Sunday, 19 January 2014

Post-colonialism notes


Colonialism which normally refers to a period of history from the 15th to the 20th century, when people from Europe built colonies on other countries.


The reason for the practise of colonialism at that time included:
  • the profit to be made
  • to expand the power of the colonising country
  • to escape persecution by the colonising country
  • to convert the indigenous population to the colonist religion
Four Common characteristics of Colonialism:
  1. Political and legal domination over an alien society
  2. relations of economics and political dependence
  3. exploitation between imperial powers and the colony
  4. racial and cultural inequality
Key countries in British Colonial past


- India: ' The rape of India' 'Jewel of the Crown'
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- south Africa
- china
- Caribbean
- Australia
- new Zealand


Post Colonialism



- Post colonialism does not simply refers to the period after the colonial era. it can also been as continuation of colonialism , albeit through different or new relationship concerning power and the control/production of knowledge.


- Post colonialism may seek to challenge or undermine the 'western' way of ethnicity


- Often previously colonised place are homogenized in western discoid under an umbrella label such as 'the third world'


- post-colonialism recognize that these was, and still is, resistance to the west


Key Theories

Alvarado (1987)


Four key themes in racial representations
  • Excotic
  • Dangerous
  • Humorous
  • Pitied
Frantz Fanon ( 1925-61)


According to the black psychoanalyst and philosopher Frantz Fanon colonisation has had a huge psychological impact on both the colonisers and the colonised.  


key Quote ' Black Skin White Mask' ( 1952)


For example : language, ' to speak means to assume a culture' - black Caribbean lost their nature language and to be successful needs to speak in 'educated




Typically Black stereotypes Can:


- Infantilize: such as the 'cute' children of the charity posters or the 'simple-mided'


- Premitiuize: the 'exotic and virile' tribal warriers


- DE civilize: The 'Gangsta' 'Pimp'


- essentialize: Identity - Chinese people looking alike.






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