Colonial Desire

by Robert J.C. Young

The language of contemporary cultural theory shows remarkable similarities with the patterns of thought which characterised Victorian racial theory. Far from being marked by a separation from the racialised thinking of the past, Colonial Desire shows we are operating in complicity with historical ways of viewing 'the other', both sexually and racially.

Colonial Desire is a controversial and bracing study of the history of Englishness and 'culture'. Robert Young argues that the theories advanced today about post-colonialism and ethnicity are disturbingly close to the colonial discourse of the nineteenth century. 'Englishness', Young argues, has been less fixed and stable than uncertain, fissured with difference and a desire for otherness.

Genres: History, Anthropology, Theory, Nonfiction, Race, Read For School

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Robert J. C. Young FBA (D.Phil, Exeter College, Oxford; born 1950) is a postcolonial theorist, cultural critic, and historian. He is Julius Silver Professor of English and Comparative Literature at New York University, and was Dean of Arts & Humanities at NYU Abu Dhabi, 2015–2018. Previously he was Professor of English and Critical Theory and a fellow of Wadham College, Oxford University, where he was one of the founding editors of the Oxford Literary Review as a grad student. He is currently President of the AILC/ICLA Research Committee on Literary Theory.

Reviews

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Achei peculiar que este é um livro da coleção Conhecimento da Editora Perspectiva que tem aquelas capas dos anos 1960 todas brancas, mas que nessa edição recebeu uma sobrecapa toda bonitinha contrastando com a coleção. Este é um livro legal, mas ele é mais direcionado para um estudo antropológico, da antropologia tradicional, que trata as civilizações originárias como primitivas e toda uma série de etnocentrismos. Embora lute contra isso, o livro começa a falar de hibridismo cultural através de hibridismo de raças, dedicando quase metade das suas páginas a esse tipo de questão. Depois, passa a falar de Fanon, Bhabha, Said, para abordar o nível cultural dessa questão da colonização. Embora o livro tenha um capítulo sobre o desejo branco sobre as mulheres das colônias achei a abordagem do livro mais perto das ciências biológicas que das ciência humanas ou da psicologia, para abordar a questão da libido e do desejo. No final das contas me decepcionei um pouco com o que encontrei neste livro, longe daquilo que esperava.

[Adrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book when wanting to go beyond Bhabha's hybridization. Young repeatedly shows the clear link between historical racial theory and racism in its form today. Through his exploration of racial theory from as early as the 18th century, he reveals how linked ideas of race, civilization and culture have been and continue to be up to today.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good history of racial theories but just a bit repetitive and jumpy.

Young’s central thesis is that racial theories are fundamentally sexual in nature, through discussions of miscegenation (biological hybridity) as well as colonial desire for the ‘Other’. An important thesis that makes the book a valuable resource.

[Leonardo]

La construcción de una diferencia racial absoluta es el terreno esencial para la concepción de una identidad nacional homogénea. Con las presiones de la inmigración y el multiculturalismo creando conflictos en Europa, están apareciendo hoy numerosos y excelentes trabajos para demostrar que, pese a la persistente nostalgia de algunos, las sociedades y pueblos europeos nunca fueron realmente puras y uniformes. La identidad del pueblo fue construida sobre un plano imaginario que ocultó y/o eliminó las diferencias y esto corresponde en el plano práctico a subordinación racial y purificación social.

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[Scott Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at the recommendation of my professor for a big research project I'm working on. Glad I did too, this will be very useful for me. This is one of those research books that I imagine I may even enjoy reading if I didn't have some sort of project relating to it. A lot of interesting history and analysis on subjects like race, culture, ethnocentrism, colonialism, etc. Too bad the dang library only is letting me take it on 3 day reserve, so I'm gonna have to go photocopy about half of the dang thing when I go back.

[Naeem · Rating 4 out of 5]

These chapters do not string together coherently for me. but what an amazing book -- full of details about the history of racism.

makes for a good companion to anything by Sven Lindqvist.

You learn more than you could possibly want to know about the structural basis of so called sexual desire.

[Purple Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may need to reread this, but it was essential for my dissertation. I feel safe giving it 3 stars.