Imaginary Geography
The Orient and the Representation of the Other through a Reading of Edward Said's Orientalism
Abstract
This article explores Edward W. Said’s Orientalism (1978) to understand how the West has constructed an ideological and geographic representation of the East. Through a critical reading, it analyzes how Orientalism became a discourse of domination that defined the East as inferior and static. The article considers contributions from authors such as Stuart Hall, Ryszard Kapuściński, and Fatema Mernissi to enrich the discussion about the representation of “the other.” It highlights the necessity of revisiting postcolonial theory and dismantling Eurocentric academic approaches. Finally, it emphasizes how these narratives still shape current geopolitics and the construction of global identities.
References
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