Colonial Impotence

Virtue and Violence in a Congolese Concession (1911–1940)

Bibliographic Data

ID23799147
AuthorsBenoît Henriet (0000-0002-5123-1664, corresponding author)
Year2021
Publication date2021-06-07
Open AccessYes
TypeBOOK
VenueColonial Impotence (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherDe Gruyter (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/9783110652734
OpenAlexW3171119203
ISBN9783110652734
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited37

In Colonial Impotence , Benoît Henriet studies the violent contradictions of colonial rule from the standpoint of the Leverville concession, Belgian Congo’s largest palm oil exploitation. Leverville was imagined as a benevolent tropical utopia, whose Congolese workers would be "civilized" through a paternalist machinery. However, the concession was marred by inefficiency, endemic corruption and intrinsic brutality. Colonial agents in the field could be seen as impotent, for they were both unable and unwilling to perform as expected. This book offers a new take on the joint experience of colonialism and capitalism in Southwest Congo, and sheds light on their impact on local environments, bodies, societies and cosmogonies.

Archaeology · Colonialism · African history and culture studies · Agriculture and Rural Development Research · French Urban and Social Studies · History

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