This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Postcolonial Studies — most prominently associated with Edward Said — to re-read the AprIGF 2021 Virtual conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Said exposed how Western representations of "the Orient" functioned as a knowledge-power dispositif. Debates on internet standardization, AI regulation, and data sovereignty often reproduce this dispositif.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of AprIGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Orientalism and politics of representation, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Digital Orientalism
How Online's contributions to AprIGF resist or respond to West-centric agenda-setting is a key object of postcolonial analysis. オンライン安全 discussion is a typical case.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Edward Said-type problematic.
The regional IGF (AprIGF) holds a philosophically distinct position as the intermediate category mediating global universality and national particularity.
Self-representation of the Global South
Edward Said's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2021 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "オンライン安全"
Discussion of "オンライン安全" can be positioned, from the perspective of Edward Said's Orientalism and politics of representation, as a central problematic. In Online's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around オンライン安全 are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "デジタル経済"
Discussion of "デジタル経済" can be positioned, from the perspective of Edward Said's Orientalism and politics of representation, as a derivative problematic. In Online's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around デジタル経済 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "人権"
Discussion of "人権" can be positioned, from the perspective of Edward Said's Orientalism and politics of representation, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Online's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 人権 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "地域協調"
Discussion of "地域協調" can be positioned, from the perspective of Edward Said's Orientalism and politics of representation, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Online's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 地域協調 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "越境データ"
Discussion of "越境データ" can be positioned, from the perspective of Edward Said's Orientalism and politics of representation, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Online's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 越境データ are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Edward Said perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Online.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Orientalism and politics of representation. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Edward Said's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Postcolonial Studies and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Online
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of AprIGF.
- AprIGF 2021 Virtual Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Edward Said (representative texts of Postcolonial Studies)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
更新履歴
第1稿投稿 2026年6月22日 20時57分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
