Critical Approaches: Postcolonialism and Poststructuralism Flashcards
Definition of Poststructuralism
- Approach rather than a specific theory
- Questions the ontological and epistemological dominate assumptions we have about security and/or security studies.
- Whether these dominant representations limit our possible knowledge/understanding of certain topics.
Some argue to be the ultimate CRITICAL approach
3 Main focuses of poststructuralism
- Not to look at RIGHT or WRONG = HOW
- Looks at language to critique somethings meaning (FIXED) and knowledge (TRUE/FALSE)
- If there is a world outside the language which aims to describe it – how can we know it?
What does Foucault argue?
No ‘truth’ outside power = what we accept to be true is not objectively so; it is very much known in the context of how power has constructed it. (realism first)
What is ‘Discourse’ with an example?
how the things we accept to be true by the dominant
- Works temporally: Laptop was fixed meaning for anything PC for a long time.
What is Derrida’s Deconstruction? And what does it entail?
Deconstruction: an attempt to expose hierarchies, paradoxes and oppositions within particular texts and language
- Text is important
- Not arguing that there is no ‘reality’ but that reality can only be known through text and language E.G. English govt’s. explanation of national security strategy holds as much weight as the words people say about it in interviews
How does poststructuralism relate to security studies? Trump example?
- Because meaning is almost always negotiated, PS works to understand how the meanings are formed e.g. does language or text dominate?
E.G. Did 7 states suddenly become a threat to America overnight when Trump gained Presidency? No. -> it is how we interpret information, information is the same
Case Study: Bialasiewicz’s ‘imaginative geographies’
- Post 9/11 landscape: Simple inside/outside dichotomy replaced with imagined geography of those states willing to integrate and those not willing (Muslim World)
- This imagined geography produced through dominative US National Strategy, supported by media, textuals and videos
- REAL EFFECTS: Invasion of Iraq
Critiques of Poststructuralism (tradtional and CSS)
Traditional approaches: Fails to produce ‘scientific’ theory and PS is unable to distinguish between ‘real’ and ‘false’ threats
Critical Security Studies: Does not suggest how to change things
What is the idea of postcolonialism based upon
although present era may be after the FORMAL end of colonialism – colonial hierarchy of race, class and gender linger on.
Who does postcolonialism theory use?
- Historical relations between colonial and colonised (SA independence)
- Offers views from both sides rather than just dominant ‘GREAT POWERS’ (Black Londoner)
Key themes of postcolonialism
- Encourages use of Literary = media coverage of representation of colonial ties’
- Not just about the West = focuses on the relations of colonisers WITHIN states also
Edward Said’s Orientalism?
- Examines the historical representation of ME and Asia in Western Novels
- Emphasis on cultural differences in ultimately negative ways which Said believes still influences Western depictions today = representations as a form of power
Barkawi’s argument of Eurocentrism?
- Idea conceived after WW2 of world perceived through Eurocentric lens
- all other considerations of the world examined by it. This is considered REAL and IMAGINERY.
- Not just to Europe = Eurocentric can be US, Japan, English colonies
What makes Eurocentricism both real and imaginary?
Real: Because it will always change and is never the same over time, yet analysis still use it
Imaginary: because there is a distinction between an idealised Europe and the one that exists
Cuban missile Crisis argument by Barkawi?
- Massive downplay on both Cuba and Japan’s parts on the Crisis with huge emphasis on ‘great powers’ role (Russia and Soviet Union)
- Portrayed Cuba as ‘mere puppets’ for allowing Soviet Union to place the missile on their land
