The exploitation of
colonial resources and indigenous labor was one of the key elements in
the success of imperialism. Such exploitation was a result of the
prevalent ethnocentrism of the time and was justified by the
unscientific concept of social Darwinism, which praised the
characteristics of white Europeans and inaccurately ascribed negative
characteristics to indigenous peoples. A famous poem of the time by
Rudyard Kipling, "White Man's Burden," called on imperial powers, and
particularly the U.S., at whom the poem was directed, to take up the
mission of civilizing these "savage" peoples.
Read the poem at the following link:
Link (website): White Man's Burden (Links to an external site.) (Rudyard Kipling)
After reading the poem, address the following in a case study analysis:
Select a specific part of the world (a country), and examine
imperialism in that country. What was the relationship between the
invading country and the native people? You can select from these
examples or choose your own:
Belgium & Africa
Britain & India
Germany & Africa
France & Africa
Apply social Darwinism to this specific case.
Analyze the motivations of the invading country?
How did ethnocentrism manifest in their interactions?
How does Kipling's poem apply to your specific example? You can quote lines for comparison.
Sample Solution