Week 5 Colonization Neocolonization and Imperialism Leslie Briner

Week 5: Colonization, Neo-colonization and Imperialism Leslie Briner, MSW October 26 th , 2016

Reading Group Prompts Discuss the concepts of colonization and neo-colonization: What are the implications of histories and processes of colonization on social work practice? Mass incarceration as a current example of neo-colonization (Alexander, 2010) List several other examples of (neo)colonization… try to think beyond the 504 readings if possible to current event and/or modern policies

Colonization The land of the people is invaded by people from another country, who later use military force to gain and maintain control. 2. The original inhabitants become subjects of the conquerors involuntarily. 3. The conquered have an alien culture and government imposed on them. 4. The conquered become victims of racism and cultural genocide and are relegated to a submerged status. 5. The conquered are rendered politically and economically powerless. 6. The conquerors feel they have a “mission” in occupying the area in question and believe that they have undeniable privileges by virtue of their conquest. (Rodolfo Acuna) 1.

Neo-Colonization Neo-colonialism is a new form of imperial conquest that does not require actually taking possession of another people’s land, but rather conquest is achieved through the invasion of the people’s economic, political and cultural life. The outcome is the same as with classic colonialism: People of Color are exploited, dispossessed of their land resources, and their traditional cultures stripped from them. (Dias, 2006)

Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means. It is tied closely to the concept of hegemony, which, most often refers to the social/cultural aspects of imperialism.

Definitions Ontology: inquiry into the nature of being; “what is existence? ” Epistemology: inquiry into the nature of knowledge; “how do we know what is true? ” Ontology is about what is true and epistemology is about the methods of figuring out those truths.

Major Theoretical Periods q (pre) Classical: “God is Truth”; religion drives culture, norms and values q Age of Enlightenment> Scientific Revolutions: “Truth is knowable, measureable and objective”; beginning of liberalism and neo-classism q Modernism/modernity: “Truth is subjective”; self awareness and rejection of certainty, Individualism q Post Modernism/Post Structuralism: “Truth is relative, there are different truths”, “rejection of binaries”, language as a place of struggle q Critical theories: Feminist, Queer, Indigenous, Black, Liberation, Ability, Multicultural