Colonial Impotence

Know about the book -

Colonial Impotence is written by Benoît Henriet and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 3110649098 (ISBN 10) and 9783110649093 (ISBN 13).

In Colonial Impotence, Benoît Henriet studies the violent contradictions of colonial rule from the standpoint of the Leverville concession, Belgian Congo’s largest palm oil exploitation. Leverville was imagined as a benevolent tropical utopia, whose Congolese workers would be "civilized" through a paternalist machinery. However, the concession was marred by inefficiency, endemic corruption and intrinsic brutality. Colonial agents in the field could be seen as impotent, for they were both unable and unwilling to perform as expected. This book offers a new take on the joint experience of colonialism and capitalism in Southwest Congo, and sheds light on their impact on local environments, bodies, societies and cosmogonies.