Said
prof in comparitive literature
published orientalism
prolific writer
major figure in middle eastern studies
most quoted scholar in middle eastern studies
educated in Jerusalem
spent most of his adult life in the states
died in 03
palestine and israel studies
interview following 9/11 he said the states had a view of arabs as a threatening other
what is orientalism
new way to conceptualize a history of relationships between the west and east
shook the profession of middle eastern studies as a field
until his publication orientalism had a neutral meaning
mainly oriental scholarship
oriental character, style, quality
redefined the term giving it a negative connotation
critique of western scholarship on the middle east
domination - military, cultural, and scholarly
issue with how western scholars define and study the middle east
links it to politics and the colonial period
criticizes the way iddle easterns have been depicted in all forms of knowledge
early scholarship by western scholars in that region were biased
,false and stereotyped vision of otherness on the islamic world that supported the colonial project
we are going to liberate etc
expressed as an entire system of thought or scholarship
important constructions
the orient
orient as a construction of european self definition as in not like us
dont know much about the orient but we know its different
seperate from europe
irrational
backwards
almost a european invention
second important construction
the oriental
man is depicted as dangerous, feminine and weak, poses a threat to western women, woman
wants to be dominated
biological inferior
unchanging
created a single subject matter
how the west knows the orient is wrapped up in their domination of the area
restructuring
relation of power
all forms of knowledge are productive of power
refused to accept the innocence in the representation of the orient
system of representations driven by political forces
bringing the orient into western learning
,british and french empires
when napoleon went to the middle east he didnt just go with conquest in mind
was also academic and cultural
who are the orientalists
colonial conquest requires knowledge of the people
to conquer the orient the west came to know itnineteenth century is when islamic and oriental
studies became independant
current western depiction of arab cultures orientalism can still be found
delacroix
famous orientalist painter
painted one of the first
right after the french conquest of algeria
eye witness acount based on his trip to north africa
visit into a muslim harem in alger
represented a personal account
accepted as a true document of the visit to a muslim harem
harems represented the moral corruption of the east
nothing really erotic or exotic about a harem
just means womens quarters
we dont know if delacroix actually got into a harem
no concrete proof of this
they found sketches
some of the sketches were not made during the trip
what guided the painting
the composition and the props was his learning before he got there
, essential to the history of oriental portrayal
provoked alot of writing about the depravity of the east
link to contemporary perceptions
potential critiques
generalization
may to lead to focus on study of representations only
rather than linking with power and domination
bernard lewis
seen as an orientalist
said that he wasnt able to see that europeans were just there for knowledge and middle
easterns werent interested in knowing about europeans
1798
1979
2001
goes back to the 13th century expands in the 14th and 15th centuries constantinople is
conquered in 15th century syria was occupied by the ottomans dominated the arab world heart
of the empire was the european provinces start of the 19th century fluid dates arab population
was about 12 of 23 million included territories in eastern and central europe not closed at all lots
of exhanges internally and externally central governement in istanbul and the rest are provinces
with unequal importance to the center collect taxes from the provinces some of them had more
taxes than others creating a hierarchy of importance the way they ruled was indirect
main ottoman institutions sultan and his entourage head of the empire appointed the most
important people supreme military chief signed the treaties protect the holy lands
three important institutions military power of the empire rested on the military janissaries elite
military recruited as young boys and converted to islam eventually started adding in foreign
troops there to protect as well as to collect taxes ottomans had a system where the first son did
not inherit all the sons fought for power when he died all had a different mother sultan would
marry and have lots of concubines as soon as each one had one son, she could not see the
sultan would be sent to a province with her son then hed move on never two sons of the same
woman so one woman wouldnt have too much power
prof in comparitive literature
published orientalism
prolific writer
major figure in middle eastern studies
most quoted scholar in middle eastern studies
educated in Jerusalem
spent most of his adult life in the states
died in 03
palestine and israel studies
interview following 9/11 he said the states had a view of arabs as a threatening other
what is orientalism
new way to conceptualize a history of relationships between the west and east
shook the profession of middle eastern studies as a field
until his publication orientalism had a neutral meaning
mainly oriental scholarship
oriental character, style, quality
redefined the term giving it a negative connotation
critique of western scholarship on the middle east
domination - military, cultural, and scholarly
issue with how western scholars define and study the middle east
links it to politics and the colonial period
criticizes the way iddle easterns have been depicted in all forms of knowledge
early scholarship by western scholars in that region were biased
,false and stereotyped vision of otherness on the islamic world that supported the colonial project
we are going to liberate etc
expressed as an entire system of thought or scholarship
important constructions
the orient
orient as a construction of european self definition as in not like us
dont know much about the orient but we know its different
seperate from europe
irrational
backwards
almost a european invention
second important construction
the oriental
man is depicted as dangerous, feminine and weak, poses a threat to western women, woman
wants to be dominated
biological inferior
unchanging
created a single subject matter
how the west knows the orient is wrapped up in their domination of the area
restructuring
relation of power
all forms of knowledge are productive of power
refused to accept the innocence in the representation of the orient
system of representations driven by political forces
bringing the orient into western learning
,british and french empires
when napoleon went to the middle east he didnt just go with conquest in mind
was also academic and cultural
who are the orientalists
colonial conquest requires knowledge of the people
to conquer the orient the west came to know itnineteenth century is when islamic and oriental
studies became independant
current western depiction of arab cultures orientalism can still be found
delacroix
famous orientalist painter
painted one of the first
right after the french conquest of algeria
eye witness acount based on his trip to north africa
visit into a muslim harem in alger
represented a personal account
accepted as a true document of the visit to a muslim harem
harems represented the moral corruption of the east
nothing really erotic or exotic about a harem
just means womens quarters
we dont know if delacroix actually got into a harem
no concrete proof of this
they found sketches
some of the sketches were not made during the trip
what guided the painting
the composition and the props was his learning before he got there
, essential to the history of oriental portrayal
provoked alot of writing about the depravity of the east
link to contemporary perceptions
potential critiques
generalization
may to lead to focus on study of representations only
rather than linking with power and domination
bernard lewis
seen as an orientalist
said that he wasnt able to see that europeans were just there for knowledge and middle
easterns werent interested in knowing about europeans
1798
1979
2001
goes back to the 13th century expands in the 14th and 15th centuries constantinople is
conquered in 15th century syria was occupied by the ottomans dominated the arab world heart
of the empire was the european provinces start of the 19th century fluid dates arab population
was about 12 of 23 million included territories in eastern and central europe not closed at all lots
of exhanges internally and externally central governement in istanbul and the rest are provinces
with unequal importance to the center collect taxes from the provinces some of them had more
taxes than others creating a hierarchy of importance the way they ruled was indirect
main ottoman institutions sultan and his entourage head of the empire appointed the most
important people supreme military chief signed the treaties protect the holy lands
three important institutions military power of the empire rested on the military janissaries elite
military recruited as young boys and converted to islam eventually started adding in foreign
troops there to protect as well as to collect taxes ottomans had a system where the first son did
not inherit all the sons fought for power when he died all had a different mother sultan would
marry and have lots of concubines as soon as each one had one son, she could not see the
sultan would be sent to a province with her son then hed move on never two sons of the same
woman so one woman wouldnt have too much power
