Strategic essentialism

Strategic essentialism

Strategic essentialism is a major concept in postcolonial theory. The term was coined by the Indian literary critic and theorist Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. It refers to a strategy that nationalities, ethnic groups or minority groups can use to present themselves. While strong differences may exist between members of these groups, and amongst themselves they engage in continuous debates, it is sometimes advantageous for them to temporarily 'essentialize' themselves and bring forward their group identity in a simplified way to achieve certain goals.

Spivak has said since first introducing the term that she is unhappy with the ways it has been taken up and used. In interviews, she has disavowed the term, although she has not completely deserted the concept itself.

The idea also comes up regularly in queer theory and in feminist theory, specifically in the work of Luce Irigaray.

External links

* [http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Glossary.html Glossary of Key Terms in the Work of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak] by Michael Kinburn
* [http://interculturalrelations.com/v2i1Winter1999/w99kelly.htm Postcolonial Perspective on Intercultural Relations: A Japan-U.S. Example] by William Kelly (see section 6.)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Essentialism — In philosophy, essentialism is the view that, for any specific kind of entity, there is a set of characteristics or properties all of which any entity of that kind must possess. This view is contrasted with non essentialism which states that for… …   Wikipedia

  • Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak — Full name Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Born 1942 Calcutta, British India Era 20th century philosophy …   Wikipedia

  • Identity politics — is political action to advance the interests of members of a group whose members are oppressed by virtue of a shared and marginalized identity (such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or neurological wiring). The term has… …   Wikipedia

  • Luce Irigaray — (born 1932 Belgium) is a French feminist, philosopher, linguist, psychoanalytic and cultural theorist. She is best known for her works Speculum of the Other Woman (1974) and This Sex Which Is Not One (1977). BiographyIrigaray received a Master s… …   Wikipedia

  • Combahee River Collective — Contents 1 Beginnings in the NBFO 2 Naming the Collective 3 Developing the Statement …   Wikipedia

  • Cultural appropriation — Non Japanese person learns Japanese martial art Cultural appropriation is the adoption of some specific elements of one culture by a different cultural group. It describes acculturation or assimilation, but can imply a negative view towards… …   Wikipedia

  • Feminist philosophy (french) — French feminist philosophy De Beauvoir, Kristeva, Irigaray, Le Doeuff, Cixous Alison Ainley INTRODUCTION Although women have been active philosophers for many centuries,1 the development of a specifically feminist viewpoint in the context of… …   History of philosophy

  • Criticism of Islam — For criticism of Islamic extremism, see Criticism of Islamism. For fear of or prejudice against Islam, rather than simple criticism, see Islamophobia …   Wikipedia

  • education — /ej oo kay sheuhn/, n. 1. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. 2. the act or process of… …   Universalium

  • Fascism — is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology. [Heater, Derek Benjamin. 1967. Political Ideas in the Modern World. University of Michagan. Pp 41 42. [http://books.google.com/books?id=v4gFAAAAMAAJ q=fascism+%22totalitarian+nationalism%22… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”