"In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world."
This term refers to the cultural representations and stereotypes of Middle Eastern and Asian societies (called the Orient) that have been historically created by Western scholars, writers, and artists. It is seen as an ideological tool of colonialism and imperialism.
Definition and History of Orientalism: An introduction to what is meant by the term Orientalism and a brief overview of its history as an academic field.
Postcolonial Theory: A critical approach to understanding the impact of colonialism on societies and cultures in the postcolonial world, including the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality.
Colonialism and Imperialism: A study of the historical processes of colonialism and imperialism, including their economic, political, and cultural dimensions.
Representation and Stereotyping: A critical examination of how different societies and cultures have been represented in Western popular culture, media, and academic discourse, as well as the stereotypes that have developed as a result.
Gender and Sexuality: An exploration of how gender and sexuality are represented in Orientalism and how they intersect with the wider social and political dynamics of the postcolonial world.
Orientalism in Literature: The use of literature to reinforce and subvert Western representations of the Orient and challenges and critique of these representations.
Orientalism in Art and Visual Culture: The ways in which Orientalist themes have manifested in art, architecture, and visual culture across different historical periods.
Islamophobia and Orientalism: A discussion of the intersection between Orientalism, Islamophobia, and other forms of prejudice and discrimination that impact individuals and societies in the postcolonial world.
The Politics of Knowledge Production: The ways in which knowledge about the Orient has been produced and constructed by Western scholars and intellectuals, and the power dynamics that are involved in this process.
Resistance and Decolonization: The strategies, movements, and discourses adopted by postcolonial societies to resist Orientalism and decolonize knowledge, politics, and culture.
"Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle East, was one of the many specialties of 19th-century academic art."
"Since the publication of Edward Said's Orientalism in 1978, much academic discourse has begun to use the term 'Orientalism' to refer to a general patronizing Western attitude towards Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African societies."
"In Said's analysis, the West essentializes these societies as static and undeveloped—thereby fabricating a view of Oriental culture that can be studied, depicted, and reproduced in the service of imperial power."
"Implicit in this fabrication, writes Said, is the idea that Western society is developed, rational, flexible, and superior."
"This allows Western imagination to see 'Eastern' cultures and people as both alluring and a threat to Western civilization."
"In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world."
"Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle East, was one of the many specialties of 19th-century academic art."
"Since the publication of Edward Said's Orientalism in 1978, much academic discourse has begun to use the term 'Orientalism' to refer to a general patronizing Western attitude towards Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African societies."
"Much academic discourse has begun to use the term 'Orientalism' to refer to a general patronizing Western attitude towards Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African societies."
"In Said's analysis, the West essentializes these societies as static and undeveloped—thereby fabricating a view of Oriental culture that can be studied, depicted, and reproduced in the service of imperial power."
"Implicit in this fabrication, writes Said, is the idea that Western society is developed, rational, flexible, and superior."
"This allows Western imagination to see 'Eastern' cultures and people as both alluring and a threat to Western civilization."
"Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle East, was one of the many specialties of 19th-century academic art."
"Since the publication of Edward Said's Orientalism in 1978, much academic discourse has begun to use the term 'Orientalism' to refer to a general patronizing Western attitude towards Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African societies."
"In Said's analysis, the West essentializes these societies as static and undeveloped—thereby fabricating a view of Oriental culture that can be studied, depicted, and reproduced in the service of imperial power."
"Implicit in this fabrication, writes Said, is the idea that Western society is developed, rational, flexible, and superior."
"This allows Western imagination to see 'Eastern' cultures and people as both alluring and a threat to Western civilization."
"In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world."
"Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle East, was one of the many specialties of 19th-century academic art."