shouldering the burden: the social influence of british imperialism, the “white man’s burden”...
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Tying it All Together
Shouldering the Burden: The Social influence of British Imperialism, the “White Man’s Burden” and the Development of Ethnic Conflict in South Africa and Northern Ireland
This Summer’s Work The Big Picture
Within the countries of South Africa and Northern Ireland, an undercurrent of social divisiveness and ethnic tensions has permeated many facets of life for the ci:zens and residents there, influencing poli:cal and economic development on a macro and micro level and occasionally erup:ng into violent conflict along racial lines. Through the sponsorship of the James Graham Brown Founda:on and the Brown Fellows Program, I have had the opportunity to study and witness firsthand the impact and legacy of Apartheid and the Troubles and the aHermath of these two periods of ethnic turmoil.
For my Brown Fellows experience, I chose to pursue a comprehensive, overarching project that would take place in three parts, with each summer proposal represen:ng a small piece of the end result, rather than each proposal represen:ng an individualized, self-‐contained, leadership project. To :e these three leadership projects together into a single finished project, I plan to present my findings in the form of a Senior Honors Thesis that summarizes my findings and research, serves as a chronicle of my :me in the Brown Fellows program and represents the educa:onal founda:on that I have been building over the past three years.
This past summer, I traveled to England, spending :me in the Bri:sh Library and in the archives in Cambridge and Oxford in order to gather more material for my thesis. Through review of historical documents and texts, I found evidence to support the argument that the no:on of the White Man’s Burden not only served as a jus:fica:on for the prolifera:on of Bri:sh imperialism around the world, but was also used as jus:fica:on for social, poli:cal and economic exploita:on of the countries in ques:on.
I plan to incorporate my findings with my previous work in South Africa and Northern Ireland, drawing parallels between the treatment of the popula:ons of these two na:ons and establishing the origin of social stra:fica:on that served as a precursor to the Troubles and Apartheid as res:ng within the no:ons of racial and ethnic superiority evident in the idea of the White Man’s Burden. Through this research, I hope to establish a greater understanding of the condi:ons that lead to the development of inequality along ethnic lines in these countries, so that more appropriate social solu:ons can be found.
Abstract
During the month of June, I had the opportunity to conduct independent reseasrch on Bri:sh history in London, Cambridge and Oxford, United Kingdom. My studies concentrated on the influence of social development in colonial and imperial possessions, specifically concentra:ng on a period from the 19th century to the present and within the countries of South Africa and Northern Ireland. During the course of this research, I employed primary-‐source historical documents and secondary resources, exploring the history of racial views in the Bri:sh Empire, the codifica:on of discriminatory prac:ces and dialogue within the legal system in the United Kingdom and in its territories, and the basis of thought in which these views emerged.
During the summer of 2010, I collected firsthand informa:on on the social situa:on in South Africa. Through conduc:ng recorded interviews with local and na:onal party leaders across the poli:cal spectrum, engaging in academic discussion with professors of history and poli:cal science, examining archival records, and speaking with experts and laymen of all ages from a variety of economic posi:ons and racial backgrounds, I explored the history of Apartheid, its origins, impact, and aHermath on the people of South Africa.
During the summer of 2011, I engaged in an academic program at the John Hume Global Ins:tute for Irish Studies at University College Dublin in Ireland. En:tled Conflict and Concilia:on: Northern Ireland and the Peace Process in Compara:ve Context, the program specifically focused on the history of racial and ethnic tension present since the first interac:ons between the Bri:sh and the Irish. The program served as a chronological explora:on of increasing conflict through the Irish independence movement, the Troubles and the present, providing informa:on through academic dialogue and presenta:ons with si]ng and guest professors and through primary and secondary-‐source documenta:on.
Following the program, I spent addi:onal :me conduc:ng independent study through Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. In addi:on to gathering further historical data on the social stra:fica:on of Northern Ireland along ethnic lines, I witnessed firsthand the erup:on of ethnic tensions into violence as an observer of riots in Ardoyne, in response to militaris:c parades conducted by the Protestants which corresponded to the TwelHh Night annual celebra:ons.
Through a combina:on of this previous research and that conducted this summer, I have come to the conclusion that the development and jus:fica:on for a]tudes and legal maneuvers that promoted social division and inequality along racial and ethnic lines within South Africa and Northern Ireland have a direct lineage to the no:on of the “White Man’s Burden,” it in and of itself serving as a concise summary document that aaempted to dis:ll and jus:fy the expansion of empire and the subjuga:on of na:ve popula:ons. The incorpora:on of Social Darwinism and other pseudoscien:fic studies that also occurred along the lines of the “White Man’s Burden” at the :me represented aaempts to cer:fy and codify past and present discriminatory views as being morally acceptable. This naturally lead to the posi:oning of those viewed as non-‐white into a second-‐class societal posi:on in these countries, sparking protest and ethnic tension that even remains today.
I do not intend my research to serve as a condemna:on of individuals, ins:tu:ons, peoples, or governments. Rather, I hope that my final thesis will serve as the condemna:on of an idea. The no:on of racial and ethnic superiority encapsulated in the idea of the “White Man’s Burden” set a founda:on for inequality that South Africa and Northern Ireland and a legacy that the people of these countries is s:ll aaemp:ng to cope with today. It is my hope that an understanding of the origin of these past injus:ces will paint a clearer picture of history and societal developments, and lead to more targeted and effec:ve solu:ons that can combat years of mistreatment.
Thursday, August 23, 2012