Postcolonial Theory

Description: Postcolonial Theory Quiz
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: postcolonialism edward said homi bhabha gayatri chakravorty spivak
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Which scholar is often considered the founder of postcolonial theory?

  1. Edward Said

  2. Homi Bhabha

  3. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

  4. Frantz Fanon


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Edward Said is widely recognized as the founder of postcolonial theory, primarily through his seminal work, 'Orientalism', published in 1978.

What is the central argument of Edward Said's book 'Orientalism'?

  1. The West has constructed a distorted and stereotypical image of the Orient.

  2. The Orient is inherently inferior to the West.

  3. The Orient is a source of mystery and fascination for the West.

  4. The Orient is a threat to the West.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

In 'Orientalism', Said argues that the West has created a binary opposition between itself and the Orient, with the Orient being seen as exotic, mysterious, and inferior.

What is the term used by Homi Bhabha to describe the ambivalent and contradictory nature of colonial discourse?

  1. Hybridity

  2. Mimicry

  3. Ambivalence

  4. Difference


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Bhabha's concept of mimicry refers to the way in which colonized subjects imitate the colonizers, but in a way that subverts and undermines their authority.

What is the concept developed by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak to describe the silencing and marginalization of subaltern groups?

  1. Epistemic violence

  2. Subalternity

  3. Othering

  4. Hegemony


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Spivak's concept of epistemic violence refers to the ways in which dominant groups use knowledge and discourse to silence and marginalize marginalized groups.

Which postcolonial theorist argues that the concept of 'development' is a form of neocolonialism?

  1. Aijaz Ahmad

  2. Dipesh Chakrabarty

  3. Walter Mignolo

  4. Arturo Escobar


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Escobar argues that the concept of 'development' is a form of neocolonialism, as it imposes Western values and models of progress on non-Western societies.

What is the term used by postcolonial theorists to describe the process of cultural exchange and interaction between colonizers and colonized subjects?

  1. Creolization

  2. Hybridity

  3. Syncretism

  4. Transculturation


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Transculturation refers to the process of cultural exchange and interaction between colonizers and colonized subjects, resulting in the blending and transformation of cultural practices.

Which postcolonial theorist argues that the concept of 'nation' is a product of colonial power?

  1. Benedict Anderson

  2. Partha Chatterjee

  3. Eric Hobsbawm

  4. Ernest Gellner


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Anderson argues that the concept of 'nation' is a product of colonial power, as it was imposed on colonized societies by European colonizers.

What is the term used by postcolonial theorists to describe the ways in which colonized subjects resist and subvert colonial power?

  1. Counter-discourse

  2. Resistance

  3. Subversion

  4. Decolonization


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Subversion refers to the ways in which colonized subjects resist and subvert colonial power through indirect and covert means.

Which postcolonial theorist argues that postcolonial societies are characterized by a sense of 'double consciousness'?

  1. W.E.B. Du Bois

  2. Frantz Fanon

  3. Aimé Césaire

  4. Léopold Sédar Senghor


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Du Bois' concept of 'double consciousness' refers to the sense of alienation and divided identity experienced by African Americans living in a racist society.

What is the term used by postcolonial theorists to describe the ways in which colonial discourse constructs and reinforces stereotypes about colonized peoples?

  1. Othering

  2. Orientalism

  3. Racism

  4. Xenophobia


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Othering refers to the ways in which colonial discourse constructs and reinforces stereotypes about colonized peoples, creating a binary opposition between 'us' and 'them'.

Which postcolonial theorist argues that the concept of 'development' is a form of cultural imperialism?

  1. Majid Rahnema

  2. Vandana Shiva

  3. Wolfgang Sachs

  4. Arturo Escobar


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Rahnema argues that the concept of 'development' is a form of cultural imperialism, as it imposes Western values and models of progress on non-Western societies.

What is the term used by postcolonial theorists to describe the ways in which colonized subjects appropriate and re-interpret colonial cultural forms?

  1. Creolization

  2. Hybridity

  3. Syncretism

  4. Transculturation


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Hybridity refers to the ways in which colonized subjects appropriate and re-interpret colonial cultural forms, creating new and unique cultural expressions.

Which postcolonial theorist argues that the concept of 'modernity' is a product of European colonialism?

  1. Dipesh Chakrabarty

  2. Partha Chatterjee

  3. Walter Mignolo

  4. Arturo Escobar


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Chakrabarty argues that the concept of 'modernity' is a product of European colonialism, as it was imposed on colonized societies by European colonizers.

What is the term used by postcolonial theorists to describe the ways in which colonial discourse constructs and reinforces gender roles and identities?

  1. Patriarchy

  2. Sexism

  3. Misogyny

  4. Gender essentialism


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Gender essentialism refers to the ways in which colonial discourse constructs and reinforces gender roles and identities as natural and immutable.

Which postcolonial theorist argues that the concept of 'race' is a product of colonial power?

  1. Frantz Fanon

  2. Aimé Césaire

  3. Léopold Sédar Senghor

  4. W.E.B. Du Bois


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Fanon argues that the concept of 'race' is a product of colonial power, as it was used by European colonizers to justify their domination over colonized peoples.

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