- Library Home /
- Search Collections /
- Open Collections /
- Browse Collections /
- UBC Theses and Dissertations /
- "Singing Duvalier", singing the nation : masculinity...
Open Collections
UBC Theses and Dissertations
UBC Theses and Dissertations
"Singing Duvalier", singing the nation : masculinity in the discourse of nation formation in Haiti Burnham, Thorald M.
Abstract
This thesis argues that no discussion of nationalism is possible without addressing the subject of masculinity. In the case of Haiti, masculinity is the privileged category of an oppositional national discourse, or "discent" narrative, and, therefore, orders and ranks constructions of race, class, language, colour, religion and sexuality. With the election of Francois Duvalier in September of 1957, the Black urban middle-classes expressed their interest in changing a national discourse that excluded them both literally and metaphorically, primarily on the basis of their colour. One year after his election as President of Haiti, the Musical Institute of Haiti held a song competition in honour of the new "Father" of the nation. A compilation of the songs was printed and released to the public. It is through a critical analysis of this booklet, as a site of discursive deployment of power and the national discourse, that the depth of the masculine narrative can be seen. Indeed, I argue that the songs of the competition reveal how in "singing Duvalier" they are in fact singing an oppositional, or "discenting" masculinity. This idea of competing masculinities is traceable to the origins of Haitian Independence and the establishment of a national, Black inclusive masculinity lasting until the U.S. occupation in 1915. The invasion imposed a "marine masculinity" which excluded Black Haitians and destroyed colour and power sharing etiquettes. Duvalier's election in 1957 was the articulation of the Black middle-classes' opposition to this new national discourse which had been perpetuated by the Mulatre elites after the marine's departure in 1934. Indeed, in "Singing Duvalier", the songs express a new, inclusionary national discourse by articulating race, class, colour, religion, and sexuality through a rubric of masculinity.
Item Metadata
Title |
"Singing Duvalier", singing the nation : masculinity in the discourse of nation formation in Haiti
|
Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
Date Issued |
1999
|
Description |
This thesis argues that no discussion of nationalism is possible without addressing
the subject of masculinity. In the case of Haiti, masculinity is the privileged category of
an oppositional national discourse, or "discent" narrative, and, therefore, orders and ranks
constructions of race, class, language, colour, religion and sexuality. With the election of
Francois Duvalier in September of 1957, the Black urban middle-classes expressed their
interest in changing a national discourse that excluded them both literally and
metaphorically, primarily on the basis of their colour. One year after his election as
President of Haiti, the Musical Institute of Haiti held a song competition in honour of the
new "Father" of the nation. A compilation of the songs was printed and released to the
public. It is through a critical analysis of this booklet, as a site of discursive deployment
of power and the national discourse, that the depth of the masculine narrative can be seen.
Indeed, I argue that the songs of the competition reveal how in "singing Duvalier" they
are in fact singing an oppositional, or "discenting" masculinity. This idea of competing
masculinities is traceable to the origins of Haitian Independence and the establishment of
a national, Black inclusive masculinity lasting until the U.S. occupation in 1915. The
invasion imposed a "marine masculinity" which excluded Black Haitians and destroyed
colour and power sharing etiquettes. Duvalier's election in 1957 was the articulation of
the Black middle-classes' opposition to this new national discourse which had been
perpetuated by the Mulatre elites after the marine's departure in 1934. Indeed, in
"Singing Duvalier", the songs express a new, inclusionary national discourse by
articulating race, class, colour, religion, and sexuality through a rubric of masculinity.
|
Extent |
2391459 bytes
|
Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
|
Language |
eng
|
Date Available |
2009-06-17
|
Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
|
Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
DOI |
10.14288/1.0089103
|
URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
|
Graduation Date |
1999-11
|
Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
|
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
|
Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.