Orientalism Vs Essentialism:
Orientalism and essentialism are two concepts that are often discussed together, especially in the context of cultural studies, anthropology, and postcolonial theory.
Orientalism refers to a way of thinking and representing the East (primarily Asia and the Middle East) that emerged in the West during the 18th and 19th centuries. It involves a set of stereotypes, assumptions, and generalizations about Eastern cultures, societies, and peoples that are based on a Eurocentric perspective. Orientalism is a form of cultural imperialism that was used to justify colonialism and imperialism, and it often portrays Eastern cultures as exotic, backward, and inferior to Western culture.
Essentialism, on the other hand, is the idea that there are fixed, inherent, and unchanging qualities that define a particular group or identity. Essentialism can be applied to various categories, such as race, gender, sexuality, and culture. Essentialism assumes that there are immutable characteristics that make a group what it is, and that these characteristics are shared by all members of that group.
In the context of Orientalism, essentialism often involves the idea that Eastern cultures are monolithic and unchanging, with timeless and unalterable qualities that define them. Essentialist thinking can lead to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudices, as it assumes that all members of a particular group are the same.
Together, Orientalism and essentialism can lead to a reductionist and simplistic view of cultures and peoples, as well as to the marginalization and oppression of groups that are seen as different or exotic. These concepts are often criticized in postcolonial theory and cultural studies for their role in perpetuating unequal power relations between different cultures and societies.
Edward Sais and Orientalism:
The concept Orientalism is mostly associated with the American palestinian schooler Edward Said through his book of the same title "Orientalism" , through which Said argued that cultural geographical entities such as the "Orient" are not inert facts of nature, but rather should be grasped as historically specific discursive constructions that have a particular history and tradition. Thus "The Orient" has been constituted by an imagery and vocabularly that have given it a specific kind of reality and presence within the western culture.
So for Said, Orientalism was a general group of ideas impregnated with European superiority, racism and imperialism that are elaborated and distributed through a variety of texts and practices.
In recent years a great deal of news coverage in the west has been devoted to such matters as the states of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Libya (terrorism) mainly after Osama Bin Laden and the tragedy of 11 September 2001. Thus we may note a certain imbalance in the cultural representation of Islam within the West. There's a clear concentration on the violence of some Islamic fundamentalists but little exploration of the reasons behind this hostility towards the west and the part played by western cultural and political actions in fuelling conflict, nor it is often reported that Islam is seen by most of its adherents as a philosophy and religion of love and peaceful cooperation.
Said shows in his approach to Orientalism that the west represents the Orient not as it is but as the west Imagine it. Therefore, according to Said, The Orient is a western construct and fantasy, the Orient we watch on TV and Hollywood movies is being fantasized , orientalized, constructed and forged by western consciousness discourse.
On the one hand, women are portrayed as decile bodies, oppressed by men and the Oriental men are represented as fanatic, irrational, impulsive, savage, and obsessed with sex (lustful) . On the other hand, the western men are represented as being enlightened which means human, rational and elite and the could establish a smooth with Arab women.
Said insists that to understand and analyze western representation of the Orient we need to take into account the politics of power, how western sense of power and superiority shapes Its discourse on the Orient.
"The relationship between Occident and Orient is a relationship of power, of domination, of varying degrees of a complex hegemony"
Said's solution to Orientalism and other forms of racism is to encourage individuals to question their own assumptions and biases about other cultures and peoples. He suggests that we need to recognize that our views of other cultures are shaped by historical and political factors, and that we need to be willing to engage in critical self-reflection in order to overcome these biases.
Overall, Said's solution is to promote greater awareness and understanding of cultural differences, and to encourage individuals to engage in open and honest dialogue about these differences in order to promote greater understanding and respect.