Orientalism What Is Orientalism? Orientalism

Orientalism

What is Orientalism?

Orientalism has to do with the depiction of Eastern cultures by the West in various forms of media. According to Edward Said, though, Orientalism actually makes a stronger divide between Eastern and Western cultures instead of bringing them closer together (Said, 1978). The goal of Orientalism was not to cause this divide but to bring East and West closer together and get people who have strong differences to start recognizing what they have in common, as well. Unfortunately, this did not end up being the case. Said believed that Orientalism was very judgmental, and that was why people from the East had such a problem with it (Said, 1978). They were not being portrayed accurately, but stereotypically, often times with a lot of anger and aggression that was not needed for any reason and had virtually no place in anything of actually value or merit (Said, 1978).

There are also three different kinds of Orientalism. These are academic, imaginative, and Orientalism as a discourse (Said, 1978). They tie into one another, of course, and they are all used depending on what a person believes about the concept of Orientalism and how important that concept is to the individual. Academic Orientalism is the most valid in that it is more clinical and relies on the facts that are offered. Imaginative Orientalism is more stereotypical and talks more about things that are generally seen to be racist or ethnocentric instead of things that are actually completely factual. Orientalism formed by opinion is not the same thing as Orientalism formed by fact, and that difference is important. Using Orientalism as a discourse means that people are willing to talk about it, and that is very significant because people who do not talk about the differences that they have and the way that they feel about those differences not only do not learn of their similarities but also do not learn of the stereotypes that are incorrect (Said, 1978).

Orientalism and Western Policy - Colonialism

In addition to the three forms of Orientalism, there are two different kinds: latent and manifest (Said, 1978). When Orientalism is latent it is below the surface and not talked about very much. It might be something that a person keeps to himself or herself because it seems racist or would not be appreciated, or it might be a misconception or stereotype that they really do not even realize that they have. When it is manifest, it is out in the open and people talk about it or show how they feel. This can be good or bad, depending on whether people think that Orientalism is a dangerous thing or whether they accept it as being normal and realistic. Some of this is addressed based on what a person's lifestyle is like and how he or she 'fits in' with others - as well as what those others think, feel, and show to the world when it comes to their opinions and perceptions regarding Orientalism.

The relationship between Orientalism and Western policy is sometimes complex, because there are many differences in the way that the West perceives the East and the way that the East actually is (Said, 1978). That is something that most people do not realize when they start talking about people in other areas of the world. The way that those people are perceived and the way that they really are, of course, are often very different. Some opinions will be closer than others, but keeping an open mind is the key, and a lot of people do not do that. Instead, they take what they read and hear as being truthful rather than take the time to find out about a people and their culture from individuals who actually know what is accurate and what is not.

Muslims and Orientalism

People in Muslim countries have a difficult time with Orientalism because they see how it is inaccurate and 'Americanized.' One of the best examples of this is the book Cities of Salt. It was first published in 1984 over in Beirut. There are many politics issues that are introduced in the book, and it is important to understand how the novel enhances the understanding that others have of both politics and society within the Middle East. The novel is really an epic that brings out many of the issues in politics that have been plaguing the Middle East and causing difficulties in that country for the better part of a century. The book is set in a gulf country that is never actually named, but is suspected to be Jordan around the time of the 1930s. In the novel, the Bedouin residents of a little oasis and community called Wadi al-Uyoun have their lives forever changed when Americans come to their tiny area and discover that there is oil there (Munif, 1989). Instead of having just one person in this community relate what has happened because of this, there is a large and diverse cast of Bedouin individuals that are used in the story, so that it can be seen through the eyes of many and given various perspectives.

There are many different manifestations that are created from the upheaval that is seen when the Americans arrive, and the author of the novel believed that it was important to see the issues from many sets of eyes and from many different opinions (Munif, 1989). The Americans basically come in and colonize the small oasis community, and the novel moves from the first contact with the Americans through the suspicions and other problems that their technology causes, and moves at a good pace to keep the reader not only interested in the story, but interested as well in what is happening to the politics and the society that has been changed through the arrival of foreigners and their beliefs.

The technology that the Americans bring is a problem for the Bedouin residents, because they have never seen it before and do not understand it. Because of this, they are very suspicious of the Americans and the equipment, which includes telephones, automobiles, bulldozers, and radios, among other things. Many of the residents see these items working off of 'magic' and this makes them frightened and confused (Munif, 1989). This is one of the ways that the author shows how the clash of cultures and societies can cause problems and misunderstandings, and is therefore very important to the central theme of the novel.