Do unto others as they have done unto you: explaining the varying tragic outcomes of settler colonialism

Abstract

The new field of settler colonial studies has focused on a specific structure of power, with the settlers and the metropole exerting domination over submissive natives. However, settler colonial structures can fail to take hold and become indigenous states, revert to the colonial metropole or remain contested indefinitely. This article attempts to pinpoint the elements that are crucial in determining the outcome of attempted settler colonial projects: the fostering of a nationalist consciousness amongst indigenous communities, the demographic balance between the settler community and the indigenous community, notions and structures of inclusive and exclusive political order, and the desire to fit into the international community by appropriating international norms. It examines the potential of each of these elements to be appropriated and utilized by either the settler or the indigenous community and observes the tragic transformative influence the use of these measures has on shaping violence and repression. The article ends by suggesting avenues for future research and the integration of specific fields of political science into settler colonial studies.