A Study on Hip-hop Feminism Placed in the Contemporary Landscape of the Singapore Hip-hop Dance Scene

Created on 16th December 2022

Conference: The Asian Undergraduate Research Symposium (AURS9)
Title: A Study on Hip-hop Feminism Placed in the Contemporary Landscape of the Singapore Hip-hop Dance Scene
Stream: Culture, Popular Culture and Cultural Studies
Presentation Type: Virtual Poster Presentation
Authors:
Nur Arianty, Lasalle College of The Arts, Singapore

Abstract:

This study aims to look at the Singapore Hip-hop dance scene through the lens of Feminism. It serves to answer the research question of, ‘how is Hip-hop Feminism practiced in the local Hip-hop dance scene of today’? Although Hip-hop’s historical and evolution has evolved globally, in Singapore, its assimilation to produce a unique identity that is Hip-hop Feminism warrants investigation. Hip-hop Feminism defined in this study follows a combination of bell hooks’ Feminism theory: which looks at the second to third wave of feminism in the digital age, Lyon’s Singaporean Feminism theory: the local view of feminism, and Joan Morgan’s Hip-hop Feminism theory which supports the movement that aims to end sexism by acknowledging and responding to the unfair representation of genders and race. The concept of Embodiment theorized by Maxine Sheets-Johnstone would be employed to analyse the practices of Hip-hop Feminism among current Hip-hop dancers. Two semi-structured focus groups and four interviews with dancers and educators aged from 18-year-olds to 40-year-olds were conducted. An autoethnography recount on a Hip-hop dance course was also performed. The findings were analysed through cross-tabulation which identified three key findings on the practices of Hip-hop Feminism in Singapore. They are seen through the safe learning environment provided by dance educators, conscious and intentional choice of music, and active initiations by the Hip-hop community. Hip-hop Feminism practices that are present in Singapore are a testament to the progress of the local Hip-hop dance scene’s which is a significant contributor to the overall Singapore’s Hip-hop ecosystem.