Synopses & Reviews
During the past two decades, postcolonial studies has proven to be one of the fastest growing fields of critical inquiry. Postcolonialism has established itself as an important specialist field within literature disciplines, and it has strong resonances across other disciplines (history, sociology, anthropology, geography, cultural studies), and is a field which has inspired genuinely interdisciplinary research. The essays collected from the journal ARIEL (A Review of International English Studies) in Linked Histories take up some of the most pressing issues in postcolonial debates: the challenges which new theories of globalization present for postcolonial studies, the difficulties of rethinking how "marginality" might be defined in a new globalized world, the problems of imagining social transformation within globalization. The editors goal in bringing together this collection of articles is not to provide any definitive statement on these urgent questions; rather, it is to assemble a group of essays which "think through" the issues, and which therefore has the potential to move the discipline forward. The contributors represented include a balance of senior scholars with international reputations and scholars who represent the next generation.
Synopsis
Post colonialism is the fastest growing area of study in English and the site of vigorous contention and vociferous debate. These essays explore the pressing issues and challenges that new theories of globalization present for postcolonial studies including the difficulties of rethinking how 'marginality' might be defined in a new globalized world and the problems of imagining social transformation within globalization. The essays have been assembled with the intention to think through the issues rather than provide definitive statements and offer fresh discussion to move the discipline forward as well as an informative and useful introduction for those new to the field. These wide-ranging articles bring together contributions from both noted scholars as well as scholars who represent the next generation, taking up some of the most pressing issues of post-colonial debate. The contributors, from five countries, offer varied and diverse perspectives.
About the Author
Pamela McCallum is a Professor of English at the University of Calgary. She was one of the founding members of the editorial group for Cultural Critique at the University of Minnesota, and she is currently editor of the journal ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature.
Wendy Faith is currently pursuing PhD studies in the Department of English at the University of Calgary.