‘Imperialism’ involves extending the power and influence of a country over other nations through direct or indirect means. It has been common throughout recorded history, and usually involves the use of military force, or financial or diplomatic pressure. The term has negative connotations.
Examples
They may not have invaded the country, but their repeated interference in their economic and political life is a form of imperialism.
The British aristocracy in the Victorian era was very imperialistic in their attitude to less developed parts of the world.
Some parts of Africa are still feeling the effects of European imperialism during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
‘Orientalism’ is the term given to describe Western ideas, scholarship, literature, and art concerning the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. It represents a patronizing Western attitude to those parts of the world which helped fuel an imperialistic drive to ‘civilize’ and ‘modernize’ them.
Examples
Negative 19th century European attitudes towards people in the Far East were partly due to Orientalism, which often encouraged the idea that they were barbaric or backwards.
The historiography of some Arab countries has been tainted by biases resulting from Orientalism.
The British artist’s painting of a chaotic Moorish bazaar is an example of Orientalist art.
‘Chronology’ refers to the arranging or describing of things in the order in which they happened or were made. It allows a historian to accurately locate and sequence historical events in time, helping explain how and why they happened, and to what degree they were related to or influenced by previous events.
Examples
I’ve put the historical works in chronological order, so that the earliest book is first and the latest is last.
Due to a lack of trustworthy sources, historians are not sure of the exact chronology of events.
The art gallery arranged the artist’s paintings chronologically for the exhibition.
An ‘anachronism’ is a person or thing that is chronologically out of place. In other words, they/it are out of date or old-fashioned, a kind of throwback to an earlier time that does not fit the present.
Examples
My old boss had a very anachronistic attitude towards women in the workplace. It belonged to the 1950s, not the modern day.
The period drama I watched in the cinema had a lot of anachronisms in it, such as characters saying words that had not yet been invented in the time in which it was set.
In modern society, many consider a monarchy to be an anachronism.
A ‘curator’ is the keeper or person in charge of a cultural heritage institution such as a museum, gallery, or library. Their job usually involves using their expertise to care for the items in the collection, as well as sourcing new additions and conducting research.
Examples
Alice’s dream job is to one day be curator of the Greece and Rome collection in the British Museum.
Joe spoke to me about his experiences curating at the National Gallery. It was fascinating!
Like many other curators, Tom was passionate about preserving the history and legacy of previous generations.