A Postcolonial Perspective On An International Level

Alfred Noyes wrote The Empire Builders at the turn of the twentieth century. Despite the time at which it was written in, there are various post-colonial themes regarding the hierarchy of difference. The tone of the poem is pessimistic which is understandable since Noyes is writing during the Naturalist period of English literature. Noyes is speaking to the middle class of England; those who “fulfill their duties as they come” (Noyes, 45). He uses the first person plural article to create a unification between the readers and the narrator. Noyes, in his poem, addresses two postcolonial themes of Christianity as a vehicle of colonization, and the fallacies of European philosophy. In this essay, I argue that the themes and structure that

Some topics that pertain to postcolonialism can oftentimes be somewhat difficult to grasp because of complexity that is required to describe them. Rudyard Kipling makes understanding a topic a whole lot easier because of his ability to write short stories and connect them to any postcolonial topics that he so chooses. For example, his short stories “Haunted Subalterns” and “The Mark of the Beast” have allowed me to better get a hold on the idea of the postcolonial topic of the subaltern. Along with them, I have found a few scholarly articles that have also contributed to improving my knowledge and understanding of what the subaltern really is. Ultimately, the question that I would like to grapple with is: Can the subaltern theme in Mark of the Beast be compared to that in Haunted Subalterns? The postcolonial definition of the subaltern from a postcolonial lens is the subordination of native people to the point where they are left powerless and without a voice. The subaltern in postcolonial studies is a very interesting topic because it can be intriguing how a native person can be stripped of the credibility that their words have and the power that every human being should be granted due to the way that colonizers can make them feel. Throughout the paper I will include an in depth description of what the subaltern means and other ways that it can be interpreted. Also, as I previously stated, I will analyze two of Rudyard Kipling’s short stories and connect

This week, we had a variety of readings discussing neocolonialism, and the effects of the progressive era, and move towards an authoritarian mode of government. During the progressive era, Latin America had many reforms in hopes of becoming more like the western powers in Europe and the United States, however, while they succeeded in some areas, their plan did not go perfectly. For many, quality of life improved, however for the lower classes, life stayed practically the same. This aspect of the reading surprised me, as I thought with progressive reforms, more social reform would take place. Being how modernization theory should have taken place, I found it shocking that there was a large flaw in this theory. There was economic growth, but

Imperialism appears to be a vital goal and factor in the U.S during the late 1800s. Americans yearn to gain more control and soon rise to become a world power, similar to the conduct of our forefathers. However, this philosophy is counter to the origins of our country. We believed in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, yet Americans were being hypocritical of this conviction. They took the action of colonizing other countries and tyrannizing them without their consent. With this in mind, it is clear this goes against American beliefs, owing to the fact we fought and struggled immensely to win our independence from England. In the end, are Americans still being mindful and empathetic of the other nations, whether they are weaker or not fully developed? Or, are they only conscious of what they 'll get for themselves? Overall, retaining control of other countries without a settled agreement or negotiation and denouncing them of their liberty is truly un-American and goes against the Declaration of Independence.

From the very first cases diagnosed in Africa, it seemed the American public jumped the gun when it came to the widespread hysteria the quickly followed. In Jack Ohman’s cartoon, he cleverly picks up on this slanted logic and makes light of it through his picture. In his depiction, it can be assumed the the frazzled man is an American citizen from the “USA” spelled out on his shirt. He appears to be holding a fast food order, a can of beer, as well as a cigarette. Across the top, statistics are spelled out indicating the number of deaths per year each of the items he has cause. However, the man is not concerned with this and is only seen worrying about Ebola.

There were many reasons that the Old and New Imperialisms were considered bad but, there were many good things that happened. Imperialism had brought more Naval Bases and /or Expand the military, a new market and raw materials, and Anglo-Saxonism. These were the things brought many positive societal, political, and economic factors. Although there were many things they could have done that would have done better. (WORK ON!!!)

Teachers who suffer from settler teacher syndrome, act within a system of schooling meant to solidify an epistemological and ideological foundation for settler colonialism, and do so with little critical consciousness. Having been indoctrinated into settler colonialism, and by seeing the system of schooling as neutral and normal, teachers are employed as cultural gatekeepers and function to maintain systems that are harmful to students of color. One could also use Hill Collin’s matrix of domination, a black feminist construct, to explain the phenomenon. Hill Collins described the matrix of domination as structural, disciplinary, hegemonic and interpersonal in nature - “the structural organizes oppression, the disciplinary manages oppression, the hegemonic justifies oppression and the interpersonal influences oppression” (blinded for review). In both the settler colonial framework and the matrix of domination framework, teachers are both actors and acted upon. Their places within a system of domination is dependent upon them not being furnished with the opportunity to critically interrogate the system they are so intricately linked to. I argue that suffering from settler teacher syndrome is not wholly a conscious condition, but rather an (un)intended consequence of functioning within settler colonialism. I’d also like to think that they suffer from lack of knowledge, and can therefore be (re)trained and (re)taught, to think and function differently within settler

The long era of the residential school system in Canada is officially over, with the last school having closed its doors nearly two decades ago, in 1996. Yet, the problematic legacies of the residential schools and the colonial mindset behind these schools continue to haunt the Canadian education system, frustrating and undermining its attempts to educate, engage and empower aboriginal students. Strong traces of the racist attitudes and institutional disadvantages continue to inform, however subtly, integral features of the “mainstream” Canadian society. Many Native people in Canada today are met with the contradiction of being simultaneously discriminated against and patronized as historical victims. However, as Robin R.R. Gray observes, “While many of the negative learned behaviors associated with colonization, White racist culture and residential schools have been passed on to the children of [residential school system] survivors, so has a tradition of resiliency, survival, and strength” (Gray, 2011, p. 11). It is these latter traits possessed by today 's post-residential school youths, inherited from parents and grandparents who likely did attend residential schools, that educators must focus on in crafting curricula and pedagogical strategies that take seriously the continuing project of decolonizing aboriginal education.

The political cartoon and poem both called “The White Man’s Burden” portrays how imperialism was viewed by white man. Both sources portray the hard work the white men have to do to help improve the other cultures. In the political cartoon there are two white men dressed in American clothes that are holding a basket of individuals that are Japanese and Native Americans. The white men are holding a basket up a hill with no reward at the top of the hill; which explains that imperialism benefits others. Similarly to the political carton, the poem also describes that imperialism as working for the benefit of others. “To seek another’s profit, and work another’s gain,” quote from the poem “White Man’s Burden”. This specific line from the poem says

I am honored to be a part of my species and in part my country. I strive to embody what my people could be in every way I can. I do not see society as being any different when it consists of billions, or of merely one. Every individual within humanity and in concentration American society embodies parts of the everlasting whole that is mankind.

Adrienne Clarkson the twenty-sixth Governor General of Canada once wrote: “I was, and am, a child of diaspora. I am someone who, for a while, did not belong anywhere.” For nearly everyone who has ever lived in the wake of colonialism, it can be painstakingly difficult to find a sense of belonging with two distinct cultures being juxtaposed together. This colonization process had devastating effects for those upon which the English imposed their ethnocentric views. In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” the audience is told a story from Orwell’s days as a police officer in Burma. In his essay, Orwell is confronted with conflicting emotions. He hates the

Now we’ve got it covered—now we can ensure it’s understood: Trump is not an outsider, first of all. He’s an elitist among elitists, and he’s being pushed by the elite to win this election.

Colonialism, as described by Stam and Louise Spence is when European powers reached a state of total control over areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Existing since the 16th century but Reaching its industrialized height in the early 20th century colonialism began to decline after World War I. There are still many areas still colonized by European powers including Puerto Rico, The Falklands, Guam and Gibraltar. These areas are still exploited without repercussion and have limited to no rights, especially indigenous islanders. Although these are examples of extreme direct control, through alliances and treaties, European powers still exert control over former colonies, and countries in Asia and Africa.

With the dawn of the Industrial Age near the beginning of the nineteenth century also came with the rise of nationalism, or the belief that a country’s way of life was superior to others. Nationalistic ideologies, born in the coal ovens of Industry, soon gave way to systems of imperialism that would quickly take hold in other parts of the world. For the purposes of this essay, can be broadly defined as a symbiotic relationship between an industrialized state and an agrarian state in which the industrialized state almost always benefits in some way, while the agrarian state is often times left with a mixture of benefits and disparagements. The fact that Industrialization took over the world in phases allowed for the first industrialized states to establish a system of imperialism in states that had yet to experience their own industrialization. From this, a competition arose between industrialized states that would boil over into the First World War. Through the analysis of primary sources dealing with imperialism, one can take an objective stance to view the effect that this newly established political system had on the industrialized and agrarian states of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In this analysis, it can be stated that imperialism, based on greed and racism, was a bad thing, however, it can be argued that is was not a holistically bad thing. In many cases, some agrarian states benefitted from direct and indirect imperialism.

The postcolonial era presents various issues for the decolonized nations, like the reconstruction of a government and the maintenance of an economy. In addition to that, the individual identity of the colonized people is a complex issue that they must cope with as well, and it is an issue that is still present today. Compared to the other issues of postcolonialism, the construction of one’s identity might appear trivial; however, there are many problems of postcolonial identity, including the obligation of one to perceive themselves as people do from the outside through stereotypes, and the difficulty of unifying two conflicting identities: one that is created by outside sources, and one that is created through personal experiences.