What is the difference between imperialism and colonialims - Essay Example

Imperialism and colonialism are two terms that are often confused. This is understanding because they both involve one group of people imposing their political or economic will upon a weaker group. They both bring to mind expanding and expansive geographies as well. These similarities are enough for many people to confuse the terms, but there are some very real differences. Colonialism is primarily an economic arrangement that is designed to provide an advantage for the home nation. Under an economic system dominated by mercantilism, colonies were intended to provide raw materials for export to the home nation.

These raw materials were then to be crafted into finished products that the colonies must then buy from the home nation. The focus of the home nation under colonialism is settlement and establishment of colonies in areas that provided economic advantages. All they expect from the colonies is a steady flow of raw goods and fixed export markets for those same finished goods. Imperialism is different in that the goal in establishing an empire is political as well as economic. The goal of imperialism is to make other nations or territories conform to an ideology that is supported at the imperial center.

In colonialism, the interaction and focus of power is in the colonies. Imperialism involves the conquest of lands on the periphery of the empire, subjugating them to the ideology that emanates from the center of the empire. While colonialism and imperialism both have economic advantages for the home nation or center of power, imperialism gains this advantage through forced conformity to an ideology while colonialism creates this advantage through economic, not political means.BibliographyAbernethy, D.B., 2000.

The dynamics of global dominance. London: Yale University Press.Levine, P. 2007. The british empire sunrise to sunset. London: Pearson Longman