Quiz 1
Jack Shaheen
"Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People"
Orientalism- See Edward Said's book 'Orientalism' (where do attitudes about the Arab world or the 'Orient' derive from and what have orientalist writings and beliefs implied about the peoples of the Arab/Muslim world? Why do they persist until today?)
-Major critique of Western literary writings regarding Arab/Muslim world -Studied political, cultural, historical perceptions that Europe had towards Orient (Mideast/Asia) -Traces popular conceptions of Arabs/Muslims from colonial encounters with them during last several centuries. -ORIENTALISM Argued W. attitudes shaped by unfair and prejudicial characterizations of the 'Orient' -Europeans promoted extensive literary tradition of exaggerated, romanticized depiction of M.E. and Asia. -Oversimplification of cultures based on false assumptions about entire societies helped facilitate European/American colonial and imperial ambitions. -Prejudicial, discriminatory, exaggerated attitudes led to justification of sometimes brutal policies towards them (subjugation) -Argued that Western writings represented "subtle and persistent Eurocentric prejudice against Arabo-Islamic peoples and their culture."
Essentialism and Stereotypes (See relevant articles, i.e. Shaheen, Diane Shammas, and Semaan). What do these terms mean and why are essentialist ideas and stereotypes problematic?
-essentialism is the reduction of a people to an 'essential' idea of what it means to be African/Indian/Arab etc... Essentialism often linked to absolute differences between "US" and "THEM". Can also be linked to stereotyping and prejudice -stereotypes for Arabs/Muslims are result of: Great battles between Christian Europe and Muslim World Beg. in 7th century, ending w/ decline of Ottomans in late 19th c.) -All the fears, animosities and suspicions of these times reflected in Western writings. -Stereotypes became part of literary heritage of every educated European. -Popular negative sentiments about Arabs/Muslims became widespread in Europe
occident vs orient countries
Argued that Europeans divided world into 2: The OCCIDENT (West) and The ORIENT (East) -Represented completely artificial boundaries -Became basis of the concept of them and us or theirs and ours.
Origins of Orientalism
Argued that at start of European colonization, Europeans came in contact with the 'lesser developed' countries of the east. They found their civilization and culture very exotic. This established the notion of 'Orientalism'- the study of "Orientals" or the people from these exotic civilizations.
Samuel Huntington
Civilizations do not show why we get conflict between countries
Edward Said
Civilizations show why we get conflict between countries
Ethnocentrism (What does this imply and how does it impact our perceptions about others?)
Ethnocentricism is the emotional attitude that one's own race, nation, or culture is superior to all others. It is the tendency of people to see their own cultural norms as "normal", "natural", or even "superior". The only universal truth that all religions agree upon is "were right everyone else is wrong. were better than you. EMIC how people view themselves. ETIC how outsiders view people.
ORIENTALISM & ETHNOCENTRISM
Europeans used Orientalism to define themselves too Some specific attributes were associated w/ Orientals, and whatever the Orientals weren't the Occidents were. -Europeans defined themselves as superior race in comparison. -Occident claimed it was their duty to civilize the uncivilized world. -Main problem arose when Europeans started generalizing attributes they associated w/ Orientals. -Began portraying these artificial characteristics associated w/ Orientals in their western world through writing: Scientific reports Literary works (books, news media, political correspondences) Art/paintings - Western literature/art infused a bias in European attitudes towards Orientals. -Attitudes/writings persited- present Arabs being defined as backwards/uncivilized people. -Islam is seen as religion of the terrorist
Know the differences between the Arab World, the Middle East, and the Muslim World.
The Arab World consists of 22 Arab countries that all use modern Arabic in their governments. However, many local languages also exist. To be an Arb, you are either born in "Arabic Nation" or are descended from someone who was born in one of these nations. You usually speak Arabic as your first language. (Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are not part of the Arab league) Brazil has semi-membership to the Arab League because Latin America has the last Arab population outside of the Arab world. While we normally think of Arab World as the middle East, North Africa is actually the most populous Arab area. The Arabs are the second largest ethnic group in the world after the Han Chinese. Arab is an ethnic term and is independent of religion or politics. 97% of Arabs are muslim. And though Arabhistory is intertwined with Muslim history, the Arab world does not correspond to theMuslim world. Only 20% of muslims are Arab. So while the Arab world is enormous, the Muslim world is much larger. While we normally think of Muslims and the middle east together, there are 50 muslim majority countries worldwide and many more with large muslim populations. A muslim is anyone who accepts the 5 pillars of Islam. The Arab world is not to be confused with the "Middle East," a strategic designation developed during the heyday of the British empire, which encompasses suchnon-Arab countries as Israel, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The middle east is the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The middle east encompasses the Arabian Peninsula as well as the Eastern Mediterranean. N. African countries of Libya, Egypt, and Sudan are also sometimes included. Middle eastern culture is an umbrella term that encompasses a huge diversity of cultural practices, religious beliefs, and daily habits. The region is the birthplace of judaism, islam, and christianity. It is home to dozens of languages like Arabic, Hebrew, and Turkish. Islam originated in Saudi Arabia. After Muhammed died, this led to a break between Shia and Sunni. Shia muslims believe that power should be transferred through Muhammed's bloodline while (Sunni) Muslims, believed leadership should not pass through the family. Their rituals and traditions vary somewhat, and divisions between the two groups often fuel conflict.
Lord Cromer
The Oriental generally acts, speaks and thinks in a manner exactly opposite to the European." -The 'Egyptian spirit' is an obstacle to the reformer..."
Have a general understanding of the diversity of the Arab World- See Steve Tamari's and Halim Barakat's articles (religious differences, sectarianism, other dividing lines between Arab peoples)
Thus the relationship between sectarianism and Arabism is also important to sort out. Persons and groups in the eastern Arab world see themselves and are seen by others in religious terms — as Sunnis, Shi'ites, Druze, Alawites, and Maronites. They are not merely members of a certain religion, however, but first and foremost are seen as Arabs. In fact, the social-psychological distances between some sects within the same religion may be greater than the distance perceived between different religions. This situation is not exclusively confined to Lebanon. The Kuwaiti sociologist Muhammed Rumayhi detected such distances between Sunnis and Shi'ites in the Gulf states even before the Iraq-Iran war, noting that in the1970s "no Sunni candidate who ran for elections could win in electoral districts inhabited mostly by Shi'ites. Similarly, no Shi'ite candidate could win in Sunni electoral districts.... It has become a tradition that electoral districts are closed circles for specific tribes and sects." 13These sectarian solidarities have to be examined in the larger context of social and political organization, as well as patterns of hierarchical arrangements. As will be shown later, sectarianism is a mechanism for maintaining certain privileges or for redressing grievances. Halim Bakarat: ARABS NOT HOMOGENOUS -Adhere to various ideologies -Live in diverse physical environments -Share some cultural/linguistic habits -Impacted differently by the following identities/philosophies SOME IDEOLOGIES FOUND IN ARAB WORLD: -SECTARIANISM -NATIONALISM -TRIBALISM -COMMUNISM -CAPITALISM -SOCIALISM -CHRISTIANITY -AGNOSTICISM -ATHEISM -ISLAM AND ISLAMISM Sectarianism: Excessive devotion to a particular sect, especially in religion. -Sectarianism is a mechanism for maintaining certain privileges or for redressing grievances -Beyond sectarianism is local or regional identity. -WATANIYYA (regionalism, nationalism, or patriotism) undermines and complicates Arab identity/unity Sectarian Differences: -Kuwaiti sociologist Muhammed Rumayhi detected distances between Sunnis and Shi'ites in the Gulf states even before the Iraq-Iran war, noting that in the 1970s "no Sunni candidate who ran for elections could win in electoral districts inhabited mostly by Shi'ites (and vice versa). -"It has become a tradition that electoral districts are closed circles for specific tribes and sects."
Orientalist Europeans and Westerners regarded Arabs/Muslims as
UNCIVILIZED POLITICALLY INEPT UNABLE TO GOVERN THEMSELVES INCAPABLE OF MODERNIZING ALONE REQUIRED WEST TO 'GUIDE' AND 'CIVILIZE' THEM -Europeans defined themselves by defining Orientals
Samuel Huntington
argued that our most important and dangerous future conflicts will be based on clashes of civilizations, not on socio-economic or even ideological differences -Argued that primary axis of conflict in the future will be along cultural and religious lines. -Argued that "A multicultural world is unavoidable because global empire is impossible. The preservation of the United States and the West requires the renewal of Western identity" -the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations.
