Anthropologists Response to Colonialism - Essay Example

? Anthropologists’ response to colonialism Anthropologists’ response to colonialism Even though everybody is informed with whattranspires, the world has been perceived to be static. It is presumed that the allotment of riches and poverty, subjection and supremacy, current social provision are of immense historical profundity. Histories of individual nations have captured the interest of many researchers. Therefore, excessive concentrations on large phenomenon limit our knowledge because the present world is attributed to immense historical processes that encompassed flow and flow of power and wealth among a wide assortment of areas apart from nations. In regards to this, anthropologists have been intrigued to study response of certain areas to colonialism at different times in the history (Serena & Warms, 2010). Colonial era binds modern anthropology practices and origin. However, the eighteenth age of European enlightenment was the cause of the colonialism that characterized the nineteenth century. The anthropologists were intrigued to articulate passive subjects in an essentially manner because of the industrial revolution in the 19th century and its romantic retrenchment. Approaches to colonialism are either in view of ideology and symbols environment and economy, and biology. Moreover, science and rationalism were some of the impetus to the anthropologist’s movement. Anthropologists provided the basic information that was fundamental in governing of the colonial government possessions in the first half of the twentieth century. In regard to this point of view, the anthropologists’ demanded for financial support for their projects from the colonial governments. Since colonialism was destined to occur with or without the support of the anthropologists, their emergence was therefore not meant to support the colonialists (Serena & Warms, 2010). The main objective of the research studies was to explore the plight of the communities or people under their study area rather than enquire into the colonialism political authenticity. Though, it was envisaged that some of the studies were aimed at humanizing the colonizing nations. Therefore, to alienate themselves from the colonialists, anthropologists resorted to embrace financial support from organizations that were driven by reformist agendas. Cultural changes are not static, therefore, the end decline in colonialism did not imply an end to, foreign influence, foreign intervention, or forced cultural change. Modernization advances to development have been contributed by anthropologists because they were drawn into it by their own desire to support and the needs of the government. This is attributed to the training of the development of development anthropologists as intermediaries between the recipients of aids and the organizations. Their contribution in colonialism is associated to their capability and comprehension to provide well-argued appraisal and analysis. The following case studies shows the contribution of anthropologists in the colonial era in West Africa on monetary transition and Aboriginals population in north Australia (Serena & Warms, 2010). French colonialists’ administration unsuccessful failed in their attempts to substitute West African Volta region, currently known as Burkina Faso, local monetary form of cowry shells with its francs for about a half a century (Sahir, 2004). This was based on the stiff opposition that was staged by the local government. Cowries gained vitality despite the prohibition from the colonial governments because the emerging urban market in the Volta region had accepted them as a medium of exchange. Conflicts that were generated by the monetary policy and the colonial system gave birth to the practical difficulties that acted as an impetus to the local government to implement measures to boot the use of their local currency. Before the arrival of the French in the Volta region, commerce was characterized by traders commuting with their goods on their donkeys or heads from one mercantile colony to another (Sahir, 2004). Shortages and changes in trade goods such affected the market price. Cowries had been the accepted medium of exchange; however, upon arrival of the French, its use was banned. The banning of cowry shell use was due to argument that they would cause the administration to incur heavy costs and the local economy would not be stimulated since the coins exchanged would be exported in exchanged for imported goods. Replacement of the local currency with francs was also inclined to success of the military in securing the territories of West Africa. Measures that were implemented by the French administrators included collecting and burning of cowry shells as noted at Bobo-Dioulasso. Weakening of the Volta economy was due to the plundering and destruction cussed by French conquest. As a result, there existed currency struggle. However, due to the increased commodity prices and later renaissance of the shell trade, there were moves by the local officials to demand their salaries be made in cowries (Sahir, 2004). Anthropology had sidelined the monetary resistance on several occasions due to its failure to address the relationship between political life and economic process. Anthropologist introduced the terms genera purpose and special purpose money in order to draw distinctions between the market capitalists and the ancient society. Based on the central Nigeria in the Tiv region, special purpose money was the brass rods. Its use was restricted to selling and purchasing of handicraft items, produce, and small animals. On the other hand, general money rather the colonial money was used to establish exchangeability and equivalency that Tiv region expected in diverse categories. Despite the resistance the classification drew from the historians, it was an accepted approach to fight colonialism. The approach criticized the modernization paradigm of the time. However, it popularized the premonition that pre-colonial money disappeared easily when tackled with the colonial money despite being special (Sahir, 2004). Money has been defined as a medium of exchange by which can lay assert on service and goods. Volta region traders narrowed the use of money to administration coffers and produces sales through denial by lineage elders and women merchants to use the money that was issued by the government apart from payment of tax. A state of economic independency was established unlike the disadvantaged government money. Francs had limited range as compared to Volta region cowry. Anthropologists embraced colonial evolution because it was viewed as the first encounter thus an apocalyptic instant of African history. The subject addresses the ancient monetary system as distinct rudiments that came into contact with the colonialists unfamiliar objects. Anthropologists have ensured that history accounts of several regions are kept for future reference. This is evidenced but presence of iron currencies and cowry in international museums (Sahir, 2004). Similarly the ancient brass money from the European traders is still retained in their museums. Therefore, it is evident that the approach by anthropologists greatly shaped the outcome of the struggles of the local states. Though Burkina Faso does not cowries as their medium of exchange, its impacts are sill recognizable because they were used in 2002 and 1980s as offerings and alms for the people respectively (Sahir, 2004). Australian government policy was shaped by the unanimous participation of the anthropologists. Major schisms and factions existed in the Australian aboriginal anthropology, because anthropology is an important subject in the state practice appropriation. They aborigines were neglected and viewed as disaster to man generation. Issues addressed by anthropologists in Australia included legislation of land-rights. The government approved the first land-rights was done under the influence of aboriginal land tenure that Radcliff-Brown had developed. Indigenous people, who had survived the eradication of their conventional modes of fabrication during the consolidation, invasion, and pacification of pastoral settlements, were liable to be used to achieve the objectives of the new economy that had been introduced in Australia. According to this observation, the life of the indigenous people was transformed into the likeness of the colonizing society (Trigger, 1992). European capitalism characteristics exemplified by severance between economy and other social spheres was imposed on the aboriginal societies. Some anthropologists in Australia struggled to expand the conditions under which the land rights would be acknowledged. More specifically their efforts were aligned to matrilineal and pragmatic entitlements. The movement achieved success in regards to gender issues. However, an ardently ritual notion that was not clearly defined was “traditional owner.” Ownership of land within Australia was at the discretion of colonialists rather the Europeans. Therefore, anthropologists were of the opinion that the only option for the indigenous people to resist the reduction of native title that the government sought to effect was to globalize the Australian institutions in the international perspective rather than recognizing them as institutions to resolve disputes on boundary related issues. The indigenous were a minority group thus implementation of the ant colonial wherewithal at the disposal was an elite ideology. This is because; neither wholesome withdrawal nor violence would be the best option. Therefore, the rescue point that these group could turn to was their colonialist. Studies that were carried out by social anthropologist on the aboriginal population led to its inclusion to the transformation of their name into the aboriginal Australians. In addition, the commonwealth government in Australia gained power to amend laws and rights about the aborigines. Australian minority populations were recognized in accordance with the influence of the anthropologists. Similarly the multiculturalism was introduced in the country (Trigger, 1992). References Saul, M. (2004). Money in colonial transition: Cowries and francs in West Africa. American Anthropologist Association, 106(1), 71-84. Serena, N. & Warms, R. L (2010). Cultural anthropology. Kansas: Wadsworth Publishers. Trigger, D. S (1992). Whitefella comin’: Aboriginal response to colonialism in northern Australia. Cambridge: Cambridge university press. Read More