RS170 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Edward Said, Essentialism, Hijab
Document Summary
Asks why we have preconceived notions of the middle east without having been there. The way the west looks at the countries of the middle east is driven by bias and distorts the actual way they actually live. Wrote the history of how the arab was/is presented through art and literature. The idea that all people from the east are essentially the same, no matter which country they"re from. Britain and france directly occupied the middle east. The us did not have such a close relationship with them. Their ideas were more like abstractions and were highly politicized. Portrayal of arabs as violent and irrational based on constant presentation of terrorists and wars. Journalists present muslims as fundamental terrorists, but do not do the same with bombings performed by christians. Films portray muslims as a lesser breed that are evil and only resort to violence.
