scholarly journals The Representation(s) of Morocco in Elias Canetti’s The Voices of Marrakesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 205-210
Author(s):  
Adil El Filali
Keyword(s):  
Travel Writing ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Cultural Geography ◽  
Travel Narrative ◽  
The West ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Cultural Features ◽  
The Way

Elias Canetti’s (2009) the Voices of Marrakesh depicts a set of cultural features about Marrakesh city, Morocco. In such travel writing text, different are the issues of representation about the country which are discursively figured in negative perspectives. Relatedly, the gaze of the Westerner theoretically and practically helps target the extent to which the Moroccan landscape and identity are constructed. At this point, debates about the nature of concepts like the ‘civilized’, the ‘primitive’, and the ‘savage’ are very common and form the intellectual background for the travel writer. The dichotomy between center and periphery is highly examined in the present article since there are images or processes of decentralizing Morocco. Following post-colonial analytical approach, the current article problematizes the way the West represents Morocco and its cultural geography. Importantly, the article focuses on Moroccan geography which is given little if not no importance pretending that it is a deserted space where the uncivilized natives dwell. It serves nothing but fear and mystery. This paper serves as a basis for the readership to understand the way Morocco is portrayed by Canetti. By representing Morocco in different images, Canetti ideologically generates a socio-cultural discourse about Arabs and about Morocco in particular. By doing so, he confirms the fact that there is no innocent text including travel narrative.

Our Most Troubling Madness

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Defeat ◽  
Social World ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
The West ◽  
Social Settings ◽  
The Social ◽  
Brain Alteration ◽  
Benign Course ◽  
Cultural Features ◽  
The Way

This book examines the way schizophrenia is shaped by its social context: how life is lived with this madness in different settings, and what it is about those settings that alters the course of the illness, its outcome, and even the structure of its symptoms. Until recently, schizophrenia was perhaps our best example—our poster child—for the “bio-bio-bio” model of psychiatric illness: genetic cause, brain alteration, pharmacologic treatment. We now have direct epidemiological evidence that people are more likely to fall ill with schizophrenia in some social settings than in others, and more likely to recover in some social settings than in others. Something about the social world gets under the skin. This book presents twelve case studies written by psychiatric anthropologists that help to illustrate some of the variability in the social experience of schizophrenia and that illustrate the main hypotheses about the different experience of schizophrenia in the west and outside the west--and in particular, why schizophrenia seems to have a more benign course and outcome in India. We argue that above all it is the experience of “social defeat” that increases the risk and burden of schizophrenia, and that opportunities for social defeat are more abundant in the modern west. There is a new role for anthropology in the science of schizophrenia. Psychiatric science has learned—epidemiologically, empirically, quantitatively—that our social world makes a difference. But the highly structured, specific-variable analytic methods of standard psychiatric science cannot tell us what it is about culture that has that impact. The careful observation enabled by rich ethnography allows us to see in more detail what kinds of social and cultural features may make a difference to a life lived with schizophrenia. And if we understand culture’s impact more deeply, we believe that we may improve the way we reach out to help those who struggle with our most troubling madness.

scholarly journals The Bible in Africa: a novel usage in Africa's new churches

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Gifford
Keyword(s):  
Historical Document ◽  
The West ◽  
Book Of Revelation ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Bible ◽  
New Churches ◽  
The Way ◽  
Academic Study

AbstractTo the extent there is an African academic approach, it is comparative (showing that the African world has similarities with the biblical). There are some “post-colonial” and similar readings, but this academic study is in the main done by Western-trained academics and directed at Western readers. There has been relatively little study of the way the Bible is actually used in churches, especially at the very grassroots. In mainline churches, the Bible is generally taken (as in the West) as a book of revelation which the preacher must expound and apply. In the new fast-growing Pentecostal sector the Bible is conceived quite differently, and understood as a record of covenants, promises, pledges and commitments between God and his chosen. It is not just a record of covenants and commitments to others in the past. It is not primarily a historical document at all. It is a contemporary document; it tells of God's covenant with and commitment to me, and to me now. These promises in scripture are effected in believers' lives through proclamation. The major biblical motifs in this emerging Christianity are thus those stressing victory, success, hope, achievement. The texts that are dominant are therefore prophetic texts, and narratives of those who can be made to illustrate success.

Orientalism as Caliphator Cognitive Warfare

2021 ◽  
pp. 33-52
Author(s):  
Richard A. Landes
Keyword(s):  
Media Coverage ◽  
Edward Said ◽  
Iranian Revolution ◽  
The West ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Way ◽  
Western Media

When Edward Said wrote Orientalism, he was defending the honor of the Western “other,” especially that of his fellow Arabs. Three years later, he published a book on Western media coverage of the Iranian revolution of 1979, in which he applied many of the principles he worked out in orientalism to Western journalists' coverage of events in 1979. It is probable that Said did not know that 1979 was 1400 in the Muslim calendar, and that it marked the dawn of modern global jihad and the drive for a global caliphate. It is also probable that Said had no idea that his attack on the West for their “racist” attitudes towards his fellow Arabs actually paralyzed the West's ability to deal with the cognitive war about to come. This chapter will analyze the way in which Said's honor-driven analysis worked to the benefit of those working towards a global caliphate, warriors whose values and goals were the exact opposite of what he espoused in his post-colonial work. The problems with the Western reception of Saïd continue to haunt democracies and progressive efforts.

scholarly journals Imaginary travellers: Identity conceptualisations of the audience among travel journalists

Journalism ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 1030-1048
Author(s):  
Andrew Duffy ◽  
Shrutika Mangharam
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Travel Writing ◽  
Foreign Country ◽  
Colonial Power ◽  
The West ◽  
Power Dynamic ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Travel Writers ◽  
Tourist Behaviour

Travel journalists cannot know each traveller for whom they write, so they must imagine what a reader wants. The subsequent journalism influences how tourists travel and engage with a foreign country and its inhabitants. This article uses an independent/connected framework of tourist behaviour to identify how travel journalists imagine their readers’ interests. Through content analysis of texts in newspapers from Asia and the West, we find that the reader is more often imagined as independent and adventurous than connected and concerned with tourist sights. However, the latter were more common in Asia, which suggests that travel writers across the globe imagine readers differently. It suggests that in an increasingly globalised world, the post-colonial power dynamic that has been a stalwart of scholarly thought on travel writing may be outdated and could be more usefully replaced by one that considers the financial privilege of tourism, seen in texts from both hemispheres.

The Mistaken Identification of “The West” with “Modernity”

1996 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
John Obert Voll
Keyword(s):  
World History ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
The West ◽  
Islamic World ◽  
Historical Perspectives ◽  
Important Impact ◽  
Mistaken Identification ◽  
Nature Ofthe ◽  
Made In ◽  
The Way

The relationships between Islam and the West are complex. Even theperceptions of those relations have an important impact on the nature ofthe interactions. If the basic images that are used in discussing “Islam andthe West” are themselves ill-defiied or viewed in inconsistent ways, therelationships themselves are affected in sometimes dangerous ways.Inconsistent and contradictory terms of analysis can lead to misunderstandingand conflict.One of the most frequent conceptual mistakes made in discussingIslam and the West in the modem era is the identification of “the West”with “modemity.” This mistake has a significant impact on the way peeple view the processes of modernization in the Islamic world as well as onthe way people interpret the relationships between Islam and the West inthe contemporary era.The basic generalizations resulting from the following analysis can bestated simply: 1) “modernity“ is not uniquely “western”; 2) “the West” isnot simply “modernity”; and 3) the identifixation of “the West” with“modemity” has important negative consequences for understanding therelationships between Islam and the West. Modernity and the West aretwo different concepts and historic entities. To use the terms interchangeablyis to invite unnecessary confusion and create possible conflict’andinconsistency. This article will address the problem of definition and theapplication of the defined terms to interpreting actual experiences andrelationships.Understanding the difficulties raised by the identification of theWest with modernity involves a broader analysis within the frameworkof world history and global historical perspectives. In such an analysis, ...

NENHUM “CHOQUE DAS CIVILIZAÇÕES”: UMA ANÁLISE DAS GEOGRAFIAS IMAGINATIVAS NA MÍDIA IMPRESSA ÁRABE APÓS OS ATENTADOS DE 11 DE SETEMBRO DE 2001

GEOgraphia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (41) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Shadia Husseini de Araújo
Keyword(s):  
Print Media ◽  
Media Framing ◽  
Critical Geopolitics ◽  
Clash Of Civilizations ◽  
The West ◽  
Arab Media ◽  
Islamic World ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Imaginative Geographies ◽  
Il Y A

Resumo: Enquanto existem muitos estudos sobre a reprodução da teoria do “choque das civilizações” e do “mundo islâmico” como o “outro” do Ocidente em mídias ocidentais após os atentados de 11 de setembro de 2001, são extremamente escassos aqueles que analisam a presença dessa teoria nas mídias árabes. Quais são os discursos geopolíticos (re)produzidos nessas mídias com o objetivo de enquadrar e explicar os atentados? Qual é o papel da teoria do “choque das civilizações” e das representações do Ocidente que se manifestam nesse contexto? Este artigo procura responder essas perguntas a partir de uma perspectiva da geopolítica crítica, valendo-se do conceito de “geografias imaginativas”. Os principais jornais transnacionais árabes, al-Hayat, al-Quds al-Arabi e Asharq Al-Awsat, constituem o exemplo empírico. Este artigo mostra que a teoria do “choque das civilizações” – por sua vez duplamente assentada em regionalizações geográficas tradicionais e em uma construção binária entre Ocidente e mundo islâmico – é rejeitada nos jornais analisados. Em vez de se apoiar nessa teoria, os acontecimentos de 11 de setembro de 2001 e os atentados terroristas nos anos seguintes, bem como as geografias imaginativas do Ocidente reproduzidas nesse contexto, são enquadrados e formados por meio de um discurso multifacetado e profundamente pós-colonial. Palavras-chave: Geografias imaginativas. Geopolítica crítica. Mídia impressa árabe. Crítica pós-colonial. NO “CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS”: AN ANALYSIS OF IMAGINATIVE GEOGRAPHIES IN ARAB PRINT MEDIA AFTER 9/11 Abstract: While many studies analyse the reproduction of the “clash of civilizations” theory and the “Islamic world” as the West’s “other” in Western media after 9/11, there are only few works dedicated to Arab media. What are the geopolitical discourses (re)produced in Arab media framing and explaining the attacks? What is the role of the “clash of civilizations” theory and the representations of the West in this context? This paper addresses these questions from the perspective of critical geopolitics using the concept of “imaginative geographies”. The transnational Arab newspapers al-Hayat, al-Quds al-Arabi e Asharq Al-Awsat serve as the empirical example. I argue that the theory of the “clash of civilizations” – which is based on traditional geographical regionalisations and a binary construction between the West and the Islamic world – is rejected in the analysed newspapers. Instead, 9/11 and other terrorist attacks in the subsequent years as well as the imaginative geographies of the West reproduced in this context are based on a multifaceted and profoundly post-colonial discourse. Keywords: Imaginative Geographies. Critical Geopolitics. Arab Print Media. Postcolonial Critique. AUCUN “CHOC DES CIVILISATIONS”: UNE ANALYSE DES GEOGRAPHIES IMAGINAIRES DANS LES MEDIAS ARABES IMPRIMES APRES LES ATTENTATS DU 11 SEPTEMBRE 2001 Resumé: Bien que de nombreuses études analysent la reproduction de la théorie du “choc des civilisations” et du “monde islamique” comme “l’autre” de l’Occident dans les médias occidentaux après les attentats du 11 septembre 2001, il y a peu de travaux consacrés aux médias arabes. Quels sont les discours géopolitiques (re)produits dans ces médias pour contextualiser et expliquer les attaques ? Quels sont les rôles de la théorie du “choc des civilisations” et de la représentation de l’Occident dans ce contexte ? Cet article tente de répondre à ces questions dans une perspective de géopolitique critique, en utilisant le concept de “géographies imaginaires”. Les principaux journaux transnationaux arabes, al-Hayat, al-Quds al-Arabi e Asharq Al-Awsat sont le matériau de l’enquête. Cet article montre que la théorie du “choc des civilisations” – elle-même basée sur les régionalisations géographiques traditionnelles et la construction opposant Occident et monde islamique – est rejetée dans les journaux analysés. Au lieu de cela, les événements du 11 septembre 2001 comme les attentats terroristes des années suivantes, ainsi que les géographies imaginaires de l’Occident reproduites dans ce contexte, sont façonnés par un discours à multiples facettes, profondément post-colonial. Mots-clés: Géographies Imaginaires. Géopolitique Critique. Médias Imprimés Arabes. Critique Postcoloniale.

The Indian Invasion of Alexander and the Emergence of Hybrid Cultures

2021 ◽  
pp. 037698362110096
Author(s):  
Chandima S. M. Wickramasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Indian Culture ◽  
The West ◽  
Archaeological Evidence ◽  
Achaemenid Empire ◽  
Return Home ◽  
Cultural Features

Alexander the Great usurped the Achaemenid Empire in 331 bc, captured Swat and Punjab in 327 bc, and subdued the region to the west of the Indus and fought with Porus at the Hydaspes in 326 bc. But he was forced to return home when the army refused to proceed. Some of his soldiers remained in India and its periphery while some joined Alexander in his homeward journey. When Alexander died in 323 bc his successors ( diodochoi) fought to divide the empire among themselves and established separate kingdoms. Though Alexander the Great and related matters were well expounded by scholars the hybrid communities that emerged or revived as a result of Alexander’s Indian invasions have attracted less or no attention. Accordingly, the present study intends to examine contribution of Alexander’s Indian invasion to the emergence of Greco-Indian hybrid communities in India and how Hellenic or Greek cultural features blended with the Indian culture through numismatic, epigraphic, architectural and any other archaeological evidence. This will also enable us to observe the hybridity that resulted from Alexander’s Indian invasion to understand the reception the Greeks received from the locals and the survival strategies of Greeks in these remote lands.

scholarly journals China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Will it Make or Mar Development in the Central and West Africa Subregions?

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
William G. Dzekashu ◽  
Julius N. Anyu
Keyword(s):  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
The West ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Domestic Products

The West, chiefly Europe, left political footmarks in Africa from the Colonial Era, along with varying economic footprints and surviving engagements in the immediate Post-colonial Era. However, the relationships between Africa and her former colonial masters have hardly yielded much to the former following the wave of independence, leading to the perception of failed relationships. This perception of failure to deliver on their undertakings has left Africa with only one option—China. The latter has been addressing some of Africa’s urgent infrastructure needs in return for natural resources and agricultural products. These engagements on the surface appear to be good business, but on further examination seem questionable notably as it relates to debt distress on vulnerable economies. To increase her footprint within the continent, China extended her Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to most African nations who have signed a memorandum of understanding for future development projects. Though the commitments usually are unspecified, China’s investments have seen rapid growth since the early 2000s, largely owing to the implementation of the BRI. The memoranda have had the potential to strengthen ties with partner nations. The expansion to include Africa in its economic participation in the BRI has left the West questioning China’s motives while reinforcing suspicions about possible future US-China conflict. The impact of BRI on the African continent is quite visible in all the subregions, especially in their improved gross domestic products. A burning question has been whether these partnerships represent win-win relationships for sustainable growth or debt-growth dynamics.

scholarly journals Interrogating Western Modernity: Postcolonial Reflections on Occidental Claims and Action

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Kerner
Keyword(s):  
Western Tradition ◽  
The West ◽  
Western Modernity ◽  
Gayatri Spivak ◽  
The Way

This paper deals with the way in which European modernity, and the West more generally, are reflected upon in the field of post- and decolonial theories, which generally question those representations of the European/Western tradition of thought and politics that only focus on their positive aspects, but differ greatly with regard to the way in which they frame and formulate their critique of this tradition. I discuss three major positions in this field. They are characterized by the rejection of Western modernity (Walter Mignolo), by a deconstruction of core text and principles of the European Enlightenment (Gayatri Spivak), and by attempts at a renewal and hence a radicalization of some of its core normative claims, particularly humanism (Achille Mbembe).

scholarly journals Temporality and Emergences in Education

KronoScope ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-184
Author(s):  
Nicolas Go
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Linear Time ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Organization Of Work ◽  
Process Of Change ◽  
Emergence Of Complexity ◽  
Time Issue ◽  
The Way

Abstract It is striking to note to what extent the time issue in education is commonly understood in terms of chronology. It is an institutional and linear time that is divided and then fitted back together like a Russian doll in an analytical approach. The conception of time is reversible and possesses the same characteristics as space. It is a paradox that this institutional rationalization of time by reversible chronological divisions barely conceals the whole concrete and living reality of human time, which is a continuous process of change that philosophers generally call duration. On the contrary, far from the above reduction, its specificity lies in its irreversibility. This article intends to present both the results of empirical research on cooperative pedagogy and its current theorization. The emergence of complexity in time is visible in the primacy given to processes in the educational relationship. The way the multiple scales of complexity are superposed is reflected in the cooperative organization of work, for a new educational temporality which results in an increase in joyful emergences.

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