Edward Said's "Orientalism" in the Study of Middle East Politics Analytical Essay by Dante885
Edward Said's "Orientalism" in the Study of Middle East Politics
A brief review of Edward Said's scholarly assessment of Orientalism in his work ""Orientalism".
# 153835
| 1,079 words
| 3 sources
| APA
| 2014
| 
Published
on Feb 26, 2014
in
Ethnic Studies
(General)
, Language
(General)
, International Relations
(War and Conflict)
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Description:
The paper discusses how Edward Said in "Orientalism" examines the origins, history, and consequences of Orientalism. The paper explains how Orientalism was established and perpetuated as a means of achieving Western political achievements and supremacy, and how it led to the production of a false understanding of Islamic culture. The paper asserts that Said's work is useful in one's study of contemporary politics in the Middle East, but should not be used to make political or strategic decisions.
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 the perpetrations of an idealised but pro-European self-image, which produced a trompeur understanding in the West of Arabs and Islamic culture, without ever being objective, impartial, or legitimate within the field of study. In other words, Orientalism was established and perpetuated as a means of achieving Western political achievements, hence establishing Western ideology, which lead to its supremacy."In his landmark book, Orientalism, Edward Said examines the origins, history, and consequences of Orientalism establishing a contraposition between Western superiority and Orient inferiority (Said, p.41). By doing so, he maintains how this kind of ideology established side-by-side together with the spread of the Western colonies in the Arab region. Nevertheless, Edward Said's work results weak in some points: it does not take either the language of the colonised or the respect of the 'otherness' into consideration (Buruma, 2008)."
Sample of Sources Used:
- Buruma, I. (2008). Orientalism? Not a term of endearment. The Guardian, 16.
- Du Pasquier, R. (1992). Unveiling Islam. London: Islamic Texts Society,.
- Said, E. (1985). Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books,.
Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
Edward Said's "Orientalism" in the Study of Middle East Politics (2014, February 26)
Retrieved June 04, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/edward-said-orientalism-in-the-study-of-middle-east-politics-153835/
MLA Format
"Edward Said's "Orientalism" in the Study of Middle East Politics" 26 February 2014.
Web. 04 June. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/edward-said-orientalism-in-the-study-of-middle-east-politics-153835/>