White settlers to white Africans? : decolonization and white identity in Kenya and Zambia
This thesis addresses the identities of 'white settlers' who chose to stay in Kenya and Zambia after independence from British rule. By focusing on these racially and materially privileged minority groups this thesis unearths the ways in which racial identities have been formed and contested, in contexts in which whiteness has been inescapably historically charged. By analysing both Kenya and Zambia the thesis breaks new ground in comparing the postcolonial history of a settler colony and an African protectorate. In doing so it raises questions about the categorisations of 'settler' and the notion of being 'settled', as well as taking on the difficult label of 'white African' and its contested use in postcolonial Africa. This research draws upon settler colonial history in Africa and contemporary whiteness studies. As such the thesis represents a social history of decolonisation and a history of a contemporary phenomenon, whites with a colonial heritage searching for belonging and legitimacy in postcolonial contexts which invalidate their history. The thesis traces the legacies of settler colonial rule through the spatial, sensorial, linguistic and temporal dimensions of whites' postcolonial lives. Research
Doble, Josh
White settlers to white Africans? : decolonization and white identity in Kenya and Zambia. This thesis addresses the identities of 'white settlers' who chose to stay in Kenya and Zambia after independence from British rule. By focusing on these racially and materially privileged minority groups this thesis unearths the ways in which racial identities have been formed and contested, in contexts in which whiteness has been inescapably historically charged. By analysing both Kenya and Zambia the thesis breaks new ground in comparing the postcolonial history of a settler colony and an African protectorate. In doing so it raises questions about the categorisations of 'settler' and the notion of being 'settled', as well as taking on the difficult label of 'white African' and its contested use in postcolonial Africa. This research draws upon settler colonial history in Africa and contemporary whiteness studies. As such the thesis represents a social history of decolonisation and a history of a contemporary phenomenon, whites with a colonial heritage searching for belonging and legitimacy in postcolonial contexts which invalidate their history. The thesis traces the legacies of settler colonial rule through the spatial, sensorial, linguistic and temporal dimensions of whites' postcolonial lives. Research
white_settler white africans white identity kenya zambia address identity white_settler chose stay kenya zambia independence british_rule focus racially materially privileged minority_group unearths way racial identity form contest contexts historically charge analyse kenya zambia break_new ground compare postcolonial history settler colony african protectorate raise_question categorisation settler notion settled well take difficult label white african contest use postcolonial africa draw_upon settler colonial_history africa contemporary study represent social_history decolonisation history contemporary phenomenon white colonial heritage search belong legitimacy postcolonial context history trace settler colonial_rule spatial sensorial linguistic temporal dimension white postcolonial life