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By Jingo! Methods for researching popular imperialism
Author(s) -
Hennessey John L.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
history compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.121
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 1478-0542
DOI - 10.1111/hic3.12531
Subject(s) - historiography , nationalism , colonialism , aggression , empire , conversation , apathy , cultural imperialism , genocide , sociology , psychology , social science , political science , history , law , social psychology , psychiatry , cognition , communication , politics
The study of popular imperialism, or the extent to which the ordinary citizens of an imperial metropole were aware of and supported their country's imperial expansion, provides a crucial empirical basis for evaluating the causes of and responsibility for colonial aggression. Nevertheless, this topic has received considerably less attention than comparable topics like fascism, genocide, or nationalism, and a comparative conversation between scholars of different empires is largely lacking. Together with a companion article, “Imperial Ardor or Apathy? A Comparative International Historiography of Popular Imperialism,” this article will provide inspiration for future studies by summarizing different approaches to and methodological problems involved in the study of popular imperialism, drawing on a wide range of research on several empires.