Comments on: The problem with Orientalism, part two http://kotaji.blogsome.com/2005/12/06/the-problem-with-orientalism-part-two/ Thoughts on Korea, northeast Asia, history and other things Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:20:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: kotaji http://kotaji.blogsome.com/2005/12/06/the-problem-with-orientalism-part-two/#comment-144 Fri, 09 Dec 2005 00:19:59 +0000 http://kotaji.blogsome.com/2005/12/06/the-problem-with-orientalism-part-two/#comment-144 Yes, I think I am talking about the same sort of area. These things do connect. The tendency to throw around the term 'Orientalist' toward anyone you don't like is related (I think) to the whole wave of post-modernism and studies based on identity politics that hit academia in the 1990s. This tendency seems to be at its most extreme in the US. I do think that, whether Said intended it or not, the ideas of 'Orientalism' have become part of postmodernist discourse, where we are no longer allowed to talk about the universal, let alone the prospect of universal emancipation. This seems somewhat ironic to me, given that a serious critique of the Orientalism in academia would logically entail a move toward a universal account of human history that does not essentialise or compartmentalise. Yes, I think I am talking about the same sort of area. These things do connect. The tendency to throw around the term ‘Orientalist’ toward anyone you don’t like is related (I think) to the whole wave of post-modernism and studies based on identity politics that hit academia in the 1990s. This tendency seems to be at its most extreme in the US.

I do think that, whether Said intended it or not, the ideas of ‘Orientalism’ have become part of postmodernist discourse, where we are no longer allowed to talk about the universal, let alone the prospect of universal emancipation. This seems somewhat ironic to me, given that a serious critique of the Orientalism in academia would logically entail a move toward a universal account of human history that does not essentialise or compartmentalise.

]]> by: 박노자 http://kotaji.blogsome.com/2005/12/06/the-problem-with-orientalism-part-two/#comment-143 Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:44:35 +0000 http://kotaji.blogsome.com/2005/12/06/the-problem-with-orientalism-part-two/#comment-143 Not sure that it is exactly what you are writing about, but one thing I feel sorry about in connection with the recent triumphs of the post-modernist trends among our younger South Korean colleagues is growing neglect of the studies on the 1920-30s Communist/anarchist/workers movement. It looks like people like 성대경 or 임경석, who pioneered the field 20 years ago, are more and more gettoized in the atmoshere, where, for example, the "new women" study looks much more "stylish". Not sure that it is exactly what you are writing about, but one thing I feel sorry about in connection with the recent triumphs of the post-modernist trends among our younger South Korean colleagues is growing neglect of the studies on the 1920-30s Communist/anarchist/workers movement. It looks like people like 성대경 or 임경석, who pioneered the field 20 years ago, are more and more gettoized in the atmoshere, where, for example, the “new women” study looks much more “stylish”.

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