A polysystemist’s response to prescriptive cultural relativism and postcolonialism
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Across Languages and Cultures
Publication Date
6-2017
Volume
18
Issue
1
First Page
133
Last Page
154
Publisher
Akademiai Kiado Rt.
Keywords
polysystem theory, postcolonialism, cultural relativism, universalism, Eurocentrism, intersubjectivity
Abstract
Translation studies and other disciplines in the humanities have become increasingly politicized as scholars act on the presumption that the dominance of Western theories is the result of power differentials rather than academic merit. This postcolonialist mindset is based on the claim that cultures are equally valid, but there are objective and cross-culturally intersubjective standards for comparing certain aspects of cultures. The problems with such prescriptive cultural relativism are that the nation-state is regarded as the only legitimate unit of culture, that national differences are overemphasized, and that an “is” is turned into an “ought.” Built on these misconceptions, postcolonialism challenges the political establishment in central countries but serves as an excuse to suppress the demand for progress from peripheral sectors in peripheral cultures. The attempt to export postcolonialism, a culture-specific theory, to the whole world is thus itself a colonialist act.
DOI
10.1556/084.2017.18.1.6
Print ISSN
15851923
E-ISSN
15882519
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2017 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Chang, N. F. (2017). A polysystemist’s response to prescriptive cultural relativism and postcolonialism. Across Languages and Cultures, 18(1), 133-154. doi: 10.1556/084.2017.18.1.6