Otherness/Subaltern
Overview
The terms otherness and subaltern are often discussed in relation to the cultural hegemony of the West exerted over the East in scholarly and public discourse, wherein the West defines itself as the cultural center that sets the standards through which the “periphery” is to be evaluated. This cultural centering is problematic as it creates a “cultural Other,” who is thus critiqued outside of their own social and historical context, which sets the stage for displaying a falsehood of culturally superiority and inferiority. Further, this conflict of cultures is focused between the “developed” European and North American civilizations and the “developing” Asian & African civilizations, particularly those located in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA).
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This notion of otherness and the subaltern is extremely pertinent when discussing third world and Arab women because it illustrates how Western feminism is detrimental and inapplicable to their experiences. Western feminism actually colonizes feminist discourse by defining third world cultures as an uncivilized Other; thus, implying that female oppression is a cultural issue that can be solved through Western “modernization.” This implication operates on the assumption that there is one monolithic notion of patriarchy that can be applied cross-culturally, when this is not the case, and consequently, portrays third world and Arab women in need of Western saviorhood. Scholar, Chandra Mohanty, critiques this disconnect in Western feminist discourse further in her article, “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses.”
Outside Resources
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak talks about her idea of the subaltern in her piece Can The Subaltern Speak? She talks about the focus on European ideals from her perspective as an Indian scholar. The overall concept is how there are these "universal" standards that have been modeled after Western ideals, making anyone outside of these norms the "subaltern."
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a popular Ted Talk titled "The Danger of a Single Story." She talks about what it is like to learn about American standards and expectations, even though she lived in a third world country. This exemplifies the concept of otherness/subaltern because it reveals how third world women and women in the East often learn about these Western norms. These ideas are pushed onto other cultures as being the expectation, forcing one form of feminism to fit the molds of many. Adichie has written many texts (ranging from personal essays to fiction) revolving this idea of otherness, such as Americanah, We Should All Be Feminists, The Thing Around Your Neck, and many more.
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Reclaiming Third World Feminism by Ranjoo Seodu Herr talks about the subaltern in reference to Third World Feminism and the need to contrast white feminism with culturally-appropriate feminism geared towards women of the East. Just like many of the other women of color that we have talked about how there needs to be feminism that is considerate of specific populations within the larger majority of women, Third World women and women in other countries are no different. Herr makes sure to address the urgency of feminism to eliminate this idea of otherness/the subaltern.
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Works Cited
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Adichie, Chimamanda N. "The Danger of a Single Story." TED, uploaded by Ted Talk, July 2009.
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Herr, Ranjoo S. "Reclaiming Third World Feminism: Or Why Transnational Feminism Needs Third World Feminism." Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism, vol. 12, no. 1, 2014, pp. 1-30.
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Morris, Rosalind C. Can the Subaltern Speak? Reflections on the History of an Idea. Columbia University Press, 2010.
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Relevance to Today
Today, Arab, or Muslim, or Asian, or Eastern women must deal with not only issues in their own culture that impact them as women, but also combatting incorrect views of their cultures, and an internal cognitive struggle about whether they can be feminists. This is such a struggle because Western culture has “othered” Eastern culture so much, that feminism, often in the Western context, is almost incompatible as it is to women of Easter cultures. Women today write about having to choose between “selling out” to the West, or tacitly approving of their own culture’s part in oppression. This often causes a feeling that their culture and feminism are mutually exclusive, or on the opposite ends of a spectrum. But as one blogger, Yasmeen Mjalli puts it, “We get so caught up in the extreme ends of the spectrum that we forget about the vast space in between: a space without identity and therefore, full of possibility.”
"Kindness is a mark of faith. Those who aren't kind have no faith."
Credit: Instagram- shaymaadarling
And Arab, Muslim, and Eastern women are filling up that space in between with how they feel their gender equality should be expressed. The internet allows women who are dealing with this contention to be connected, forming a community of support and intellectual discovery.
There are blogs, online shops, Instagram accounts, and music, each depicting in a unique way how they want to be viewed as a feminist. One recently iconic photo is a great example.
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As we think about feminism, and creating an intersectional, inclusive movement for the liberation of all women, we must reconsider the traditional way we define feminism in a Western context. The idea of otherness in feminism calls us to be critical of that process of othering, and is related to decolonial feminism in the way it asks us challenge colonial practices. When we free ourselves of the chains of this framework, we are left with the freedom to be creative in how feminism exists in our lives. And we allow other women to be themselves.
Learn More:
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Babyfist: https://baby-fist.com/
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#MuslimGirl: http://muslimgirl.com/
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Mashrou' Leila Video: https://vimeo.com/270406325
Explanation: https://vimeo.com/270405159
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Relevance to the Text
Susan Muaddi Darraj, in “Not an Oxymoron,” documents her struggle with people not being able to associate being Arab with feminism. She expresses frustration with a feminist movement that would look down upon women like her mother and grandmother, who were proud homemakers for the majority of their lives. White feminism has essentially coined Arab women as being other, as being lesser than, and as being oppressed in their own culture. Thus they coined the term subaltern. However, as Darraj explains, Arab Feminists are by no means a part of the periphery. The image of Arab women that we have in the west-- heavily cloaked, conservative women who are subservient to the patriarchy, is a fictitious on, Darraj explains, as she moves forward with her own version of Arab feminism. Darraj offers us an honest view into her life, her upbringing, and her feminism. Her family pushed her to strive for greatness, regardless of things like gender or background, thus cementing her belief that Arab Feminism is just as real and legitimate as other forms of feminism.
Lila Abu- Lughod, in “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving,” discusses the US’s role in colonizing areas, proliferating oppression, and then turning around and deeming those cultures to be subaltern. Abu- Lughod has a very different image of Arab women in her head. She sees the complex, powerful, vocal and free women around her who constantly fight for what is right. While many people have a difficult time reconciling being Arab with feminism, Abu - Lughod points out the flawed logic of these arguments, and explains that these women do not need saving at all-- they need the rest of the world to stop saving them, stop perverting their cultures, and to stop trying to colonize what isn’t theirs. Abu- Lughod’s work is a cornerstone in Arab Feminism, as it cements the fact that oppression has occurred at the hands of colonizers, not Arab culture.
"If they Come For Us," a compilation of poems by Fatimah Asghar, is a gripping awakening into the world of Arab Feminism. From the historical references and contexts to the painful poems, it shows the reader the effects of terms like "Subaltern," and "other." Another point that Asghar makes is to point out the effects that nationalism, xenophobia and colonization have had on South Asian peoples. Rejection by family society, her home nation and the people around her have led Asghar, and millions of other women, to be frustrated with the feminist status quo and seeking the feminism that Darraj speaks of.
In bringing together a scholarly conversation on topics of otherness and the subaltern, we aimed to be comprehensive in our discussion. We have included voices from Arab-American feminists as well as those from South Asia. Many of these writers theorize Muslim feminism and reading them together was generative for us. We do not, however, wish to conflate feminist theorists from the Arab world and South Asia. We are aware of their complexities and the importance of not collapsing these groups. Our aim was simply to read these thinkers in productive relation together under the umbrellas of otherness and subaltern discourse.