In a 1991 keynote address to the Modern Language Association titled “Arts of the Contact Zone,” Mary Louise Pratt introduced the concept of “the contact zone.”

She articulated, “I use this term to refer to social spaces where cultures meet, clash and grapple with each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power, such as colonialism, slavery, or their aftermaths as they lived out in many parts of the world today” (34).

Pratt, Mary Louise (1991-01-01). "Arts of the Contact Zone". Profession: 33–4

Pratt also shares the example of Poma’s New Chronicle to give an example of “transculturation” or a term that ethnographers have used “to describe the process whereby members of subordinated or marginal groups select and invent from materials transmitted by a dominant metropolitan culture” (36).

Additionally, Pratt gives the origin of the term “transculturation,” writing, “The term, originally coined by Cuban sociologist Fernando Ortiz in the 1940, aimed to replace concepts of acculturation and assimilation used to characterize culture under conquest” (36).

Pratt confirms “Transculturation, like autoethnography, is a phenomenon of the contact zone” (36).

"We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect"

- Thomas Macaulay Minister for Indian Education , 1834

-> Paraphrase Macaulay's quote in your own words. 

-> Macaulay's quote has been turned into a whole strategy of how to exert control on Native People called Macaulayism.

• briefly outline this strategy
• discuss its effectiveness with your partner

A British poster from 1927 called 'Jungles Today Are Gold Mines Tomorrow'

British multiculturalism is a consequence of the British Empire

The effects today thus connect to developments in the past.

So 

• after the British Empire the new citizens were allowed to move to Britain (
• migration to Britain for "better" life 
• racism, discrimination, exclusion, apartheid, segregation,
• different religions
• people moving to the former colonies 
• new tradtions influencing the culture: food, buildings, 
• new lifestyles tradtional lifestyle mixed with British ones 

How people British and migrant deal with this 

Homework: Read the article following the link above. Prepare a short report on whitewashing. 

1. outline the history
2. address the consequences
3. present your own opinion with regards to the topic of post colonialism/racism

http://www.teatime-mag.com/magazines/112-de/

How does R.K. justify the colonization of other people?

• The author writes that, says, notes, states, 
  
• In the first, second... stanza,... 
  
• He compares the Native people to
  
• For him the Natives are uncivilized because....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/The_British_Empire_Anachronous.png

The following poems were written by students. They show the relationship between master and servant during the British Empire

Watch from minute 5:00 to 13:45

1.Summarize the situation Ghandi faces in the train

2. Describe Ghandi's demeanor in the train

3 .Describe the situation for non-British inhabitants of the Empire

4. What arguments does Ghandi put forward to change the situation?

Imagine the following situation:

You make an internship in an animal rights organization called PETA - people for the ethical treatment of animals. 

Fortunately your tutor at PETA knows about your English classes on Postcolonialism. To take a look at the history of hunting animals gives you the chance to publish an article in the PETA quarterly magazine. 

For this article you are to 

• report about the political situation at the time of story (until line 35 p. 70 + secondary text)
• report about what had happened during an elephant hunt  in Burma (33p 70 To line 8 p74) 
• interview the native population in a fictional interview  ( Line 42 p. 73 to line 43 p. 75 + line 44p. 77 to line 6 page 78)

• interview the hunter about his attitude towards hunting and his motives (Line 44 p. 75 to line 18 p. 78) 

Display your results in the form of a poster for further editing before it is published in the magazine.