Among Identity Trajectories and Discourses: Ethnicity, Class and Gender in HipHop Culture

Abstract

With the present article we intend to explore the way the so called hip-hop culture, although globally available, tends to be adopted and adapted at a local level, hence creating both cultural convergence and divergence. The focus of this analysis will be the trajectory and identity construction of several hip-hop protagonists, considering three entwined dimensions: ethnicity, class and gender. Besides an initial theoretical discussion regarding the relevance of these dimensions, we also intend to present findings from an ethnographic research conducted in Portugal, more specifically in the metropolitan area of Lisbon. These results, although specific and contextual, show resemblance with other similar phenomena, thus being helpful in understanding these practices and corresponding interpretations throughout different national contexts.