IMPERIALISM - Effects AP World History

Imperialism- Cultural Effects  Education  Gaining Western education generated new identities for a small minority Reading and writing almost “magical” Access to better paying positions Social mobility and elite status  Western educated elite embraced Western culture  Educated elite saw themselves as a vanguards for their societies – leading them forward

Cultural Effects - Education  Unfortunately, hopes for a renewal of Asian and African societies fell short  Europeans declined to treat their Asian and African subjects as equals  Conflict between enlightenment ideals of Western thought and realities of colonial racism

Cultural Effects – Diffusion  European culture spread  Settler colonies saw greater culture changes  European social norms often enforced Dressing in “western” clothing Outlawing subject people’s practices that were taboo in Western, Christian society (practice of Sati in India, for example)

Aboriginal Cricket Team (Melbourne) First Indian Cricket team to visit England

Cultural Effects – Religion  Christianity  Spread by missionaries  Large scale conversions New Zealand, Pacific Islands, non-Muslim Africa  Associated with Western education  Spread more by African teachers than European missionaries  Christianity became “Africanized”

Cultural Effects – Religion  India  Rejected conversion  Renewal and distillation of Hinduism (instead of regional varieties) as an equal to Christianity Caused Muslims to view themselves as a separate community Set the stage for profound religious and political divisions in 20 th century

Swami Vivekananda

Cultural Effects – Race and Tribe  Pan-Africanism  Grows from common experience of colonial oppression and racism  Effort to revive cultural self-confidence and to challenge Western superiority

Cultural Effects – Race and Tribe  Idea of the Tribe  European notion developed to assist colonial rule  Africans found tribal labels useful In urban areas, ways to provide mutual assistance “Europeans believed Africans belonged to tribes; Africans built tribes to belong to.”

Cultural Effects – Gender Roles  Africa  European patriarchy changed roles of African women Wage labor forced women to manage domestic economies alone Women’s sexuality and mobility was controlled by European and African men alike  Colonialism provided some opportunities Opportunities in mission schools, towns, and mines Small scale trade left to women