Colonialism and culture

يُقدّم كتاب "الاستعمار والثقافة"، الذي حرّره نيكولاس ب. ديركس، دراسةً معمّقةً للعلاقة المعقدة بين الاستعمار والتحوّل الثقافي. The book includes contributions that show how colonialism has reshaped identities and cultural expressions around the world, and how it remains an influential force shaping history and contemporary reality. Drawing on cases from different historical periods and geographical locations, the articles examine how colonial powers imposed and justified their hegemony through cultural means, such as transforming local cultures into rigid categories designated as the “other.” The impact of this cultural hegemony extended beyond the local sphere to central societies, changing notions of race, nationality, and power even in the homelands of the colonizers. The essays delve into various aspects, such as the role of missionary work in the Philippines, peasant resistance in Southeast Asia, labor practices in colonial Kenya, and the concept of time and development in colonial India. This work encourages a reconsideration of colonialism not only as a historical event, but as an active component in shaping modern cultural and social institutions. By addressing the intersection of power and culture, the book challenges readers to rethink traditional narratives of empire and its legacies, and offers new insights into the continuing global impacts of colonial structures.