The colour of wealth concentration: the defence of economic privilege and multicultural ideology in postcolonial Mauritius

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ideologies play a key role in the maintenance of inequality. Yet, as the case of the Franco-Mauritians, the white elite of Mauritius, shows, ideologies are also often challenged. Following struggles between elites and other social groups, ‘new’ ideologies may even emerge. A closer look at the transition from the colonial to postcolonial period in Mauritius provides relevant insights into the dynamics of such struggles, including how, in ambiguous ways, outcomes may foster the maintenance of inequality. It shows that the emergence of multiculturalism as an ideology enhanced (political) equality, yet also allowed Franco-Mauritians to maintain their wealth base