Postcolonial theory in IR

Question 1

simply describe what it is

Answer 1

• the effects of colonialism / imperialism on people

- anthropological, historical

Question 2

what is the view of the west?

Answer 2

• The west is critiqued to to its colonial and imperial past , highly normative
• main targets are realism and liberalism

Question 3

what is thought about the relationship between theory and knowledge? what does knowledge never provide?

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

Lenin quote on imperialism?

Answer 4

• the process through which a dominant state extends power beyond its own borders to bring other weaker states under its direct control”

Question 5

why are colonisation and colonialism different?

Answer 5

• colonialism includes supporting ideas and ideology

Question 6

exemplify Britain trying to distance itself from colonial past?

Answer 6

• E.g. 2008 Brit government decide to remove Britannia from 50p coin
• ## 1931 establishment of commonwealth

Question 7

What did Schwarz look at?

Answer 7

European representations of orientals and their ways to contain and colonise

Question 8

how does it link to Gramsci and Foucault?

Answer 8

• it refers to the production of about a hegemonic discourse

Question 9

Edward Said?

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

what is the Foucaudian concept of power in orientalism?

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

what does Anthangelou say about IR? What does she say about worldism

Answer 11

• its really Eurocentric

- worldism claims to be non-ethnocentric

Question 12

what are critiques of post colonial theory?

Answer 12

• said it invests in the categories of world politics it seeks to criticise, it reinforces the dichotomy
• culturalist approach

Question 13

Describe the background of the theory of post colonialism

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

who was an early post colonial theorist?

Answer 14

• Ho Chi Minh

Question 15

What was the work of Franz Fanon about?

Answer 15

• emphasised the power of discourses in post colonialism, colonised societies came to accept their colonisation because of the discourses they were faced with

Question 16

what did the group of G77 nations do?

Answer 16

• forwarded the interests of formerly colonised nations

Question 17

Anthangelou give what example of bottom up analysis?

Answer 17

• Subalterns in India, Guha, Chakrabarty and Spivak looked at culture and history

Question 18

what did Hove say?

Answer 18

• I believe that people themselves are bits of imagination, we are invented

Question 19

Thiong’o says what?

Answer 19

• how people perceive themselves affects how they look at their culture, politics and social production of wealth’

Question 20

Spivak noted what with western research?

Answer 20

• 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”

Question 21

Dipesh chakrabatrty says that once knowledge is gained?

Answer 21

• tables may turn, OPEC on US/Europe

Question 22

according to Bhaba what is undermining post colonialism?

Answer 22

• globalisation and multiculturalism

- But Appradurai says that gobalisation just furthers neo colonialism (Stiglitz)