The West and the Rest Flashcards
Why do we use historical generalizations?
We use historical generalizations because they are necessary in our understanding of historical processes
Why are binaries necessary in language?
Binaries are necessary in language because we often use opposites to describe certain phenomena as well as psychological thought processes (night/day, self/other)
What are some of the main issues with using binaries and generalizations?
The issue with binaries and generalizations is in the way we use them.
How did the West begin to conceive themselves as a single entity?
They began to conceive themselves as a single entity during the expansion of Europe, a historical process, causing them to come in contact with peoples different from themselves
What kind of social processes were created during the expansion of Europe?
The normative regulation of the West through Christendom and its privately owned resources
Why is the West considered to be a homogeneous entity when any western territories and countries are comprised of diverse, complex cultures?
The simplification of many diverse European cultures as “the West” is largely to blame for why the West is considered to be a homogeneous entity. It is also the main purpose of the discourse that surrounds the ideology of “the West and the Rest”
How was “the West” created?
It was created in relation to “others”, that is to say other cultures Europeans came in contact with during the Age of Exploration. This lead many of these explorers to determine what they were not in relation to the “other”, leading to the creation of the West
Where do we obtain meaning?
We obtain meaning from language
What are ideologies a product of?
Ideologies are a product of language, of the discourses we participate in, and are created in order to serve the interests of a particular group or class
What is discursive practice?
Discursive practice is the practice of producing meaning therefore the participation in discourse can lead to the creation of meaning for an idea, word, thing, etc.
What does discourse create?
It creates a regime of truth that makes us subjects so long as we participate in a way that promotes the ideas that the discourse is attempting to push
How can maps be a product of discourse?
Maps can be a product of discourse because, depending on the map, they can represent the world vies. For instance, back in the Middle Ages, maps were drawn with Jerusalem at its centre. This demonstrates the discourse of Christendom.
Why are paintings that represent colonization are an integral part of the discourse that surrounds “the West and the Rest”?
They are an integral part because they are visual depictions of the discourse, providing a more in-depth representation of the content of the discource
How do images that represent colonization demonstrate the foundational fantasy of the ideology of “the West and the Rest”?
These images demonstrate the idea that the New World was a fantastical paradise where its people lived in eternal relaxation and went through life in the nude, representing the sexual fantasy surrounding the West had of the Rest as well
What are some of the discursive strategies of creating a stereotype?
Idealization
Projection of fantasies of desire and degradation
Failure to recognize and respect difference
Tendency to impose European categories and norms, to see difference through the modes of perception and representation
