Strangers to Ourselves (European Perspectives: A Series in Social Thought and Cultural Criticism)
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By: Julia Kristeva
Format: Paperback
From: Columbia University Press
Pub. Date: September 1994
From: Columbia University Press
Pub. Date: September 1994
Product Details:
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 1994-10-20
Media: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 230
Ean: 9780231071574
Isbn: 0231071574
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 1994-10-20
Media: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 230
Ean: 9780231071574
Isbn: 0231071574
ABOUT THE BOOK
EDITORIAL REVIEW
This book is concerned with the notion of the "stranger" -the foreigner, outsider, or alien in a country and society not their own- as well as the notion of strangeness within the self -a person's deep sense of being, as distinct from outside appearance and their conscious idea of self. Kristeva begins with the personal and moves outward by examining world literature and philosophy. She discusses the foreigner in Greek tragedy, in the Bible, and in the literature of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Enlightenment, and the twentieth century. She discusses the legal status of foreigners throughout history, gaining perspective on our own civilization. Her insights into the problems of nationality, particularly in France are more timely and relevant in an increasingly integrated and fractious world.
USER REVIEWS
"In this book Kristeva outlines our fear and distaste for the stranger. Following on from her previous work in Powers of Horror, among others, she demonstrates how the foreigner evokes a powerful dislike among us by appearing to be the same while actually displaying a curious, and undefinable difference. She clearly expresses the concept that human groups are identified and bolstered more by who is not included than by who is. By drawing on Freud's ideas of the uncanny and the unconscious she shows that the foreigner actually highlights the curious differences that exist within us all. It is these differences, created by our unconscious mind, that we fear and that cause us to form exclusive groups. These groups aim to conceal individual differences of their members by highlighting the strangeness of outsiders. It is only by coming to terms with our individual strangeness, our unconscious, that we can come to terms with, and truly accept, foreigners. It is only through this process that the human race can unite in a spirit of brotherly love. Kristeva accomplishes marvelous things here. In a short trip through history she illustrates the development of human groups and their damaging potential. She applies advanced psychological and social theory in a novel, but clever way, to a major problem facing the modern world and comes up with her own, unique, solution."
~ Written on 2001-06-12
~ Written on 2001-06-12