colonial and post‐colonial models

colonial and post‐colonial models. Ireland has been described as England's oldest colony. While the colonial origins of the connection between England and Ireland are not in doubt, the extent to which colonial models illuminate the historical relationships between the two is more contentious.

Broadly speaking, one can distinguish three types of models. First, there are those of an implicit kind: loose allusions to the political subordination of Ireland to England and the economic exploitation of the former by the latter. These tend to lack a basis in social theory of any kind and are commonly found in Irish nationalist writings of the last two centuries. Images of colonial domination also find limited expression in some Irish unionist writings, particularly in relation to the 18th century, but interestingly not with reference to time periods after the Act of Union. In these writings the colonial notion is put more to descriptive than to analytical use.

Then there are those models which deal explicitly with notions of colonialism. These are grounded, to varying degrees, in theory and accord colonial relationships substantial weight within their explanatory schemes. Here one can distinguish two subtypes. There are those whose explanatory scope is clearly limited in space and time. Some of the best examples belong to studies of 17th‐century Ireland, where processes of colonization in Munster and Ulster (see plantation), and in the New World, are effectively linked and explicated. Others, not many in fact, adopt a more ambitious time frame, seeking to encompass centuries of Irish history within a framework of colonial assumptions. A good example is Hechter's model of internal colonialism. In terms of this model, social groups within the core region (in this case England) dominated the peoples of peripheral regions politically and exploited them materially. As interactions between the English core and the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh peripheries multiplied over time, conflict and underdevelopment ensued. The predicted result for Ireland, as well as other areas of the Celtic fringe, was weak industrialization, low levels of income, and political alienation and mobilization along ethnic lines.

Finally, there are theories of post‐colonialism. These are of recent origin and emanate from the unlikely context of literary and cultural criticism. Though developed initially in relation to colonial societies outside Europe, including the white dominions of the British empire, they have found an application in the Irish context. From the perspective of post‐colonial theorizing, Ireland is a formerly colonial society with an experience little different from that of India, Algeria, or Ghana. In other words, Ireland should be modelled historically in much the same way as a Third World country in thrall to an imperial power. Within these writings there is a heavy emphasis on cultural subordination and resistance: the imposition of metropolitan, that is English, values, culture, and language on the indigenous peoples of Ireland, and the native reaction to this. Moreover, even after the achievement of political independence, the heritage of colonialism is still held to exert a baleful influence on Irish culture and society.

Does the post‐colonial cap fit? Ironically, in view of the emerging hegemony of theory in cultural studies, the model suffers from theoretical underdevelopment. Relationships between variables are poorly specified and their dynamic loosely sketched. More often than not, the depth of historical scholarship bears little relation to the extent of theoretical speculation. In particular the economic processes which are held to underpin colonialism are relatively neglected. More generally, one might remark that while good model building, even grand theorizing, remains a legitimate goal, it is proving an elusive one. This despite the length of the Irish–English connection and a wealth of historical materials.

Bibliography

Hechter, M. , Internal Colonialism: The Celtic Fringe in British National Development, 1536–1966 (1976)

Liam Kennedy