What Is Orientalism?
It might sound like one of those big concepts you’re supposed to nod at but not really use in daily life. Learning about Edward Said’s groundbreaking book (Orientalism, 1978) helped me to realize it’s actually everywhere. Orientalism shapes the stories, images, and even policies in international relations.
In short: Orientalism = Stereotypes about the “East” part of the world.
Or more academically, Orientalism is the way Western powers continue to repeat their created stereotypes about “the East”. It paints entire regions as exotic, backward, irrational, or dangerous. This perspective wasn’t an innocent mistake. It’s the narrative that helped justify colonialism and unequal power systems.
Why Orientalism Matters Today
Because these patterns didn’t vanish with the end of formal empires. They echo in movies, news headlines, fashion, tourism ads, and sadly but most important: in how governments navegate foreign policy.
Orientalism keeps humanity divided and threatens human rights when applied in policy creation or used as justification of intervention.
From what I’ve been learning, I see two major points of interest within the Orientalist mindset:
- It’s an old attempt to control foreign (“Eastern”) regions, using savior narratives to justify colonialism.
Think about how often regions are portrayed as dangerous zones needing “Western rescue”, or as colorful backdrops for European/American self-discovery, instead of as living, breathing communities with their own voices and rich history.
2. And as an ongoing story to control “Western” nations. Promoting the idea that the ‘others’ are dangerous and therefore… we shouldn’t ask about them, talk to them, travel to their regions, etc. maintaining the continental separation through fear and outdated power control tactics.
The clearest example is the securitization in the USA after 9-11. Anyone with a beard and a turban was dubbed ‘terrorist’ and jailed, killed, or kicked out of the country accordingly. If you’re still asking yourself ‘what’s wrong with that?’ I recommend researching the vast diversity of cultures and religions in Asia and Africa.
Conclusions on Orientalism
Studying Orientalism matters because it helps us notice when someone else is telling a story for us and twisting it.
It’s a call to reclaim narrative power, to center real human experiences instead of recycled inaccurate caricatures.
For me, it’s also a hopeful practice: by naming the distortions, we open up to new possibilities for relationships based on mutual respect rather than fear and false hierarchies.
Just the existence of the term ‘Orientalism’ is an act of revolution, naming the problem to be able to work towards something better. It’s a major source of the “us vs. them” discourse that keeps humanity divided.
In the end, Orientalism is about the carefully crafted colonialist stories we carry into the present, and whether we’ll keep seeing through someone else’s lens or create a new one together.
References
- Said, E. W. (1978). Orientalism. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.
- Hibri, C. (2023). Orientalism: Edward Said’s groundbreaking book explained. TheConversation. https://doi.org/10.64628/aa.dgsvvykpk
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