Grigory De Wollant’s Observation of Siam as an Example of Russian Orientalism
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Abstract
This research article aims to representations of Siam in the travel notes of the Russian diplomat and traveler Grigory de Wollant through the lens of Orientalism concept, highlighting the specific features of how the Russian traveler perceived the East. De Wollant’s notes, “Around the World”, appear to be an informative travelogue that covers most topics of interest to a Western (Russian) traveler, while also expressing his personal views. De Wollant shares his impressions on Siamese history, architecture, ceremonies, nature, activities and the lifestyle of ordinary people. In this travelogue, a few instances reveal the Researcher’s attitude from a standpoint of Western culture superiority, marked by condescending and arrogant intonations. Nevertheless, he maintains a lively curiosity and sincere interest, along with the romanticized admiration towards certain aspects of Siamese culture.
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Academic articles, research articles, and book reviews in the Ph.D. in Social Sciences Journal are author’s opinions, and not the publisher’s, and is not the responsibility of the Ph.D. in Social Sciences Journal Philosophy Association, Ramkhamhaeng University. (In the case that research is done on human, the researcher has to be trained in Ethics for Doing Research on Human Training and has to produce the evidence of the training).
References
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