The concept of acculturation in Edward Said"s orientalism and culture and imperialism in the light of medieval acculturation

Abstract EN

This paper traces the echoes of the anthropological term 'acculturation' in Edward Said's Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism The term evolved in late nineteenth century colonial settings and involved the colonizer's attempts to impose its own culture on the colonized.

Although the term is redefined in a positive sense where two or more peer cultures mutually benefit from their contact, the negative connotation of the original sense has persisted in Said's writings.

This contradicts the historical evidence about the Medieval East/West cultural contact