Edward Said’s Orientalism: Unmasking the Politics of Othering in Postcolonial Thought

Edward Said’s Orientalism redefined the concept of othering within the context of postcolonial theory, exposing how Western cultures constructed "the Orient" as an exotic, backward, and inferior counterpart to the West. Published in 1978, the book revealed how this process of othering justified colonial expansion, reinforced Western superiority, and shaped global power dynamics through deeply ingrained stereotypes. Said’s analysis transformed the fields of cultural criticism, media studies, and literary theory, becoming a foundational text for postcolonial studies.

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