Phantasies of becoming the (other).

Ahmed, Sara (1999) Phantasies of becoming the (other). European Journal of Cultural Studies, 2 (1). pp. 47-63. ISSN 1460-3551

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Abstract

This paper offers a close reading of Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus, examining how its narrativization of becoming involves a phantasy of otherness. The narrative of becoming woman functions as a narrative of overcoming, whereby the privilege of the masculine subject is determined as his ability to move beyond him-self. This reading is juxtaposed with a reading of the film, Dances with Wolves. Here, the narrative of becoming Indian is predicated on the heroism of the white masculine subject: through hybridization, he can unmake the border between self and other. By bringing these alien texts into contact, the paper suggests that becomings can easily support the structures of privilege which authorize certain 'beings' over others. The paper hence calls for an ethics of closer reading: getting closer to such masterful texts enables the reader to take the risk of a critical judgement.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
European Journal of Cultural Studies
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3316
Subjects:
?? becoming • ethics • feminism • otherness • over-coming • phantasypsychoanalysis • race • reading • womancultural studieshm sociology ??
ID Code:
24413
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
11 Mar 2009 09:38
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 10:24