Critical Lenses Terms

Colonialism

a political and economic phenomenon whereby various European nations explored, conquered, settled, and exploited large areas of the world.

Post-Colonial

the study of the effects of colonialism on cultures and societies; it is concerned with both how European nations conquered and controlled “Third World” cultures and how these groups have since responded to and resisted those encroachments.

Post-colonial Criticism

literature produced by colonial powers and works produced by those who were/are colonized. Post-colonial theory looks at issues of power, economics, politics, religion, and culture.

Other

The social and/or psychological ways in which a group excludes or marginalizes another group by stressing differences and representing them through stereotypes

Exotic Other

The view that those who are different from oneself possess an inherent dignity and beauty, perhaps because of their more undeveloped, natural state of being.

Demonic Other

The view that those who are different from oneself are backward and savage, even evil

Double Consciousness

The internal conflict experienced by the subordinated groups in an oppressive society. Refers to the psychological challenge of seeing oneself through the eyes of a racist dominant group in society and measuring oneself through that perspective

Hybridity

The quality of cultures that share characteristics of both the colonizers and the colonized. Marked by tension and conflicts, they are continually changing and evolving

Cultural Appropriation

It happens when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way

Hegemony 

The power of the ruling class to convince other classes that their interests are the interests of all, often not only through means of economic and political control but more subtly through the control of education and media

Assimilation

To bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a dominant social group, nation, or culture

Diaspora

The voluntary or enforced migration of peoples from their native homelands; literature is often concerned with questions of maintaining or altering identity, language, and culture while in another culture or country

Moral Exclusion

a psychological process where members of a dominant group view their own group and its norms as superior to others, belittling, marginalizing, excluding, even dehumanizing targeted groups

Mechanistic Dehumanization

A form of dehumanization that occurs when people are represented as objects

Animalistic Dehumanization

a form of dehumanization that occurs when people are represented as animals

Bourgeoisie

Those who owned the means of production (the wealthy).

Proletariat

The people who operate the means of production and are thus controlled by the bourgeoisie

Capitalism

plays a role in Marxism because it encourages commodification (transforming something into a product for commercial purposes, an item to be bought and sold in the market)

Conflict

any form of capitalist society will form classes and there will be a conflict because the upper class controls the lower class

Conspicuous Consumption

the obvious acquisition of things only for their sign value and/or exchange value

Dialectical Materialism

The constant conflict caused by material needs. Marx believed that eventually a proletariat revolution must occur and the means of production would move to the hands of the masses (those who actually operated it) and a classless society would be established

Material Circumstances

the economic conditions underlying the society. To understand social events, one must have a grasp of the ________ _____________ and the historical situation in which they occur.

Superstructure

The social, political, and ideological systems and institutions (ex: values, art, and legal processes of a society, that are generated.

Ego

The part of the personality that maintains a balance between our impulses and our conscience.

Superego

the part of the personality that represents the conscience, the moral part of us.

Id

The part of the personality that contains our primitive impulses—such as thirst, anger, hunger—and the desire for instant gratification or release.