Postcolonial Cultural Studies for UGC-NET (Paper 2 English, Unit 7)
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways for UGC-NET
- Orientalism (Said): Western construction of the East as inferior "Other"
- Hybridity (Bhabha): Cultural mixing that challenges colonial binaries
- Subaltern (Spivak): Marginalized groups who cannot speak within colonial discourse
- Common NET Texts: Things Fall Apart, Midnight's Children, The God of Small Things
1. Introduction to Postcolonial Cultural Studies
Postcolonial Cultural Studies examines the cultural legacies of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on:
- Power relations between colonizers and colonized
- Representation of non-Western cultures
- Resistance and decolonization strategies
- Contemporary neocolonial structures
2. Edward Said and Orientalism (1978)
Edward Said's groundbreaking work Orientalism established the theoretical foundations of postcolonial studies:
Key Arguments
- Orientalism as Discourse: Western knowledge about the East is a system of representation serving colonial power
- Othering Process: Constructs East as irrational, exotic, backward (vs. rational, modern West)
- Textual Attitude: Prefers book knowledge over actual experience of Oriental cultures
Examples from Literature
| Text | Orientalist Representation |
|---|---|
| Rudyard Kipling's Kim | India as mysterious space needing British guidance |
| Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness | Africa as primitive "blank spaces" on the map |
| E.M. Forster's A Passage to India | Ambivalent but still exoticized India |
"Orientalism is premised upon exteriority, that is, on the fact that the Orientalist, poet or scholar, makes the Orient speak, describes the Orient, renders its mysteries plain for and to the West." - Edward Said
UGC-NET Focus
Said's concept of contrapuntal reading (analyzing colonial and anti-colonial perspectives together) frequently appears in NET questions about postcolonial reading strategies.
3. Homi K. Bhabha: Hybridity and Mimicry
Bhabha's theories challenge binary oppositions in colonial discourse:
Key Concepts
- Hybridity: Cultural mixing that creates "third spaces" beyond colonial binaries
- Mimicry: Colonized imitation of colonizers that subtly undermines authority ("almost the same but not white")
- Ambivalence: Colonial power contains both desire and repulsion for the native
NET-Ready Examples
- Language Hybridity: English with local idioms in Raja Rao's Kanthapura
- Mimicry: Native clerks adopting British manners but remaining excluded
- Ambivalence: Colonial fascination with/exoticization of native cultures
Exam Tip
Bhabha's The Location of Culture (1994) is often tested in "theorist-work" matching questions. Remember his emphasis on processes rather than fixed identities.
4. Gayatri Spivak and Subaltern Studies
Spivak's seminal essay "Can the Subaltern Speak?" (1988) examines marginalized voices:
Key Ideas
- Subaltern: Those outside hegemonic power structures (peasants, tribal groups, poor women)
- Epistemic Violence: Colonial destruction of native knowledge systems
- Strategic Essentialism: Temporary adoption of unified identity for political action
Applied to Texts
| Concept | Literary Example | NET Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Silenced Subaltern | The mute tribal woman in Mahasweta Devi's Draupadi | Frequently cited in NET |
| Epistemic Violence | English education in Gauri Viswanathan's Masks of Conquest | Important for historical questions |
"The subaltern cannot speak. There is no virtue in global laundry lists with 'woman' as a pious item." - Gayatri Spivak
5. Key Postcolonial Concepts
Essential terminology for UGC-NET English Paper 2:
| Term | Definition | Theorist |
|---|---|---|
| Othering | Defining colonized peoples as fundamentally different/inferior | Said |
| Neocolonialism | Continued economic/cultural domination after political independence | Fanon |
| Diaspora | Migration communities maintaining connections to homeland | Hall |
| Creolization | Blending of cultures creating new forms | Glissant |
Memory Aid
POSTCOLONIAL acronym for NET:
- P - Power discourse
- O - Othering
- S - Subaltern
- T - Third Space
- C - Colonial mimicry
- O - Orientalism
- N - Neocolonialism
- I - Interstitial (Bhabha)
- A - Ambivalence
- L - Language hybridity
6. Applications to Literature
Postcolonial theory is frequently applied to these UGC-NET important texts:
Major Works and Their Postcolonial Readings
- Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart:
- Colonial disruption of Igbo society
- Counter-narrative to Conrad's Africa
- Language as tool of resistance
- Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children:
- Hybrid narrative style
- Post-independence disillusionment
- Magical realism as postcolonial mode
- Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things:
- Caste as internal colonialism
- Subaltern perspectives
- Non-linear narrative challenging Western time
7. UGC-NET Practice Questions
Multiple Choice Questions
- Which concept refers to the colonial subject's imitation of the colonizer that contains both mockery and menace?
- Othering
- Mimicry
- Hybridity
- Subaltern
- Who coined the term "strategic essentialism"?
- Edward Said
- Homi Bhabha
- Gayatri Spivak
- Frantz Fanon
Match the Following (Common NET Question Format)
| Theorist | Concept |
|---|---|
| 1. Edward Said | a. Subaltern |
| 2. Homi Bhabha | b. Orientalism |
| 3. Gayatri Spivak | c. Hybridity |
Answer: 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
Exam Strategy
In NET questions about postcolonialism, look for keywords:
- Said: representation, discourse, Orientalism
- Bhabha: ambivalence, mimicry, third space
- Spivak: subaltern, epistemic violence, strategic essentialism
8. Conclusion
Postcolonial Cultural Studies provides critical tools for analyzing:
- Colonial representations in literature
- Resistance narratives
- Contemporary global power structures
For UGC-NET, focus on the key theorists (Said, Bhabha, Spivak), their major works, and applications to postcolonial literature from Africa, South Asia, and the Caribbean.
9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What's the difference between postcolonialism and postmodernism?
A: While both challenge grand narratives, postcolonialism specifically addresses colonial power structures and their legacies, whereas postmodernism is broader philosophical skepticism of universal truths.
Q2: How is Fanon different from Said?
A: Frantz Fanon (Black Skin, White Masks, The Wretched of the Earth) focuses on psychological impacts of colonialism and violent resistance, while Said examines discursive representations.
Q3: Which postcolonial concepts apply to Indian English literature?
A: Key applications include:
- Linguistic hybridity (Raja Rao, Rushdie)
- Subaltern voices (Mahasweta Devi)
- Rewriting history (Amitav Ghosh)
- Diasporic identity (Jhumpa Lahiri)
Q4: What are some recent developments in postcolonial studies?
A: Current trends include:
- Environmental postcolonialism (climate justice)
- Digital postcolonialism (online diasporas)
- Intersection with disability studies
Final NET Preparation Tips
- Create comparative charts of theorists
- Practice applying concepts to 2-3 major texts
- Memorize key quotes (like Spivak's "subaltern cannot speak")
- Review previous year questions on postcolonialism
Further Reading: Bill Ashcroft's The Empire Writes Back, Robert Young's Postcolonialism: An Historical Introduction, UGC-NET previous year solved papers.
