TENDENTIOUS DENOMINATION AND OVERWRITING OF THE CONTEMPORARY HISTORY IN THE WESTERN CULTURE Cover Image

ТЕНДЕНЦИЈА ДЕНОМИНАЦИЈЕ И ПРЕЦРТАВАЊА САВРЕМЕНЕ ИСТОРИЈЕ У КУЛТУРИ ЗАПАДА
TENDENTIOUS DENOMINATION AND OVERWRITING OF THE CONTEMPORARY HISTORY IN THE WESTERN CULTURE

Author(s): Ivana Bančević Pejović
Subject(s): Anthropology, Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Sociology, Comparative Study of Literature, Other Language Literature, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Theory of Literature, Globalization
Published by: Универзитет у Крагујевцу
Keywords: dehumanization;denomination;pedagogy of indignation;overwriting history;imperialistic culture;decolonization of the mind

Summary/Abstract: The essay is based on postcolonialism and it questions the correlation between official history and the process of dehumanisation by which economically dominating structures endeavour to devaluate other historical perspectives, defy- ing their own versions. Thus, a persistent attempt of imperial forces to impose aˈpatriarchalˈ version of history, as Fredy Perlman would say it, is identified. This eurocentric attempt of outcasting others, is defied by many social critics, such as Brazilian pedagogue Paulo Freire, and American academic, Arab from Palestine Edward Said, as well as writers of alike convictions, for example Eduardo Galeano from Uruguay, and Puerto Rican Jew Aurora Levins Morales, who are proposing hu- manism that Europe has betrayed throughout its history and its betrayal disguised cunningly. Despite the proclamations of these authors that such an one-sided history should be urgently revised, the tendency of overwriting the already accepted parts of history that do not correspond to the interests of the West, doesn’t cease. The afore mentioned process of overwriting (and fabrication of) history refers either to literal doodling over the pages that testify of bloody and genocide concerning events or to a victory of conquered nations over fascism. To the dates which (co)memorate mentioned events, a new aureole is assigned that celebrates new alliances within imperialistic culture. This essay displays the theories to which the empires strive in order to ̎colonize the mind̎ (Thiongo) and ̎dehumanize the oppressed ̎ (Freire), in order to achieve their own economic goals and to preserve the power. It also offers an insight into the mechanism of defence, available to the oppressed so that they can preserve their own history (and culture), and by doing so, their humanity as well.

  • Issue Year: XX/2019
  • Issue No: 70
  • Page Range: 185-193
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: Serbian