Delafosse persuaded colonial policy toward respecting African institutions

Evidence

These books popularized the notion that Africans had civi- lizations that differed from those of the West but were in no way inferior. After serving in Dakar during the war, Delafosse resumed his teaching in Paris. Throughout his life, Delafosse sought repeat- edly to educate policy makers in Dakar and public opinion in France on the history of Africa, and to influence policy decisions in direc- tions that he considered compatible with France’s mission to uplift morally and materially its African subjects. These directions had lit- tle to do with Panty’s stereotypes of barbarism; they emphasized in- stead the need to respect African institutions, which Delafosse had studied. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 614

Categorization

Category: Causal Relationships

• XREF: Delafosse’s scholarly authority being used to steer policy ties to the chapter’s thesis about ideological legitimation.

Related

• Dakar’s respect for African chiefs served control rather than genuine interest (similarity 0.91)
• Some colonial scholars advocated respecting existing African institutions (similarity 0.85)
• From 1912 French colonial policy shifted toward preserving African Islamic institutions. (similarity 0.84)
• Colonial policy regressed by destroying African institutions. (similarity 0.83)
• Postwar revolts pushed French administrators toward respecting African institutions. (similarity 0.83)
• West African revolts forced Dakar to reverse its assimilationist policies (similarity 0.82)
• Moral-civilizing doctrine mattered more than economic in French colonial policy. (similarity 0.82)
• French administration destroyed West African institutions without adequate replacement. (similarity 0.82)
• The Government General respected African customs except when they conflicted with civilization (similarity 0.81)
• French republicanism fused with racial evolutionism to justify suppressing African customs. (similarity 0.81)
• France’s pro-chief policy change served hegemony, not genuine cultural interest (similarity 0.81)
• French policy respected African custom only when it did not clash with civilization (similarity 0.81)
• Postwar French colonial doctrine shifted in response to African resistance. (similarity 0.80)
• French republican policy held French civilization universally applicable despite claiming to respect African customs (similarity 0.80)
• Republicans saw no contradiction between democracy and colonialism because they deemed Africans barbarians. (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Rebellions and Paris conservatism pushed France toward respecting African institutions #corroborates (0.70) — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 623
• Colonial administrators sought to reconcile customary law with French control #expands (0.50) — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 304
• The Government General respected African customs except when they conflicted with civilization #expands (0.45)