Thurs 4/26

The text by James mentions the debate between cultures of resistance versus cultures of oppression in the context of the educational institution and sports. I do feel that any social institutions require a certain degree of conformity and it would make sense that the author felt oppressed from keeping up with his excel academics and “good student” image. However, people also learn how to resist (everyday resistance) when they are conforming at the same time. Though the conformity effort overshadows the resistance effort in most cases, so it this constant battle fair or not? Or, do the players have control over how much they can resist rather than conform and still survive in the system?

Moreover, James defines the culture of imperialism as "everything [that] began from the basis that Britain was the source of all light and leading, and our business was to admire, wonder, imitate, learn" (p. 205). In the simplest words, the oppressed follow standards invented by the oppressors. This statement, again, reflects the connection between power and truth, where the public follows a set of societal rules that are deemed as truth and truth is dependent on the source of power.

In relation to the British colonization in India. I can see how the culture of imperialism applies. In the context of India during the British imperialism, Gandhi argues that the oppressed who were physically enslaved were also mentally enslaved, not by force but by cultural conformity. When people believe that it is normal for themselves to be oppressed, of course, their thoughts would eventually make this into a reality. This also shows how powerful our minds are in turning unimaginable thoughts into reality as long we believe in certain ideologies.

He also advises readers that in order “to break the classic economic dependency that binds the colony to colonizer, [one must] free oneself mentally and spiritually from Western machines and materialism” (p. 200). I like that Gandhi delves deeper in this historical phenomenon that it is not solely about the physical, public behaviors that led to this, but also the intangible thoughts in people’s heads. They desired and worshiped the materialists that belong to their oppressors, and eventually, become dependent on the oppressors as an answer to their greed.