Unfinished Stories: Memory and the Legacy of European Colonialism

About this course

The course examines the contested memory of European colonial empires and how imperial histories are remembered, overlooked or disputed in different societies. It uses case studies involving Belgium and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Netherlands and Indonesia, Portugal and parts of Africa, France and its former colonies, and Britain in relation to South Asia, Palestine, Kenya and Cyprus. Teaching combines lectures, group discussion and case-study analysis. Topics include memory across generations, the influence of politics, culture and identity, and the relationship between colonial memory and current debates about justice, power and identity.

What you'll learn

• Explain how memory can be dynamic, social and contested across generations
• Compare how different societies remember, reinterpret or silence aspects of their imperial pasts
• Analyse the political and cultural effects of colonial memory in contemporary societies

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for newcomers as well as learners with some existing background in the subject. Participants will need a good grasp of English and should be willing to examine sensitive historical and political issues through respectful group discussion, including views they may not share.

• Suitable for learners with different levels of prior subject knowledge
• Requires active engagement with respectful discussion of sensitive topics
• Optional shared resources can be explored outside class

Before you go

• Optional reading materials will be provided for further exploration.
• A pen and paper or a digital equivalent may be useful for note-taking.