(7) Imperialism, colonialism, and resource extraction

Development gives…

increased skill, capacity, greater freedom, creativity

Delete

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Development is…(Rodney)

universal! and a social process which is dependent on the outcome of mans efforts to deal with the natural environment

superstructure

the way people work together to survive directly shapes their entire culture, which is never the same in two socities

Capitalism has…

structural flaws that prevent it from acheiving stability or meeting the needs of all its people

increasing political contradictions while attempting to conquer other nations? (Rodney)

colonizers denied the freedoms they often preached (liberty, freedom) to the colonies so in turn it encouraged the colonies to use the colonizers ideas to fight for independence

Uneven development contradictions (Rodney)

1. weaker of the two societies is adversely affected

2. If the weaker society survives, it can resume its own independent development only if its at a higher level than the other

Imperialism (Rodney)

= extended capitalist system
socialism (state-led economic planning) has helped developing nations get the economic strength and self-sufficiency needed to exploit the vulnerabilities of imperial powers and protect their independence (planned development which is control of the economy on the behalf of the working class)

underdevelopment (Rodney)

human development has been uneven and some groups have advanced by producing more, becoming more wealthy; expresses a relationship of exploitation

as an economy develops…(Rodney)

it naturally levels the playing field by dismantling the advantages held by current elites

In developed economies…(Rodney)

all is industrialized, wealth comes from a high output of labor

In undeveloped economies (Rodney)

mostly agriculture, BUT still developed economies have higher yields
do not concentrate on sectors that generate growth
disproportionate distribution of local wealth

In developed economies it takes…(Rodney)

a large number of skilled people to make an industrial economy function

idea of brain drain (Rodney)

professionals migrate

underdevelopment paradox (Rodney)

parts of the world that are naturally rich are actually poor & those not wealthy in soil are rich

“is god given” (rodney)

racial explanations to underdevelopment

nation-nation exploitation (rodney)

a wealthier core nation extracts more labor, resources, and economic value from a less wealthy peripheral nation than it gives in return ex. DRC and the extraction of colbalt

Underdeveloped have a _____ dependece

structural - dependent nations can never be considered developed

capitalist countries determine the direction of___ (Rodney)

change

ways to keep the underdeveloped integrated in capitalism, but not powerful? (Rodney)

Christian church - cultural dominance
education, language, puppet governments

Who is responsible for underdevelopment? hint 2 actors (Rodney)

imperialist system - draining wealth & make it hard to develop the resources of their own country
capitalists - who extend their exploitation

Berlin conference 1884

rules of engagement for Africa
scramble for Africa

Colonialism has not entered the memory culture in Europe. How do we change that?

talk about the legacies and violence
acknowledge where we see issues of colonialism in trade, international development, aid

Misunderstanding of the importance of the event (Berlin conference)

created myths & sterotypes of Africans being savages and uncivilized

A current modern conversation about Africa?

we talk about Africa still that they have no agency and are helpless

Impacts of the Berlin conference 1884

myths to justify stealing the land (commerce, christianity, and civilization)
created large ethnic groups which led to instability and hard to exist beyond colonialism
straight borders - separates ethnics groups, built countries to fail
countries were created as business arrangements

Britians industrial revolution was fuled by

the de-industrialization of India
“we paid for our own oppression”

India was (in terms of Britian)

the worlds biggest purchasers of British goods
British induced famines killed Indians

Railways and roads were built for

the British not the local population (transport to export natural resources for investors)

Moral debt (hint: india, what do they want?)

the principle of reperations, the ability to acknowledge wrong-doings, to say sorry

colonialism

the domination of one culture by another by physical and psychological force (the military, economic conquest of territory, and racial steryotyping)

Imperialism

broader concept of a stronger nation exerting political and economic dominance over another territory, which may or may not have physical occupation

settler colonialism

elimination of natives, untouched wilderness is a settler colonial discourse

Ruler colonialism

logic is rule and extraction of cheap labor and natural resources

Colonial extraction

colonies provide while materials while the metropole makes manufactured goods and sells it back to the colonies
formalized the rules of cooperation - justification was the “civilizing mission”

Rodneys argument

backwardness or underdevelopment is not a national condition of African countries, but was structurally produced by Europe

Imperialism economic policies

closed loop trades: raw materials -> back to colonial powers to make manufactured goods = high commodity
forced to import expensive industrial goods

civilizing mission

justification bc the others were savages that deemed needing saving / or to be civilized
“white mans burden”
the idea of discourse and “the other”