the discipline of Postcolonialism should be accessible and the adoption of
concise writing styles would amend this problem.
Overall, Chapter one of Orientalism provides its reader with an
outstanding set of arguments that are an essential contribution to postcolonial
theorising in a range of disciplines. The text remains relevant in understanding
contemporary representations of the Orient and will continue to aid postcolonial
theory in deconstructing them. Particularly, the cultural challenge towards
Western narratives is foundational, aiding those who fall under the Orient to
redefine themselves. A revised version of Orientalism would be beneficial to the
average reader.
Race and Racism in the Founding of the Modern World Order
Despite numerous efforts to overturn the dominant Western narrative of world-
order making, the role of race is still largely dismissed in mainstream
International Relations (IR) theorising. Renowned for his multiple contributions
to non-Western IR, Acharya is one of the unsung scholars that aims to
deconstruct traditional Western theory. His article Race and Racism in the
Founding of the Modern World Order demonstrates an exemplary instance of
this academic challenge, where he confronts the absence of race in the current
IR study of world-order making. Drawing on the relationship between racism,
slavery and empire in the context of Western world order, he successfully
elucidates the relevance of the study of race and racism in the shaping of policy-
making as a part of world-ordering. Not only is the article an accessible read to
all, but it also provides clear yet powerful arguments that hold the potential for
revolutionary change in fields of academia and policy-making.
89
Made with FlippingBook HTML5