Unipolarity refers to the distribution of military capabilities, whereas hegemony also refers to economic, social, and cultural power. Marx compared religion with opium as it intoxicates and addicts its followers. Post colonialism or post colonial theory can refer to a set of theories in philosophy and literature that grapple with the legacy of colonial rule. A sourcebook shows how the roots of our globalized world run deeper than the 1980s or even the end of wwii, tracing back to 15th century european colonial expansion through which the modern world system came into existence.
If colonialism is defined specifically as the enforced occupation of a region or control of a population, subsequently maintained through either direct coercion or cultural and ideological hegemony, then buddhist societies and cultures have been both subject to, and agents of, colonialism throughout the centuries. It was mainly a discourse that focuse on the relationship d between the sovereign state and the former colonies. Religion and colonialism colonialism and postcolonialism. Postcolonial theory establishes intellectual spaces for these marginalized people who. The sourcebook is divided into four sections, each with a critical introduction by the editor, a series of readings, and. Postcolonial critics, bill ashcroft, gareth griffiths and helen tiffin in the empire writes back. Cultural imperialism, also called cultural colonialism, comprises the cultural aspects of. Cultural imperialism sociology of culture iresearchnet. Nov 14, 20 two key elements in postcolonialism describing his identities as the colonized and colonizer, it called the concepts of ambivalence and hybridity. This reflects the political and cultural system tha t forces. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their religion, economics, and other cultural practices on indigenous peoples.
The postcolonial theory and the literature of decolonization lutfi hamadi, phd lebanese international university, lebanon abstract this paper attempts an exploration of the literary theory of postcolonialism, which traces european colonialism of many regions all over the world, its effects on various aspects. Finally, the author offers the strategy on how china deals with western culture hegemony and gives a new visual angle to culture hegemony study, thus reconstruct chinese traditional culture. Perhaps the most influential and widely read postcolonial critic was the late edward said 1935 2003 a palestinian intellectual who was born in jerusalem and died in exile in america. This paper aims to analyze religions role in shaping african society through its complex, political relationship with colonial administrations under indirect rule. Postcolonial studies the key concepts second edition bill ashcroft,gareth grif. The foreign invadersinterlopers rule the territory in pursuit of their. Postcolonial literary and cultural production in particular has demonstrated the insistent reality of local agency,an agency that can address. In this sense, one can regard post colonial literature as a branch of postmodern literature concerned with the political and cultural independence of peoples formerly subjugated in colonial empires. For teachers this sourcebook clearly directs students attention to the doctrine of christian discovery as the basis of globalization. With the objective of locating the modes of representation where europeans constructed natives in politically prejudiced ways, post colonial criticism intends to unveil such literary figures, themes and representatives that have enforced imperial ideology, colonial domination and.
In marxist philosophy, cultural hegemony is the domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class who manipulate the culture of that society the beliefs and explanations, perceptions, values, and mores so that the imposed, rulingclass worldview becomes the accepted cultural norm. While postcolonial theory is diverse in its methodological approach. Malay 2010 the foundations of the academic study of religions rested on a colonial pursuit characterised by the need to control resources, both human and economic. Postcolonial essays on literature, culture and religion. It is usually achieved through social institutions, which allow those in power to strongly influence the values, norms, ideas, expectations, worldview, and behavior of the rest of society. Specifically, post colonial critics are concerned with literature produced by colonial powers and works produced by those who wereare colonized. Hegemony international relations oxford bibliographies. The authors who wrote about the colonialism and how the colonized people suffered include ngugi was thiongo from kenya and chinua achebe from nigeria among others. Specifically, postcolonial critics are concerned with literature produced by colonial powers and works produced by those who wereare colonized.
Bhabha, john mcleod, ania loomba and elleke boemer highlight the necessity of contesting through resistance the eurocentric hegemony and cultural imperialism in favour of the people living in the margin. Cultural hegemony refers to domination or rule maintained through ideological or cultural means. While the authors of the empire writes back champion a loose use of the term postcolonial in expanding it to the literatures of canada. The merriamwebster dictionary describes it as, the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group. Hegemony and resistance in the twentyfirst century 1. Colonialism is the policy of a country seeking to extend or retain its authority over other people or territories, need quotation to verify generally with the aim of economic dominance. Cultural hegemony and global communication this chapter examines the ways in which cultural hegemony plays a significant part in global communication in the era of globalisation and information technology. Postcolonialism should not be confused with the claim that the world we live in now is actually devoid of colonialism. It is argued that postcolonial theory provides a means of defiance by which any exploitative. Cultural imperialism differs from cultural diffusion primarily due to the mechanisms used to change culture. The range of different forms of political organization which are routinely described as colonial means that overly stipulative definitions should be resisted. Two key elements in postcolonialism describing his identities as the colonized and colonizer, it called the concepts of ambivalence and hybridity. Cultural imperialism differs from cultural diffusion primarily due to the mechanisms used to change culture and the roles that power plays in the process.
His wellknown book, orientalism was published in 1978 and is probably the often utilized structural analysis of post. Postcolonial theorists and historians have been concerned with investigating the various trajectories of modernity as understood and experienced from a range of philosophical, cultural, and historical perspectives. Many postcolonial writers write in english and focus on common themes such as. With additional further reading this book has everything necessary for students and anyone keen to learn more about this fascinating subject. Hegemony, imperialism, and the construction of religion 1 labor, as well as through chanting, hymns, and study that yue daiyun recalls hav ing had the air of a bible class, while the development and maintenance of cor rect political consciousness was often portrayed in terms that closely resemble religious conversion. Literature differs according to social, cultural and psychological aspects of the writer. Analyzing other construction in robinson crusoe from post. Within the realm of postcolonial discourse, cultural imperialism can be seen as. Globalization has become a widely used buzzword, yet popular discussions often miss its deeper realities. Chapteri introduction postcolonialism and literature of. There is remarkably little agreement among the practitioners of postcolonial criticism, theory, and history regarding exactly what postcolonialism is other than radical intellectual opposition to all forms of western colonialism, past and present, and an unshakable belief in colonialism s irreparable disfigurement of the modern world. The literature on hegemony tries to explain the united states role in the international system as a function of its privileged position within the system. Pdf the concept of hegemony is indispensable for the study of global politics.
Hegemony is not just cultural, it can occur economically, politically, morally, ethically, intellectually and other ways. Rethinking the problem of postcolonialism shaobo xie like all other post marked terms, postcolonialism has caused no end of debate among its protagonists and antagonists. The cultural hegemony of orientalism and india different truths. Some scholars have begun to question the usefulness of the concept postcolonial theory. The cornerstone of this study is the theory of hegemony developed by antonio gramsci. Postcolonial studies have shown extensively that despite achieving independence, the influences of colonialism and its agents are still very much present in the lives of most former colonies. Neocolonialism internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Postcolonial theory looks at the global circulation of euroamerican culture. As antonio gramsci points out when ensconced within a full range of institutionalized and governmental structures and. She is an atheist who is sensitive to the hegemony of religion in our culture. This chapter explores antonio gramscis theory of hegemony, arguing that it is a theory of nationalpopular class politics aimed at illuminating how the achievement of state power and socioeconomic transformation can only be secured by mobilizing and winning the consent of the masses through a strategy of nationalpopular political and ideological alliance in civil society. Post colonialism in literature includes the study of theory and literature as it relates to the colonizercolonized experience. Postcolonial theory in anthropology by caitlyn brandt on. Postcolonial literature comes from britains former colonies in the caribbean, africa and india.
An introduction to postcolonialism, postcolonial theory and. There is remarkably little agreement among the practitioners of postcolonial criticism, theory, and history regarding exactly what postcolonialism is other than radical intellectual opposition to all forms of western colonialism, past and present, and an unshakable belief in colonialisms irreparable disfigurement of the modern world. Bill ashcroft teaches at the university of hong kong and the university of nsw, gareth grif. Pdf this paper examines one aspect of postcolonial theory the relationship. Postcolonial theory, subaltern studies, colonialism. Some critics argued that, the post colonialism is the continuation of colonialism in the sense that the colonies get freedom only. Postcolonial theory in anthropology by caitlyn brandt on prezi. Hegemony requires that ideological assertions become selfevident cultural assumptions. Abstract postcolonialism in relation to the study of religion is most. At the same time, the paper discusses chinese images under the influence of post colonialism theory. Gramscis theory of hegemony, therefore, connects ideological representation to cul ture. Hegemony controls institutions which would control production of the given field. At the same time, the paper discusses chinese images under the influence of postcolonialism theory.
A sourcebook shows how the roots of our globalized world run deeper than the 1980s or even the end of wwii. Hegemony and resistance in the twentyfirst century sankaran krishna on. The literature is composed of colonizing countries that deals with colonization or colonized peoples. In, this theory, a set of lost identities, use of language in writing, and the questioning of the real definition of this theory are some of. Postcolonial critics, bill ashcroft, gareth griffiths and helen tiffin in the empire writes back exclude ireland from the list of postcolonial nations. The theory may also deal with the literature done by authors that critique the western colonizers which are also known as eurocentric hegemony. Postcolonialism vs postcolonialism the use of the terms postcolonial and postcolonial is the subject of considerable debate. Western era that does not reinforce the hegemony of the west within and. Its effectiveness depends on subordinated peoples accepting the domi nant ideology as normal reality or com. Apr 06, 2016 with the objective of locating the modes of representation where europeans constructed natives in politically prejudiced ways, post colonial criticism intends to unveil such literary figures, themes and representatives that have enforced imperial ideology, colonial domination and continuing western hegemony. Gramsci, particularly in his later work encompassed in the quaderni del carcere or prison notebooks written during the late 1920s and early 1930s while incarcerated in a fascist prison, develops a complex and variable usage of the term. The cultural hegemony of orientalism and india different. Edward said is the leading theorist in this field, with chinua. Rooted in colonial power and prejudice, postcolonialism develops from a.
Religion, as well as the study of religion, can be located in colonial contexts. Colonialism is the use of military and political power to create and maintain a situation in which colonizers gain economic benefits from the raw materials and cheap labor of the colonized. The theory of electronic colonialism extends the issue to global cultural. Many postcolonial writers write in english and focus on common themes such as the struggle for independence, emigration, national. The hyphenated word refers specifically to the period after a country.
Analyzing other construction in robinson crusoe from. In the early 20th century, in the field of international relations, the italian marxist philosopher antonio gramsci developed the theory of cultural domination an analysis of economic class to include social class. Literature is the art of using the language to express human sentiments. The concept of hegemony played a significant part in the development of cultural studies and was a core concept of the field during the 1970s and 1980s.
The marxist approach views postcolonial theory as rooted in history and as culturally specific. The collection of essays in the postcolonial gramsci set out to argue a new theoretical framework underpinned by a gramscian point of view in dealing with postcolonial studies from the marxist and postmarxist points of view. Opinions and opposing view points 1842 words 8 pages. Postcolonial theory looks at issues of power, economics, politics, religion, and culture and how these elements work in relation to colonial hegemony western colonizers controlling the colonized. Postcolonial essays on literature, culture and religion sh diva. Religion is a subject academia often overlooks when it considers the origins of the modern african state. This is an exemplary study of the power of postcolonial thought, written as a postcolonial text.
As a christian, i find the authors logic limited and her understanding of the god to whom she objects flawed. The term neocolonialism generally represents the actions and effects of certain remnant features and agents of the colonial era in a given society. According to this theory, there is a strand of meanings within any given culture that can be called governing or ascendant. This is common through the suppression of religion and has happened in various countries including china, cuba, germany, the soviet union, and afghanistan. Difference between colonial and post colonial literature. Like the idea of the scottish fourstages theory, a theory with which it would appear to have little in common, the very concept of postcolonialism seems to rely on a progressive understanding of history mcclintock 1992. Postcolonialism criticism description a research guide.
Reviews the religion, postcolonialism and globalization sourcebook is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants a better understanding of relationships between religion and the development of the modern world. The article consists of a section in which terminology is clarified, secondly a discussion of the elements that functioned as justification of the formation of postcolonial theory, namely a. The contributors to the book situate the cultural and political logic of gramscis notions of liberation and ideology. Cultural hegemony provides the status quo which enables the dominant status group to not question the current state of affairs. However, in postindependence india, the saidain form of orientalism manifested in different form where a new kind of orientalism, a political cultural hegemony, where few indian elite and intellectual replaced their british master to subjugate the minds of vast majority of poor and vulnerable groups of society. Post colonial theory looks at issues of power, economics, politics, religion, and culture and how these elements work in relation to colonial hegemony western colonizers controlling the colonized. Postcolonialism, as both a body of theory and a study of political and cultural change. The essay itself makes fairly standard objections to the idea of god.