Postcolonialism and Globalization: Towards a Historicization of Their Inter-Relation

Abstract This article distinguishes between critical and reconciliatory postcolonialisms, arguing that the former seeks radical alternatives to modernity based on non-Western traditions and lifeways, while the latter works to reconcile colonized peoples to colonialism. It argues further that the category of globalization has, for the most part, superceded that of 'postcolonialism' and that critical postcolonialism needs to be seen not simply as globalization's enemy but (in part) as its effect. That is, globalization and critical postcolonialism have a weakly dialectical relation, a case made by examining the recent Maori renaissance in New Zealand. What are the implications of this way of thinking for history? By examining two late eighteenth century texts, Ossian's poems and Sir William Chambers' 'A Dissertation on Oriental Gardening', the article suggests that the histories of globalization and postcolonialism have always been intertwined. Keywords: Postcolonialism Globalization Ossian William Chambers Maori