Edward Said's "Orientalism"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in studying the contemporary politics of the Middle East, Edward Said's scholarly assessment of Orientalism is of vital importance. The author points out that Said persuasively argues that Orientalism helped to promote an idealized but pro-European self-image, which produced a false understanding in the West of Arabs and Islamic culture,and has never been an objective, impartial or legitimate field. The paper relates that, in reality, Orientalism was established and perpetuated as a means of achieving Western political goals.

From the Paper:

"In studying the contemporary politics of the Middle East, Edward Said's scholarly assessment of Orientalism is of vital importance, for he persuasively argues that Orientalism helped to promote an idealized but pro-European self-image, that it produced a false understanding in the West of Arabs and Islamic culture, and that it has never been an objective, impartial, or legitimate field. In reality, Orientalism was established and perpetuated as a means of achieving Western political goals. In his intriguing book, Orientalism, Edward Said thoroughly examines the origins, history, and consequences of Orientalism and explains the manner in which Orientalism represents "the distinction between Western superiority and Oriental inferiority.""

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