Book Review: Culture and Imperialism

Written by: Duncan B. on 5 March 2025

Culture and Imperialism is a 2024 reprint of a 1993 book by the Palestinian-born literary critic Edward Said.

In this book Said examines the domination by British, French and US imperialism over most of Africa, Asia, and South America, and the resistance to imperialism by the peoples of the countries invaded by imperialism. He does this by examining the culture, in particular the literature of the imperialist countries and of the subject countries.

Marx pointed out in his Preface to a Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, “In the social production of their existence, men enter into definite, necessary relations, which are independent of their will, namely relations of production corresponding to a determinate stage of development of their material forces of production. The totality of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation on which there arises a legal and political superstructure and to which there correspond definite forms of social consciousness. The mode of production of material life conditions the social, political and intellectual life-process in general.” Culture is a part of the superstructure erected on the economic base, in this case of imperialism. 

In looking at the culture of the imperialist countries, Said examines novels by Jane Austen, Joseph Conrad, E M Forster, Rudyard Kipling, Albert Camus and others. He also discusses Verdi’s opera Aida. Said shows how these works helped to justify imperialism and make it normal and acceptable to the home audiences in the imperialist countries.

Kipling’s stories and poems in particular, glorified imperialism and denigrated the native peoples of the colonised countries with racist stereotypes. His poem The White Man’s Burden urged the imperialist powers to take more territory from its rightful owners.

In looking at the culture of the countries oppressed by imperialism, Said shows how books such as Franz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, and the writings of many other Arab, African and Asian writers helped oppressed peoples to raise their self-awareness of their oppressed position, reclaim their national cultures which were dominated by imperialist culture and to mobilise for anti-imperialist resistance and struggle. 

Said points out the world-wide spread of US culture, and the stranglehold that US media companies have over the supply of news in the world. This situation is much worse now than when Culture and Imperialism was written, thanks to the spread of social media. US culture dominates our TV shows, streaming services and live and recorded music.

Streaming service Stan, owned by channel 9, commissioned almost half of the new Australian-scripted content in 2024. The federal government had promised to impose local content quotas on the streaming services such as Netflix and Disney by July 1st last year. Hollywood resisted this, claiming that any regulation would be a breach of the Australia - US Free Trade Agreement. The government let this deadline pass.

Now the Trump government has threatened retaliation against countries which attempt to regulate the activities of US companies in their markets, claiming that this a violation of American sovereignty. It is likely that moves towards quotas will remain in limbo for the time being.

Australian culture has a proud history. There have been many writers, poets, artists and musicians who have played a strong role in the struggle for socialism and against capitalism and imperialism.  Australians must uphold their struggle and continue the fight against imperialism’s attempts to dominate our culture. 

Culture and Imperialism is not an easy book to read or to comprehend. It is well worth persevering with it however, to help us gain a better understanding of the important role which culture plays in anti-imperialist struggle.

Print Version - new window Email article

-----