The Concept of the Foreign

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.