Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media (Sightlines)

One of the best explanations of ethnocentrism and ideology I have ever come across.

No commentGood bookOpens up your mind about certain issues/very one sided must read additional books on Eurocentrismand inform yourself

I could hardly disagree more with other reviews. It is clear that Ms. Shohat has a very fine grasp of the subject matter, and it is also clear that she either 1) has no idea how to present the material in an interesting, straightforward, accessible way to college students, or 2) just isn’t interested in doing so. Her vocabulary is expansive, and she certainly uses figurative and symbolic language with ease and gusto as she pontificates and speculates about the subject matter. This might be have been a very good doctoral dissertation (it probably started out that way), but as far as a tool for reaching, teaching, and engaging today's undergraduate students, this book gets a grade of "D", at best. It does not deserve an "F", for there is certainly plenty of rich content. What earns this text a low mark is the writer's total disregard for her audience. If it were written for members of her doctoral committee or even her peers (who already have a firm grasp of the material), the book could no doubt rank relatively high on any "readability/accessibility" scale. However, since it is presented ostensibly as a student text, it fails to achieve a satisfactory score. Sadly, the most lasting impression this text leaves on students is that this author is much more interested in impressing us than in engaging or educating us.

This book in my first graduate course on anthropology changed the way I thought.

I ordered this when I about 18 or 19 years old after being vaguely introduced to the concept of "Eurocentrism." After barely reading half of it my mind exploded with a deep conscious awakening to the indoctrination, biased perspectives, and Eurocentric/Western world views I held that attributed to my own American nationalistic arrogance and lesser regard for the "undeveloped Third World countries." It challenged my views regarding world history, cultural psychology, philosophy, economics, religion, politics, and America's Prussian education system. It spawned my intellectual growth spurt, prompting me to become an avid reader and researcher, seeker of understanding the world around me and not denying it's truths when revealed. I recommend this book to every adult PERIOD.