The Production of Colonial Science during Francoism

Dublin Core

Title

The Production of Colonial Science during Francoism

Subject

Colonial Science in Equatorial Guinea during Francoism

Description

Modern science played a central role in the consolidation and maintenance of Spanish colonial rule, particularly under Francisco Franco's dictatorship. According to Cécile Stephanie Stehrenberger, In the early twentieth century, scientific and technological advancements, such as geographical and biomedical knowledge, became crucial tools for establishing Spanish authority in Equatorial Guinea (239). This trend intensified during Franco's regime, which systematically mobilized scientific knowledge to govern and exploit colonial populations and resources. Knowledge production and dissemination were closely intertwined, involving a dynamic interaction between scientists and various 'publics,' including colonial officials, business owners, and settlers in Equatorial Guinea. This engagement was not limited to the colonies; metropolitan audiences in Spain were also targeted to garner support for the colonial project.

Institutions such as the Instituto de Estudios Africanos (Institute of African Studies) played a pivotal role in this endeavor. Founded in 1945, the institute was instrumental in generating and disseminating knowledge about Africa, thereby legitimizing and promoting Spain's colonial ambitions. It conducted extensive research in anthropology, geography, and history, producing studies that reinforced the narrative of Spanish benevolence and civilizing mission in Africa. Similarly, Hermic Films, a production company, created documentaries that showcased the supposed progress and benefits of Spanish colonialism.

These efforts were aimed at both informing and persuading various audiences of the legitimacy and necessity of the colonial enterprise. By presenting a scientifically grounded and visually appealing narrative, these institutions helped to sustain metropolitan support for colonial policies and justify the exploitation of African populations and resources. Stehrenberger's work highlights how science and technology were not merely tools of colonial rule but integral to the ideological apparatus that sustained Franco's dictatorship and its imperial ambitions.

Consequently, the following items included in the second half of the first collection explore in depth the scientific and technological sources adopted by this later stage of the imperial enterprise in Equatorial Guinea, whose institutions operated until the very ending of the colonial regime in the country.

Creator

Alexis Hernando Cubas

Source

Stehrenberger, Cécile S. "Science Images and Colonialism in Equatorial Guinea." Bulletin of Spanish Visual Studies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2022, pp. 239-258.

Publisher

Price Lab for the Digital Humanities

Date

2024

Rights

Creative Commons

Relation

Aranzadi, Juan, and Gonzalo Alvarez Chillida. Guinea Ecuatorial (des)conocida: Lo Que Sabemos, Ignoramos, Inventamos Y Deformamos Acerca De Su Pasado Y Su Presente. Madrid: Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, 2020.

Branche, Jerome. Post/colonialism and the Pursuit of Freedom In the Black Atlantic. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2018.

Camprubi, Lino. Engineers and the Making of the Francoist Regime. MIT Press, Cambridge, 2014, doi:10.7551/mitpress/9780262027175.001.0001.

Medina-Doménech, Rosa. "Scientific Technologies of National Identity as Colonial Legacies: Extracting the Spanish Nation from Equatorial Guinea." Social Studies of Science, vol. 39, no. 1, 2009, pp. 81-112.

Format

Digital text

Language

English

Coverage

Spain, Equatorial Guinea