Occident

From Geography

The occident is a term used in Oriëntalism by Edward Saïd. The term means the western countries, especially France, England and the United States. Occident is a French word, it also means ‘the west’. In the book, Saïd is critical about the western view on the east, the orientalist worldview. Oriëntalism was a western way of thinking that sees the west as the most important part of the world. The occident was more powerfull, intelligent and rational than the Oriënt. That was the way people in the west thought about the world in the 1970’s. Edward Saïd had a different view on the Occident and the Oriënt. He claims that there is no line between the ‘west’ and the other. All places in the world are equal to each other. Saïd does not claim that there are no differences between the Occident and the Oriënt, but he claimed that people should evaluate such differences in a more critical and objective (Sered, 1996).

References

• Sered, D. 1996. Orientalism. Found on 26 October on http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Orientalism.html

Contributors

• Page created by StefTomesen 15:53, 26 October 2012 (CEST)