(no subject)

[elspethdixon]

So, there's a piece about Victorian Orientalism here.

I think all you really need to know about it is that is contains the following statement:

Orientalism may be premised on a terribly flawed approach, and many past Orientalist studies may lack terribly in both facts and analysis, but the concept is not steeped in bigotry

And is in response to criticisms of the use of the frankly silly sounding portmanteau "Victorientalism" (which seems redundant to me -- doesn't "Orientalism" automatically call to mind the Victorian and Edwardian eras?) to describe "a positive, transcultural blend" of, um, stuff.

Also, "past Orientalist studies" implies that there's such a thing as current Orientalist studies, which unless the writer is referring to historeography on the Victorian "orientalism" phenomenon itself, I kind of doubt. Surely people no longer use the word "Oriental" in actual real-world scholarship?

Somehow, coining that term and dedicated an entire magazine issue to it produced backlash. Gee, I can't imagine why. *headdesks forever*

Comments

[sporky_rat]

I have to admit that when you mentioned 'Orientialism' I thought of compasses and maps.

[elspethdixon]

You mean like orienting yourself with a compass? No, this is the "exotic wonders of the mysterious East - as interpreted by Europeans" kind of Orientalism.

[sporky_rat]

Oh, yes, I did get that, but my very first thought was the compass and map. Too many years as a Scout will do that to you.

[whatistigerbalm]

Surely people no longer use the word "Oriental" in actual real-world scholarship?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Oriental_and_African_Studies

[elspethdixon]

Oh. Just put me down as either hopelessly naive or cluelessly American, then. University of Maryland had departments for "Asian and Eastern European Languages and Cultures," "Jewish Studies," and "Persian Studies" covering that section of the globe, and there were "East Asia Studies" and "Middle Eastern Studies" programs within the History department. And a Greek & Latin-centric Classic program.

Most of the classes involving Africa were from an African diaspora/trans-Altantic perspective, but I was looking at it from within the American History department, and may have just skimmed over and not remembered the classes that weren't relevant to my degree (African diaspora = vital to understanding the 19th century American South. Modern, post-colonial stuff, not so much)

[valtyr]

Oxford also has a faculty of Oriental Studies. I think it's not usually considered offensive in Britain, although you wouldn't use it to describe a person.