Colonialism and Postcolonialism: Psychological Dimensions

European colonial powers invaded then dominated a large part of the world from the Renaissance to the middle of the twentieth century. Across this long history and numerous geographical settings, colonialism took various forms, was associated with diverse practices, and was justifi ed by different ideologies. However, it created unprecedented situations of encounters between the original inhabitants of the colonized countries and European colonizers, locking them in “ the most complex and traumatic relationship in human history ” (Loomba, 2005 , p. 8). This long traumatic relationship had a tremendous infl uence on the psychologies of both the colonized and the colonizers, deeply affecting their views of the world, of the other peoples, and of themselves. This infl uence did not cease once independence treaties were signed, as the colonial experience continues to impregnate the cultures and identities of both formerly colonizing and formerly colonized peoples. As a consequence, colonialism still affects their current interactions, be it in the context of international relations or in that of contacts between majority members and immigrants or indigenous peoples in Western countries. (See  :    ;    .) Accordingly, psychological analyses have occupied a central position in anticolonial and postcolonial critiques. This article will summarize some of the main features of these analyses. After defi ning key concepts, it will address the colonial situation as a source of representations about the other peoples for the Europeans. Then it will address the psychological characteristics of the colonial situation for both the colonized and the colonizers and their mutual relationships, before and after decolonization. Finally, it will situate colonialism as a topic in current psychological research.