occidentalism

1 9.9

Ideas and attitudes that favour Western ways over Eastern ones

noun
/ˌɑːksɪˈdɛntəlɪzəm/

Specialized

: occidentalismo

The concept of occidentalism emphasizes the distinctive values and traits of Western cultures in contrast to Eastern societies.

Examples

And the writers Ian Buruma and Avishai Margalit have argued that Islamists are only the latest incarnation in the history of "occidentalism," or repeated attempts to organize a hostile resistance to Westernization.

Academic text (2002)
KEYWORDS: occidentalism; textuality; feminist anthropology; postmodernism; world systems

Academic text (1991)
In his book, the author explores how occidentalism has shaped perceptions of globalization and modernity in various regions.
Many scholars study occidentalism to understand the cultural tensions between the West and the developing world.

Synonyms

Western culture

vsoccidentalism

20 3.1

A group of shared ideas, customs, and ways of living from Europe and North America

emphasizes those traits as opposed to cultures from the East

Westernism

vsoccidentalism

1 7.4

Influence from Western countries on people's customs and daily life

emphasizes influence or adoption rather than a neutral cultural description

Antonyms

orientalism

Formal

1 9.7

Ideas and images about Asia that appear in Western art or writing

Surface Forms

occidentalism singular

occidentalisms plural

Morphology

occidentalism = occidental (semi-transparent) = occident + al + ism

The formation is regular ('occidental' + '-ism'), but 'occidental' is relatively uncommon and '-ism' creates an abstract ideological noun that may not be obvious to lower-level learners.

Etymology

The word occidentalism comes from occident, which means 'west' and brings to mind the sun setting in the west, and the ending -ism, which means a set of 'ideas'. So occidentalism is the set of ideas or customs that come from the 'West', often used when people compare Western culture with the 'East'.