Postcolonial theory in IR Flashcards
simply describe what it is
- the effects of colonialism / imperialism on people
- anthropological, historical
what is the view of the west?
- The west is critiqued to to its colonial and imperial past , highly normative
- main targets are realism and liberalism
what is thought about the relationship between theory and knowledge? what does knowledge never provide?
- knowledge is never a full account of events in IR
- it looks at how women, classes, ethnic diversity is ignored in IR, power dynamics looked at
Lenin quote on imperialism?
- the process through which a dominant state extends power beyond its own borders to bring other weaker states under its direct control”
why are colonisation and colonialism different?
- colonialism includes supporting ideas and ideology
exemplify Britain trying to distance itself from colonial past?
- E.g. 2008 Brit government decide to remove Britannia from 50p coin
- ## 1931 establishment of commonwealth
What did Schwarz look at?
European representations of orientals and their ways to contain and colonise
how does it link to Gramsci and Foucault?
- it refers to the production of about a hegemonic discourse
Edward Said?
- orientalism, western conceptions of the orient, Europeans have treated the orient as a major cultural contestant on which they have defined themselves
- West has spoken for the rest in terms of history and events
- But still comes from western perspective and ignores women
what is the Foucaudian concept of power in orientalism?
- power is political (colonial structures)
- power is intellectual (power becomes a subject of study)
- power is cultural
- power is moral, who, we , they, how they think
what does Anthangelou say about IR? What does she say about worldism
- its really Eurocentric
- worldism claims to be non-ethnocentric
what are critiques of post colonial theory?
- said it invests in the categories of world politics it seeks to criticise, it reinforces the dichotomy
- culturalist approach
Describe the background of the theory of post colonialism
- emerge in the 90s as a bottom up not top down theory
- relates to failure of field to predict major world events like USSR break down (realism and liberalism deemed inadequate)
- global era of our time is post colonial
who was an early post colonial theorist?
- Ho Chi Minh
What was the work of Franz Fanon about?
- emphasised the power of discourses in post colonialism, colonised societies came to accept their colonisation because of the discourses they were faced with
what did the group of G77 nations do?
- forwarded the interests of formerly colonised nations
Anthangelou give what example of bottom up analysis?
- Subalterns in India, Guha, Chakrabarty and Spivak looked at culture and history
what did Hove say?
- I believe that people themselves are bits of imagination, we are invented
Thiong’o says what?
- how people perceive themselves affects how they look at their culture, politics and social production of wealth’
Spivak noted what with western research?
- even with good intentions a western researcher from a different class may just put words of interviewee into familiar western framework = neocolonial patterns of domination and exploitation
(alcaron - the western traveler must learn to become unintrusive, unimportant, patient to the point of tears, while at the same time open to learning any possible lessons”
Dipesh chakrabatrty says that once knowledge is gained?
- tables may turn, OPEC on US/Europe
according to Bhaba what is undermining post colonialism?
- globalisation and multiculturalism
- But Appradurai says that gobalisation just furthers neo colonialism (Stiglitz)
