POSTCOLONIALISM by Gianluca Serpi postcolonialism With or without

POSTCOLONIALISM by Gianluca Serpi

post(-)colonialism § With or without a hyphen o o § post-colonialism (chronological separation) Post-colonialism (no chronological separation) –ity or –ism o o postcoloniality (the object of study) postcolonialism (the theory)

post(-)colonialism • “The historical process whereby the ‘West’ attempts systematically to cancel or negate the cultural difference and value of the ‘non-West’” (Gandhi, 1998) Colonial critique deals with imperialistic views Post-colonial criticism examines the effects of imperialistic views in postcolonial societies Postcolonial criticism a set of theoretical and critical strategies used to examine the culture, literature, politics, history, of former colonies

two sides of colonialism § § militaristic side the physical conquest and occupation of territories civilizational side the conquest and occupation of minds (distruction of cultures) § Colonialism does not end with the end of colonial occupation § Resistance begins before the end of colonial occupation

When exactly does postcolonialism begin? • • When the intellectuals of the third world have arrived in the first world academe’” (Arif Dirlik) Main concern Study of cultures previously or currently colonized Fight between cultures Intersection of cultures Record racism or history of genocide Trends • Study of colonizing process • Study of colonization fallout • Study of new colonizing efforts

Narrative Techniques Incorporate culturally specific details They do not offer translations of non-European practices Decentralization of the white characters who become faceless, nameless representatives of a dominating power

Edward Said Orientalism (1978): he examined the means by which "the West, " principally Britain, France, and North America, produces knowledge about and thereby exerts power over "the East. " Moved colonial discourse into the first world academy and into literary and cultural theory Was also very influential in third world universities (such as India)

Homi Bhabha Applied post-structuralist methodologies to colonial texts: colonial discourse analysis. Focus on resistance: shifting our focus to see both coloniser and colonised.