UNIT 4: POST-IMPERALISM
STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO… Understand some of the lasting impacts of colonialism.
LONG-TERM ASPECTS OF IMPERIALISM (TRUST ME, WE’LL TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT MORE…JUST NOT NOW) Part of the reading in Fouberg deals with Wallerstein’s world system theory (Tuesday-Thursday). We will actually re-visit this in another unit, but since we just watched the video… Imperialism was based on an economic system called “capitalism.” It’s kind of like mercantilism, but instead of their being a fixed amount of money in the world, it realizes that wealth can be multiplied. Capitalism emphasizes trade on a world scale. Many of the African countries were forced to trade on a world scale, in order to be competitive in that process you need money. Remember, land and skills associated with growing food to eat were forced out of population. You get money from investors, if you’re a poor country, you get them from outside investors like countries or businesses; so they essential own parts of the country, even though they aren’t from country.
…THIS IS THE REALLY SHORT VERSION… (TRUST ME, AGAIN… WE’LL TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT MORE…JUST NOT NOW…MUST KEEP MOVING….) The money from elsewhere goes into making “capital” or something that makes more money. When imperialism ended, a lot of countries didn’t have money or infrastructure (helps make more money) Infrastructure is how you get around; phones and roads and railroads, which help make MORE money. Remember, this was intentional on the part of the colonizers So, the people/countries/companies with money (because they took all the materials and goods from the colonies) have been able to say…we’ll give you money…BUT….they keep a lot of it for themselves, so the former colonies don’t really make much money.
These concepts from imperialism and colonialism create an issue of global inequalities. One theorist Emmanuel Wallerstein made something called World System’s theory we’re not going to test on him this unit. Wallerstein provides a macro view of inequality (world wide) Says that countries can’t get out of being poor b/c these resources were taken and are continual taken and the advantages gained while empires help to keep giving advantages. The world is divided in three “tiers” of wealth and power for a country: Core: Higher education/higher salaries (Wealthiest. Example: U.S.) Periphery: Lower Levels of education, lower salaries and less technology (Poorest. Example: Chad) Semi-periphery: place where core and periphery processes are both occurring (Not rich, not exactly poor. Example: India and Mexico). …JUST ONE MORE SLIDE ABOUT THIS…
OTHER LEGACIES OF IMPERIALISM European powers pushed the idea that people owed allegiance to a state and the people it represents, rather than to its leader, such as a king. The process of promoting state cohesion emerges and uses centripetal forces. Centripetal Forces: Practices that unify and bring together. Nationalism: “identification with the state and the acceptance of national goals” One of the strongest centripetal forces Creates a sense of “us-ness” (remember, us-ness, needs a “them”) Based on concept of allegiance to a single country and the ideas it represents It’s actually really hard to achieve, it’s kind of like an artificial nation.
CENTRIPETAL FORCES Centripetal Forces: (if you forgot from last slide) bind people together, enable it to function and give it strength. Allegiance to the state attempts to overcome affiliation with religion, languages, etc. Ways of achieving this loyalty include “icons” like the flag or symbols. How do you know someone is patriotic and loves America? They have a flag somewhere, or everywhere. Or on the lapel or jacket. What says liberty without saying “liberty?” The Statute of Liberty. She also says freedom and power and America. Unifying institutions: Schools, armed forces, and churches. We actually teach you a lot of things about being a good U.S. citizen at school. You’re also exposed to icons and explained what symbols mean and how you should react. Think the Pledge of Alliance every morning.