Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 23:12:10 +0500 From: Nadeem Omar Tarar <ntarar-AT-brain.net.pk> Subject: Re: query: China, Korea and Japan - postcolonial? The designation of a country as "post-colonial" is not a matter of convenience. It is a theoretical category which contextualises country's Total history and offers conceptual and methodological tools to map the colonial exploitation and decode its discourse. For someone like Gayatri Spivak, unlike those who has made it an identity marker, the term 'postcolonial' like 'subaltern' is a term that has to be "displaced" and not to be taken up as an accurate description of a country. Nevertheless, the term "post-colonial" is theoreticaly ambigious and its very usefulness lies in its relative ambiguity which allows us to venture into nature and process of colonialisms (no one monolithic colonialism please!) For the conceptual ambivalence of the term Postcolonial, please see among many others: McClintock, Anne (1992) 'Anglessss of Progress: Pitfalls of the term "Post-Colonialissm"' Social Text, 31/2,84-98 and Shohaat, Ellah 'Notes on "Post-Colonial"' in ST,31/2,99-113 As far your particular question is concerned, I think, we should not look for good for all purpose defination or description of colonialism, but should look at the historical process that gave shape to specific forms of colonial exploitation in each cases. Alas, there are no ready made answers. Please comment ayelet zohar wrote: > > I am intersted in the question of East-Asian states and status. Would it be > agreeable to relate to China as "postcolonial" country that had suffered > from English and other European colonialism, though never really lost its > sovereignity to colonial powers, but was conquered in large sections? > Is it agreeable to relate to Korea's postcolonial status after the years of > Japanese occupation? Japanese colonialism? > Is it possible to relate to Japan as a postcolonial state, although never > suffered direct occupation but was committed to Western culture - from > Dutch and Portuguese encounters in 16th c., to English and American (that > actually has occupied it later) deep influences during 19th c.? > > Any comments will be appreciated, > > best wishes > > ayelet zohar > graduate student > porter institute of semiotics and poetics > tel aviv university > > e-mail:ayelet.zohar-AT-ipc.co.il > > --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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