The Concept of the Foreign

Book excerpt: The Concept of the Foreign investigates the diverse and consequential uses of the concept of the foreign--a formidable and hitherto untheorized force in everyday discourse and practice. This highly original work--whose experimental nature moves beyond traditional academic bounds--undertakes to theorize the meanings, deployments, and consequences of 'foreignness', a term largely overlooked by academic debates. Innovative in format, the book comprises an introductory theoretical dialogue and seven essays, each authored by a scholar from a different discipline--anthropology, literary theory, psychology, philosophy, social work, history, and women's studies-who investigate how his/her disciplines engage and define the concept of the foreign. Drawing out literal and metaphorical meanings of 'foreignness' this wide-ranging volume offers much to scholars of postcolonial, gender, and cultural studies seeking new approaches to the study of alterity.