흰 피부의 숭배 - 여성미(女性美) 인지에 나타난 옥시덴탈리즘 -

• 영문명: The Cult of White Skin : On the Occidentalist Reception of Female Beauty
• 발행기관: 이화여자대학교 한국여성연구원
• 저자명: 오누키 아츠코(ONUKI Atsuko)
• 간행물 정보: 『여성학논집』제19집, 17~28쪽, 전체 12쪽
• 주제분류: 사회과학 > 여성학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2002.12.01

영문 초록

Departing from Mary Pratt's concept of "transculturation," the following article examines the cultural reception of "otherness" as a process of differentiation and hierarchialization in an intra-cultural sphere. Japanese "Occidentalism" emerges as a phenomenon of "transculturation" developed by Japanese intellectuals following their close contact with occidental cultures. Like European Orientalism, the Japanese view of the "other' is characterized by exoticism; however, it is also accompanied by a distinct feeling of inferiority. Japanese intellectuals have always felt inferior towards the Occident, while attempting to establish a position of superiority over the lower classes of Japan and other non-European, especially Asian cultures. The formation of Occidentalism in Japan depends on whether another culture is regarded as either superior or inferior. A good example of this ambivalence is the reception of beauty, especially the reception of female beauty in literary discourses. From Japanese people's first encounters with European cultures, the Japanese perception of beauty changed. By the end of the 19th century, a new and distinct ideal of beauty had emerged among women. A slender white skinned woman living an urban life style became the core standard of the beauty ideal of the time. These elements were used to build a social hierarchy among women. The discourse on "white skin" in Japanese literature was a focus in the work of Tanizaki Junichiro. In his novel "Naomi" for example, the metaphor of "white skin" stood for a yearning for a distant Europe, even while Tanizaki maintained a feeling of inferiority towards Europe that he was not able to overcome. Japanese culture, as it can be seen in his novel "In Praise of Shadows"(1933), turns out to be a mere aesthetic construction. It should help Tanizaki to come to terms with his inferiority feelings. Elements of Occidentalism can still be detected even in contemporary Japanese literature. In the work of Murakami Ryu, the discourse on female beauty is closely connected to a narcissistic longing for an unlimited male power. Contrasting concepts - such as male vs. female, healthy vs. ill, or strong vs. weak - help to explain modern democracy as a feminine, ill, and weak culture that should be valued as negative. Occidentalism in Japan, however, cannot be regarded as a phenomenon that is gender-specific. It has both, male and female followers. They take Occidentalism as a viewpoint from which they can analyze Japan and Japanese culture as a whole. From the beginning of modernization, this has served as an intellectual trap in which Japanese intellectuals and writers are caught. Even today, the impact of Occidentalism on Japanese discourses regarding other cultures remains persuasive.

목차

Ⅰ. 용어에 대하여 : "문화전이(transculturation)"와 옥시덴탈리즘

Ⅱ. 근대화 과정에서 이상적 여성미의 변천

Ⅲ. 미(美)에 대한 남성중심적 인지와 민족담론)

Ⅳ. 결론 : 일본 옥시덴탈리즘을 위한 무대장치로서 여성미

참고문헌

Abstract