At the same time, some things are shaped by society and I have no control over them. Things like gender roles, cultural expectations, or even the way people judge me or perceive me based on where I come from, where I study or what my believes ares. Society often puts people in boxes (like we discussed in class), and even if I don't fully agree with those labels, I think they are impactful in my everyday life.

In a certain way, my identity is a mix of what I consciously choose to be and what I have been taught by society to be.

Thinking this way can help create a fairer society because it pushes us to see people in their full complexity and to design solutions that don’t leave certain groups behind. As an example, policies or conversations about equality become more effective when they take into account how multiple aspects of identity interact, these aspects can be race, gender, sexuality, or disability and others. Intersectional thinking reminds us that fairness isn’t about treating everyone exactly the same, but about understanding differences and making sure support and opportunities reach those who need them most.

For example, Thelonious Monk's music can be seen as form of cultural resistance. His unconventional style broke the expectations of jazz, asserting the creativity and depth of African American musical traditions at a time when Black artists struggled for recognition. His very success changed stereotypes and forced audiences to engage with art that did not conform to their comfort zones.

Another example is the mural movement in Latin America, especially during political struggles in Mexico. Murals transformed public spaced into canvases for protest, education, and solidarity. Similarly, hip-hop culture has historically provided marginalized communities with a way to speak against systemic oppression through misc, graffiti, and dance.

For me, art is power because it not only denounces injustice but also creates hope and unity. it reminds us that cultural expression is not just entertainment, but it also survival, memories, and protests. It inspires action, changes perception, and preserves identity. Without art, activism would lose one of its most profound tools to resist and reimagine the world.

I think it matters because:

• It challenges us to see that identity is not violent, but when forced into a situation where it is an "us vs them" it becomes destructive, like what happened in the Bloody Sunday.

• It invites empathy, the song is written from the standpoint of someone horrifies by the violence, someone who refuses to choose sides in the sense of allowing on group killing the other, but instead stand with the victims, the innocent people, the ones that still had their humanity.

• In the sense of multiculturalism it provides idea that when multiple identities coexist, but one of those identities dominates or suppresses another, the conflict escalates. The for diversity to be peaceful or harmonious, it requires respect, recognition of all the groups and voices, even the marginalized, and it also requires equality.

• It also speaks to the trauma of living amid conflict, to the tiredness of the repeated violence, to the writing of peace and dignity. it is a'powerful reminder that culture and identity are deeply meaningful but they must not become weapons.

References

Hedden, C. (2025, June 7). The Rock song that broke U2 into the music mainstream explained: Why “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is so important. Screen Rant. https://screenrant.com/u2-sunday-bloody-sunday-lyrics-meaning-explained/

The Legends Of Music. (2018, December 14). Sunday Bloody Sunday: The Story behind U2’s most political song. Medium. https://medium.com/@thelegendsofmusic/sunday-bloody-sunday-the-story-behind-u2s-most-political-song-f3fd719e1009

Globalization allows artists to draw inspiration from multiple traditions, beliefs, and practices, enriching their artistic expression with eclectic and innovative elements.

The instant availability of global art through digital media gives artists unprecedented exposure to various styles and techniques worldwide. For example, a textile artist in Morocco can learn from Bauhaus color theory and Japanese digital patterns simultaneously, significantly broadening their creative scope and technical skills.

The artist's internal reference group has expanded from local communities to a virtual global audience, impacting everything from medium choice to thematic content. Globalization reshapes how artists perceive and express identity, emotions, and ideas in their work.