Embargoed Access
Imperial legacies in British politics
Loading...
Files
Embargoed until 2027
License
Access Rights
Cadmus Permanent Link
Full-text via DOI
ISBN
ISSN
Issue Date
Type of Publication
Keyword(s)
Other Topic(s)
EUI Research Cluster(s)
Initial version
Published version
Succeeding version
Preceding version
Published version part
Earlier different version
Initial format
Author(s)
Citation
Florence : European University Institute, 2023
EUI; SPS; PhD Thesis
Cite
KENDALL, Joe Alistair, Imperial legacies in British politics, Florence : European University Institute, 2023, EUI, SPS, PhD Thesis - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/75852
Abstract
This thesis explores how Britain continues to be shaped by the legacies of empire, both in terms of collective memory and the historical transmission of inequalities rooted in the imperial era. The first chapter (co-authored with Theresa Gessler) focuses on the historical ways in which empire has shaped Britain, looking at the persistence of ties to slavery among Britain’s political elite. Using a novel computational technique that utilises embedded Wikipedia data on inter-personal networks, we construct a measure of social proximity to slavery over time. Aggregating this measure across hundreds of years of parliamentary periods, we show how ties to slavery in parliament persisted long after the abolition of slavery itself - including into the present day – as well as analysing the institutional and political foundations of this persistence. The next two chapters focus on the effects of memory of empire in Britain, exploring how this memory is lined with amnesia, nostalgia, shame and guilt, and investigating the consequences of these dynamics on contemporary politics. The second chapter is a survey experiment examining how white British individuals react to information about their ancestors’ involvement in imperial slave-ownership. It demonstrates that whilst stronger identity threats are likely to lead to greater defensiveness in debates around ‘uncomfortable’ histories, an affirmation of one’s identity in the family domain facilitates greater openness and actively reduces the racial prejudice that may accompany backlash around histories of slavery. The third and final chapter is another survey experiment, focusing specifically on such backlash effects, including their invocation and consequences. In this chapter I outline one defensive cognition that has seen increasing use in debates over the British Empire – the tendency to compare the Empire favourably with other ‘worse’ regimes – and show that such defensive responses not only inhibit shame-related responses but may increase prejudice towards victimised colonial outgroups.
Table of Contents
Additional Information
Defence date: 07 September 2023
Examining Board: Prof. Elias Dinas (European University Institute, supervisor); Prof. Claire Adida (University of California); Prof. Simon Hix (European University Institute); Prof. Jason Wittenberg (University of California)
Examining Board: Prof. Elias Dinas (European University Institute, supervisor); Prof. Claire Adida (University of California); Prof. Simon Hix (European University Institute); Prof. Jason Wittenberg (University of California)