Post-colonial Theory Flashcards
colonialsm
European countries colonizing countries from the 17th to the 20th century
post-colonialsm
decline of colonization: through bloody revolutions or peaceful transfers of sovereignty
main idea of lens
Analyzing writing produced by colonial powers in order to understand bias and perspective; as well as understanding the issues with power, economics, religion, and culture.
importance of lens
Looks at economic situations that continue to put post-colonial and emerging nations inferior to Western and colonizing nations - western literary canon
3 broad stages
Initial awareness of the social, psychological, and cultural inferiority enforced
Struggle for self government - ethnic, political, and cultural
Growing awareness of cultural overlap
Race
OUTSIDE: division and classification of people by physical characteristics
Hegemony
dominance of one group or class in society
Ethnicity
INSIDE fusion of traits that belong to a group
Subaltern
those put inferior and controlled by a hegemonic group
Occidental
person of European ancestry - often put in a position of power
Oriental
person of Asian ancestry - often being in a position of submission
Eurocentrism
practice of viewing the world from a European perspective (is the standard)
The Exotic
using native customs and traditions - cultural appropriation
Noble savage
portrayal of natives/Indigenous people as innocent and pitied
Demonic othering
those who are different from oneself are inferior
White man as savior
portraying white men as high-minded and superior
Diaspora
voluntary or forcible immigration of people
Mimicry
colonists imposing their own culture and codes on native people
Assimilation
people from different ethnic groups absorbed into the dominant group
Hybridity
society becomes ethnically mixed representing a synthesis
Creolization
combing of identities and language from both sides (colonized and colonizers) - new form made
Ambivalence
ambiguous way of viewing one another - colonized and colonizer
Double Consciousness
feeling as though your identity is divided into several parts
Unhomeliness
feeling estranged in a situation which should be familiar
Orientalism
stereotyping of the East
why do host country’s expand influence
God: European settlers felt like it was there duty to spread christianity
Gold: Fond trading routes and untrapped natural resources
Glory: competition to see who could set up most colonies
