ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 turns from the aims of colonialism to its consequences. The first section considers whether there is such a thing as “good” colonialism, arguing that there is not. Subsequent sections address the most salient harms perpetrated by colonialism, and the ways such harms persist well after the end of colonial domination. The most obvious cases are the result of military violence during the colonial period, particularly the violence of conquest and counter-insurgency. After independence, this violence is in effect continued through ethnic conflict, civil war, and “derivative colonialism” (the practice of colonialism by former colonies). Another set of salient harms come from material deprivation—most clearly the food insecurity, hunger, and the often extensive starvation that result from colonial policies. These harms are largely the result of political suppression and wealth extraction. Some subtler harms to colonized people’s physical and mental or emotional health derive largely from the cultural component of colonialism. The chapter concludes with a treatment of Fugard’s “Master Harold”… and the Boys. In the course of developing some consequences of colonialism for emotional health, this play also treats a range of other topics (such as cognitive modeling) that appear elsewhere in this volume.
