“Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava

“Colonial Discourse and Postcolonial Theory” by Robert McLaughlan and Neelam Srivastava first appeared in The Year’s Work in Critical and Cultural Theory in 2014. The work delves into the intersections of colonial discourse and postcolonial theoretical frameworks, specifically reflecting on their evolution within critical studies. McLaughlan focuses on the role of books in advancing postcolonial critique, while Srivastava examines key journal contributions, particularly those published in 2012. A significant theme of the article is the critique of the Anglophone-centric development of postcolonial studies, as noted through the neglect of Italian postcolonialism despite its colonial past and Gramsci’s foundational contributions to the field. “Postcolonial theory,” Srivastava argues, “has evolved not merely as a critique of empire but as a tool to unearth the silenced genealogies of cultural and political histories globally.” This article underscores how foundational concepts, like Said’s Orientalism and Gramsci’s subalternity, continue to shape nuanced global postcolonial debates.

For example, the editors of Postcolonial Italy: Challenging National Homogeneity expand on Italy’s overlooked colonial legacies, arguing that, “in contemporary Italy, the term ‘postcolonial’ explores a continuum linking past colonialism to present migratory and racialized dynamics” (p. 2). This lens aligns with Srivastava’s broader critique of the theoretical gaps in the discipline, emphasizing the necessity of integrating non-Anglophone histories into global postcolonial studies.

Summary of “Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava

• Postcolonial Studies and Anglophone Bias
  Postcolonial studies have predominantly centered around Anglophone traditions, neglecting other contexts like Italian postcolonialism. This oversight is significant given Antonio Gramsci’s foundational contributions to postcolonial theoretical frameworks (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014).
• Gramsci’s Influence on Postcolonial Studies
  Edward Said adapted Gramsci’s concepts, such as hegemony and subalternity, in works like Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism. Gramsci’s framework helped analyze colonialism’s lingering cultural and political effects (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014, p. 18).
• Italian Postcolonialism
  Italian colonial history has often been suppressed, affecting its recognition within global postcolonial discourse. Lombardi-Diop and Romeo argued that this marginalization aligns with Italy’s attempt to erase colonial violence post-World War II (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014, p. 7).
• Methodological Innovations in Italian Postcolonial Studies
  Edited volumes like Postcolonial Italy contextualize Italy’s colonial legacy, examining intersections of race, gender, and class within Italian cultural and political dynamics (Lombardi-Diop & Romeo, 2012).
• The Postcolonial Gramsci
  Srivastava and Bhattacharya emphasize Gramsci’s applicability in examining global postcolonialism beyond Marxist orthodoxy. They highlight how Gramsci’s ideas can address challenges of modernity in non-Western contexts (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014, p. 11).
• Critical Responses to Postcolonial Gramsci
  Scholars critiqued The Postcolonial Gramsci for allegedly prioritizing Gramsci over Marx, though the editors argue for interpreting Gramsci within broader postcolonial contexts (Brennan, 2012; McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014).
• Journals: Fragmentation and New Directions in Postcolonial Studies
  Srivastava identifies postcolonial studies as increasingly fragmented, reflecting a diversity of intellectual projects. This dispersion makes defining a coherent center challenging but enriches the field through interdisciplinary contributions (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014, p. 251).
• Debates on Indigeneity and Settler Colonialism
  Theoretical advancements explore the role of indigeneity within urban spaces and settler colonial structures, particularly in Australian contexts (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014, p. 267).
• Challenges from Climate Change
  Scholars like Dipesh Chakrabarty argue for rethinking postcolonial theory in light of global challenges like climate change, urging a blend of humanistic and materialist approaches (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014, p. 5).
• Globalization and Comparative Postcolonialism
  Contributions from non-Anglophone regions, such as Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, underscore the need for comparative frameworks to understand colonial legacies beyond traditional models (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014, p. 113).
• The Future of Postcolonial Theory
  Srivastava highlights emerging intersections with fields like environmental studies, gender studies, and global economic systems, ensuring postcolonial theory remains relevant to contemporary global challenges (McLaughlan & Srivastava, 2014, p. 264).

Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava

Theoretical Term/Concept	Definition/Explanation	Context/Significance
Postcolonial Studies	An academic field examining the cultural, political, and historical impacts of colonialism and its aftermath.	Explores diverse colonial legacies, with criticism that it has predominantly centered on Anglophone traditions.
Colonial Discourse	The language, narratives, and representations used by colonial powers to justify and perpetuate colonial rule.	Explored through cultural works and political policies; significant in shaping postcolonial identities.
Subalternity	Borrowed from Gramsci, refers to groups excluded from societal hegemonic power structures.	Central to Spivak’s argument in “Can the Subaltern Speak?” and postcolonial discourse.
Hegemony	Gramsci’s concept of cultural and ideological dominance maintained by consent rather than force.	Key in Edward Said’s Orientalism for understanding cultural power dynamics in colonial and postcolonial contexts.
Contrapuntal Analysis	Edward Said’s method of reading texts to reveal the intertwined histories of colonizer and colonized.	Used in Italian postcolonial studies to highlight suppressed narratives of colonial violence.
Postcoloniality	The condition of societies transitioning from colonial to postcolonial governance and identity.	Applied to Italy, where colonialism’s legacy impacts race, immigration, and national identity.
Race and Racialization	The process by which societies construct racial categories and attribute meaning to them.	Addressed in Italian postcolonialism’s intersection with gender, class, and migration studies.
Indirect Rule	A colonial governance strategy of controlling colonies through local intermediaries.	Explored in Mamdani’s Define and Rule as a central mechanism of colonial power that continues to shape nations.
Provincializing Europe	Dipesh Chakrabarty’s concept of challenging Eurocentric views in historical narratives.	Reversed in Italian postcolonial studies to de-provincialize Italy and contextualize its colonial legacy.
Globalization and Postcolonialism	The intersection of postcolonial studies with global economic and cultural systems.	Explored through comparisons of colonial legacies in regions like Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.
Cultural Hegemonies	The ways dominant cultures maintain control through ideology rather than coercion.	Investigated in postcolonial Italy’s suppression of colonial atrocities to maintain a cohesive national identity.
Anthropocene	A proposed geological epoch marked by significant human impact on Earth’s ecosystems.	Linked to Dipesh Chakrabarty’s argument for integrating climate change into postcolonial analysis.
Postnationalism	The critique of nation-states as insufficient frameworks for understanding contemporary identities.	Explored in Italian postcolonialism’s response to immigration and transcultural dynamics.
Transcultural Production	Cultural works emerging from the blending and interaction of diverse traditions.	Examined in African diasporic aesthetics in Italian cinema and hip-hop by immigrant communities.

Contribution of “Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava to Literary Theory/Theories

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1. Postcolonial Theory

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Examples of Critiques Through “Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava

Literary Work	Critique Through “Colonial Discourse and Postcolonial Theory”	References
Edward Said’s Orientalism	– Reinterprets Said’s east/west binary using Gramsci’s north/south dyad to emphasize the socio-political tensions between colonizers and colonized in Europe’s colonial discourse. – Highlights Said’s reliance on Gramsci’s concepts of hegemony and subalternity as critical to analyzing cultural dominance.	McLaughlan & Srivastava, p. 7; p. 18.
Gayatri Spivak’s Can the Subaltern Speak?	– Challenges Spivak’s interpretation of the subaltern by emphasizing Gramsci’s original framing of the subaltern as a historical protagonist rather than a decontextualized victim. – Offers an Italian postcolonial perspective to reframe the subaltern, incorporating Italy’s colonial experience and migration narratives.	McLaughlan & Srivastava, p. 31.
Carlo Levi’s Christ Stopped at Eboli	– Uses postcolonial theory to critique Levi’s depiction of southern Italy as a metaphorical “internal colony.” – Frames the narrative through Gramsci’s concept of internal colonialism, highlighting the north/south divide within Italy as comparable to global colonial dynamics.	McLaughlan & Srivastava, p. 18; p. 245.
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Eritrean Texts”	– Analyzes Pasolini’s work through a postcolonial lens, revealing how the colonial gaze shapes representations of African subjects. – Highlights how Pasolini’s texts reflect Italy’s colonial ambitions and their lingering effects on contemporary Italian cultural identity.	McLaughlan & Srivastava, p. 242.

Key Themes Across Critiques:

• Gramscian Influence: All critiques emphasize Antonio Gramsci’s theories as foundational to postcolonial interpretations of literature.
• Reframing Subalternity: A consistent focus on reinterpreting the subaltern beyond traditional Anglophone paradigms.
• Intersectionality: Each work is examined for its intersectional depictions of race, class, and internal/external coloniality.
• Italian Context: The critiques integrate Italy’s unique colonial and postcolonial history, broadening the scope of postcolonial theory.

Criticism Against “Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava

• Anglophone-Centric Bias:
  • Despite critiquing Anglophone dominance in postcolonial studies, the work itself heavily relies on theorists like Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, and Homi Bhabha, potentially perpetuating the same bias it critiques.
• Limited Application Beyond Italian Context:
  • While innovative in incorporating Italy’s postcolonial discourse, the focus on Italy’s colonial history might limit its broader applicability to other postcolonial regions and contexts.
• Ambiguity in Gramscian Interpretations:
  • The work’s reliance on Antonio Gramsci’s concepts like subalternity and hegemony has been critiqued for reinterpreting these ideas in ways that may not align with their original intent, risking theoretical dilution.
• Underexploration of Non-European Postcolonialities:
  • The book prioritizes Italian and European colonial histories, often overlooking non-European colonial and postcolonial dynamics, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Insufficient Engagement with Post-Structuralist Theories:
  • The work critiques post-structuralist elements in postcolonial studies but does not provide comprehensive alternatives or engage with the contributions of thinkers like Derrida and Foucault.
• Methodological Inconsistencies:
  • Critics have noted that the division between the sections on books (McLaughlan) and journals (Srivastava) creates methodological disjunctures, resulting in uneven critical depth.
• Reductionist View of Italian Colonial Legacy:
  • While addressing Italy’s colonial past, the work has been accused of simplifying complex socio-political factors and focusing heavily on cultural aspects at the expense of economic and structural critiques.
• Insufficient Representation of Subaltern Voices:
  • Although the text discusses subalternity, critics argue it falls short in amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, focusing more on intellectual interpretations than lived experiences.

Representative Quotations from “Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
“Postcolonial theory and criticism, for the most part, has been largely restricted to an Anglophone tradition…”	This quotation highlights the Anglophone bias in postcolonial studies and introduces the neglected field of Italian postcolonial studies, stressing its importance due to contributions like Gramsci’s concepts of subalternity and hegemony.
“Lombardi-Diop and Romeo compellingly argue that Italian colonial expansionism… was as violent as any other iteration of European expansionism…”	This reflects the argument that Italian colonialism, often overlooked in mainstream postcolonial studies, was equally brutal, with its legacy remaining unexamined in Italian political and cultural discourse.
“The necessity to obliterate ’embarrassing’ historical events” has led to “the silencing of race in the cultural debate in contemporary Italy.”	This statement critiques Italy’s efforts to suppress discussions of its colonial past and the racial issues it generated, reflecting a broader theme of denial in postcolonial discourse.
“Gramsci’s cultural concepts of hegemony, subalternity, and the role of the intellectual have shaped and continue to shape contemporary postcolonial debates.”	This emphasizes Gramsci’s foundational role in postcolonial studies, particularly his theories’ applications beyond their original Italian context to global colonial and postcolonial dynamics.
“Robert Young begins his contribution to the collection with the observation that there ‘has always been something postcolonial about Gramsci.'”	This points to the innovative application of Gramsci’s theories to postcolonial studies, framing him as an intellectual from a marginal position whose ideas resonate with the colonial subject’s experience.
“Race has ‘evaporated’ from the cultural debate in contemporary Italy as a result of the necessity to obliterate ’embarrassing’ historical events.”	This reiterates the theme of historical erasure and Italy’s reluctance to confront its colonial past, aligning with broader discussions of postcolonial denial and complicity.
“Italian postcolonial studies has, until recently, failed to apply radical postcolonial methodologies to understand Italy’s unique postcoloniality.”	This critique underscores the delay in addressing Italy’s colonial history using postcolonial frameworks, signaling a gap that scholars like Lombardi-Diop and Romeo seek to fill.
“The cab driver’s ability to converse in perfect Italian reveals the enduring power and porosity of the colonial effect.”	An anecdote illustrating how colonial legacies manifest in cultural and linguistic exchanges, emphasizing the long-lasting effects of colonialism on both the colonized and colonizer.
“The music of this new ‘Roman forestiera’ is the true folk music of the city today—the music of the streets, of the peripheries, of the marginal and ‘subaltern’ communities.”	This quotation examines how cultural production, such as music, encapsulates the lived experiences of migrants and subaltern groups, highlighting Italy’s evolving postcolonial identity.
“The term [postcolonialism] is beginning to be employed to explore the historical continuum and cultural genealogy that link the colonial past to contemporary Italy.”	This underscores the expanding definition of postcolonialism to include the examination of Italy’s colonial history and its enduring impact on present-day cultural and racial dynamics.

Suggested Readings: “Colonial Discourse And Postcolonial Theory” By Robert Mclaughlan And Neelam Srivastava

1. McLaughlan, Robert, and Neelam Srivastava. “13 Colonial Discourse and Postcolonial Theory.” The Year’s Work in Critical and Cultural Theory 22.1 (2014): 240-270.
2. van Dommelen, Peter. “Postcolonial Archaeologies between Discourse and Practice.” World Archaeology, vol. 43, no. 1, 2011, pp. 1–6. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41308474. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
3. Rabasa, José. “COLONIAL/POSTCOLONIAL.” Dispositio, vol. 25, no. 52, 2005, pp. 81–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41491788. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
4. Vidal, Hernán. “The Concept of Colonial and Postcolonial Discourse: A Perspective from Literary Criticism.” Latin American Research Review, vol. 28, no. 3, 1993, pp. 113–19. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2503612. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.