Occident vs. Orient
From Geography
Edward Said wrote a lot about Orientalism. The Orient is seen as different from the mainstream Western practices. However, there is also the Occident, which is seen as the same as the same as the Western practices. There is a dividing line, mentioned by Foucault, between a few aspects of these practices. The Occident is seen as rational, whereas the Orient is seen as irrational. Furthermore, the Occident is seen as historical, whereas the Orient is seen as eternal. Last, the Occident is seen as Masculine, whereas the Orient is seen as Feminine (Gregory, 2000). Said does not fully agree with this division. According to Said, cultures are involved in one another, no culture s single and pure, all are hybrid and heterogeneous (Gregory, 2000).
References
Gregory, D. (2000). Edward Said’s imaginative geographies. In Mike Crang and Nigel Thrift (eds.) Thinking space. Routledge, London, pp.302-348.
Created by Frank Simons
