Said 'Intro to Orientalism' Flashcards
Said provides an example of how
directing theory to a specific purpose
in order to foster
positive outcomes that are healing, liberatory and revolutionary
The intentional direction
in his essay is the critique of Oriental discourse
He reveals that Orientalism
is a product of Western scholarship and imagination, reinforcing colonial power dynamics
His critique calls for a
re-evaluation of the ways in which cultures are represented and understood
He particularly reveals how
European colonizing power is achieved through the discourse that we use
such as the discourse of ‘The Dark Continent’
which is used to achieve colonial domination by convincing natives that colonialism came to lighten their darkness
Only by exhibiting
an intentional and purposeful practise of reading and theorizing
can Said
unveil and uncover these streoretypes
He therefore offers the example of how theory can be
redirected to serve more positive ends, like exposing Oriental discourse
Said’s intro to Orientalism refers only to
one of the ways of thinking about a text to produce greater meanings and critiques
His critique aligns with hooks’ perspective by suggesting that theories
particularly those related to cultural representations, are not inherently neutral but can perpetuate harmful stereotypes
To address this concern there must be
a conscious effort to critically engage with and redirect our reading
to enhance the
transformative potential of theory
It is the reponsibility and agency
of readers to consciously choose an intentional direction
