Poll results: Can you define "White Man's Burden," and place it to historical era?

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19. You may not vote on this poll
  • Yes, to both.

    13 68.42%
  • I can place the era, but cannot define the term.

    1 5.26%
  • I can define the term, but cannot place the era.

    2 10.53%
  • No clue; no credit.

    3 15.79%
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Thread: White Man's Burden

  1. #1
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Default White Man's Burden

    Without looking it up, can you define "White Man's Burden." both for what it means, and what historical era it came from?

    Bonus points if you can name a famous author associated with the expression.

  2. #2
    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    Yep.

    Spoiler (mouseover to read):
    Rudyard Kipling, author of the poem--you guessed it--"The White Man's Burden".

  3. #3
    Oliphaunt The Original An Gadaí's avatar
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    Yes I think so

    Spoiler (mouseover to read):
    Rudyard Kipling

  4. #4
    Wanna cuddle? RabbitMage's avatar
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    I wrote a long-ass essay on this a couple of semesters ago, so yes.

  5. #5
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Default

    The reason this comes up is that the Sociological Images blog has a recent post about Colonialism, Soap, and the Cleansing Metaphor.

    In the body of the text is a very simple, basic, definition of what White Man's Burden means, and when it was used. Which I found hugely jarring, since it seemed to me about as necessary as defining what "wet" might mean. I just wonder how necessary such a definition really is for the target audience for this blog.

  6. #6
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Zuul, and AG, you're both right.

  7. #7
    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    That is a bit odd that they'd feel the need to explain it. I don't remember if it came up at all in high school, but it was definitely something we were talking about in my first couple semesters of college. It's present enough in the cultural lexicon I'd assume any reasonably aware and educated adult would at least know what it means, even if they might not know the author it came from.

    Edit: Damn right I'm right. You don't get my scores on the English Lit GRE without knowing that.

  8. #8
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    That's almost exactly what I was thinking, Zuul - except that I did get hit with the concept in HS, both in English class and in history class.

  9. #9
    Oliphaunt The Original An Gadaí's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by OtakuLoki View post
    The reason this comes up is that the Sociological Images blog has a recent post about Colonialism, Soap, and the Cleansing Metaphor.

    In the body of the text is a very simple, basic, definition of what White Man's Burden means, and when it was used. Which I found hugely jarring, since it seemed to me about as necessary as defining what "wet" might mean. I just wonder how necessary such a definition really is for the target audience for this blog.
    Well how many people would think it was a mediocre film with John Travolta? But seriously I imagine some people, even educated people in an American context might think it refers to something in America's tumultuous racial history.

  10. #10
    Elephant Feirefiz's avatar
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    Yes, I can and I can name the author.

  11. #11
    For whom nothing is written. Oliveloaf's avatar
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    I always thought White Man's Burden had something to do with ear hair.
    "I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."

    -Jim Rockford

  12. #12
    Banned
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    Spoiler (mouseover to read):
    Rudyard Kipling. Colonial era. Describes the "white man's burden" of civilizing all those poor benighted brown folk.

  13. #13
    The Apostabulous Inner Stickler's avatar
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    Spoiler (mouseover to read):
    White Man's Burden is feeling the necessity to bring civilization to the savage heathens of the world. I would probably associate it with the 1800s in England and Rudyard Kipling is the first author that springs to mind.
    I don't think so, therefore I'm probably not.

  14. #14
    Oliphaunt
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    Spoiler (mouseover to read):
    I'm pretty sure it's Kipling, and it calls to mind British Colonialism; guys in Pith helmets drinking G&Ts and brutalizing the natives.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally posted by Orual View post
    Spoiler (mouseover to read):
    I'm pretty sure it's Kipling, and it calls to mind British Colonialism; guys in Pith helmets drinking G&Ts and brutalizing the natives.
    Heh heh, yeah, my immediate image when I think of that era is a guy with
    Spoiler (mouseover to read):
    a pith helmet and a curled mustache.

  16. #16
    Padding Enabler Panther Squad's avatar
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    I don't recall ever hearing this before. Ugh, Mello, now I'm going to have to try to non-wikipedia this.
    comcast guy - m4m - 18 (nb)
    seem like we had that connection when we looked at each other
    you had a blue shirt on nice asss,dought you will see this but dosnt hurt to try, but id love to play with you. tell me what you where fixing, or the street name,or describe me.

  17. #17
    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    Yes
    Spoiler (mouseover to read):
    It was Kipling at the end of the 1800s. It was taken as a good and even "noble" excuse for Colonialism. But basically it was more suppose to be paternalistic but helpful where the more advanced nations of the times (that were of course ruled mostly by whites) should help the nations to catch up.

  18. #18
    For whom nothing is written. Oliveloaf's avatar
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    Ah this all makes sense now. Orwell hated colonialism, and he really disliked K.

    I never made the connection. Thanks OP! I'm smarter now!
    "I won't kill for money, and I won't marry for it. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything."

    -Jim Rockford

  19. #19
    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    I'd suggest checking out the front page article Loki wrote based on this thread, which has a bit more information. It's really well done.

  20. #20
    like Gandalf in a way Nrblex's avatar
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    I really liked what you wrote on the front page for this, Loki. I was aware of where the term came from--one of the few things my pitiful little brain does know!--but the other historical stuff you talked about, I did not know.

  21. #21
    Curmudgeon OtakuLoki's avatar
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    Default

    Thanks! I'm glad you found it interesting and informative.

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