Colonial Philosophies, Urban Space, and Racial Segregation in British and French Colonial Africa

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Abstract

British colonial authorities adhered to a philosophy of racial segregation while their French counterparts subscribed to one that segregates along socioeconomic and cultural lines. This article interrogates the rationale for these two colonial philosophies and addresses the following questions: How were these philosophies given physical expression in colonial urban space? Why did the two seemingly opposing philosophies produce identical racially segregated urban space? It is argued that although the two colonial powers had different racial philosophies, they shared common cultural, psychological, political, social, and ideological objectives that were best accomplished through racially segregated space.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalJournal of Black Studies
Volume38
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1 2008

Keywords

  • colonial Africa
  • colonialism
  • domination
  • racism
  • racial segregation
  • social control
  • urban planning

Disciplines

  • Earth Sciences

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