Intro to Edward Said's Orientalism - CMSMC Foundations

Lecture by Logan Ward. The purpose of this lecture is to overview Edward Said’s Orientalism (1979) for graduate students who engage with material and visual culture studies. The lecture will introduce and explain the concept of Orientalism as Said theorized in this work. Thus, the lecture will focus on Orientalism as three interdependent forms: a style of thought, an academic discipline, and a means of domination. The lecture will use examples from Said’s original work, but also include original examples specific to material and visual culture. These original examples will provide a broader look at how Orientalism effects studies that engage with different areas and peoples of Asia, rather than focus on only one culture, race, region, religion etc. Students who engage with material and visual culture studies, regardless of their exact discipline or regional focus, will benefit from this lecture. Head over to cmsmc.org/learn for further reading on this topic!