QUESTION: Post-colonialism may refer to the way in which imperialist nations maintain hegemony over their ex-colonies, but neo-colonialism may have positive connotations to citizens of those ex-colonies, especially in the realm of intellectual, literary and artistic production. Discuss and don’t forget to give examples!

     The discourse of nations through post colonialism and neo colonialism may be described as symbolic, first post colonialism being the strong, grounded tree in an ancient forest and second, neocolonialism being the often improved, hybridized offspring. Post colonialism can be described as the development of a national identity after establishment and neocolonialism as being a combination of current actual colonialism and the integration of modern economic practices and involvement with other nations. Imperialist nations seem to have control and maintain hegemony over ex colonies because of the need for a strong cultural identity in a stabilized country. 

     Nations without sound values and beliefs socially, politically and economically are hard to run smoothly. While colonized, states acquire a sense of identity through the strong, imperialist mother country. Nursing the young states into a grounded, stable form of herself, the mother country creates a hegemony in which she has direct influence over until departure when the states become countries themselves, go into post colonialism and try to establish their own national identities. Although separate, post colonialism still maintains hegemony over ex colonies because of the instilled belief system on which they were brought up. To eradicate all traces of the ex mother country’s teachings would be to obliterate any stability the former colony once had and utter chaos would be more than expected…however, an answer to the enigma of creating a unique national identity in a hegemony saturated environment may be found through neocolonialism. Progressive reform and the development of culture in a new nation is produced largely through intellectual, literary and artistic production. Geeta Kapur states that, “…societies that have undergone a long period of decolonization and developed beyond the terms of hybridity a sustained postcolonial vision that has, along with concrete manifestations, the ability to theorize on societal conditions. These societies have devised, moreover, styles of historical praxis and futures beyond postcoloniality. This may be kept in view to arrive at a more dialectically worked-out politics than a perennially in between position allows,” (Kapur 201). She believes that along with the stability the mother country instilled, the young nation must develop it’s future beyond postcolonialism if it is to prosper.

     Neocolonialism may hold the key to pushing through the in between position because by integrating new values and adding diversity through intellectual, literary and artistic reform, the nation will ultimately develop a unique identity.