Event overview
In much social science, nations and empires are presented as distinct political entities. This fails to recognise the conjunction of the nation-state and European colonial expansion. This talk proposes a new framework to examine the relationship between empires and nations and to address issues of political legitimacy that arise from it. Contemporary discussions of welfare and citizenship across European states, for example, are organised in terms of entitlements that follow from a demonstrated historical belonging to the nation. These discussions are potentially transformed, however, if the patrimonies associated with the nation are properly understood as formed through the varied practices of colonialism and empire which characterise European modernity. The varieties are associated both with distinct colonial and imperial formations and different associated practices such as settlement, transport of labour, and taxation. Whereas standard political economies of capitalism make the national economy central, the larger project aims to refocus political economy on the political relations of colonialism and empire.
Gurminder K Bhambra is Professor of Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies in the Department of International Relations in the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, elected 2020, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, elected 2021. She is author (with John Holmwood) of Colonialism and Modern Social Theory.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Dec 2022 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
