"Colonialism is a practice by which a country controls people or areas, often by establishing colonies, generally for strategic and economic advancement."
This subfield focuses on the racial divides and socio-cultural consequences of imperialism practices on the colonized societies.
Historical context: Understanding the historical context in which imperialism and racism developed is essential to understanding how they operate and have evolved over time.
Colonialism: This topic explores the ways in which European powers established colonial empires in different parts of the world, and how those empires impacted the peoples, cultures, and economies of those regions.
Capitalism: Imperialism and racism are often linked to capitalist economic systems, which prioritize profit and expansion over social and cultural implications.
Slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade: One of the most egregious examples of colonialism and its legacy is the transatlantic slave trade, which forcibly removed millions of Africans from their homes and subjected them to inhumane conditions.
Orientalism: Coined by Edward Said, this concept describes the ways in which Westerners have historically constructed and maintained a false, exoticized image of the East as a means of exerting power and control over those regions.
Scientific racism: Pseudoscientific theories about race have been used to justify imperialism and racism for centuries, and continue to have a lasting impact on how we understand race and ethnicity today.
Cultural imperialism: The imposition of one culture over another, often through the use of media or educational systems, is a key component of imperialism and can have long-lasting negative effects on cultural diversity and autonomy.
Nationalism: Imperialism can be fueled by nationalism, which is often used to justify the domination of one state or culture over another.
Decolonization: As European powers began to lose their grip on their colonies in the mid-20th century, the process of decolonization began. This topic explores the impact of that process on the people and societies of those regions.
Neocolonialism: Even after colonies gained their independence, many countries continued to be exploited by the global North through economic and political means, giving rise to the concept of neocolonialism.
Economic Imperialism: This involves the exploitation of resources and markets of a weaker country by a stronger one, often through economic dominance or coercion.
Political Imperialism: This type of imperialism involves the imposition of political rule or control over a country by a more powerful state, often through military force or other forms of coercion.
Cultural Imperialism: This type involves the spread and imposition of the dominant culture of one group over another, often resulting in the suppression of local cultures and traditions.
Scientific Imperialism: This type of imperialism involves the imposition of scientific knowledge, theories, and methods by the dominant culture or society onto the non-dominant ones.
Racial Imperialism: This type involves the belief in the racial superiority of one group over another, often resulting in policies and actions aimed at suppressing, marginalizing, or exploiting the less-dominant race.
Religious Imperialism: This type involves the imposition of one dominant religion or culture over another, often resulting in the suppression or extermination of local religious and cultural practices.
Linguistic Imperialism: This type involves the imposition of a dominant language over other languages, often resulting in the suppression and erosion of local languages and cultures.
State Imperialism: This type involves the use of state power to expand territorial control and dominance over other states, often resulting in violent conflict and war.
Technological Imperialism: This type involves the use of technology to exploit and dominate other regions or countries, often through technological superiority or control over essential resources.
Gender Imperialism: This type involves the imposition of gender norms, roles, and expectations by a dominant gender over the less-dominant ones, often resulting in gender-based discrimination and violence.
"Colonialism is etymologically rooted in the Latin word 'Colonus', which was used to describe tenant farmers in the Roman Empire."
"Colonialism has existed since ancient times."
"The concept is most strongly associated with the European and Japanese empires."
"Starting in the 15th century and extending to the mid-1900s."
"At first, conquest followed policies of mercantilism, aiming to strengthen the home-country economy."
"Agreements usually restricted the colony to trading only with the metropole (mother country)."
"By the mid-19th century."
"Missionaries were active in practically all of the European-controlled colonies because the metropoles were Christian."
"Historian Philip Hoffman calculated that by 1800, before the Industrial Revolution, Europeans already controlled at least 35% of the globe."
"By 1914, they had gained control of 84% of the globe."
"Colonial powers retreated between 1945 and 1975; over which time nearly all colonies gained independence, entering into changed colonial, so-called postcolonial and neocolonialist relations."
"The coloni sharecroppers started as tenants of landlords, but the system evolved so they were permanently indebted to the landowner and were trapped in servitude."
"The system evolved so they were permanently indebted to the landowner and were trapped in servitude."
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