Research summary
Research has tended to define “western civilization” as not only distinct from, but opposite to “the Orient.” This East-West discourse imbues “the West” with universal characteristics that, in reality, represent a very particular set of European and Euro-American interests. As Canada Research Chair in Geographies of Racialization, Dr. Sharon Luk is examining the histories and geographies that are revealed when “the West” is re-situated in the context of Afro-modernity (that is, the practices of knowledge and world-making generated through Black struggle) rather than in European dominance.
She and her research team are analyzing an enduring notion that equates race with Black identity. They are also trying to offer more robust methods for critical race studies by illuminating how the concept of race mediates, rather than merely describes, human existence. Their work will offer innovative frameworks for considering the prevailing paradigms of race-thinking, progressive politics and global consciousness.