The tradition of the west defines its modernity as a radical rupture with endless possibilities for egalitarian futures; yet western modernity was rooted in the genocide of indigenous populations, transatlantic racial...The tradition of the west defines its modernity as a radical rupture with endless possibilities for egalitarian futures; yet western modernity was rooted in the genocide of indigenous populations, transatlantic racial slavery and colonialism. Moreover, as the war on terror demonstrates, racial/gender violence continues to be linked to the formation of western identity, culture and politics in the early twenty-first century. This paper examines how the histories of race and coloniality feature in the contemporary formation of the west, with a particular focus on US nationalism and Canadian multiculturalism. These nation-states are most often defined as antithetical, with the latter confirming that western society has transcended its originary racial/colonial politics. I begin with a brief discussion of the reformation of the west in the mid-twentieth century as the USA became the dominant western power. I then move to compare the contemporary national politics of the USA and Canada to highlight the divergence and convergence in their ddineation of their identity and values. My study demonstrates that although the white supremacist discourse that presently constitutes US nationalism is at variance with the multi- culturalism that shapes Canadian identity, these discourses can be defined as twin aspects of the racial/colonial politics that continue to give meaning to the idea of the west.展开更多
In this article, the author tries to analyze the incongruity between ethnicity and its theorization in China and explore the tension between the mainstream discourse of homogenization-cure-nationalism and the minority...In this article, the author tries to analyze the incongruity between ethnicity and its theorization in China and explore the tension between the mainstream discourse of homogenization-cure-nationalism and the minority linguisticcultural ＂heteroglossia, ＂ as is typified by the conceptual and practical difficulty in translating Minzu[ I ] as well as the political revival and pragmatic use of traditional culture. Drawing on Walker Connor＇s study of the national question in Marxist-Leninist theory and strategy, the author argues that the old formula of ＂national in form, socialist in content,＂ as has been applied in China, lacks a Thirdness-based ＂indexical embodiment＂ dimension, a defect that creates a situation ＂national in form, ethnic in content,＂ and leads to political ambiguities and identity conflicts.展开更多
文摘The tradition of the west defines its modernity as a radical rupture with endless possibilities for egalitarian futures; yet western modernity was rooted in the genocide of indigenous populations, transatlantic racial slavery and colonialism. Moreover, as the war on terror demonstrates, racial/gender violence continues to be linked to the formation of western identity, culture and politics in the early twenty-first century. This paper examines how the histories of race and coloniality feature in the contemporary formation of the west, with a particular focus on US nationalism and Canadian multiculturalism. These nation-states are most often defined as antithetical, with the latter confirming that western society has transcended its originary racial/colonial politics. I begin with a brief discussion of the reformation of the west in the mid-twentieth century as the USA became the dominant western power. I then move to compare the contemporary national politics of the USA and Canada to highlight the divergence and convergence in their ddineation of their identity and values. My study demonstrates that although the white supremacist discourse that presently constitutes US nationalism is at variance with the multi- culturalism that shapes Canadian identity, these discourses can be defined as twin aspects of the racial/colonial politics that continue to give meaning to the idea of the west.
文摘In this article, the author tries to analyze the incongruity between ethnicity and its theorization in China and explore the tension between the mainstream discourse of homogenization-cure-nationalism and the minority linguisticcultural ＂heteroglossia, ＂ as is typified by the conceptual and practical difficulty in translating Minzu[ I ] as well as the political revival and pragmatic use of traditional culture. Drawing on Walker Connor＇s study of the national question in Marxist-Leninist theory and strategy, the author argues that the old formula of ＂national in form, socialist in content,＂ as has been applied in China, lacks a Thirdness-based ＂indexical embodiment＂ dimension, a defect that creates a situation ＂national in form, ethnic in content,＂ and leads to political ambiguities and identity conflicts.
