SOAN 309: Colonization and Development
Last Updated 9-6-99
COURSE GOALS:
Virtually everyone "knows" that over the last 400 years or so states, based in
Europe, predominately northern and western Europe, expanded to take over, colonize most of
the rest of the world. Virtually no part of the world was untouched with by this
expansion--whether it was formally colonized or not. These are typically known as
"spread" effects. Somewhat less widely studied have been
the effects of colonization on those doing the colonizing. These are typically known
as "backwash" effects. Similarly, during this time period
European societies themselves underwent dramatic changes. The modern nation-state
was invented and the industrial revolution occurred. Both of these drastically
transformed the ways in which many people lived their daily lives. In the nineteenth
century thinkers began to puzzle over how and why the changes that were then occurring in
Europe were happening. Later in the nineteenth century and throughout the 20th
century other thinkers have puzzled over why the rest of the world did not follow suit,
and at times actively resisted following suit. The changes associated with modern
European society, and their spread around the world are often glossed
under the term "development."
This course, Colonialism and Development will focus on these broad issues. Obviously, we can not cram the entire history of Europe, of its colonial encounters, and the reactions of colonized, in complete detail into one course. However, to approach this only at an abstract and/or theoretical angle would leave out the real actors, and the human elements of feelings, daily experience, etc. So my strategy in this course is to study many of the general theories emphasizing the ones I am convinced tell us the most about the processes [that is, I am convinced they encompass more of the "truth" than other theories, but clearly are NOT the complete truth]. These will be illustrated through various case studies, in various degrees of depth. These will be supplemented by a few novels which bring in the human element more clearly, and detailed ethnographies that get down to the "nitty gritty" of colonialism and resistance in more detail.
SPECIFIC GOALS: My specific goal is for each of you to have an enhanced understanding of colonization and development, from both colonizers and colonized points of view; to develop you own appreciation of the complexities of such processes; and to increase you ability to assess critically purported "facts" and various theories of these processes.
COURSE STRUCTURE: The course will be organized in five parts. These parts will traverse the same ground repeatedly. Each time with more breadth and/or depth. The organization is based on a recognition that learning is often a spiral process, in which one gains a broad, if sketchy view, then refines it in detail and scope. This also allows students with quite diverse learning backgrounds to "get on board" and fill in gaps so that they will not be left behind when we start moving much faster through other material.
PART I: What's It All About?
In the first week or two we will examine some of the issues in broad dimenisons. We
begin by sketching the state of the world around 1400 C. E. [C. E. = Common Era, replaces
the old A.D. = Anno Domini; similarly B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) replaces the old B.C.
(Before Christ)]. This sketch will include some background on how the world got to
that state. In a simple [maybe "simplistic"?] analogy,
once cannot understand the trajectory of an object after a collision without knowing
something about its trajectory before the collision.
THE READINGS:
MAIN TEXTS:
Shannon, Thomas R. 1996. An Introduction to the World-System Perspective 2nd
ed.
Memmi, Albert. The Colonizer and the Colonized.
N-H: Norberg-Hodge, Helena. 1991. Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh.
Wolf, Eric R. 1982. Europe and the People Without History.
On Reserve in both Case Library and Alumni 430 SOAN reading room: Perry, Richard J. 1996. From Time Immemorial: Indigenous Peoples and State Systems, chapters 1 & 2.
All books are in the bookstore and on reserve at Case Library. Eric Wolf presents one of the most cogent and readable accounts of this era, emphasizing as his title suggests, those peoples who have been neglected by historians. In 1999 his argument may seem overstated since much work by historians, and other social scientists, has been directed at filling in these gaps. Still, much of it remains uncharted territory. Shannon provides a somewhat different view, that from the world-systems perspective--which is the perspective from which I work, and the one I have helped modify in several ways [If you want a quick preview of what those are, check "Hall, Thomas D. in the index]. Norberg-Hodge gives a very readable account of how the region of Ladakh was effected by the most recent wave of "colonial-like" processes. Memmi gives a more psychological account of what it is like to be both a colonizer and colonized. A key point in his account is the life and mentality of BOTH is distorted in harmful ways by the colonial process.
Finally, Perry Chapter 1 is a supplement for students without much background in this area. Chapter 2 provides a good, initial, guide to traversing the land-mined territory of "political correctness" and the ideological connotations of our vocabularies.
NOVELS:
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart.
Achebe, Chinua. A Man of the People.
Toer, Pramoedya Ananta. 1991. Child of All Nations.
These are for outside reading. Things Fall Apart tells of the arrival of white Europeans in Africa and the destruction they unleash. Child of All Nations describes the life of a youngman in late 19th and early 20th century Indonesia and his encounters with colonial educational and administrative bureaucracies. A Man of the People tells a story of relatively contemporaneous Nigeria and the "political corruption" that the West sees as common throughout the "third world."
I will give you a set of questions or topics to write about each novel. We will discuss these more in class at the appropriate time. Meanwhile you might consult How to Write and Essay according to Prof. Hall.
ETHNOGRAPHIES:
Bishop, Ryan, Lilian S. Robinson. 1998. Night Market: Sexual Cultures and the
Thai Economic Miracle.
Peluso, Nancy Lee. 1992. Rich Forests, Poor People: Resource Control and
Resistance in Java.
Stoler, Ann Laura. 1995. Capitalism and Confrontation in Sumatras Plantation
Belt, 1870-1979.
Tsing, Anna Lowenhaupt. 1993. In the Realm of the Diamond Queen: Marginality in
an Out of the Way Place.
Given the size of the class and discussion of groups, during the 2nd week of classes we will divide into eight [8] groups. Two groups will be responsible for ONE of the four ethnographies. That group will read the ethnography, organize one or two classes on it. I will structure the reports so that the two groups will report on the reading from different points of view. The idea of these debates/discussions will be modeled more after McNeill-Lehrer Report, rather than the McLaughlin Group or Firing Line. Each group will be responsible for summarizing their discussion in written form. The final version will be due at the final exam. Later I will post guidelines for Reporting on Ethnographic Study. These will be the fifth portion of the course.
PART II: European Expansion
This section will examine European expansion in more detail.
PART III: Up Close
This section will focus on Memmi and on Ladakh and concentrate on personal and/or
psychological aspects of colonialism & development.
PART IV: IR & the World
I should point out here that IR ==> Industrial Revolution, NOT
International Relations--though to be sure, they are inter-related in complex ways.
That is, we will examine development in Europe and the rest of the world, including
especially underdevelopment.
PART V: Reports on Ethnographies
This part will feature the reports on the ethnographies noted above. As we go
through the ethnographies we will re-assess the theories we have examined in studying
colonialism and development. The most of the last week will be devoted to
synthesizing the materials we have covered and reviewing the course.
GRADING: GRADES ON WRITTEN WORK:
Letter grades are worth the following points. A + or - will add or subtract as much as 4
points from this value:
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION:
I reserve the right to lower grades for poor attendance and/or late papers. The ONLY
"excused" absences are for university business when I am notified in advance IN
WRITING OR BY EMAIL--from you.
This will be a "participation course," that is, you need to participate to be part of it. Discussions are only as good as you make them, the same for presentations on the readings and on your research.
Because of the way this course is organized, I am not grading on specific number of points, but rather will weigh activities in the following proportions [this is provisional, and subject to revision]:
COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PROF. Hall: I urge all of you to
use email for minor communications. That is the best way to communicate with me. Do not
phone to tell me you are going to be absent. Similarly, do not "mention" it to
me just before or after class. Write it down! (or send email). For extended
discussions, such as working on case studies, or understanding complex issue in class,
come to office hours, or make an alternative appointment.
WHY USE EMAIL or WRITING? Although you have only 4 profs a semester, I have 60-90
students. Furthermore, if I get interrumpted (as often happens) before I get to my office
the message does not get recorded. If something is written (email=written for me),
I have a record, AND you have a record. Email is especially good, because even if I
am away, often I can still answer questions. Suppose you are working on a paper or have a
question at 2 am. If you call me at 2am, to quote George Bush, "you're in deep
doodoo!" However, if you leave email I can send you an answer when I deal with email
at 6am, and you can read it when you get up!
EXPECTATIONS: Professor Hall's Expectations for Students and himself.
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at thall@mail.colgate.edu