According to the renowned Scholar Edward Said “the Orient was a European invention” around “since antiquity.” the French and British have long held the as a tradition where Orientalism, represents a way of coming to terms with the Orient that is “based on the Orient’s special place in European Western experience where the Orient is not only adjacent to Europe” it is the place of Europe’s “greatest and oldest colonies, source of civilizations, languages” but more importantly it serves as “its cultural contestant, and on of its deepest most recurring images of the Other” (Said, P.1). Orientalism is less preferred by specialists today because it is vague, general and “connotes a high-handed executive attitude of nineteenth century and early twentieth-century colonialism” (Said, p.2). Said points out that Americans aren’t likely to feel the same about the Orient as they usually associate it with the Far East mainly China and Japan, however a “vastly expanded American political and Economic role in the Near East (the Middle East)” in the last century contributes to our understanding of that Orient. Orientalism was a style of thought based upon ontological and epistemological distinctions made between the “Orient” and the “Occident” or as the “East” versus the “West” as we know it or the more fundamental dialectic “Them” versus “Us.” In reflecting on his own experiences Edward Said makes quite a powerful remark: “The life of an Arab Palestinian in the West particularly in America, is disheartening.” Furthermore he states, “There exists here an almost unanimous consensus that politically he does not exist and when it is allowed that he does, it is either as a nuisance or as an oriental. The web of racism, cultural stereotypes, political imperialism, and dehumanizing ideology” perpetuates this normative and highly ethnocentric theory known as Orientalism. The troublesome stereotypes, labeling the “other” in such a way that creates an antagonism between ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ or “in a sense obliterates the Oriental from existing as human being,” are imbedded in layers of Western culture (Said, p.27). In critiquing the “rise, development and consolidation of Orientalism” Said stresses that “too often literature and culture are presumed to be politically even historically innocent” however the media and culture are key contributors in shaping, reacting, and reflecting the theories and ideologies of society (Said, p.27). Problematic theories such as Orientalism only fuel the Clash of Civilizations. In Edward Said’s critical analysis and scholarly papers he challenges the “manufactured clash” as he brilliantly referred to it. Orientalism faults like the Clash are captured well in this reflection: “Above all, critical thought does not submit to state power or to commands to join in the ranks marching against another approved enemy. Rather than the manufactured clash of civilizations, we need to concentrate on the slow working together of cultures that overlap, borrow form each other, and live together in far more interesting ways than any abridged or inauthentic mode of understanding can allow” Edward Said (pp.xxlx). Only when society collectively insists to challenge “the terrible reductive conflicts that herd people under falsely unifying rubrics like ‘America’ the ‘west’ or ‘Islam’ can the notions of the Clash of Civilizations be challenged and reversed (Said, xxviii). Even more so than reductionist labels, “inventing collective identities for large numbers of individuals” who are actually quite diverse, exists a problem that confines the ‘other’ as an enemy or Villain (as Shaheen stresses) which “must be opposed as murderous effectiveness vastly reduced in influence and mobilizing power” serves as an immanent threat. With such racist and reductionist theories influencing the perceptions of the “other,” dictating skewed interactions between the East and West, humanity is bound view the world through a warped lens, thus remaining at war. Orientalism is one theory that feeds the raging fire of the Clash of Civilizations. As long as such theories continuously perpetuated by the news media and media producers coexist with international affairs committed to maintain the west as the superpower and demoralize the rest, and role of the society as an audience remains idle, the perceived “clash” has no choice but to exist (if only in the minds of those who believe it to be true). The only way to stop the clash is to contest notions such as Orientalism and reverse them. In “Real Bad Arabs” Jack Shaheen attributes the failure to reverse stereotypes and racism, which depicted in the media, to “Greed, absence of vibrant…criticism, and silence” (Shaheen, p.190). In his empirical analysis uncovering how Hollywood vilifies a people (His research focuses particularly on Arabs, but he also references additional discriminated groups) Shaheen reacts to society’s inaction to combat misrepresentation. The other gets misrepresented because “violent news images of extremists reinforce and exacerbate already prevalent stereotypes, serving as both a source and excuse for continued Arab-bashing by those eager to exploit the issue” (p.180) and even more so, being realistic “convenient stereotypes makes everyone’s job easier” (Shaheen, p. 190). He emphasizes: “no significant element of public opinion has yet to oppose the stereotype; even scholars and government officials are mum” yet reminds us that “ethnic stereotypes do not die off on their own, but are hunted down and terminated by those whom the stereotypes victimize” (Shaheen, p.190). As long as Scholars such as Edward W. Said heavily critique limited theories like Orientalism thus putting forth a challenge to the hegemonic notions of the Powerful West future civilization and humanity will be better off. Said critique isn’t perfect, most theories have some biases or flaws, but they’re crucial. Personal accounts like Toufic El Rassi’s “Arab in America,” countless modern documentaries, or even short you tube clips that could seem arbitrary but have acquired a large following, are the steps necessary for society to take in the right direction in challenging the Clash of Civilizations. Civilization must be more open-minded. As Gregory referenced in The Colonial Present, “Foucault claimed to recognize the limitations in our system of thought and the ‘stark impossibility of thinking that,’ ” perhaps this paradox is what we must truly work to challenge
Works Cited
Gregory, Derek. The Colonial Present. Chapter I. pp. 1-12.
Said, Edward. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books,1978. Preface pp.xv-xxx.
Said, Edward. Orientalism Introduction. New York: Vintage Books,1978. Introduction pp.1-28.
Shaheen, Jack. “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People,” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol. 588, July, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc: 2003. pp. 171-193.
A Recent 2009 NYU Graduate with a B.S in Media, Culture, & Communication from NYU's Steinhart; fusing studies in communications, impact of technology, politics, and business alongside personal interest in social activism, I create this blog for a Wagner Course. Further compelled by personal involvement in the Palestinian and Israeli conflict i was drawn into researching refugee populations for my final Blog project in the Wagner Course: "Globalizing Social Activism and The Power of the Media." It was a perfect framework to look more closely at how technological advancements and media influence have given voice to the global refugee crisis, and what role the media plays in shaping public agenda concerning global crises. Having done former comparitive research on Western and Arab media, Middle East Conflict coverage,and theories of globalization this felt like a natural progression.
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Orientalism Fuels the Fire
According to the renowned Scholar Edward Said “the Orient was a European invention” around “since antiquity.” the French and British have long held the as a tradition where Orientalism, represents a way of coming to terms with the Orient that is “based on the Orient’s special place in European Western experience where the Orient is not only adjacent to Europe” it is the place of Europe’s “greatest and oldest colonies, source of civilizations, languages” but more importantly it serves as “its cultural contestant, and on of its deepest most recurring images of the Other” (Said, P.1). Orientalism is less preferred by specialists today because it is vague, general and “connotes a high-handed executive attitude of nineteenth century and early twentieth-century colonialism” (Said, p.2). Said points out that Americans aren’t likely to feel the same about the Orient as they usually associate it with the Far East mainly China and Japan, however a “vastly expanded American political and Economic role in the Near East (the Middle East)” in the last century contributes to our understanding of that Orient.
Orientalism was a style of thought based upon ontological and epistemological distinctions made between the “Orient” and the “Occident” or as the “East” versus the “West” as we know it or the more fundamental dialectic “Them” versus “Us.” In reflecting on his own experiences Edward Said makes quite a powerful remark: “The life of an Arab Palestinian in the West particularly in America, is disheartening.” Furthermore he states, “There exists here an almost unanimous consensus that politically he does not exist and when it is allowed that he does, it is either as a nuisance or as an oriental. The web of racism, cultural stereotypes, political imperialism, and dehumanizing ideology” perpetuates this normative and highly ethnocentric theory known as Orientalism. The troublesome stereotypes, labeling the “other” in such a way that creates an antagonism between ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ or “in a sense obliterates the Oriental from existing as human being,” are imbedded in layers of Western culture (Said, p.27). In critiquing the “rise, development and consolidation of Orientalism” Said stresses that “too often literature and culture are presumed to be politically even historically innocent” however the media and culture are key contributors in shaping, reacting, and reflecting the theories and ideologies of society (Said, p.27).
Problematic theories such as Orientalism only fuel the Clash of Civilizations. In Edward Said’s critical analysis and scholarly papers he challenges the “manufactured clash” as he brilliantly referred to it. Orientalism faults like the Clash are captured well in this reflection:
“Above all, critical thought does not submit to state power or to commands to join in the ranks marching against another approved enemy. Rather than the manufactured clash of civilizations, we need to concentrate on the slow working together of cultures that overlap, borrow form each other, and live together in far more interesting ways than any abridged or inauthentic mode of understanding can allow” Edward Said (pp.xxlx).
Only when society collectively insists to challenge “the terrible reductive conflicts that herd people under falsely unifying rubrics like ‘America’ the ‘west’ or ‘Islam’ can the notions of the Clash of Civilizations be challenged and reversed (Said, xxviii). Even more so than reductionist labels, “inventing collective identities for large numbers of individuals” who are actually quite diverse, exists a problem that confines the ‘other’ as an enemy or Villain (as Shaheen stresses) which “must be opposed as murderous effectiveness vastly reduced in influence and mobilizing power” serves as an immanent threat.
With such racist and reductionist theories influencing the perceptions of the “other,” dictating skewed interactions between the East and West, humanity is bound view the world through a warped lens, thus remaining at war. Orientalism is one theory that feeds the raging fire of the Clash of Civilizations. As long as such theories continuously perpetuated by the news media and media producers coexist with international affairs committed to maintain the west as the superpower and demoralize the rest, and role of the society as an audience remains idle, the perceived “clash” has no choice but to exist (if only in the minds of those who believe it to be true).
The only way to stop the clash is to contest notions such as Orientalism and reverse them. In “Real Bad Arabs” Jack Shaheen attributes the failure to reverse stereotypes and racism, which depicted in the media, to “Greed, absence of vibrant…criticism, and silence” (Shaheen, p.190). In his empirical analysis uncovering how Hollywood vilifies a people (His research focuses particularly on Arabs, but he also references additional discriminated groups) Shaheen reacts to society’s inaction to combat misrepresentation. The other gets misrepresented because “violent news images of extremists reinforce and exacerbate already prevalent stereotypes, serving as both a source and excuse for continued Arab-bashing by those eager to exploit the issue” (p.180) and even more so, being realistic “convenient stereotypes makes everyone’s job easier” (Shaheen, p. 190). He emphasizes: “no significant element of public opinion has yet to oppose the stereotype; even scholars and government officials are mum” yet reminds us that “ethnic stereotypes do not die off on their own, but are hunted down and terminated by those whom the stereotypes victimize” (Shaheen, p.190).
As long as Scholars such as Edward W. Said heavily critique limited theories like Orientalism thus putting forth a challenge to the hegemonic notions of the Powerful West future civilization and humanity will be better off. Said critique isn’t perfect, most theories have some biases or flaws, but they’re crucial. Personal accounts like Toufic El Rassi’s “Arab in America,” countless modern documentaries, or even short you tube clips that could seem arbitrary but have acquired a large following, are the steps necessary for society to take in the right direction in challenging the Clash of Civilizations. Civilization must be more open-minded. As Gregory referenced in The Colonial Present, “Foucault claimed to recognize the limitations in our system of thought and the ‘stark impossibility of thinking that,’ ” perhaps this paradox is what we must truly work to challenge
Works Cited
Gregory, Derek. The Colonial Present. Chapter I. pp. 1-12.
Said, Edward. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books,1978. Preface pp.xv-xxx.
Said, Edward. Orientalism Introduction. New York: Vintage Books,1978. Introduction
pp.1-28.
Shaheen, Jack. “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People,” Annals of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol. 588, July, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc: 2003. pp. 171-193.
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