Essay
Essay on coloniality
- Module
- Sociology (SOC1)
- Institution
- Cambridge University (CAM)
Cambridge university essay on colonialism and modern inequality. Relates to race, gender, class, social constructivism
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Ella ThomasTo what extent do colonial relations continue to shape present
inequalities?
Colonialism is often regarded as a historic issue: a hegemony which can explore the social and
political relations of the past thereby ignoring this period as an ongoing structure that continues to
shape inequalities globally and transnationally. Today, ‘modernity is the dominant frame for social
and political thought’ (Bhamber, 2007:1) and by failing to explore colonialism as a regime with
ongoing effects, the study of ‘modernity as a discourse and as a practice’ (Torres, 2007:243) is
heavily flawed. By reconceptualising the European narrative of the
‘modern/colonial/capitalist/patriarchal world system’ (Grosfoguel, 2005:5) this essay will explore
colonialism as a structural continuity, from global colonialism to global coloniality (Grosfoguel,
2011:16). To demonstrate the ongoing effects of colonialism on inequality this essay will explore the
continuation of hierarchy and subordination in relation to colourism, rape, and policing. This broad
range of topics demonstrates the “colonial power matrix” as an ‘organizing principle involving
exploitation and domination exercised in multiple dimensions of social life, from economic, sexual,
or gender relations, to political organizations, structures of knowledge, state institutions, and
households’ (Quijano 2000, cited in, Grosfoguel, 2011:12).
In order to demonstrate the extent to which colonial relations continue to shape present inequalities
it is necessary to discuss the language of ‘coloniality’ (Grosfoguel, 2011:16) rather than westernised
Eurocentric schools of thought. ‘One of the most powerful myths of the twentieth century was the
notion that the elimination of colonial administrations amount to the decolonization of the world’
(Grosfoguel, 2011:3). No European model can inspire the postcolonial world, Fanon argued, because
any European construct perpetuates a racist worldview in which Europeans/whites are viewed as
superior/civilised, while previously colonized people and Blacks are viewed as inferior/barbaric. This
subordination within the new world continues into contemporary inequalities, in the form of
coloniality of power (Grosfoguel, 2011:14). Coloniality of power works on the principle of racial
hierarchy and exploitation, wherein certain groups of people are privileged over others (Quijano,
200 cited in Grosfoguel, 2011:12). This hierarchy is maintained through structures of power that are
imposed and enforced using violence and other forms of domination, defining ‘culture, labour and
knowledge production’ (Torres, 2007:243). This worldview is furthermore internalised by the
colonised, meaning “decolonisation” must also be a decolonisation of the minds – which in turns
justifies, in Fanon’s view, the necessity of a psychological cleansing and of a tabula rasa (Fanon,
1963:35). Through colonialism, cognitive patterns ‘became embedded in social actions and
representations,’ which transpires into the rejection of one's motherland and culture (Mignolo 1975
cited in Bhambra, 2007:16).
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, Ella Thomas
According to Fanon, an inspiring post-colonial world is one in which natives are liberated from
psychological limitations and inferiority complexes engendered by European values and narratives.
Attempts to embody the European ideal of man is to reject one’s blackness and to reject this is to be
viewed as ‘a true human being’ by the colonisers (Fanon, 1952:2). This contributed to the
construction of a native elite (Fanon, 1963:7). This ‘coloniality of power’ has continued to underpin
modern education systems. Schulz and Sentama (2021:164) studied peace education programs in
Rwanda and found ‘that despite their declared intentions to change and break with colonial legacies,
the peace education approaches are neither sufficiently critical nor decolonising,’ further reinstating
unequal access to education.
Ultimately, colonial expansion and dominance resulted in a global hierarchy of superiors and
inferiors in knowledge, and, consequently, in people’s status ( Grosfoguel, 2011:7). This embedded
notion of colonisers superiority is reflected in workplace hierarchies whereby migrants have moved
to an ex-colony. Akesson explores the colonial period in Maputo, whereby Portuguese individuals
had ‘an opportunity to manage the work of others’ and in order to emphasise this position of power,
they treated ‘their Mozambican subordinates in a denigrating way’ (Akesson, 2021:875). In
contemporary society, Akesson found that Portuguese individuals still tend to act as teachers but
regard the knowledge and skills of Mozambicans as irrelevant. This recurrence demonstrates how
the problem is not exclusion from the international hierarchy, but rather being subordinated within
it (Getachew, 2019:11). One way this subordination continues to manifest itself is through
psychological domination which can be explored through intersectional inequality such as colourism.
The origins of colourism are rooted in the history of slavery and colonialism. This unequal bias has
been normalized and internalized in many cultures. Even within minority populations, those with
lighter skin are often praised and afforded more opportunities than those with darker skin. This
perpetuates the systemic power imbalance between races, further marginalizing people of colour.
This derives from slavery where masters would rape darker-skinned women and show preference to
lighter-skinned slaves, forming the ‘house negro.’ Discrimination based on skin colour is also present
in India and is influenced by local beauty standards that can be traced back to pre-colonial as well as
colonial social and political relationships (Mishra, 2015:725). Colourism has also been justified in
relation to the domination of Christianity. Robbins, for example, cites imagery of black skin as a
symbol of sin in his study of the Urapmin, which is intertwined with colonists' belief that moral
improvement needed to be achieved, and that they must put aside their traditional culture, learn to
follow colonial law, and accept Christianity as their religion (Robbins, 2004:15). This demonstrates
how colonialists portrayed their ideologies as superior, thus natives assimilated to it, whilst ensuring
their superiority is based on unchangeable physical aspects, thus maintaining the subordination.
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