Deconstructing Essentialism: Translocality as a Conceptual Tool in the Study of Eclectic Material Cultures

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Abstract

Cultural essentialism, as a colonial legacy, is defective and problematic especially when it comes to the study of diverse cultures. Essentialism reductively exaggerates, sharpens, and over-estimates the differences between cultures. Further, it projects these differences among classifications as intrinsic qualities or essences. The persistence of colonial-style essentialism even today indicates the urgency of adopting new conceptual tools to not only decolonize mindsets but also reconstruct a more productive and unbiased theoretical framework in the analyses of eclectic material cultures. ‘Translocality’ might be one of those promising conceptual tools. Based on the reflections on ‘transculturality’ and the case study of the images of Vajrapāni in Gandhāran art, I propose that translocality, which respects the agencies of local cultures and the complexity of cultural exchanges, is a more productive concept.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jul 2020

Bibliographical note

Zhao, Chunrong. “Deconstructing Essentialism: Translocality as a Conceptual Tool in the Study of Eclectic Material Cultures.” The Jugaad Project, 15 Jul. 2020, thejugaadproject.pub/home/deconstructing-essentialism [date of access]

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