Key Takeaways
- Post colonialism refers to the theoretical approach which showcases the political or the social condition of the former colonies
- Neo colonialism refers to the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially the former dependent colonies of the West
- The key difference between post colonialism and neo colonialism is that post colonialism refers to the study of the issues with concern to colonialism and the decolonization period whereas neocolonialism refers to the use of the economic and socio-political influential forces by the west to spread their hegemony to the other parts of the world
Post Colonialism and Neo Colonialism are two literary and social periods in the history of mankind. Both these periods refer to the period after the western Colonial period. Post colonialism is the period when decolonization started to emerge in the once colonized countries by the West. This period basically highlights the liberation struggles of the natives of the colonies, their use of literature as a response to the colonizers, etc. Neo-colonialism, on the other hand, basically means the period after the decolonization. The transformations in the imperial world order and the socio-political alterations in the colonies after the period of decolonization can be defined as the neocolonial period. The term ‘Neo Colonialism’ was coined by the Ghanaian politician Kwame Nkrumah.
What is Post Colonialism?
Post colonialism is the theoretical approach which is concerned with the political or the social condition of the former colonies. Hence, it focuses on the study of colonization, the decolonization which involves winning back and reconstituting the native cultures and also the neo-colonising process. Postcolonialism analyses the metaphysical, ethical and political concerns about cultural identity, gender, nationality, race, ethnicity, subjectivity, language, and power. This theory refers to the manifestation of the consequences of colonization in the colonized states by the West. The exploitation of the natural resources, slavery, injustices faced by the natives, political social and cultural corruptions by the colonizers was expressed by these oppressed people through their literature. The well-known literary figures like Gayatri Spivak, Homi. K Bhaba, Franz Fanon, and Edward Said can be highlighted as the pioneers of this theory. Among them, Edward Said is considered as the pioneer of the post-colonial studies.
What is Neo Colonialism?
Neo-colonialism refers to the policy of a powerful nation in seeking political and economic hegemony over an independent nation or extended geographical area without necessarily reducing the subordinate nation or area to the legal status of a colony. Neocolonialism is the use of capitalism, globalization and cultural imperial power to influence a developing country by the superpower countries in the world. Thus instead of formally capturing and subjugating these developing countries as they did before in the colonial period, they involve in the socio-political and economical activities of these developing countries to spread their hegemony and thus indirectly siege the control of the other developing countries.
Similarities Between Post Colonialism and Neo Colonialism
- Both deal with the period after the decolonization
- Both showcase the socio-cultural aspects of the need to spread the hegemony of the powerful nations to other developing nations
Difference Between Post Colonialism and Neo Colonialism
Post Colonialism is the theoretical approach which is concerned with political or the social condition of the former colonies. Neo Colonialism is the policy of the powerful developed countries use of economic, social, political and cultural influence to spread their hegemony to the previous colonies without demeaning their national status as colonies. Post colonialism deals with the theories of decolonization, othering, diaspora, gender equality, feminism, racism, regain of the lost national identity, criticizing the brutal practices of the colonizers. Neo colonialism deals with the theories of capitalism, cultural and economic imperialism.
Summary – Post Colonialism vs Neo Colonialism
Post colonialism and neo colonialism are two theories that deal with the issues that arose after the period of decolonization in the world. Post colonialism deals with showcasing the consequences of colonization and the liberation struggles of the once subjugated states by the colonizers while neo colonialism refers to a theoretical policy used by the powerful nations to indirectly spread their hegemony in the other parts of the world from the decolonization period up to present day. This can be identified as the difference between post colonialism and neo colonialism.
