Orientalist discourses that have justified suppression of labor after liberation in India (1947-2010) and South Africa (1993-2010)

ABSTRACT

Over the years, the discussion of the impact of colonialism on labor has waned despite its continued profound impacts on the agency of labor to respond to injustices. This research seeks to answer the question: How do postcolonial theories help us understand the nature of labor agency post-liberation in South Africa and India? The purpose of this research is to show the utility of Said’s Orientalism and Bhabha’s mimicry in making sense of the continued subordination of workers and the mimicking responses by South African unions. There is a gap in the scholarship in the study of labor through these theoretical lenses. Through archival analysis and process tracing, this research utilizes legislative proceedings and debates as well as policy documents to provide a narrative of the ways that labor unions are restricted in South Africa and India. The research concludes that although Orientalist discourses are present in policy debates and legislative documents, mimicking responses by South African labor show greater potential to further the cause of labor.

KEYWORDS:

• Labor
• postcolonialism
• social justice
• orientalism
• mimicry

Acknowledgments

The author would like to express deep gratitude to Craig Phelan and the referees for their valuable comments on this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

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Sharmini Nair

Sharmini Nair teaches at the Political Science Department of Colorado State University. Her work is interdisciplinary as she explores the intersection of historical and political processes in the empowerment of labor, and the protection of the global environment. She is particularly interested in the continuing impact of postcolonialism on labor capacity in the developing world and its repercussions on the global environment.