Assignment: Contemporary History
Introduction The exploitation of colonial resources and indigenous labor was one of the key elements in the success of imperialism. Such exploitation was a result of the prevalent ethnocentrism of the time and was justified by the unscientific concept of social Darwinism, which praised the characteristics of white Europeans and inaccurately ascribed negative characteristics to indigenous peoples. A famous poem of the time by Rudyard Kipling, White Man's Burden, called on imperial powers, and particularly the U.S., which the poem was directed at, to take up the mission of civilizing these "savage" peoples.
After reading the poem, address the following in a case study analysis:
· Define social Darwinism in your own words.
· Analyze the motivations and consequences that Kipling presents for undertaking the "White Man's Burden."
· What specific examples of ethnocentrism can you identify?
· Were the "Half-devil and half-child" peoples truly uncivilized?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.