This insert brings to mind several important ideas about our current invovlment in the Middle East. Kristof dictates that Arab countries are very repressive of women, and that we should be aware and critical of this. However, it's a very black and white perspective on the repression of MIddle Eastern women. In doig this, he is obscuring the complexities of the situation, and creating a polarization. The way in which Westerners pervasively represent and then control our "others" is only CAST as a way to "help" them, we're there to civilize and enlighten then. These representations then become dichotomous. It is the characterizations (we are rational, accurate, etc. and "they" are wrong) we make that seperates us. Also, we cannot simply understand others in terms of culture. We need to consider the broad range of politcal and economic contexts surrounding the issues.
Posted by Moira Kenny at December 7, 2005 04:04 PM