Colonizers and Modernizers: An investigation of colonialism and post colonial nation building in Indonesian and Somalia
Author
Hansen, Jens Køpke
Term
4. term
Publication year
2012
Submitted on
2012-12-20
Pages
73
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan kolonistyre har præget det efterfølgende nationsbyggeri i to lande: Indonesien (Asien) og Somalia (Afrika). Det stiller to hovedspørgsmål: Hvordan har koloniale erfaringer påvirket forsøgene på at opbygge en nation efter uafhængigheden, og hvilken rolle spillede kolonialismen for hvert lands relative succes eller skrøbelighed som stat? Analysen bygger på socialkonstruktivisme, især Benedict Andersons idé om nationer som forestillede fællesskaber (fællesskaber skabt gennem delte fortællinger, symboler og institutioner). Dette suppleres med José Itzigsohn og Matthias vom Haus forståelser af nationalisme og nationer som både ideologi og kulturel drejebog. Specialet består af to analytiske dele. Først gennemgår det hvert lands historie for at finde mønstre og konkrete eksempler på nationsbyggeri. Derefter sammenlignes de to cases for at fremhæve ligheder og forskelle i deres koloniale erfaringer og efterfølgende statslige udvikling. Et centralt fokus er at identificere kontinuiteter og brud i politikker og praksisser fra kolonimagterne til de postkoloniale regeringer. Kapitlet om Indonesien er længere end kapitlet om Somalia, fordi Indonesiens kolonihistorie var væsentligt længere; det behandles i sin fulde udstrækning for at give den nødvendige kontekst. Fremstillingen bygger primært på sekundære kilder i form af generelle historiske værker, suppleret af mere specialiserede og ofte kritiske studier. Specialet sigter ikke mod at give et generelt svar på, hvorfor mange afrikanske lande påstås at ‘fejle’, mens mange asiatiske ‘lykkes’ i udviklingsperspektiv; det holder sig til de to valgte cases, men peger på muligheder for videre forskning.
This thesis examines how colonial rule shaped postcolonial nation-building in two countries: Indonesia (Asia) and Somalia (Africa). It asks two main questions: how did colonial experiences influence efforts to build a nation after independence, and what role did colonialism play in each state’s relative success or fragility? The analysis is grounded in social constructivism, especially Benedict Anderson’s idea of nations as imagined communities (communities created through shared stories, symbols, and institutions). This is complemented by the work of José Itzigsohn and Matthias vom Hau, who treat nationalism and nationhood as both ideology and cultural script. The study proceeds in two parts. First, it reviews each country’s history to identify patterns and concrete examples of nation-building. Second, it compares the two cases to highlight similarities and differences in their colonial experiences and subsequent state formation. A core aim is to trace continuities and breaks in policies and practices from the colonial regimes to their postcolonial successors. The chapter on Indonesia is longer than the one on Somalia because Indonesia’s colonial period was substantially longer; it is presented in full to provide necessary context. The thesis relies mainly on secondary sources, drawing on general historical works and supplementing them with more specialized and often critical scholarship. It does not attempt to offer a general explanation for claims that many African countries ‘fail’ and many Asian countries ‘succeed’ in development; it remains focused on the two cases while indicating avenues for further research.
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Keywords
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