Imperialism

Description

By the time the First World War broke out in 1914, the vast majority of the societies of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas had been radically transformed through their encounters with the imperial powers of modern Europe. Colonial rule imposed through military conquests, political subjugation and the exploitation of human and natural resources was facilitated by religious, scientific, as well as cultural discursive practices that legitimized colonialist aspirations. How did the experiences of colonization affect colonized societies? What effects did colonialism have on the colonizers themselves? What lasting effects of imperial subjugation continue to impact relations between the former colonial powers and postcolonial states in the 21st century?

This two quarter program explores these kinds of issues from the perspective of the peoples of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas as a way to understand the complexities of the world in which we live. We are interested in unpacking the discursive practices of both the colonial past and the neo-colonial present. Through our study of history, literature and political economy, we will examine the ways in which European ideologies, traditions, and scientific knowledge were used to legitimize the formation of empire in the past and continue to re-inscribe asymmetrical relations of power today under the guise of modernity, progress and global economic development. The program will explore the forms of resistance that arose in the historical colonial contexts, as well as those that mark the postcolonial experience as nations continue to contest manifestations of imperial power today. Frequently, the lenses of orientalism, modernity, and capitalism will guide our study of these encounters as we also consider prospects of meaningful decolonization.