Post-Colonalism notes pt. 2

Constructions of Ethnicity

The other (as constructed by the West) can be crudely divided into 4 view points:

• Infantise (sad) - provoking sympathy, e.g. charity posters/campaigns
• Primitivise (wicked) - provoking envy or sexual desire - the exotic tribes
• Decivilise (bad) - provoking distrust, fear - the gangster/pimp
• Essentialise (mad/crazy) - provoking laughter or contempt - 'they all look the same'

Effects of colonisation on identity:

• made to feel 'other' = not as good
• question self because identity has been constructed by someone else (white perspective of saving the black man from savagery)
• writers have attempted to challenge the stereotypes and give back…