Colonialism and Gender

Colonialism refers to the dominance of one culture over another through imposed ideals and belief systems, instituted sociopolitical and hierarchical structures, assimilation and cultural conformity, and the exploitation of resources from specific geographic settlements. It is important to understand the process of colonization, how it affects all [Page 349]facets of society, and the legacies it leaves on the social norms of a society (even long after colonialism has formally ended), in order to accurately grasp contemporary constructions of gender, which are understood in this entry as the societal creation and implementation of roles, norms, and the appropriateness of behavior as it applies to men and women. Contemporary conceptions of gender were instituted under colonialism in binary terms of masculinity and femininity. This colonial notion of ...