Edward Said’s depiction in Orientalism of how Western literature, art, and scholarship perpetuates a systematic prejudice toward Asia and the Middle East remains a foundational piece of postcolonial theory. The selection in Social Theory Re-Wired is from the introduction to the book, but we recommend picking up the whole thing when you get a chance. Ponder the following questions as you move through the reading.
1. Said writes that cultures cannot be fully understood without their “configurations of power” also being studied. What do you think he means by this?
2. In the conclusion of the essay, Said uses his concept of imaginative geography to explain how the West has always converted “the Orient from something into something else.” What “something else” is Said talking about?
3. Think of two concrete examples from mass media, popular culture, or academia that depict people from Asia or the Middle East in a way that Said might consider the perpetuation of Orientalism.
