topolski, Anya. 2018. “The Race-Religion Constellation: A European Contribution to the Critical
Philosophy of Race.” Critical Philosophy of Race 6, no. 1 : 58–81.
https://doi.org/10.5325/critphilrace.6.1.0058.
What is the purpose and main arguments of the article?
The author is trying to convey the idea that religion is a large part of the way that people are categorized into “races”. Another main point is that this idea of the racialization of religion is under-analyzed and often overlooked (Topolski 2018, 59)
How does the article highlight or explore the course themes?
This article explores the connection between race and religion, both of which are things that can shape identity and community, and injustices that may occur because of them (Topolski 2018, 59). I think that the idea of racial categorization by religion connects to what we discussed in class about the concepts and structures that make up a culture. Shared history and shared faith are both strong forces in both distinguishing and categorizing groups of people, and this text further explores the connection between these ideas.
How would you describe the “vibe” of the text?
The “vibe” of the text is very somber; there is a deep sadness of the writing. The author portrays the bitterness of the past while connecting the history of racial categorization based on religion to how issues of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are present today.
How does this playlist complement the vibes of the text (somatically, sonically, taste, tempo, genre)?
The playlist includes a variety of songs to incorporate various facets of the text. The sadness in “Dance Me to the End of Love” pulls out the devastation of its contents. It sounds like a beautiful ballad love song, but the deeper meaning is tied to the Holocaust. It is a reference to the string quartets playing at Auschwitz. “Charcoal Baby” sounds like a leisurely-funk song. Its groove is relaxed but incorporates meaningful, longing lyrics. The depth reflects the role of the race-religion constellation, as the author explained. It is a phenomenon in European culture and should become a mainstream racial philosophy.5. How did each of you go about finding songs to include in the playlist?
Eli: I looked for French and German songs that were sung by artists I knew who were known to be influential and/or had a multicultural background. I then looked for song names that seemed to be related to religion or culture, and read the lyrics and listened to them.
Isa: I went through some of my pre-existing playlists as inspiration, and that led me down different rabbit holes of different artists. I also have a close friend who is very interested in Arabic, and he was able to recommend an Arabic song that we could relate to the text. The other songs that I wasn’t previously aware of I found through some quick research about international artists that vocalized their opinions on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
Elaine: I researched popular or culturally significant music for Jewish communities. I was looking for a Jewish artist who had a more in-depth and meaningful perspective.
Which song(s) reflect your critiques of the text?
Our biggest critique of the text was the exclusion of non-Middle Eastern Asian and African opinions in the paper, as well as a lack of written voice from Jewish and Arab people. We chose to expand the song demographic by including “Spine Breaker” by BTS, a band from South Korea. The song has themes of classism and exclusion, which we felt were fitting to the piece itself.
How did you decide on the order and transitions between each song, including how to begin and how to end?
Eli: I decided to order the songs in a way that the transition in energy level felt smooth and consistent. The first song is very long and has both low and high-energy parts, and the last song stays at a consistently high energy level once it starts which I feel is a good way to end the playlist.
Were there ethical concerns or debates that came up while creating this playlist?
Our main concern while creating this playlist was ensuring that we did so respectfully considering the historical events featured in the reading. We wanted to make sure the playlist wasn’t too “upbeat,” because we believed it could overpower and distract from the sensitive issues discussed. The other concern while working on this project was making sure many of the artists, we featured had a background in songwriting about some of these struggles. For example, Fairuz, whose song “Zahret El Madaen” is featured, has written about Arab struggles, war, and diversity, which is all relevant to the prompt.