Essay on Introduction to Orientalism by Edward Said

In his introduction to the term â€Å"Orientalism,† Edward Said begins by paraphrasing the writing of a French journalist’s view of the present-day Orient in order to express the major common Western misconception about the East. This misconception exists in the Western mind, according to Said, as if it were irrelevant that the Orient itself was actually sociologically affected. He then goes on to describe the basis of Orientalism, as it is rooted in the Western consciousness. Said uses the phrase â€Å"The Other† to describe the Western fascination with the Orient. This is a reference to Jacques Lacan’s terminology, which describes the mirror stage of development. This is the stage in growth during which children supposedly learn their own†¦show more content†¦The second definition draws attention to this distinction and clarifies Orientalism, while also extending its breadth to all that is not considered West (The Middle East, India, Russia, etc.). Said notes that there has been a fair amount of interchange over the last few centuries over these two theoretical fields of coming to terms with the Orient. Said then proposes a third definition of Orientalism, using an analysis substantially more applicable in the historical context. Orientalism as the corporate institution for dealing with the Orient, as the Western authority has done. He professes to be motivated here by Foucault’s notion of a discourse. Michel Foucault’s theories that have come to bear on this discussion are his ideas of the critical relationship under which the ontology of subject and object come to be known and how these associations may come to constitute knowledge. According to Foucault, the problem is not isolating any empirical conditions that may bring about this subjectivity, but to determine what the subject is and to what conditions it is subject. Said’s application of this theory fits his third definition well, and provides a strong platform for the rest of his argument. The Orient has, for much of history, been the active object to the European missionary and scientist positions.1 He then listsShow MoreRelatedEssay Orientalism865 Words   |  4 PagesOrient. Edward Said’s â€Å"Introduction† to Orientalism aids readers in understanding the basis for Rhonda Vander Sluis’s companions – prejudice and stereotype – in her search for identity in Turkey. More than anything else, in his â€Å"Introduction† to Orientalism Edward Said attempts to educate his readers about the flaws he sees in the European notion of Orientalism. He identifies generalization as the root cause of differences and misunderstanding between Europe and the Orient. As Said sees itRead MoreButterfly : A Romantic Drama Directed By David Cronenberg1515 Words   |  7 PagesSong is a Communist agent that disguised by a male. There are varied themes that present in this film, which are stereotypes, ideology, Orientalism, imperialism and sexism in comparison to both East and West cultures. This paper will focus on different aspects of ideology between East and Western cultures; following up with more specific examine on how Orientalism plays in this film and how I interpreted this set of system. Cronenberg present variety stereotypes in this motion picture, whether inRead MorePacific Geopolitics During The 21st Century1788 Words   |  8 PagesCritical Review Critically discuss Edward Said’s key points/arguments (from Orientalism) and the extent to which these are relevant to the Pacific. Hayley Catlow Introduction Orientalism tries to answer the question of why, when we think of the Orient, we have a preconceived notion of what kind of people live there, what they believe, and how they act; even when we may have never been there or met anyone from there. Said argues that the way we acquire this knowledgeRead MoreThe Idea of Orientalism Portrayed in James Camerons Avatar3778 Words   |  16 PagesThe Idea of Orientalism Portrayed in James Cameron’s Avatar Abstract In brief, this study discusses about the representation of orientalism idea which is portrayed in the film Avatar. The film tells about the conflict between human and native people in Planet Pandora, where human exploits the land and oppresses the native. This study explores in what way the idea of orientalism is represented and how both narrative and non-narrative aspects of the film helped in delivering that representationRead MoreThe Representation of Colonized People in Rudyard Kipling’s Poem â€Å"the White Man’s Burden†: an Unrealistic Representation3227 Words   |  13 Pages1- Introduction In the modern world history, Western countries have mastered a vast part of the world. And this kind of control, based on domination and subordination, aroused mainly from colonialism and imperialism like the power of the British Empire over many colonized countries in the world. Thus, this imperial power had intensively engaged writers’ attention. Among those major writers is Rudyard Kipling. He is a British novelist and poet who was born in British India in 1865 and died inRead MoreA Critical Analysis of Homi K. Bhabhas How Newness Enters The World: Postmodern space, postcolonial times and the trials of cultural translation1610 Words   |  7 PagesDifference, Discrimination, and the Discourse of Colonialism, he stated, There is always, in Said, the suggestion that colonial power is possessed entirely by the colonizer which is a historical and theoretical simplification (200). He asserted that colonization is not just a conscious body of knowledge (Saids manifest Orient alism) but also the unconscious positivity of fantasy and desire (Bhabhas latent Orientalism) (Young, White Mythologies 181). Bhabha used that vantage point — of liminal spacesRead MoreOrientalism in Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North2758 Words   |  12 PagesWilliam Usdin ENGL 157 – Exam #1 8.15.12 Orientalism in Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North â€Å"Prospero, you are the master of illusion. Lying is your trademark. And you have lied so much to me (lied about the world, lied about me) that you have ended by imposing on me an image of myself. Underdeveloped, you brand me, inferior, that is the way you have forced me to see myself, I detest the image! What’s more, it’s a lie! But now I know you, you old cancer, and I know myself as well.† CalibanRead More Outside the Teaching Machine by Gayatri Spivak2753 Words   |  11 PagesIt is hardly debatable that Edward W. Said’s Orientalism (1978) has been the foundational text of what has come to be known as postcolonial studies. In the book, Said charts the Western world’s construction(s) of â€Å"an inferior East† by underscoring how the authorizing/ authoritative â€Å"Occident† continues to produce an objectified and negatively stereotyped â€Å"Orient;† Drawing on Foucault’s concept of â€Å"discourse† and Gramsci’s notion of â€Å"hegemony,† Said traces the evolution of European power/ knowledgeRead MoreLiterary Origins, Cultural Relevance, And Documentary Techniques2930 Words   |  12 Pagesperspective of the era from which the modern vampire emerged. Literary theorist Edward Said states, Taking the late eighteenth century as a very roughly defined starting point Orientalism can be discussed and analyzed as the corporate institution for dealing with the Orient - dealing with it by making statements about it, authorizing views of it, describing it, by teaching it, settling it, ruling over it: in short, Orientalism is a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority overRead MoreA Post-Colonial Analysis of Mr. Know-All and Man-to-Man3054 Words   |  13 PagesEurocentrism is known as Orientalism, which is a specific form of othering defined and proposed by Edward Said. He sees the purpose of Orientalism as â€Å"to produce a positive national self -definition for Western nations by contrast with Eastern nations upon which the West projects all the negative characteristics... (Tyson 367)† Within this concept, Colonizers’ contrived separation of the â€Å"self† and the â€Å"†other† can easily find its counterpart. For Said notes, orientalism is a stereotype based upon

Negative Attitudes Toward The Homeless Essay - 1174 Words

With homelessness effecting 2.3-3.5 million people within any given year, negative attitudes towards homeless individuals and homelessness in general are increasing. Many people view the homeless as smelly criminals, who may have some sort of mental disability, and are aggressive, dangerous beggars. States like Georgia and California hold, what we would consider, the â€Å"meanest† laws in regard to homelessness. Some include: an individual may be arrested for sleeping on a beach, sidewalk, rooftop, or alleyway, and an individual can be arrested for panhandling, even when they are seeking refuge from a disaster. These assumptions led to higher negative stereotypes which pulls the focal attention away from the actual issues of homeless individuals. This study looks to answer whether or not the negative attitudes toward the homeless can be changed? Christina Wisehart, Mark Whatley, and Deborah Briihl decided to study this by conducting an experiment that was measured, at the end , by survey. The recruited ninety-seven students from two undergraduate psychology courses at Valdosta State University. Once they arrived at the experiments location, no other information was told except where to meet, they were each given a packet that was labeled with an even or odd number. Each packet contained a consent form, a demographic form, and Attitudes Toward Homeless Inventory, and a free Chik-Fil-A coupon. Even numbers were to report to Ballroom B and odd numbers to Ballroom C. 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Reflective Discourse

Question: Discuss about theReflective Discourse. Answer: Introduction: It amazes me how capacity planning, location planning and scheduling is done almost every day in our lives. From a simple dinner party to a large scale industry producing a range of products or an IT company delivering wide variety of services production planning is the most commonly used management process. This is the main reason why this topic has caught my attention. Understanding the core of the topic is quite simple as we perform this form of planning continuously in our lives. However, implementing the same in an industrial environment can get quite complicated if the topic is oversimplified. I have worked with a small organization in the past years as an operations manager and have had the opportunity to have a closer look on how capacity planning based on demand forecast is done. As a part of my tenure there, I also had to research on whether a new location had to be added for smooth production. I worked on a production line where downsizing and expanding the capacity of the line was seasonal. The organization produced food products that were in huge demand around Christmas and New Years while the rest of the year the production capacity was quite steady. Every quarter a decision making team was set up to decide on the capacity of the production line for that quarter. These decisions involved an analysis on the demand that has been forecasted, the sales done in the past quarter and the expected clients in the new quarter. This meeting was the most important meeting for a quarter from an operations manager point of view. The decision made here effected the human resources required, the machinery that could be cut done, hours in which we would have to work and so on. I had the opportunity of working here in a high demand quarter when the company backed a client that required a high capacity production. I was quite shocked to see how the entire production line had been transformed to meet the unexpected demand of a specific client. We had to adopt a flexible capacity strategy were quick thinking was required. I had to talk to the HR team to recruit line workers on contract for a month and the facilities team to set up the machinery that was usually not used in this season. Also, the new recruits had to be trained to operate the machinery. To set the right tone, we had to prepare a schedule and make sure that the SLA given to the client was met. Aggregate production planning was done, were we recruited and trained the new line workers and at the same time informed and procured raw material from our vendors. This helped me understand that when a sudden demand arises it is not just the producing company that gets effected but also the vendor that supplies raw material. I had to create a material requirement list for procurement. It is here that I realized that missing a single product or ordering less than the required quantity would cause mayhem in the production. The scheduling was again based on the demand and deadlines forecasted. Capacity has been increased. It was crucial here that each stage of the production had to be done in time to ensure that the next stage was not bottlenecked. Thanks to prior planning the schedule was followed well and the demand was fulfilled. The standby machine maintenance team ensured that there were no surprises. I learnt here that capacity planning, demand forecast, material planning and production planning all go hand in hand and production cannot be complete even if one single aspect misses. After this demand I was asked by the company to study the production process of the company and suggest if a new production facility was required. I had to go through the current machinery the company uses, the revenue it generates, the labor it has, the demand it gets and so on. The fact that we could expand the current facility when a spike in demand was seen helped me determine that a new facility was not required as long as machinery backup was available. Labor was contract based and hence could be requested at any time. Also, investing in a facility would cost the company a huge part of its revenue and I have advised them to not do it as the company was relatively new. They could rather invest in better machinery. After going through the topic, I realized how production planning is not as simple as it looks. With the help of the academic knowledge I have gained and the new techniques I have learned I would be able to increase my capacity as an operations manager.

Norse Runes, Divination, and Jackson Square an Example of the Topic History Essays by

Norse Runes, Divination, and Jackson Square At first, it would seem that Norse runes would have nothing in common with Jackson Square. After all, Norse runes have their history as far back as the fourth century in Norway and Jackson Square is firmly rooted in modern day New Orleans. What connects the two is the aspect of pination. Runes, once their usefulness as a part of a written language ended, were useful for their magical properties. However, the Elder Futhark runes have undergone a dramatic transformation during that time, which I find interesting. In this essay, I will briefly explain the original form and purpose of the Elder and Younger Futhark runes, their evolution into modern pination tools, and the way that the psychic readers of Jackson Square use them. Need essay sample on "Norse Runes, Divination, and Jackson Square" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed A Brief History of Norse Runes According to the American Museum of Natural History, runes have no clearly traceable history. The museum website states that the name rune suggests this, given its meaning, mystery, which comes from the Gothic root runa (par. 1). The figures were originally carved into stone or wood, a task that was made easier by their straight lines (American Museum of Natural History [AMNH] par. 2). I believe that this connection with the natural world may have been seen as an aid to pination, given that the early readers assigned them names and powers that were associated with natural creatures and items, not manufactured items. During my research, I found a list of the Elder Futhark runes. This list included pictures, as well as their names, meanings, uses, and the Latin letters and elements that they corresponded with. I was interested to learn that some runes represented more than one letter, either independently or in combination. For example, a rune that resembles a lesser than caret, Kenaz, represents the letters K, C, or Q. It is up to the inpidual reading the text to decide the proper letter being associated with, if such a distinction existed. In addition, a rune that resembles a modified P, called Thurisaz, represents the letter combination th (Meanings 1).Runes were never intended to support or represent a spoken language; instead, they were used solely as a written language or as symbols on their own (AMNH pars. 2-3). The Elder Futhark set of runes consist of a common set of 24 runes had spread across northern Europe, based on Etruscan and possibly Greek and Latin origins (AMNH par. 1). These 24 runes had only one case and, like the horizontal words in word search puzzles, were not read in any set direction (AMNH par. 1). Runes were eventually replaced by the Latin alphabet as the Christian church broadened its reach across Europe. The Elder Futhark runes remain in use in New Age practices today (AMNH par. 4). Divination Todays New Age practices have precedent; as early rune casters used the runes to predict the future. They linked the runes to specific gods and meanings (AMNH par. 3), laying out the runes in certain patterns to foretell events. Paul Rhys Mountfort notes that: The Runes contain a blueprint or road map to the Northern Mysteries, and, above and beyond their fortune-telling role, a kind of initiation into a profound cultural tradition. By using the Runes, the reader can not only access this unique wisdom tradition but also participate in its contemporary revival. It is an interesting observation; however, I think it lacks validity, since so little is truly known about the original, traditional use of runes. Even Mountfort acknowledges that the origin of the Elder Futhark runes is unknown, although he theorizes on its origin being from the north of Italy and associated with the Germanic tribe that were in the region (19). Mountfort explains that the runes are each assigned one of several values: gods and other supernatural beings, nature, animals, and actions. He also theorizes that the magical characteristics of an earlier primitive Swedish script may have influence the development of the Elder Futhark (21). The use of runes in pination probably didnt take place until the age of the Vikings, although Mountfort expresses the opinion that pination may have been one purpose for their being created (57). Two things are certain, however. First, the runes are connected by names and meanings to the Norse myths. Second, the runes are connected to the natural world. And, according to Mountfort, the runes are relevant even in todays world. He states that by applying their meaning to the actual contours of our present-day lives, we ensure that not only the Runes but also these attendant tales take on a powerful, contemporary relevance (57). Nature and the natural world seem to be the farthest thing from the minds of todays piner, however. Although early rune casters certainly had rituals, ritual devoid of meaning seems to be part of learning about using the runes today. Paxson recommends rune groups that sound more like study groups than religious groups. Thee group members use the same book and also have a notebook in which to take notes on discussions, collect handouts, record the results of inpidual work [. . .] (Paxson 18). Diane Paxson then goes on to discuss scheduling and dress. She recommends dressing appropriately, which might help the rune caster shift into a Norse mode of consciousness (20). What this mode of consciousness is supposed to be, Paxson does not explain. However, she does go on to recommend her own book, called Germanic Costume, which contains illustrations of, and patterns for, such clothing. Although the Paxsons book soon moves into discussion of the runes themselves, the first part of the book seems to make rune casting into playacting, robbing the rituals of a lot of their legitimacy. Jackson Square The Tarot card readers and amateur psychics that once littered the majority of Jackson Square are largely gone now, first cleared out by a prominent member of the New Orleans City Council member, Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson, and then by Hurricane Katrina. As the city rebuilds, the readers will filter back; as long as there are tourists to provide tips, artists, readers and street acts will be a part of that city. What I found most interesting about these alleged psychics was that, although the Jackson Square readers are considered something of an unsavory element by some, even they are pided on who should be permitted to set up in the Square. It is clear to me from Glynn Wilsons article that Clarkson has a personal mission to prevent certain people from using Jackson Square. The people of whom she approves appear to be artists and tourists. In addition, Clarkson at least tolerates the restaurateurs and shop owners, and perhaps even the tour guides, although all of these people do little more than lend a pedestrian air to the site. In the past, Clarkson passed ordinances that prevented the readers from setting up tables for their trade (Wilson par. 2) and replaced the old benches in the Square with new ones that had center armrests, intended to prevent people from stretching out on them (Wilson pars. 12-13). Clearly, Clarkson feels that the Jackson Square readers are charlatans. The readers on Jackson Square primarily read Tarot cards and palms; however, some of them use runes on request. The readers who use runes sometimes use the commercially available set of ceramic runes. Unlike the early rune casters, it is rare to find a hand-carved set among the Jackson Square readers. Interestingly, however, the runes have undergone yet another transformation. In many cases, rune readers use rune cards, which are Tarot-style cards with depictions of the runes inscribed on them. In these cases, the runes have been transformed from living stone or wood to either commercially processed and artificial stone or printed slips of cardboard coated with plastic. In neither case is these things particularly original, nor are they in tune with the universe, since they are identical to every other manufactured set. In addition to these limitations, the meaning behind the runes have changed. Modern meanings have been assigned to the traditional runes by todays neopagans, moving the runes even further from the world and from the stories that they are intended to represent. Personal Observations and Conclusion The Norse myths have always fascinated me, ever since I was able to read and even partly understand them. The myths explained the natural world, just as the Greek and Roman myths did, so that the early cultures were able to make sense of the things going on around them. Even though I understood that there were no eight-legged horses and that a sprig of mistletoe could not swear to do no harm to anyone, young, old, or otherwise. But the stories spoke to me, just as they must have to the original listeners. The Norse myths seem to have been forgotten in the practice of using runes in pination today. Even if a person accepts the idea of psychics having real talent for predicting the future, many of the readers in Jackson Square today are more successful in reading people than they are much else. They are, in fact, better at pining hints from the people at their tables than they are in pining the secrets of the runes. I think that it is disturbing that so many things in our world have changed from their original form. However, few things seem to have changed as much as the runes and their original meaning. Originally, the runes were part of these stories and part of the world; now, however, you can actually print rune cards at home using computer software. Far from being part of the natural world, todays runes reflect the artifice of the modern world. If pination were ever possible in the past, I think that even the ancient rune casters would agree that it would not be possible today, given the lack of connection with the myths that drive their meanings. Works Cited American Museum of Natural History. The History of Runes. 29 May 2007. Mountfort, Paul Rhys. Nordic Runes: Understanding, Casting, and Interpreting the Ancient Viking Oracle. Rochester, VT: Destiny, 2003. Paxson, Diana L. Taking Up The Runes: A Complete Guide To Using Runes In Spells, Rituals, pination, And Magic. York Beach, ME: Red Wheel-Weiser, LLC, 2005 Wilson, Glynn. Battle of New Orleans Pits Artists against Psychics. Dallas Morning News. 25 May 2003. http://www.southerner.net/fast/dntexlaquarter.html>.