Colonialism and Antarctica

Abstract

This is the first major exploration of how – and if – colonialism can be a useful concept in analysing Antarctica, and whether Antarctica can help reveal the analytical limits of colonialism as a concept. It is a contribution to the wider project of critical Antarctic studies, which challenges Antarctic exceptionalism and argues that Antarctica has always been integrated within global political and economic structures. In the introduction the editors lay out the justification for the book and the questions to be examined, followed by 12 substantive chapters. The first set of chapters focuses on case studies from Latin America, France, the USSR, eastern Europe and China, with analytical approaches from heritage studies, political philosophy, international relations and history. The second set takes up thematic questions related to animals and colonialism, bordering and frontiers, capitalism, field science practices and identities, religion, political domination, and knowledge practices. Finally, a postscript takes a more reflective approach to the relationship between colonialism and Antarctica and places it within the larger context of ongoing scholarly discussions. Overall the book provides an argument for the relevance of colonialism for thinking about Antarctica, and vice versa, and a set of perspectives on both the advantages and the potential limitations of such approaches.