Early Globalization: Colonialism and Imperialism

week 1

What is a discourse?

a broad concept encompassing formal and informal spoken or written communication

e.g. “The West and the Rest”

Foundations of the West and the Rest

European exploration, led by figures like Columbus and the Portuguese, broke past old barriers to expand trade, conquest, and cultural exchange. Driven by religious motives and resource extraction, colonial powers justified domination through dualistic representations of “new” peoples, sparking global commodity markets and the beginnings of modern colonialism.

why is the discourse of the West and the Rest still matter

it affects the way we act and talk regarding our modern era.

the history of colonialism and slavery is basis of knowledge and power; justifying these explanations of them (self fulfilling)

how did capitalism in Europe depend on the rest of the world 

all the stuff they needed to create their items, resources in global south was an exploitation (resources and labor)

How is globalization and capitalism connected?

capitalism is a mass commodity production, we don’t see this until the 15th century

it’s always been a global system, it didn’t just start in Europe

what are the effects of capitalism + imperialism ?

European expansion over non-European lands by utilizing cheap resources, cheap labor, and new markets

a rising living standard of Europeans

Rise of interconnected, but highly uneven and unequal capitalist global economy

phases of imperial expansion

1. 1st age of empire c. 1450-1750

2. Informal Empire 1750-1875

3. 2nd Age of Empire (High) 1885 - 1914 (/1945)

1st age of empire c. 1450-1750

the colonization of the Americas, characterized by settler and plantation colonies, large-scale agriculture and mineral extraction, harsh labor systems like the encomienda, the catastrophic decline of Indigenous populations, and the rise of the African slave trade within the transatlantic triangle trade.

Informal Empire 1750-1875

fewer formal colonies but intensified imperial control in Asia and Africa through informal spheres of influence, trading and mining colonies, and indirect military rule. European and U.S. powers extracted resources, dominated global economic networks, and benefited from rising living standards, while the Industrial Revolution replaced slavery with indentured servitude in many colonies.

2nd Age of Empire (High) 1885 - 1914 (/1945)

rapid “Scramble for Africa,” during which Europe formally colonized much of Africa and Asia. Following the 1884 Berlin Conference, European powers controlled 90% of Africa—about six million square miles and 110 million people—often through brutal regimes like King Leopold II’s rule in the Congo. The era also saw Western expansion into Pacific Asia, U.S. imperial ambitions, and the Ottoman Empire’s collapse, with most colonies governed by small European elites rather than settlers.

KEY DRIVERS for the reintroduction of formal colonization during the 2nd age of empires 

inter-imperialist rivalries, rising European nationalism, and domestic unrest among the working class. Economic pressures from industrialization—such as the demand for raw materials, new markets, and goods to sustain growing consumption—combined with indigenous resistance to push European powers toward more formal and aggressive colonial expansion.

what are some of the resource demands for imperialism

fueled global demand for raw materials like rubber, oil, and copper, elevating Africa and the Middle East’s importance, while Western luxury drove trade in sugar, tea, coffee, cocoa, and opium.

Early Globalization

• Imperialism + Capitalism = GLOBALIZATION

• ideas of private property, key enlightenment ideals that led to concepts of progress, Modern Power Structures were developed, see patterns of uneven development 

possible reasons for country success or lack thereof

National explanations for wealthy country

• good geography, resources, “hardworking” cultures, good institutions

National explanations for poor country poverty

• bad geography

• few resources

• “lazy” culture

• corruption

• bad institutions

• conflict

Relational explanations for wealth and or poverty

• (Un)favorable economic

• (dis)advantages relative to other countries

• histories of exploitation

• foreign control of industry and resources

Methodological nationalism (not focus on this)

- conceptual approach that takes nation-state as primary unit of analysis

- tendent to emphasise domestic over transantional factors

relational approach (focus on this approach)

- foregrounds connections between places

- doesn’t assume national = most important scale

- i.e. US political interest in other areas

- considers not only international but transnational dynamics

International

- refers to interactions between different nation-states, often involving governments and formal agreements (country and country)

transnational

refers to processes or arrangements that cross or transcend national boundaries, typically generated by non-state actors like corporations, migrants, or organizations. (country or nation (not country))

historical analysis (focus on this approach) 

• Emphasizes ways pastalways shapes the present

• Examines how things came to be way they are no

what does Stuart Hall state about “The West and the Rest” ?

“The West is a historical not a geographical construct”

history that connects certain homogenous countries; uneven power relations; who produced that knowledge in the first place

Hall does not support this discourse, but he is aware that it is powerful in shaping the world

“regimes of truth”

produced by discourses where the “truth” can be effective

How did Europeans produce “the West and the Rest” discourse?

• aimed to describe and explain the differences between colonized and colonizers 

• used stereotyping / simplification, essentialization 

how is dualism used within the “the west and the rest” discourse ? 

it utilizes a binary (two) category system of indicating opposites and creates hierarchical subsets (i.e. one is “superior” than the other) 

how is “the Rest” split within this discourse? 

The “noble savage” and the “ignoble savage” 

these two categories are equally problematic, serving different functions for EUROPEANS

Can a discourse be neutral?

NEVER

• they are shaped by unequal power relations and are based on practice i.e. to do things in the world