How Colonialism Continues to Shape Thinking in Germany Today
Many people who grow up in Germany believe that colonialism belongs to the distant past and has no influence on them. However, this is not true. Postcolonialism is reflected in the Eurocentric worldview, the media, language and in consumer behaviour.
A Skewed View of the World
The term Eurocentrism describes the interpretation of world events, in which Europe and the ‘Western world’ are in the centre and set the benchmark for comparison. From this perspective people assess what happens in the Global South and make judgements about ways of life that differ from their own.
Eurocentric frames of thinking show themselves in daily language use: the designation Developing Countries is used for countries that, from a Eurocentric viewpoint, are supposedly not as advanced. Here it is assumed that the Global North represents the benchmark for every country in the world. Whoever fails to meet this Western ideal is assumed to be primitive and still in the process of development. The expression Development Aid illustrates the assumption that countries who do not meet the Western ideals need help in order to get closer to them. Particularly white people in the Global North feel the urge to spread their frames of thought and ways of living. In doing so, they view themselves as the rescuer. This phenomenon is called White Saviourism. The language used can reinforce power relations and structural conditions. This is why it is so important to question one’s own language use and in certain circumstances to change it – there are politically sensitive alternatives, for example on macht.sprache.
Eurocentrism is also visible in the media, because journalists who have grown up in Germany are not immune to the Eurocentric gaze. They decide what denotes a relevant news piece and how this is reported. In turn, their news selection influences perception and the development of opinions in society.
The German journalist Charlotte Wiedemann was a foreign reporter for several years in various countries. In her book Vom Versuch, nicht weiß zu schreiben (‘Trying Not to Write White’ translated here from German) she describes her experiences as a white reporter and criticises journalistic work processes. She highlights how journalists represent countries in news reporting through the Eurocentric gaze and how this way of reporting is also desired; correspondents only remain in a country for a limited time in order not to lose their perspective:
“Almost all correspondents are swapped out after a specific timeframe, i.e. after several years – because they have then become too acclimatised, too acculturated. This is derogatively called going native, which is a description from colonial times: to get closer to the local people. The reporter knows the society of the host country too well, they are no longer surprised about everything, in short: they understand too much.”
Vom Versuch nicht weiß zu schreiben, Page 24-25 (Translated here from German).
Because the German media are primarily one-sided in their reporting of world events, the journalist and political scientist Sham Jaff recommends informing oneself about foreign media. In her newsletter “What happened last week” she collects weekly news from throughout the world. She suggests continuously asking oneself what is missing from the news coverage. Especially in the news about the Global South and concerning asylum seekers and migration, there are often perspectives which are not taken into consideration.
Who are “We” and “the Others”? Racism in Germany
In Germany there is a widespread view that people with international backgrounds are not “German”. This is shown in news coverage, when, during a report on an incident, a person with a “Migrationshintergrund” (‘migratory background’ in English) is mentioned, even though this information is not relevant to the news story. This is also shown when Muslim people are spoken about as though they were not part of this society. This process is called Othering, which is when a (societally) dominant group excludes people and frames them as a group of foreigners. The origins of Othering can be traced back to colonialism. This process enabled Europeans to establish their own identity. They positioned themselves as superior and framed the communities who they wanted to colonise as their opposites. The racialized system in Germany is built on these power relations.
Every person who grew up in Germany acquires racist thought patterns. In her book Und jetzt Du. Rassismuskritisch Leben (‘And Now You. Being Critical of Racism in Everyday Life’ translated here from German), author Tupoka Ogette shows how racism plays out in everyday life and what you can do about it. The book is envisaged particularly for white people, as white people are not affected by racism and also profit from it. Tupoka Ogette is one of the most well-known consultants for anti-racism in Germany.
Colonial Traces in One’s Own Home
Germany’s capitalistic system is built on power relations which were established during the colonial period. Worldwide, people (and the environment) are violently exploited. Products in the Global South are made in precarious working conditions, so that they can be sold for an inexpensive price in the Global North.
Indoor plants, for example, are an important part of many homes. Yet, only few know that numerous plants are a relic of colonialism and most are a product of environmentally harmful and arduous working conditions:
European colonial powers stole from their occupied countries and took everything which seemed profitable or valuable for them. “Exotic” plants were popular with the nobility and became a status symbol. The colonial powers forcefully appropriated local knowledge and practices and overwrote them. They gave the plants new names, which tended to be in Latin. Today, tropical plants such as the Dieffenbachia seguine or the Strezilia reginae can be found in many living rooms. Although individuals cannot prevent the continuation of colonial structures, every person can question their own privileges, word choice and purchasing decisions, and make themselves aware of the position (of power) from which they move about in the world. Because white people profit from postcolonial structures, it is white people in particular who should interrogate their own prejudices and privileges.