Clark University - Clark News spring 2003
Culture and conflict
A new book by Dean of the College Douglas Little examines the history of relations between the United States and the Middle East
In 1983, after reading a term paper written by one of his students on President Kennedy and Israel, Dean of the College and history Professor Douglas Little found inspiration for his research. The result comes almost two decades later with his recently released book, "American Orientalism: The United States and the Middle East Since 1945."
"American Orientalism" has received favorable reviews from Publisher's Weekly and from prestigious experts, who describe the book as a "marvelous achievement," "a superb analysis" and "an invaluable and indispensable account."
The book took 18 years to complete—much longer than anticipated—and was delayed by another year when Little was named dean of the college in summer 2000. However, because of the delay, Little was able to add information about September 11. Likewise, the terrorist attacks and subsequent tensions between the U.S. and the Middle East have generated greater interest in the book.
"Because material like this gets dated quickly," Little says, "becoming the dean of the college was actually the best thing that could have happened for this book."
Cultural baggage and stereotypes
"American Orientalism" communicates a rich history, spanning almost 60 years, of the relations between these two regions of East and West. In each of the book's eight chapters, Little examines part of this history and connects it to the current state of affairs between the United States and the Middle East. Little claims that the key to understanding America's interaction with the Middle East is buried in the cultural baggage and stereotypes that influence how Americans interact with people who are very different from themselves.
"We need to take a long hard look at cultural relations, as well as traditional and political relations, when it comes to America and the Middle East," Little says. "It shows how complex the relationship with that part of the world has been."
The ground zero for conflict
The book's title highlights Little's emphasis on cultural relations. Orientalism, Little explains, is a scholarly term that dates from the 19th century when European experts began to view the Middle East as backward, decadent and different from the West. Transplanted to this side of the Atlantic and embedded into U.S. popular culture through media such as film, television and newspapers, "Orientalism" led the United States to assume that it had a duty to transform the people in the East into Westerners.
Little alludes to Mark Twain's 1867 book, "Innocents Abroad," which features distinct parallels to the present. In his book, Twain showcases a visit to the Middle East and describes the culture shock Americans experienced. As Little explains, the mental maps Americans had about the Middle East depicted a land of biblical purity, but upon their arrival they discovered it overrun with what Twain described as "lazy, no good Arabs who were all looking for a handout."
"The cultural dimension is as important in 2003 as it was in 1867. That's where the action is," Little says. "In Twain's time, there were no political ties to oil, so the ground zero for the conflict between Americans and the Middle East was purely cultural. As important as oil and politics have become today, culture still remains decisive."
Unfortunate misunderstandings
In a cultural conflict like this, Little explains, each side reacts to stereotypes and not reality. This unleashes a dynamic Little calls "mutual demonization," a continuing theme in his book. The end result is a large-scale unfortunate misunderstanding that, in the worst case scenario, can lead to events like the September 11 terrorist attacks.
"There is a presumption on the part of the Americans that because we are the world's preeminent power, we would be in a position to help the world become more like us. We believe this is what the rest of the world wants and we have the capacity to deliver that, " Little says.
He adds that from an American standpoint, such actions look like a selfless commitment to making the world a better place. But on the receiving end, it often resembles cultural arrogance.
"Everywhere we went in the Middle East, we stared them down and made them feel rather small by the time we got done with them. We bore down on them with America's greatness. That's sort of how the people of the region have experienced America, and they don't like it," he says.
Elbow teaching at work
"American Orientalism" is an excellent example of the faculty-student working relationship that typifies the Clark experience. The book blossomed from a student paper, student research fueled the process and student opinions helped refine the final product.
Little wanted to target the book toward a general audience, including students, and not just experts. He recruited both graduate students and undergraduates to help achieve this purpose. When a rough draft was completed students read it and offered input on whether or not it followed these guidelines.
"I'm proud of this book. It's a great example of how teaching and research can intersect and produce a neat outcome," Little says.
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