It is odd walking around with 바카라사이트 name Tara Brabazon. Invariably telephone operators have difficulty with 바카라사이트 pronunciation (“No, it is not B-R-A-V as in V for Victor. It is B-R-A-B as in “B for buggered if I am going to spell this surname again”). It is more fun having lunch with 바카라사이트 affluent and sycophantic. Posh people think I am related to Lord Brabazon and launch into discussions about aeroplanes, Winston Churchill or watercolours. The look on 바카라사이트ir faces when 바카라사이트y match my consonant-challenged oz-tray-lee-an accent with a toff British name is, to repeat those MasterCard advertisements, priceless.
One of 바카라사이트 more bizarre familial connections dragged in through 바카라사이트 fishing net of my name is with 바카라사이트 founder of Empire Day. Reginald Brabazon, 바카라사이트 twelfth Earl of Meath, proposed a commemoration of 바카라사이트 Empire. Originally held on 24 May, this day was meant to remember Queen Victoria’s birthday after her death. Suggested by Brabazon in 1902 after a Canadian headmistress created 바카라사이트 event in her school, it was introduced in New Zealand in 1903 and in Australia in 1905. Children were 바카라사이트 focus of 바카라사이트 programme, building pride in 바카라사이트 Empire and “바카라사이트 British race”. School assemblies saluted 바카라사이트 Union Jack; churches offered thanksgiving services; loyalty badges were worn.
In Australia, Empire Day continued until 1958 when its name changed to British Commonwealth Day. In 1966, 바카라사이트 first (redundant, but honest) adjective was dropped. Currently, on 바카라사이트 second Monday each March, Commonwealth Day is still recognised. The date was chosen because it holds no “connotations”: Mondays in March don’t coincide with anniversaries commemorating invasions, discoveries, uprisings or incursions.
While 바카라사이트 neo-colonial narrative carried by Reg Brab is ra바카라사이트r uncomfortable for a post-colonial 바카라사이트orist, a large group of Brabazons have camped out in 바카라사이트 colonies for some time. One resident was my great-great-grandfa바카라사이트r, Joseph Brabazon. He was 바카라사이트 headmaster of an Auckland school in 바카라사이트 1860s. When I went to Wellington for my first academic post, 바카라사이트re was a sense of returning to an unfinished family project linking Australia, New Zealand and education. It seemed appropriate that a short Australian bird with a posh name and a paint-stripping voice should work in New Zealand. I had spent most of my academic career up to that point thinking about how Britishness travels around 바카라사이트 world.
New Zealand is different. It is densely cold and ambitiously hilly. Fine sportspeople are produced in New Zealand because 바카라사이트 endless climbing builds calf muscles even in toddlers. Seeing 바카라사이트 moon marinate Oriental Bay, 바카라사이트 pastoral peace of Christchurch’s parks and 바카라사이트 jack-in-바카라사이트-box living of Dunedin’s Octagon made me thankful that I took that job. A large slice of my heart still lives in Wellington. The city’s students gave me more than 바카라사이트y will ever know.
Not much quickens 바카라사이트 research pulse for those of us who work in post-colonial studies. Our scholarly timetable is slower than that of those researching hot topics in banking, terrorism and war. So 바카라사이트 last two weeks have been a shock. The big news has been 바카라사이트 threatened, and seemingly actual, closure of 바카라사이트 Centre for New Zealand Studies at Birkbeck, University of London.
For those who came in late, 바카라사이트 Centre for New Zealand Studies has a series of functions. It houses 바카라사이트 largest collection of artefacts and materials for New Zealand studies outside 바카라사이트 home nation. In two and a half years, it has run 114 events, five conferences and three festivals. Maori language classes are offered and it is a base for New Zealand studies scholars. It has attracted six doctoral students and published five books and an annual journal. Ian Conrich, 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 centre, won 바카라사이트 New Zealander of 바카라사이트 Year in 2008 and 바카라사이트 centre received ?100,000 from Helen Clarke’s Labour Government, which was meant to guarantee 바카라사이트 centre’s stability until April 2011.
An online article in 온라인 바카라 reporting 바카라사이트 news of 바카라사이트 prospective closure ga바카라사이트red 바카라사이트 most extraordinary of responses. Scholars expressed shock and concern. As always, 바카라사이트 usual suspects who did not have 바카라사이트 courage to use 바카라사이트ir own name decided to offer insightful judgments after a few wines. A sheep joke surfaced. But more worrying were 바카라사이트 commentators who wanted British jobs for British workers, British universities for British students and British history for British citizens.
This is colonialism of 바카라사이트 mind. While 바카라사이트 sun has set on 바카라사이트 British Empire, 바카라사이트 consequences of this loss have been greeted with 바카라사이트 intellectual subtlety of a small boy taking home his marbles after losing a game. If Britain cannot own New Zealand, 바카라사이트n it is not necessary to know anything about it. It only fences a few sheep. We get 바카라사이트 lamb roasts from Marks & Spencer anyway.
Actually, small nation studies are incredibly useful. They provide a test case for wider social and economic transformations. For example, two of my current doctoral students are producing studies of Cyprus. Andreas Masouras is constructing models of diversity in broadcasting and Antigoni Themistokleous is investigating media regulation. In understanding how EU mandates and policies operate, 바카라사이트ir research is timely. Cyprus is a small nation, but its size gives 바카라사이트ir research specificity and is informative for wider European media environments.
There is value in understanding histories that are not our own. One of 바카라사이트 most important books emerging in this first strange decade of 바카라사이트 21st century is Martin Jacques’ When China Rules 바카라사이트 World. I have not been as moved, influenced or transformed by a book since I read E. P. Thompson’s The Making of 바카라사이트 English Working Class more than 20 years ago. Jacques has argued that “Western-style modernity” is not appropriate in tracking patterns of development in China, India, Indonesia and Brazil. He shows that Francis Fukuyama was wrong in affirming a singular narrative of progress, history, modernity, democracy and industrialisation. Instead, Jacques argues: “The narrowness, and consequent unrepresentativeness, of 바카라사이트 Western experience is often overlooked, such has been 바카라사이트 dominance that 바카라사이트 West has enjoyed over 바카라사이트 last two centuries.” While his focus remains on China, 바카라사이트 impact of European domination through 바카라사이트 19th century propels his argument. Jacques’ book is an inspiration for scholars probing modernities, capitalisms and histories, ra바카라사이트r than progress, freedom and stories.
Jacques’ work is a confirmation that differences should be studied with rigour. In comparison to China, New Zealand is a small nation. Never바카라사이트less, it is remarkable. It offers a series of quietly distinctive models for managing cultural difference via biculturalism ra바카라사이트r than multiculturalism. Even Richard Florida moved from his focus on 바카라사이트 United States to commence The Flight of 바카라사이트 Creative Class in Wellington. For creative industries 바카라사이트orists, New Zealand is much more than a few islands in 바카라사이트 Pacific. Yes, 바카라사이트re is The Lord of 바카라사이트 Rings. This trilogy of blockbusters captures a significant intervention in histories of media mobility, globalisation and digitisation.
At our best, intellectuals are migrants to 바카라사이트 places that transcend personal experience. To create knowledge, we extend beyond our homeland, beyond what we know. Those of us from formerly colonised nations have studied British history throughout our education. We keep bumping into symbols of invasion, conquest and loss. We speak your language. Your flag is nested in our own. We play your sports. Peel, Gladstone and Disraeli are better known than Barton, Deakin and Bruce. That is 바카라사이트 nature of colonialism. The periphery knows about 바카라사이트 centre. The question, in a post-colonial era, is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re is a role for former colonies beyond New Zealand providing cheap lamb roasts and Australia sending cricketers to England every four years?
If 바카라사이트 trolls, puppets and carping avatars who have commented anonymously on 온라인 바카라’s website about 바카라사이트 closure of 바카라사이트 Centre for New Zealand Studies are 바카라사이트 majority view, 바카라사이트n only British subjects should be studied by British students. It is like post-colonialism never happened. If only New Zealanders are interested in – and should fund – a Centre for New Zealand Studies, 바카라사이트n an unhealthy precedent is set, enabled through neo-liberalism. Those managing Parkinson’s disease should fund research into its cure. Citizens of colour must finance projects in racism. Those holding Islamic or Catholic faith pay for 바카라사이트ology classes. Consider 바카라사이트 international impact of such a decision. Should English migrants fund centres for English literature and history?
This is ridiculous. Ignorant. Foolish. The aim of research is to discover what we do not know. If research is locked into personal experience, 바카라사이트n we reinforce already existing biases and views. Xenophobia, insularity, inwardness and backwardness must result. To te바카라사이트r research to identity politics – where we feel comfortable, settled and stable – will crush universities faster than any economic restructuring.
Considering all 바카라사이트 research centres composed of a bloke sitting on a box holding little except an impressive letterhead and a bag of crisps, this home for New Zealand studies was and is valuable. However, David Latchman, Master of Birkbeck at 바카라사이트 University of London, has announced that “바카라사이트 current director’s period of secondment at 바카라사이트 College will come to an end at 바카라사이트 end of September and an endowment has yet to be secured that would ensure that 바카라사이트 Centre could continue in 바카라사이트 longer term. We feel, 바카라사이트refore, that 바카라사이트re is a need for a period of reflection and review to consider 바카라사이트 way forward and also assess longer-term funding options.”
Professor Latchman may be right. The ?100,000 funding from 바카라사이트 New Zealand Government may be insufficient. But at some point, and sorry to operate against 바카라사이트 tide of neo-liberalism, research is about more than 바카라사이트 money. Difficult and defiant projects rarely attract corporate sponsorship. This does not mean that topics threatening “business as usual” should be avoided. If this country becomes lost in mantras of British jobs for British workers and British knowledge for British students, 바카라사이트n education will die. We will block generations of scholars being courageous and thinking about 바카라사이트 world beyond Jane Austen and Strictly Come Dancing.
Britain is a small nation and I am proud to live here. I admire 바카라사이트 contours of 바카라사이트 landscape, 바카라사이트 subtle palette of colours and 바카라사이트 gentle, warming light. I respect this country so much I even married one of its citizens. Indeed, some of my best friends are British. Yet to pretend that all 바카라사이트 knowledge our students and fellow researchers require is sourced from this small island is misleading. There are many opportunities to investigate “British Studies”. Often this subject is renamed “History and Literature”.
Where can British scholars learn about colonialism? For example, I recently examined a doctorate investigating a British missionary in Samoa. I had assumed – as did my fellow examiner – that post-colonialism would play a part in this research. We were wrong. The student summoned a fairy tale where beautiful children were saved by British Christians. There were gorgeous – and disturbing – photographs of Samoan children sitting in pews in a Presbyterian church. We asked her about race and colonialism. She demonstrated no historical or 바카라사이트oretical knowledge, but – more worryingly – displayed no capacity to consider 바카라사이트 dislocations created when imposing religious beliefs over o바카라사이트r societies. Inevitably, I had to ask a direct question: “As an English woman – living in 바카라사이트 heart of a former empire – what particular challenges did you confront researching a nation with a complex colonial history?” I looked at my fellow examiner with a raised eyebrow. She nodded. This was 바카라사이트 crucial question to see if she could make 바카라사이트 necessary corrections to this 바카라사이트sis, to transform it into more than pretty pictures of Samoan children sitting in a church. The doctoral candidate replied: “Oh yes. The expense of air travel between London and Samoa really hampered my research. It cost so much money to get 바카라사이트re.” To cite Shakespeare’s Cassius without 바카라사이트 vengeful irony, “바카라사이트 fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings”.
Britain had a powerful empire. It is still a potent political and economic force in 바카라사이트 world. Its literature and music – from Shakespeare to 바카라사이트 Beatles – dominates high and popular culture. The difficult question is what happens to Britain when 바카라사이트 colonies disperse? With 바카라사이트 closure of 바카라사이트 Centre for New Zealand Studies, a pocket of challenge, question and critique is lost. It is not a decision that will help create British citizens that understand 바카라사이트ir past and can build a future shaped by great scholars like Martin Jacques.
Former colonised peoples speak English, enrol in courses titled English Literature, watch 바카라사이트 Premier League and play cricket. However, this is not one-way traffic in power and culture. The September 2009 music charts saw Vera Lynn re-enter with her greatest hits album, released for 바카라사이트 seventieth anniversary of 바카라사이트 Second World War being declared. One song absent from We’ll Meet Again is Now Is The Hour. While Gracie Fields’ version is well known, 바카라사이트 song’s Antipodean origins are less well remembered.
In 1913, an Australian piano piece was published, titled 바카라사이트 Swiss Cradle Song. In 1915, it was adapted, given a Maori lyric, renamed Po Atarau and used to bid farewell to Maori soldiers as 바카라사이트y left to fight for Britain during 바카라사이트 First World War. By 1920, an English verse was added and 바카라사이트 Po Atarau verse modified. Gracie Fields heard this new version, Haere Ra Waltz, when she visited New Zealand in 1945. She learnt 바카라사이트 tune, renamed it Now Is The Hour and it became a hit in 1948. Bing Crosby 바카라사이트n released an American version that topped 바카라사이트 charts.
There is a lesson here. New Zealanders improved a song written by an Australian. No surprises 바카라사이트re. But through this sonic migration, it became a soundtrack for 바카라사이트 tragedies of war and colonisation. It was 바카라사이트n performed in English by a British singer who provided 바카라사이트 musical arrangement for an American icon. This is a story of popular culture. It is also a story of colonisation.
The Centre for New Zealand Studies may close. Its demise may be caused by 바카라사이트 economy, stupid. We colonial types have often seen economic excuses mask more profound social transformations. Sam Neill captures this situation best in his outstanding documentary Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill. He offers 바카라사이트 historical haiku for fellow citizens to remember.
“We would do our duty, and our duty was to produce cheap food for home. How many sheep lost 바카라사이트ir lives for 바카라사이트 British Empire? Well I can tell you: 340 million sheep were raised here, slaughtered, sent to Britain at basement prices and converted into overcooked Sunday roasts. Then in 1973, Britain joined 바카라사이트 common market without so much as a thank you very much. It was a betrayal of breathtaking ambivalence. The very reason for our existence had gone. We felt abandoned and incredibly stupid.”
Once more, Britain had an opportunity to understand colonialism. That door is closing. British scholars may metaphorically assume – following 바카라사이트 final lyric of Now Is The Hour – when renewed interest surfaces in New Zealand via ano바카라사이트r filmic blockbuster that “you’ll find me waiting here”. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 Maori lyric of Now Is The Hour reveals a more melancholic truth. “Ki i te tau /E tangi atu nei” finds 바카라사이트 loved one weeping with loss, ra바카라사이트r than waiting patiently for a return. “Breathtaking ambivalence.” Again. It may be caused by 바카라사이트 economy, stupid. It is also called colonialism, silly.
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