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Essence of Culture and a Sense of History: A Feminist Critique of Cultural Essentialism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2020

Uma Narayan
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Abstract

Drawing parallels between gender essentialism and cultural essentialism, I point to some common features of essentialist pictures of culture. 1 argue that cultural essentialism is detrimental to feminist agendas and suggest strategies for its avoidance, Contending that some forms of cultural relativism buy into essentialist notions of culture, I argue that postcolonial feminists need to be cautious about essentialist contrasts between “Western” and “Third World” cultures.

Type
Research Article
Information
Hypatia , Volume 13 , Issue 2: Special Issue: Border Crossings: Multiculturalism and Postcolonial Challenges, Part 1 , Spring 1998 , pp. 86 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 by Hypatia, Inc.

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