萨义德与文化批评:警惕精英主义文化中的帝国主义

爱德华·萨义德的《文化与帝国主义》可视为文化批评的开山之作之一,作者承阿诺德传统,将文化定义为一个民族所知所思的最好的东西,进而揭示文化帝国主义怎样渗入了此一精英主义的传统文化定义,以及19世纪英国小说如何不自觉地为此一帝国主义意识形态所左右。文化批评的一个直接结果是,"文类"(genre)概念移位和拓展了。

Edward Said and Cultural Criticism

Based upon Edward Said's Culture and Imperialism, this paper discusses Said's cultural criticism theories, including his definition of culture, his illustration how cultural imperialism penetrates into traditional elite cultural definitions, and how 19th century English novelists were dominated, even unconsciously, by such an ideology. Meanwhile, the paper also explores how traditional concepts as identity or genre open themselves to cultural criticism.