The Pre-occupation of Postcolonial Studies

A collection of essays by both leading figures and younger scholars engaged in the field of postcolonial studies. With diverse works that emerge from such disciplines as South Asian, Latin American, Arab and Jewish studies, the volume responds to sceptics and adherers alike addressing not only the broad theoretical issues at stake within the field but also the position of the field itself within the academy, as well as its relationship to modern, post-modern, and Marxist discourses. Contributors offer critiques on historical and universalizing tendencies in postcolonial work and confront the need for scholars to attend to issues of class, ideology, and the effects of neo-colonial practices. Seeking to broaden the field’s traditionally literary broader spectrum of methodologies, these essayists take up large thematic issues to examine specific sites of colonial activities with all of their historical, political and cultural significance. Closing the volume is an interview with Homi Bhabha, in which he discusses postcolonial studies in the context of contemporary cultural politics and theory.