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  Through  review  of  historical  documents  and  texts,  I  found  evidence  to  support  the  argument  that  the  no:on  of  the  White  Man’s  Burden   not   only   served   as   a   jus:fica:on  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