Colonialism in Question: Theory, Knowledge, History Book

Could have been a lot better if Prof. Cooper revised his sentences or had an editor to do it for him.

This is a collection of articles about colonial studies that mainly aim at righting the common wrongs of the field. Many of his recommendations sound quite generic:

- In contemporary history, do not assume a linear transition between empires and nation states.
- Avoid teleology in your historical narrative.
- Some historical categories and concepts may be outdated, but don't let this blind you to the fact that they were once, and may still be, able to inform the social practices of some groups and societies.
- Don't let abstractions become a substitute for local, historical realities. A single colonialism, a single empire and a single globalization do not exist.
- Avoid a globalization narrative that is ahistorical and that is so fascinated with the connections and flows so that the interruptions, disconnections, counterflows are forgotten.
- One single system can have quite different impacts on the different parts of the globe.
- etc.

I think Sebastian Conrad's What Is Global History? is better both in content and style.