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Decolonization and the Other: The Case of the British West Indies
Author(s): Sharon C. Sewell (Author)
- Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
- Publication Date: 19 Nov. 2010
- Edition: 1st
- Language: English
- Print length: 250 pages
- ISBN-10: 1443821217
- ISBN-13: 9781443821216
Book Description
In 1962 Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago became independent countries; Barbados followed in 1966. In the years leading up to these events, the history of the British West Indies was written largely by the British, the colonial power, who focused on the process of decolonization and the key local players involved. After independence, local scholars also focused on the role of political leaders in the newly independent countries. To date, scholars have paid little attention to the impact of these events on the local populations of these islands. Decolonization and the Other: The Case of the British West Indies explores the local perspectives on, and reactions to, events by using West Indian literature to supplement the historical record. Beginning in the 1930s when local demands for political participation increased, through the process of decolonization, and into the early years of independence, West Indian writers used their life experiences to document local reaction. West Indian literature first appeared in 1950, when British publishers became interested in island authors and their novels. By using the novels to supplement the historical record, we can gain a better understanding of the process of decolonization and the early years of independence in the British West Indies.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Sharon C. Sewell received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. She belongs to several professional organizations and currently serves on the Resolutions Committee of the Southwestern Social Science Association. Dr. Sewell is a member of the history faculty at Darton College in Albany, Georgia, where she teaches world history courses and serves as history coordinator.
