Land, Labor, and Difference: Elementary Structures of Race
Author(s)
Wolfe, Patrick
Abstract
Patrick Wolfe argues for a new approach to comparative and particularly cross-colonial studies, in which significant generalizations are made without jeopardizing the individuality of particular situations. He makes his case for this method via a close look at the basic colonial relationships whereby land and labor were differentially exploited. Wolfe’s focus is on the histories of four colonized peoples – African Americans, Native Americans, Afro-Brazilians, and Australian Aborigines – and the varied workings of racialized categories in the processes of exploitation to which these peoples were subjected.
