Writing the South African San: Colonial Ethnographic Discourses

This book explores how British and settler representations of Indigenous peoples in the nineteenth century popularized the hierarchical view of racial difference through an 'ethnographic poetics' that blended scientific discourse with literary preference for metaphor and analogy. It highlights the importance of literature in shaping discourses of national and racial belonging in Britain and the Cape Colony.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 212 pages
Publication date: 29 November 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This groundbreaking book provides a novel approach to studying British and settler representations of Indigenous peoples in the nineteenth century. By examining the representation of the Southern African San as a case study, it employs methodologies from critical anthropology, imperial history, and literary studies to demonstrate the significant role that literary representations of Indigenous peoples played in popularizing the hierarchical view of racial difference. Through an ethnographic poetics that blends scientific discourse with a deliberate literary preference for metaphor and analogy, the study identifies a set of mobile figures that were disseminated to diverse reading publics in both Britain and the colonies through various literary genres and textual media. This research significantly contributes to the field of race and imperial history by highlighting the crucial role of literature, ranging from newspapers and periodicals to popular novels, in shaping discourses of national and racial belonging in Britain and the Cape Colony.

Introduction:
In the nineteenth century, the British Empire expanded its territorial conquests, leading to the colonization of vast regions of the world. As part of this expansion, British and settler representations of Indigenous peoples played a crucial role in shaping the understanding and perception of these communities. These representations not only influenced the policies and practices of the colonial government but also had a profound impact on the cultural and social dynamics of the colonized societies.

The Representation of Indigenous Peoples:
The book focuses on the representation of the Southern African San as a case study. The Southern African San is a group of Indigenous peoples who inhabit the southernmost part of Africa. They have a rich cultural heritage and a complex history of resistance against colonialism. The book examines how British and settler representations of the Southern African San contributed to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudices about these communities.

Critical Anthropology:
The book draws on critical anthropology to analyze the representations of Indigenous peoples. Critical anthropology is a branch of anthropology that focuses on the power dynamics and inequalities that shape human societies. It seeks to understand how colonialism and other forms of oppression have impacted the lives of Indigenous peoples and how they have resisted and challenged these systems.

Imperial History:
The book also incorporates insights from imperial history to understand the broader context of British and settler representations of Indigenous peoples. Imperial history examines the political, economic, and cultural relationships between Britain and its colonies. It explores how these relationships shaped the development of colonial policies and practices and how they impacted the lives of Indigenous peoples.

Literary Studies:
Literary studies is another key methodology employed in the book. Literary studies focuses on the analysis of texts and how they convey meaning. It examines the ways in which literature can shape public opinion and influence cultural values. The book explores how British and settler representations of Indigenous peoples were embedded in literary texts and how they were disseminated to different reading publics.

Ethnographic Poetics:
One of the key findings of the book is the emergence of an ethnographic poetics in which the claims of scientific discourse blend with a consciously literary preference for metaphor and analogy. This created a set of mobile figures that could be disseminated to different reading publics in both Britain and the colonies through a variety of literary genres and textual media.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this book offers a groundbreaking new framework for studying British and settler representations of Indigenous peoples in the nineteenth century. By employing a multi-disciplinary approach, it demonstrates the significant role that literary representations played in popularizing the hierarchical view of racial difference. The study highlights the need for a more nuanced and critical understanding of these representations to promote greater empathy and understanding between different cultures.

Weight: 298g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030862282
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021