"The Easternization of the West"

V sodobnem svetu smo priča spreminjanju in preobrazbi tega, kar je "naše" in kar je "tuje", po zaslugi globalizacije. Kultura – kot laboratorij smisla – se je tako primorana ves čas prilagajati, spreminjati, preobraziti ali upirati. Glavno vlogo v tem besedilu prevzemata dve civilizaciji, Vzhod in Zahod, poudarek pa je na spreminjanju in preobrazbi druge. V magistrskem delu s pomočjo teoretske analize raziskujem, kakšnim sodobnim kulturnim spremembam je podvržen Zahod od šestdesetih let 20. stoletja dalje in kaj se pri tem dogaja z Zahodom. Britanski sociolog Colin Campbell v svojem delu "Povzhodnjenje zahoda" zagovarja tezo, da se v zahodni miselnosti dogajajo temeljne spremembe, ki spreminjajo zahodni etos in pogled na svet. Celotni tradicionalni zahodni nazor naj bi se vzhodniziral in tradicionalno zahodno kulturno paradigmo je nadomestila vzhodna. S pomočjo komparativne metode nadalje soočim Campbellovo teorijo z nekaterimi najglasnejšimi kritikami te teorije ter s predhodnikom, palestinsko-ameriškim literarnim teoretikom, kritikom in aktivistom Edwardom W. Saidom, avtorjem teorije Orientalizma. V njej Said zagovarja tezo, da vsa znanja o Vzhodu, ki se akumulirajo na Zahodu, predstavljajo zgolj interpretacije, ki so močno podvržene regulaciji ter obvladovanju s strani zahodnih imperativov, perspektiv in ideoloških predsodkov. Znanja Zahoda o Vzhodu tako ne temeljijo na resnici in dejstvih, temveč na različnih stereotipih. Posledično govorimo o reproduciranju kulturne hegemonije in potemtakem zagotovo ne moremo govoriti o povzhodnjenju Zahoda.In modern world we are witnessing changes and transformations of what is \u27ours\u27 and what is \u27foreign\u27. Cultures, as a laboratory of meaning, is thus forced to constantly adapt, change, transform or resist. In the presented text the main role is given to two civilizations, the East and the West, and the emphasis is on the changes and transformations of the latter – the West. With theoretical analysis, I investigate what kind of modern cultural changes the West has undergone since 1960s and what is happening to the West throughout this process. British sociologist Colin Campbell in his work defends the thesis that fundamental changes are taking place in the Western mentality, which are changing the Western ethos and the traditional Western ethos and worldview. The entire traditional Western viewpoint was easternized and the traditional Western cultural paradigm was replaced by an Eastern one. Using the comparative method, I further confront Campbell´s theory with some of the most vocal critics of this theory and with the theory of Orientalism, which presents the diametric opposite of what Campbell called in his work the easternization of the West. All the knowledge West possesses about the East is mere representations that are heavily subject to regulations and control by Western imperatives, perspectives and ideological prejudices. As a result, we are talking about the reproduction of cultural hegemony, and therefore we certainly cannot talk about the easternization of the West