Lachlan McNamee - Settling for Less: Why States Colonize and Why They Stop

Date
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Location
Encina Hall West, Room 400 (Graham Stuart Lounge)
Abstract

During the past few centuries, vast areas of the world have been colonized by settlers. But why did European “settler states” like Australia and the United States cease colonizing frontier lands in the twentieth century? At the same time, why did countries loudly committed to decolonization like Indonesia and China start settling the lands of such minorities as the West Papuans or Uyghurs? In the introduction to this book, I trace this bewildering historical reversal, explaining when and why indigenous peoples suffer dispossession at the hands of settlers. I challenge the conventional wisdom about settler colonialism — that it results from a genocidal “logic of elimination”. I reveal a more complex story about the conflicts of interest between indigenes, states, and settlers. Drawing from a rich array of global demographic evidence, I show how states generally license colonization only when seeking to prevent indigenous rebellions or independent settler republics. Frontier colonization schemes also often struggle to attract settlers. As countries grow wealthier and their cities increasingly attract migrants, all states ultimately lose the power to settle frontier lands. Settling for Less uncovers the internal dynamics of settler colonialism and the diminishing colonizing power of the state. Comparing successful and failed settlement projects in Indonesia, Australia, China and beyond, I demonstrate that economic development — by preventing colonization — has proven a powerful global force for indigenous self-determination.

Biography

I'm an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). 

My research focuses on the comparative politics of race and ethnicity, settler colonialism, empire, and political violence.  Please click ahead or scroll down for more information on me and my research.