Under Western Eyes by Chandra Talpade Mohanty - Summary

Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s essay “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses” (1984) is a critical analysis of Western feminist approaches to studying women in the Global South or the “Third World.” Mohanty argues that many Western feminist scholars create a generalized and oversimplified image of “Third World women” as passive, oppressed, and powerless. This portrayal, she explains, ignores the differences among women based on their cultural, historical, and socio-economic backgrounds. Instead of understanding the complexities of women’s lives in different societies, Western feminist writings often treat them as a single, homogeneous group defined by their victimhood. Mohanty critiques this practice, pointing out that it reinforces colonial power dynamics by positioning Western women as liberated and progressive, while portraying women from the Third World as backward and in need of saving.

Mohanty emphasizes that this image of the “Third World woman” is not based on real experiences but is a product of discursive construction, meaning it is created through language and representation in Western feminist texts. She identifies common themes in such writings, like the focus on veiling, arranged marriages, or female genital mutilation, which are often presented as symbols of women’s oppression without considering the local context or women’s own perspectives. Mohanty argues that this kind of scholarship simplifies complex practices and erases women’s agency, treating them as mere victims of patriarchal traditions.

A key part of Mohanty’s critique is her call for a more intersectional and context-specific approach to feminist research. She highlights the importance of understanding how factors like race, class, caste, and nationality interact to shape women’s experiences. By ignoring these factors, Western feminist scholarship risks replicating colonial patterns of dominance, where Western feminists become the “saviors” and Third World women are seen as helpless subjects. Mohanty suggests that feminists should avoid imposing Western frameworks on non-Western contexts and instead focus on building solidarity through mutual respect, shared struggles, and local histories.

Mohanty also connects her critique to broader issues like global capitalism and neocolonialism, which affect women’s lives across the world. She argues that feminist scholarship should not only address gender inequality but also challenge the global systems of power that create and sustain inequality. Her essay ultimately calls for a transnational feminist framework that recognizes both the differences and connections among women in different parts of the world.

Mohanty’s essay has had a significant impact on feminist theory, postcolonial studies, and cultural criticism. It challenges feminists to reflect on their own positionality and to be mindful of the ways in which their scholarship might reproduce the very power structures they seek to dismantle. By advocating for a decolonized and intersectional approach, Mohanty’s work has paved the way for more inclusive and diverse feminist scholarship.

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