Tyler Stovall  (UC-Berkeley)
Europe in Question: From a Historical Critique of Postcolonialism Theory to a Postcolonial History

A variety of scholars, ranging from Dipesh Chakrabarty and Robert D. C. Young to Antoinette Burton and Frederick Cooper, have analyzed the relationship between postcolonial theory and the narratives and practices of history, usually emphasizing the differences, indeed conflicts, between the two bodies of knowledge. In particular, how one approaches the role of Europe in the modern world has frequently served as a bone of contention. In this essay, rather than simply replicating this debate, I wish to explore the ways in which history and postcolonial studies confront common methodological, conceptual, and ultimately political challenges in coming to grips with the big questions of colonial dominance and power. I contend that a postcolonial history is not only possible but absolutely fundamental, not just as a means of reconciling different scholarly discourses, but as a way of moving both disciplines forward. Moreover, I believe that in trying to conceptualize a postcolonial history, the history of Europe provides an excellent field of inquiry. In exploring this possibility, I will concentrate on three central challenges. The first is the relationship between globalization and the nation-state. The issue of how to critically interrogate the relationship between the two, without necessarily prioritizing one or the other, has become a key issue for both historians and postcolonial scholars. The second concerns the ways in which Europe specifically has been shaped by imperial encounters, both in the past and currently, and how one integrates that impact into narratives of European history. Finally, I wish to conclude with the question postcolonialism and political activism, a burning one in our contemporary era of militant neo-imperialism. Throughout I will try to integrate general and historiographical discussions with observations from my own research.