John M. MacKenzie
Encyclopedia
John MacDonald MacKenzie (born 2 October 1943) is a British historian of imperialism
who pioneered the study of popular and cultural imperialism
, as well as aspects of environmental history
. He has also written about Scottish migration and the development of museums around the world.
, Ndola
(Zambia), Vancouver
(British Columbia) and London
. This cosmopolitan upbringing developed his interest in the history of the British Empire
.
He has travelled extensively, for research, conferences and pleasure, throughout Africa, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and has taught in the Universities of British Columbia, Lancaster, Liverpool, Zimbabwe, and the Wilfrid Laurier University
in Ontario.
, St. Andrews and Stirling
, and is an honorary fellow of the University of Edinburgh
. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
.
His research has stimulated a good deal of controversy. His critique of Edward Said
's Orientalism
, published in 1995, was badly received by post-Saidians and post-colonialists, although many of his early publications pioneered their later work. His insistence that popular imperialism was a feature of British culture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries came in for severe criticism from Bernard Porter in his The Absent-Minded Imperialists, although MacKenzie's followers have mounted a vigorous fight-back, not least in the many books (almost 100) in the Manchester University Press
"Studies in Imperialism" series which he has edited since 1984.
He has given BBC radio
talks, has appeared on television programmes relating to the British Empire, and has written for The Scotsman
. He was an advisory curator for exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Scottish Academy
and the Victoria and Albert Museum
.
The Railway Station: a Social History (with Jeffrey Richards
) (1986)
The Empire of Nature (1988)
Orientalism: History, Theory and the Arts (1995)
Empires of Nature and the Nature of Empires (1997)
Inverness in Old Photographs (with Nigel Dalziel) (1998)
A Life in Three Centuries (2003)
The Scots in South Africa (2007)
Museums and Empire (2009)
Imperialism and the Natural World (1990)
Popular Imperialism and the Military (1992)
David Livingstone and the Victorian Encounter with Africa (1997)
European Impact and Pacific Influence (with Hermann J. Hiery) (1997)
The Victorian Vision (2001)
Peoples, Nations and Cultures (2003)
European Empires and the People (2011)
Scotland and the British Empire (with T.M. Devine
)
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
who pioneered the study of popular and cultural imperialism
Cultural imperialism
Cultural imperialism is the domination of one culture over another. Cultural imperialism can take the form of a general attitude or an active, formal and deliberate policy, including military action. Economic or technological factors may also play a role...
, as well as aspects of environmental history
Environmental history
Environmental history, a branch of historiography, is the study of human interaction with the natural world over time. In contrast to other historical disciplines, it emphasizes the active role nature plays in influencing human affairs. Environmental historians study how humans both shape their...
. He has also written about Scottish migration and the development of museums around the world.
Biography
He is the son of Alexander MacKenzie and Hannah (née Whitby) and was educated in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Ndola
Ndola
Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others...
(Zambia), Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
(British Columbia) and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. This cosmopolitan upbringing developed his interest in the history of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
He has travelled extensively, for research, conferences and pleasure, throughout Africa, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and has taught in the Universities of British Columbia, Lancaster, Liverpool, Zimbabwe, and the Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
in Ontario.
Academic Career
His principal post was at the University of Lancaster, where he held the chair of imperial history from 1991 to 2002. He was also successively Dean of Arts and Humanities and Dean of Education there. He holds honorary professorships of the Universities of AberdeenUniversity of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, St. Andrews and Stirling
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
, and is an honorary fellow of the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
.
His research has stimulated a good deal of controversy. His critique of Edward Said
Edward Said
Edward Wadie Saïd was a Palestinian-American literary theorist and advocate for Palestinian rights. He was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and a founding figure in postcolonialism...
's Orientalism
Orientalism (book)
Orientalism is a book published in 1978 by Edward Said that has been highly influential and controversial in postcolonial studies and other fields. In the book, Said effectively redefined the term "Orientalism" to mean a constellation of false assumptions underlying Western attitudes toward the...
, published in 1995, was badly received by post-Saidians and post-colonialists, although many of his early publications pioneered their later work. His insistence that popular imperialism was a feature of British culture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries came in for severe criticism from Bernard Porter in his The Absent-Minded Imperialists, although MacKenzie's followers have mounted a vigorous fight-back, not least in the many books (almost 100) in the Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press is the university press of the University of Manchester, England and a publisher of academic books and journals. Manchester University Press has developed into an international publisher...
"Studies in Imperialism" series which he has edited since 1984.
He has given BBC radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
talks, has appeared on television programmes relating to the British Empire, and has written for The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
. He was an advisory curator for exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Scottish Academy
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy is a Scottish organisation that promotes contemporary Scottish art. Founded in 1826, as the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, the RSA maintains a unique position in Scotland as an independently funded institution led by eminent artists and...
and the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
.
Books
Propaganda and Empire (1984)The Railway Station: a Social History (with Jeffrey Richards
Jeffrey Richards
Jeffrey Richards is a British historian.Educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, he is Professor of Cultural History at Lancaster University. A leading cultural historian and film critic, he is the author of over 15 books on British cultural history...
) (1986)
The Empire of Nature (1988)
Orientalism: History, Theory and the Arts (1995)
Empires of Nature and the Nature of Empires (1997)
Inverness in Old Photographs (with Nigel Dalziel) (1998)
A Life in Three Centuries (2003)
The Scots in South Africa (2007)
Museums and Empire (2009)
Edited books
Imperialism and Popular Culture (1986)Imperialism and the Natural World (1990)
Popular Imperialism and the Military (1992)
David Livingstone and the Victorian Encounter with Africa (1997)
European Impact and Pacific Influence (with Hermann J. Hiery) (1997)
The Victorian Vision (2001)
Peoples, Nations and Cultures (2003)
European Empires and the People (2011)
Scotland and the British Empire (with T.M. Devine
Tom Devine
Thomas Martin "Tom" Devine OBE FRSE FRHistS FBA is a Scottish historian. His main research interest is the history of the Scottish nation since c.1600 and its global connections and impact....
)