"Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses," by Chandra Talpade Mohanty: Explanation
Here we are providing a easy explanation of Chandra Talpade Mohanty's "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses".
Mohanty focuses on the discursive aspect of colonization, particularly the appropriation and codification of knowledge about women in the third world by Western feminist scholars. The author contends that this process often results in the production of a singular, monolithic image of the "Third World Woman." This constructed identity, according to Mohanty, oversimplifies the rich heterogeneity of women's lives in different classes, religions, cultures, races, and castes within these countries.
The essay criticizes Western feminist writings for implicitly assuming "the West" as the primary reference point in theory and practice. While acknowledging the diversity within Western feminism, Mohanty emphasizes the shared effects of certain textual strategies that portray Others as non-Western and position the writers as implicitly Western. This distinction is crucial for understanding the limitations imposed on potential coalitions between Western feminists, working-class individuals, and feminists of color globally.
Mohanty argues that the relationship between the cultural construct of "Woman" and real, material women is a central concern in feminist scholarship. The essay suggests that some Western feminist writings contribute to the discursive colonization of the material and historical diversities of women's lives in the third world. This, in turn, results in the construction of a simplified, singular "Third World Woman" that reflects the authorizing signature of Western humanist discourse.
The author identifies two key issues in Western feminist work on women in the third world: assumptions of privilege and ethnocentric universality, and insufficient self-awareness regarding the impact of Western scholarship in a world system dominated by the West. Mohanty contends that the analysis of "sexual difference," particularly the notion of patriarchy or male dominance, often leads to the creation of a reductive and homogeneous concept she terms the "Third World Difference." This reductionist perspective overlooks the complexities and conflicts inherent in the lives of women across different social strata within these countries.
Chandra Talpade Mohanty critiques certain Western feminist writings for discursively colonizing the diverse experiences of women in the third world. The essay underscores the need for a more nuanced and self-reflective approach that avoids homogenizing and oversimplifying the oppression faced by women across varied social, cultural, and economic contexts.
Chandra Talpade Mohanty critically examines Western feminist scholarship on the third world within the broader context of global power dynamics. The author underscores the necessity of situating Western feminist scholarship within the prevailing hegemonic imperialism, characterized by the West's monopoly over scientific knowledge and cultural influence in shaping world development.
Mohanty references Anouar Abdel-Malek's notion of a struggle for control over the world development process, emphasizing the role of advanced sectors in maintaining dominance. The author argues that Western feminist scholarship must be analyzed within the framework of these power relations, acknowledging the global economic and political context in which it operates.
The essay acknowledges the informative value of Western feminist writings on women in the third world but raises concerns about certain analytic strategies. Mohanty emphasizes the need to critically examine the explanatory potential and political implications of these strategies, particularly in the context of the global hegemony of Western scholarship.
The author contends that Western feminist scholarship is not exempt from the challenge of navigating its role within the global economic and political framework. Mohanty recognizes the political effects and implications of this scholarship beyond its immediate feminist or disciplinary audience, especially considering the dominance of Western scholarship in the production, publication, distribution, and consumption of information and ideas.
The critique focuses on three fundamental analytic principles present in Western feminist discourse on women in the third world. Firstly, Mohanty challenges the assumption of women as a homogenous group with identical interests and desires, arguing that this overlooks class, ethnic, and racial differences. Secondly, the essay criticizes the uncritical use of particular methodologies to establish universality and cross-cultural validity. Lastly, the political principle underlying the methodologies and analytic strategies is questioned, suggesting a homogeneous notion of women's oppression is assumed.
The essay underscores the danger of creating a reductive image of an "average third world woman" based on assumptions of sexual and cultural difference. This image contrasts with the implicit self-representation of Western women, perpetuating a binary distinction that Mohanty likens to other normative dichotomies made by different ideologies. The author urges a critical examination of these analytic principles and their potential impact, emphasizing the importance of avoiding ethnocentric universalism in feminist scholarship.
The author, then critiques the approach of Western feminist discourse when analyzing women in the third world. The central argument revolves around the concept of "women" as a category of analysis, suggesting that Western feminists often treat women as a homogeneous group, overlooking diverse historical, cultural, and socioeconomic specificities. The author identifies five ways in which this occurs, using examples from various feminist writings.
1. Women as Victims of Male Violence:
- The critique begins with Fran Hosken's analysis of female genital mutilation, emphasizing how women are consistently portrayed as victims of male control. The author argues against generalizing women as archetypal victims, urging a more contextualized understanding of male violence within specific societies.
2. Married Women as Victims of the Colonial Process:
- The author scrutinizes Maria Rosa Cutrufelli's work, which focuses on the Bemba people in Zambia. Cutrufelli, according to the critique, fails to consider the cultural and historical specifics of Bemba women before and after Western colonization, reducing them to victims without exploring the nuanced shifts in power relations.
3. Women and Familial Systems:
- The analysis delves into Juliette Minces's portrayal of Arab and Muslim societies, arguing against a simplistic view that attributes women's oppression solely to patriarchal family structures. The author advocates for a more nuanced understanding of women's roles within familial contexts, acknowledging the complexity of kinship systems.
4. Women and Religious Ideologies:
- The critique highlights Patricia Jeffery's reductionist perspective on Islamic ideology and its impact on women in certain societies. The author challenges the notion that all women, regardless of class and cultural differences, are uniformly affected by a singular religious ideology, urging a more nuanced exploration of the intersections between religion and women's lives.
5. Women and the Development Process:
- This critique targets liberal "Women in Development" literature, exemplified by Perdita Huston's work. The author argues against the assumption that all third world women share the same problems and needs due to economic development policies. Instead, the critique emphasizes the importance of considering class, cultural, and ethnic differences within these groups.
The author's overall contention is that these Western feminist analyses oversimplify the experiences of women in the third world by neglecting contextual specificities, perpetuating a monolithic view of women as universally oppressed. The critique encourages a more nuanced, localized, and politically focused approach, exemplified by Maria Mies's study of lace-makers in India, which considers the intricate dynamics of power and resistance within a specific context. This alternative approach allows for a more accurate understanding of women's lives and challenges the binary divisions between men and women propagated by simplistic generalizations.
The author then, critically examines various methodological approaches employed by Western feminists when discussing women in the third world. Mohanty identifies and critiques three specific methods.
Firstly, she addresses an arithmetic method used to prove universalism. This method relies on quantifying practices, like the wearing of veils, across different countries. However, Mohanty argues that the analytical leap from describing a common practice to asserting its general significance in controlling women oversimplifies the complex cultural and historical contexts in which these practices occur.
Secondly, Mohanty discusses the use of concepts like reproduction, sexual division of labor, and patriarchy without considering their local cultural and historical contexts. She emphasizes the need for differentiated analyses, highlighting that superficially similar situations may have distinct explanations depending on the socio-historical context.
Lastly, the author critiques the confusion between using gender as an analytical category and providing universal proof through empirical studies. Mohanty argues that some writers mistake empirical studies of gender differences for the universal instantiation of gender categories, leading to a loss of the analytical organization of cross-cultural work.
Mohanty's analysis emphasizes the importance of context-specific and historically informed approaches to feminist theorizing. She argues against methodological universalism and advocates for careful, complex generalizations that consider the diversity of experiences among women in the third world. The section underscores the need to avoid homogenizing diverse contexts and challenges the oversimplification of complex issues related to women's oppression.
Mohanty delves into the political nature of feminist scholarship, focusing on the potential colonialist tendencies within Western feminist perspectives on women in the third world. The discussion revolves around the analysis of nine texts in the Zed Press/Women in the Third World series, emphasizing common themes like religion, family structures, legal systems, sexual division of labor, education, and political resistance.
Mohanty critiques the assumption within Western feminist writings that "women" constitute a coherent group across various cultures, neglecting differences in class or ethnicity. She argues that framing women as a unified group sets up a binary opposition to men, reinforcing a simplistic view of patriarchy and implicitly assuming that men construct religious, legal, economic, and familial systems.
The essay highlights the implications of employing Michel Foucault's "juridico-discursive" model of power, wherein power relations are structured in a binary manner—those with power versus the powerless. Mohanty argues that this approach oversimplifies the complexity of power dynamics and limits both theoretical analysis and strategic considerations, perpetuating Western cultural imperialism.
Furthermore, she identifies a colonialist move in Western feminist discourse about third world women. By assuming women as an oppressed group and imposing Western categories onto diverse cultures, it reinforces the superiority of the West. The portrayal of "third world women" as religious, family-oriented, and illiterate reflects an ethnocentric view that erases diverse experiences and perpetuates cultural stereotypes.
Mohanty draws parallels between Western feminist writings on third world women and the broader project of Western humanism. She suggests that both involve recuperating the "East" and "Woman" as Others, reinforcing the centrality of Western perspectives. This analysis aligns with the works of thinkers like Foucault, Derrida, and Said, who have explored the ethnocentrism underlying humanistic discourse.
The essay concludes by challenging the authoritative nature of Western feminist writings on third world women and their potential role in reinforcing economic and cultural colonization. Mohanty emphasizes the need to move beyond simplistic binary structures, urging a more nuanced understanding that considers the complexities of power relations and diverse experiences among women in the third world.
Chandra Talpade Mohanty's essay critically examines Western feminist scholarship on third world women, exposing potential colonialist tendencies, oversimplifications, and ethnocentrism within the discourse. The analysis encourages a more thoughtful and context-specific approach that acknowledges the diversity of women's experiences and challenges Western cultural imperialism.
VISIT : LITERARY SPHERE
Reference:
Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses." boundary 2, vol. 12/13, no. 3-vol. 13, no. 1, Spring - Autumn, 1984, pp. 333-358. JSTOR.
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