Javier, Apple Kris E.

2006-44166

17 February 2010 SOCSCI 180

Summary Paper: An Alternative Metacritique of Postcolonial Cultural Studies from a Cultural Sociological Perspective by Matthew Chew. Based from previous social science and history subjects, I will discuss first what postcolonialism is. Postcolonialism is a textual practice. It examines the emergent or dominant global culture. It explores the idea of authority (dominant global culture) and investigates the ideas of control in different settings. It desires to bring the marginal to the center. Postcolonialism functions in terms of sexual, racial, class, economic and even stylistic differences (and are) reducible to the spatial metaphor of a center-margins opposition. Postcolonialism is simultaneously (or variously) a geopgraphical site, an existential condition, a political reality, a textual practice, and the emergent of dominant global culture. Postcolonial writers would use language to deconstruct European identity. They also explore the implications of European authority. In addition to that, they adopt the positions of those already written out of, or marginalized by the western record of historical materialism oppressed or annihilated peoples and women. From the given premise above, it is now easier to digest the article of Matthew Chew entitled An Alternative Metacritique of Postcolonial Cultural Studies from a Cultural Sociological Perspective. In his article, it is notable that he mentioned about different contextualist perspectives deal with dissimilar aspects of social contexts in different intensities wile a variety of non-contextualist perspectives emphasize divergent theoretical tenets in making their metacritiques (Chew:2001, 603). In relation to postcolonialism, the basic premise is that, postcolonialism is a political movement. This is seen primarily in a number of strategies, such as the move away from realist representation, the refusal of closure, the exposure of the politics of metaphor, the interrogation of forms, the rehabilitation of allegory and the attach on binary structuration of concept and language, are characteristics of both the generally postcolonial and the European postmodernism. It is vastly energized by political motivations. In this respect, the idea is that as a metacritical paradigm, there is always deconstruction just like what postcolonialsim espouses. Deconstruction suggests critics to hold fast to anit-essentialism, cultural contructionism, and radical difference. In addition to that there is also the idea of contextualism. Contextualism assumes a doubly significant meaning in metacritiques of postcolonial studies: it needs to consider the general social contexts of cultural critiques as well as the distinctive, non-western contexts of critique (Chew: 2001, 603). The author also presented four recurring themes in metacritiques of postcolonial cultural studies. First is nativist essentialism; second are the detection cultural subimperialistic impulses; third is

the complicity of critical scholarship of critical scholarship with dominant economic and political forces; lastly is the accusation that postcolonial studies reinforce global cultural and intellectual hierarchy (Chew: 2001, 604-605). The author recognizes all these common themes in the context of Hongkong. In the same respect, nativistic essentialism is closely related with cultural subimperialistic impulses. Chew menstioned that:
A postcolonial culture may be severely marginalized by the west in the global context and yet at the same time tries to dominate over its weaker neighboring cultures in a regional context. Cultural subimperialism refers to an expansive encroachment on neighboring cultures. The requisite economic, political and cultural resources for transnational cultural domination are much more demanding than those for local domination (Chew: 2001, 604).

In general, contextualist perspectives allow for the possibility that some works are guilty of nativism and yet not of cultural subimperialism. Essentially, culture is seen to be the main issue here. Culture is playing a major role in trying to highlight critiques in postcolonial studies. In line with this is the assertion of Samuel Huntington in his book entitled The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Huntington believes that the most important source of conflict will be cultural not ideological, political ir economic and this will pit peoples from different civilizations against one another. He contends that the current decentralized and fragmented but on the basis of culture rather than sovereignty. He believes that states will remain the powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflict will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. This, he believes will be the battle line of the future. The next world war will be a war between civilizations (Huntington: 1997, 10). This example shows the center-periphery approach and on how marginalized peoples tries to assert themselves on the basis of culture. In the same line that the article recognizes how culture plays a major role in metacritique of postcolonial studies. Furthermore, Chew also presented the complicity of critical scholarship with dominant economic and political forces. This is supported by Epifanio San Juan, Jr.s article, Reflections on Postcolonial Theory and Postmodernity: An Interview. In this article, he emphasized that he tries to apply a historical-materialist approach that considers human labor (both mental and physical) as the key to the critical transformation of society in the direction of democratic socialism and eventually, in some perhaps utopian future, a global communist ecumene (San Juan, Jr.: 2008, 10). Moreover, the accusation that postcolonial studies reinforce global cultural and intellectual hierarchy is also evident in metacritiques of postcolonial cultural studies. This is depicted on how the local subaltern has to speak through critics based on the west (Chew: 2001, 605). The bottom-line in Chews article is that he offered to re-attribute the problems facing postcolonial studies to the dynamics of the global cultural context. The practical implications of different choices of metacritiques are considerable. A heavily

contextualist perspective consider it critically relevant to take into account the complex moral-political and empirical parameters of social contexts (Chew: 2001, 615). Sources: Chew, Matthew. An Alternative Metacritique of Postcolonial Cultural Studies from a Cultural Sociological Perspective. Cultural Studies; Jul2001, Vol. 15 Issue . Huntington, Samuel P. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. London: Simon and Schuster UK Ltd. 1997. San Juan Jr., Epifanio. Reflections on Postcolonial Theory and Postmoderbity: An Interview. Balikbayang Sinta: An Epifanio San Juan Reader. (2008).