CONFRONTING REPRESENTATION(S)

The crisis of representation highlighted by recent postmodern works in the social sciences has exposed the ethnocentric nature of (re)presen tations of the world. Although it is recognised that the self-reflexiv ity which this project introduces has undoubtedly opened up the possib ilities for more culturally sensitive work, its rejection of any notio n of hierarchy could be read as precluding the deployment of political projects beyond this opening. It is the authors' contention that this need not necessarily be the case, that the postmodern challenge can b e met without having to discard a political standpoint. This move is i mportant because the power structures inherent in colonial discourses largely remain in place. Instances are explored where conflicting repr esentations can be brought into collision so that the naturalized assu mptions of hegemonic representation can be challenged. This meeting of discourses can facilitate the undermining of certain cultural assumpt ions in the representative schema which have, until now, remained unqu estioned.