Dislocating Cultures: Identities, Traditions, and Third World Feminism

By Uma Narayan

Book Overview

Dislocating Cultures takes aim at the related notions of nation, identity, and tradition to show how Western and Third World scholars have misrepresented Third World cultures and feminist agendas. Drawing attention to the political forces that have spawned, shaped, and perpetuated these misrepresentations since colonial times, Uma Narayan inspects the underlying problems which "culture" poses for the respect of difference and cross-cultural understanding.

Questioning the problematic roles assigned to Third World subjects within multiculturalism, Narayan examines ways in which the flow of information across national contexts affects our understanding of issues. Dislocating Cultures contributes a philosophical perspective on areas of ongoing interest such as nationalism, post-colonial studies, and the cultural politics of debates over tradition and "westernization" in Third World contexts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415914191
• ISBN13: 9780415914192
• Release Date: April 1997
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

India-specific analysis is excellent

Anyone researching the role of women in India won't want to miss this -- the author speaks insightfully about her feminism being a result of her personal experiences in India, while her mother and others accuse her of being "brainwashed" by Westerners. Narayan makes a strong case for "organic" Third World feminism.

An award-winning book!

This book was awarded the American Political Science Association's Victoria Schuck Award for the best book on women and politics for 1997.