Introduction
Colonialism is a complex topic studied and discussed for many years. Though it is often considered a concept that is less about the modern world, its impacts remain in many nations. The most remarkable examples of its impacts are reflected in the colonized countries of Asia and Africa, specifically in different aspects of their lives.
European nations were the key players in colonization and had different reasons for dominating other nations. Their motives included:
- The creation of new markets.
- The spreading of religion.
- The commercial exploitation of their colonies’ natural resources.
- The extension of life outside their national borders.
- Competition for global dominance.
Colonialism has shaped how colonies view themselves and their place politically, economically, culturally, and socially (Ndlovu). Therefore, the main aim of this essay is to explore colonial domination and its effects on the self-perceptions of the colonized. It will also describe different terms to provide a clear background of how they influence the perceptions of colonized people.
Historical Context
Colonial domination refers to the control of one nation over another by conquering its people, exploiting them and their land, while at the same time forcing its way of living upon that nation. This concept is imperialistic, involving the influence and control of colonies using power. Before understanding its effects on colonies’ self-perceptions, it is crucial to understand how colonialism began.
Colonization can be traced back to the 15th century when it all began with Europeans taking control over Americans (Utsey et al.). Examples of European colonizers include Spain, France, Great Britain, and Portugal. However, the conquest continued till the 19th and 20th centuries to nations in Asia and Africa.
The colonizers subjugated these territories, taking control of their political and cultural systems and exploiting their natural resources to their advantage. They were very cruel in how they handled Indigenous people, which resulted in slavery, immense suffering, and death. This, in turn, made the lives of the colonized unbearable, and people still suffer psychological wounds from what they experienced over the years.
Effects of Colonial Domination on the Self-Perceptions of the Colonized
Self-perception is an individual’s idea about who they are as a person. It is made up of an individual’s physical, social, and mental attributes that influence the general image they have about them. People view themselves differently, as reflected in their attitudes, judgments, behaviors, and actions. This idea often shapes one’s sense of identity and the lens through which one views the world (Branden). For this reason, it is a significant basis for how individuals navigate through life and the challenges that come with it.
Self-perception is influenced through positive or negative interactions with family, friends, culture, media, and the world. Generally, self-perception influences an individual’s actions, decision-making, and self-confidence and promotes an understanding of different things from multiple perspectives. Since colonies lost control over how their nations were governed, this affected their perceptions of themselves differently. They include the following.
Inferiority Complex
This is a subconscious feeling of weakness, inadequacy, and helplessness that colonies experienced at the hands of their colonizers. Specific situations shape this feeling, especially if they exist long. Power played a significant role in promoting an inferiority complex during the colonial era.
According to Fanon, the black people felt inferior to the whites to the extent of believing that their blackness was uncivilized and barbaric. He goes on to analyze how black people behaved in the presence of whites regarding communication. His observation was that black people changed their accents when communicating with their colonizers. This is sparked by the desire to be like their superiors and seek self-validation. Colonizers also viewed them as uncivilized and primitive, resulting in colonies losing confidence and self-esteem.
Though Asia and Africa were both victims of colonial domination, Africa is supposedly the most affected continent, given how most nations are struggling with development. The structure of the two continents in terms of colonization differed greatly. Asian inhabitants were, to some extent, given leadership positions by their colonizers, thus allowing them to handle affairs concerning their people, while their African counterparts were completely denied that freedom.
The notion of blacks being inferior to whites is in motion up to date and can be seen in different ways (Fanon). For instance, this is reflected in the tourism industry in most African countries, whereby there is a big difference in the hospitality given to the locals and the foreigners. The same thing is realized in the level of contempt seen in black people amongst themselves.
Cultural Assimilation
This is where individuals of a particular culture adopt a different dominating culture, spontaneously or by force. During the colonial period, the minority groups were expected to adapt to the culture of their colonizers in daily practices, including how they spoke and their physical appearances.
France is a good example of a colonial power that used assimilation as a means of establishing itself in the territories of indigenous people. Its colonial policy involved assimilating and transforming all its colonies into French citizens through education and cultural adoption. This policy aimed to maintain superiority over its inferiors (Africans) by particularly eradicating their beliefs, practices, and general way of life and replacing them with French culture. This means that African culture had no value to them, and this made Africans feel dehumanized (Ndlovu). This was also a form of violating colonies’ rights to choose how they lived and what they believed in.
Different European powers like Britain and France established residential schools as a way of eradicating the traditions of indigenous people. In these schools, the colonists claimed that their education systems would profit colonies while, all along, they were designed to serve their colonial systems. As a result, the colonies were disconnected from their cultural heritage, contributing to a sense of loss of their own identity. Minority groups in Canada and the US faced forced assimilation whereby they were coerced into giving up who they were in terms of identity, norms, customs, and language.
Identity crisis was prevalent among black people, especially in terms of their color and general appearance. For instance, black women felt that their black skin was not good enough, but glamorized light skin as a beautiful and perfect color (Antony). To imitate European pigmentation and feel like them, black women would buy skin-lightening products and use them to gain a lighter complexion. This is a common practice that exists to date because black people have this idea that a lighter complexion is more appealing than a darker one.
Internalized Racism
This is the act of accepting and internalizing biases, prejudices, and negative stereotypes regarding one’s race. Racial prejudice thrived during the colonial era in institutions, politics, and communities such that it affected how minorities, particularly people of color, viewed their racial groups. They constantly received negative messages from colonists and were bullied about physical characteristics like eye shape, hair texture, or skin color, which made them racially distinctive.
As a result, minorities turned this racist mindset inward and began rejecting themselves and their people (Utsey et al.). This is often a natural reaction to feelings of helplessness as the victims of racism cultivate beliefs, behaviors, and ideas that promote racial discrimination. Internalized racism mostly affected the children of minority groups since they were more vulnerable to negative comments than adults. They would try to suppress the aspects that made them different from their superiors most of the time. For instance, they trained their speech to sound more ‘white’ to sound more civilized and intelligent.
Minority groups during the colonial period longed for acceptance and approval from the whites. As a result, they valued having good relationships, partnerships, and friendships with the whites. They could prioritize the interests of the colonizers over their own, even if it meant inconvenience on their side. In addition, compliments and praises received from white people were more believable and appreciated than those of people from one’s community (Utsey et al.). All these efforts reveal a longing for acceptance, a common human nature. However, this meant colonies did not feel worthy and good unless the colonists said so. It equally affected their mental health and well-being negatively, as colonists used to make them feel inferior on numerous occasions.
Loss of Self-Esteem
Self-esteem refers to an individual’s confidence about their value and worth. It is strongly affected by the things that happen in everyday life. People with high self-esteem can make their own decisions and do not easily conform to how others live or what they do. However, colonial domination involved the use of force and violence to conquer colonies and impose European culture on indigenous people. Though the locals often outnumbered colonists while trying to fight back, they were no match for the deadly weapons used by colonizers.
One of the most brutal cases of violence was that of Belgium against the Congolese people. King Leopold II served as the main player in seizing African lands and killing approximately 10 million people in Congo (Bentrovato, Denise, and Karel). Following this action, Congolese people, especially women and children, faced severe depression, fear, and anxiety that equally affected their self-esteem.
Colonies generally went through long periods of tremendous suffering during the colonial era. Apart from experiencing constant violence, they felt that their voices, needs, and aspirations were ignored, and it frustrated them to know that they were almost powerless to challenge their superiors. Currently, the effects of low self-esteem resulting from colonization continue to shape the lives of the colonized. For instance, a person of color can go out of their way to ensure they offer the best services to a white individual to please them. This action is more people-pleasing and shows low self-esteem (Branden). Negative social comparison also reveals low levels of self-esteem and is reflected in the lives of people who think other people are better than themselves.
Cultural Hegemony
Colonizers widely used this way of domination to maintain their positions in power. It involved using cultural means to frame the worldview in a way that made the colonizers look ‘good’ in the eyes of the colonized. Social institutions such as courts, churches, and schools were instrumental in achieving this goal, as they acted as places for socializing people into the ideologies of the dominant groups (Zaidi). According to Gramsci, the colonists successfully changed what the minorities perceived as reality by turning the ‘only sensible worldview’ into habits, laws, norms, and rules. This was more of a peaceful means of exercising authority over the colonies since they considered themselves as the less privileged people.
Cultural hegemony influenced the self-perceptions of the colonized in various ways. First, it made them think of themselves as weak people whose political and economic success was fully dependent on their colonizers. The lack of development in these areas was mostly a result of exploitation by the dominant groups, but Indigenous people viewed this as a failure on their part. An example is when colonial states began manipulating minorities to control the existing resources and supplies for better development and modernization. In contrast, their main interest was to make more profits and advance themselves.
Another influence of hegemony on colonized people’s perception is the loss of their indigenous language (Zaidi). Colonial states like the British and French imposed their languages on their colonies and forbade them from communicating in their native languages. As a result, most people in Africa have grown to hate their native languages to date and use English as an official language in their countries. They find foreign languages like French and German more appealing to learn and speak than their mother tongues.
Distortion and Loss of History
History was a very crucial part of the lives of native people during the colonial period. Their relationship with their lands and natural resources enabled them to acquire knowledge on effectively managing those resources. However, the invasion of colonialists disconnected them from their history as they were expected to adapt to the norms of the colonizers. Native people lost lands that were meant to be inherited by future generations. Most were evicted from those lands and placed in reserves and settlements. Such areas were meant to restrict their movements so that their colonizers could easily monitor and control them (Zaidi).
Moreover, colonizers used distorting history as a tool for creating events in history that never happened, omitting or altering what transpired with the intent of promoting their agendas. This action left people in confusion and feeling disconnected from their past, which, to some extent, affected their mental health and well-being.
Traditional clothing is an emblem of national identity, a feeling of belonging to a particular nation, and a sense of connection to one’s community. Most traditional clothes used to be simple, easy to wear, and affordable since most of them were hand-made. Nevertheless, few communities like the Indians wear traditional clothing regularly, which makes them feel in touch with their culture and tradition.
Many youths today find Western culture more attractive than their cultural practices. They want to wear clothes that are trending in fashion, have different styles, and are expensive. If they lack this, they tend to feel ‘cheap’ and ‘less classy’, further interfering with their interactions with others who can afford such clothing (Smallwood et al.). During the colonial period, clothes worn by different colonies represented what was culturally appropriate in their communities. As colonists forced people to work in different industries, women previously not allowed to wear pants had to adapt to wearing them for comfort when working.
Trauma
This term refers to painful and distressing emotional experiences that affect people’s lives, including their self-perceptions. Many years of colonial domination accompanied by violence, forced labor, displacement, and slavery left colonized nations in a traumatized state. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are examples of communities that experienced severe colonial trauma in the form of discrimination, conflicts, destruction of community organizations, sexual abuse, and massacres (Smallwood et al. ). Such experiences resulted in long-term effects on their self-perception due to deep psychological and health issues.
For instance, individuals could experience feelings of self-hatred and shame following a traumatic experience like sexual abuse. They could blame themselves for it and even feel like they deserved it because they are weak and powerless. Some even went to the extent of abusing drugs or, even worse, committing suicide in response to colonial trauma. All these results developed from the historical wounding of the victims’ minds, emotions, and bodies.
Marginalization
This term is used to describe the peripheral treatment of individuals due to factors related to their cultural, political, economic, and social dimensions. This type of treatment was common during colonial times, and the colonized were on the receiving end due to high rates of discrimination from the colonists. There are common characteristics of marginalized groups that colonists used to determine the marginalization of minority groups.
For instance, marginalized groups share a collective identity regarding their language, cultural practices, and traditions (Bentrovato, Denise, and Karel). They also had visible traits that set them apart from dominant groups, and these traits contributed to their disapproval. Marginalized groups were constantly excluded and discriminated against, which made them feel unworthy. Many African communities experienced unequal power relationships and were treated more like slaves, and this affected how they viewed themselves in comparison to those in power.
Marginalization brought about by colonial domination affected the mindsets of the colonized in different ways. First, it took a lot of work for colonies to recognize themselves as equal members of society. In employment, minorities were offered hard and less-paying jobs while the dominant groups held managerial positions. In addition to the low pay, they were highly taxed, which made it even harder for them to fend for their families and improve their lives (Ndlovu). Secondly, marginalization increased stress levels among the colonized, thus affecting their ability to make decisions for themselves. As a result, they could do as they were told, mostly without question, and this gave colonists the advantage of being manipulative to their advantage.
Resilience
As much as colonial domination contributed to negative self-perceptions among the colonized, some benefits emerged. Resilience is one of the benefits, and it involves the process and result of overcoming challenges in life, thus leading to growth. The colonial period was difficult for all indigenous communities since many negative things happened in their lives (Bentrovato, Denise, and Karel). However, they had to be resilient and strive to survive to regain what they lost to their colonizers. Qualities like flexibility, determination, and perseverance played a vital role in building resilience among the colonized, thus enabling them to find ways of resisting colonial domination. In the end, minority groups regained a sense of pride in their identities as indigenous people. They also became confident in reclaiming their cultural heritage over the years.
Conclusion
Most of the things that we see and experience in the world today were a result of colonialism and colonial domination. This includes the negative and positive things that contribute to a shared identity by most colonized nations. This paper has detailed explanations of the effects of colonial domination on the self-perceptions of the colonized. They include inferiority complex, cultural assimilation, internalized racism, loss of self-esteem, cultural hegemony, distortion and loss of history, trauma, marginalization, and resilience.
Though colonized people went through tremendous pain, hurt, and suffering at the hands of colonists, those who survived were determined to reclaim their freedom, natural resources, and identities. They were also able to overcome certain stereotypes that made them feel inferior to the whites, which is a positive result of colonialism (Antony). However, it is the responsibility of colonized people to cultivate value in themselves and define who they are to become free from biases and assumptions that devalue them.
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