Avtar Brah's Article 'Global Mobilities, Local Predicaments' What Is Globalization?

“The dawn of the 21st century is replete with discourses of globalization.” (Brah 31). Such is the opening of Avtar Brah’s introduction to her critical article “Global Mobilities, Local Predicaments: Globalization and the Critical Imagination”. And it is within this very context of incredibly varied discourse that she presents her own analysis of ‘globalization’ within the ‘global’ and ‘local’ arenas, guiding readers through brief historical deconstructions of such terms. In doing so, Brah presents a carefully constructed argument asserting the necessity of applying perspectives of intersectionality and critically driven imaginations as the means to answering the “question of the global” (Brah 44), which she addresses through proposing the

Though her argument of intersectionality’s effectiveness presents itself though various examples of individuals sharing collective ideals, she is quick to acknowledge the heterogeneous nature of those who attended the rally, despite their unifying connection of desired peace. Such an acknowledgement offers strength to her argument that a ‘reimagined humanity’ beyond simplified, stereotypic imagery and opinions, requires some application of understood differences. Or as she concludes, “…a recognition of another’s ‘difference’ without ‘Othering’.” (Brah 44). With this I easily agree, as ‘Othering’, as Brah offers, is a readily applied tactic to justify the demonization of those individuals and or societies, transgressing the laws of one’s own. Such was undeniably present in the decontextualized portrayals of the Taliban and Afghan culture during 9/11 media coverage, resulting in dehumanized subjects to fear. The power of these tactics is also present in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, as the actions of English “traders” throughout the novella capitalized on such ‘Othering’. This being most apparent in their physical brutality and raids of the Congo for ivory, as they were dependent upon a disassociation from the “Others”, or the non-European “natives”. Marlow himself utilized such narratives, using descriptors like, “The prehistoric man…” (Conrad 32) and “They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces…” (Conrad 32). Thus creating dehumanizing associations about those living in the Congo consistently, which seemed to ultimately relieve Marlow of moral responsibility. Perhaps not wholly, as he wrestles with such subjects as the story progresses, but surely to a degree which permits racist and imperialistic