Cultural Geography and Popular Geopolitics in Congo

In addition, it will elaborate on the popular entertainment in the country and describe the implications of the perceptions. Popular geopolitics focuses on the influence of popular culture on the world politics. The analysis compares the images, sounds, and stories to understand the way they create a common sense and national interests. The belief is that the geographical aspects influence the actions of citizens in a country. The geographical conditions in a country are; physical structures and man-made structures. Nations form perceptions and stereotypes about life and culture in other countries and Congo is no exception. First, there is the perception the every adolescent boy has been a child soldier. When people hear about Congo, the first thing that hits their mind is about a country fighting.

Although there is war, it only happens in small hotspots that seek secession. On top of that, media reports and internet videos portray a nation in skirmishes thus helping promote the identity of a hostile people. The country lays in the equatorial belt thus dense tropical vegetation and the presence of wild animals such as chimpanzees, elephants, gorillas, and cheetahs. Furthermore, there is the perception of untrustworthiness due to the rampant corruption and plundering of national resources. For instance, subject 5 believes that the Congolese public institutions have embezzlement of funds and respond to the president’s call. Therefore, it becomes hard to prosecute top government official implicated in corruption scandals. The habitual acceptance of corruption as a normal practice raises the integrity questions.

In this case, the Congolese male may find that they get certain job openings that require brave people. However, the perception on disease and poverty-stricken citizens leads to avoidance by people from other nations. For instance, when passing through an airport inspection the Congolese may receive extra surveillance to ensure they have a clean bill of health. An example of popular entertainment in Congo is Rhumba music. Dittmer says” Music has a particular role in our cultural imagination. Music as a popular geopolitical aspect applies the concept of non-representation that utilizes the attention to affect. In this case, the music creates an issue relatable with the masses and its intensities are felt but not on an individual basis. However, the non-representation concept may come from the government to influence public opinion in terms of propaganda.

There is need for the public to learn to distinguish between the truth and propaganda. In addition, television and radio form popular entertainment in Congo. Popular geopolitics focuses on the influence of popular culture on the world politics. The analysis compares the images, sounds, and stories to understand the way they create a common sense and national interests. The metaphoric language shapes the political understanding of a locality. For instance, American media has propagated the notion the Muslim and nationalities from the Middle East are a threat to the American and Eurocentric populations. There is the perception the every adolescent boy has been a child soldier. Dangerous tales: Dominant narratives on the Congo and their unintended consequences.  African Affairs 111. Dittmer, Jason.

 Popular culture, geopolitics, and identity. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2010. com/watch?v=T4KNVT2w0mU> Mohammed, O. Netflix’s first feature film takes on child soldiers in Africa, and stars Idris Elba. online] Quartz. Available at: https://qz. com/497078/netflixs-first-feature-film-takes-on-child-soldiers-in-africa-and-stars-idris-elba/ [Accessed 11 Nov.