Colonialism and Neocolonialism

Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition, and expansion of

colonies in one territory by people from another territory.
Differentiate between dependency theory, world-systems theory, and the Marxist perspective on
colonialism
Key Points
• The colonial period ranges from the 1450s to the 1970s, beginning when
several European powers (Spain, Portugal, Britain, and France especially) established
colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
• Decolonization took place after the First and Second World Wars as former
colonies established independence from colonial powers.
• Neocolonialism refers to the unequal economic and power relations that
currently exist between former colonies and former colonizing nations.
• Marx viewed colonialism as part of the global capitalist system, which has
led to exploitation, social change, and uneven development.
• Dependency theory argues that countries have developed at an uneven rate
because wealthy countries have exploited poor countries in the past through colonialism
and today through foreign debt and trade.
• World-systems theory splits the world economic system into core,
peripheral, and semi-peripheral countries.
Key Terms
• decolonization: The freeing of a colony or territory from
dependent status by granting it sovereignty.
• Age of Discovery: A period in history starting in the early
15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which
Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing
direct contact with Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania and
mapping the planet.
• Scramble for Africa: A process of invasion, occupation,
colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers
during the New Imperialism period, between 1881 and World War I in
1914.
• colonialism: the establishment, exploitation, maintenance,
acquisition and expansion of territories (or colonies) in one geographic
area by people from another area
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition, and expansion of
colonies in one territory, imposed by people from another territory. It is a
process whereby the metropole, or parent state, claims sovereignty over the
colony, and the social structure, government, and economy of the colony are
changed by colonizers from the metropole. Colonialism is a set of unequal
relationships between the metropole and the colony and between the
colonists and the indigenous, or native, population.
History of Colonialism
Modern colonialism started with the Age of Discovery, during which Portugal
and Spain discovered new lands across the oceans (including the Americas
and Atlantic/South Pacific islands) and built trading posts. According to some
scholars, building these colonies across oceans differentiates colonialism
from other types of expansionism. These new lands were first divided
between the Portuguese Empire and Spanish Empire, though the British,
French, and Dutch soon acquired vast territory as well.
The 17th century saw the creation of the French colonial empire, the Dutch
Empire, and the English colonial empire, which later became the British
Empire. It also saw the establishment of some Swedish overseas colonies
and a Danish colonial empire.
The spread of colonial empires diminished in the late 18 th and early
19th centuries, largely due to the American Revolutionary War and Latin
American wars for independence. However, many new colonies were
established after this period, including the German colonial empire and the
Belgian colonial empire. In the late 19 th century, many European powers were
involved in the so-called Scramble for Africa, in which many African colonies
were established.
Decolonization
After the First World War, the victorious allies divided up the German colonial
empire and much of the Ottoman Empire according to League of Nations
mandates. These territories were divided into three classes based on how
quickly they would be ready for independence. Decolonization outside the
Americas lagged until after World War II. In ideal cases, decolonized colonies
were granted sovereignty, or the right to self-govern, becoming independent
countries.
Neocolonialism
The term “neocolonialism” has been used to refer to a variety of contexts
since the decolonization that took place after World War II. Generally, it does
not refer to any type of direct colonization, but colonialism by other means.
Specifically, neocolonialism refers to the theory that former or existing
economic relationships—the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
and the Central American Free Trade Agreement—are used to maintain
control of former colonies after formal independence was achieved. In
broader usage, neocolonialism may simply refer to the involvement of
powerful countries in the affairs of less powerful countries; this is especially
relevant in modern Latin America. In this sense, neocolonialism implies a
form of economic imperialism.
Colonialism and Neocolonialism in the World System
One approach sociologists take to colonialism and neocolonialism is a Marxist
perspective. Marx viewed colonialism as part of the global capitalist system,
which has led to exploitation, social change, and uneven development. He
argued that it was destructive and produced dependency. According to some
Marxist historians, in all of the colonial countries ruled by Western European
countries, indigenous people were robbed of health and opportunities. From
a Marxist perspective, colonies are considered vis-à-vis modes of production.
The search for raw materials and new investment opportunities is the result
of inter-capitalist rivalry for capital accumulation.
Dependency theory builds upon Marxist thought, blaming colonialism and
neocolonialism for poverty within the world system. This theory argues that
countries have developed at an uneven rate because wealthy countries have
exploited poor countries in the past and today through foreign debt and
foreign trade.
World-Systems Theory
The world-systems theory suggests that the aftermath of colonialism and the
continuing practice of neocolonialism produces unequal economic relations
within the world system. Sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein elaborated on
these forms of economic inequality. In this theory, the world economic
system is divided into a hierarchy of three types of countries: core, semi-
peripheral, and peripheral. Core countries (e.g., the U.S., Japan, Germany)
are dominant capitalist countries characterized by high levels of
industrialization and urbanization. Peripheral countries (e.g., most African
countries and low-income countries in South America) are dependent on core
countries for capital and have very little industrialization and urbanization.
Peripheral countries are usually agrarian have low literacy rates and lack
Internet connection in many areas. Semi-peripheral countries (e.g., South
Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, India, Nigeria, South Africa) are less developed
than core nations but are more developed than peripheral nations.