Colonial Lives of Property: Law, Land, and Racial Regimes of Ownership

Global and Insurgent Legalities

by Brenna Bhandar

In Colonial Lives of Property Brenna Bhandar examines how modern property law contributes to the formation of racial subjects in settler colonies and to the development of racial capitalism. Examining both historical cases and ongoing processes of settler colonialism in Canada, Australia, and Israel and Palestine, Bhandar shows how the colonial appropriation of indigenous lands depends upon ideologies of European racial superiority as well as upon legal narratives that equate civilized life with English concepts of property. In this way, property law legitimates and rationalizes settler colonial practices while it racializes those deemed unfit to own property. The solution to these enduring racial and economic inequities, Bhandar demonstrates, requires developing a new political imaginary of property in which freedom is connected to shared practices of use and community rather than individual possession.

Genres: History, Race, Nonfiction, Law, Politics, Academic, Geography

280 pages, Paperback

Published May 25, 2018

About the author

Brenna Bhandar is Senior Lecturer in the School of Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and coeditor of Plastic Materialities.

Reviews

[Seamas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for class. I was honestly a bit disappointed. The first chapter wonderfully sets out the book and had me very excited. However, as the book went along I felt as though Bhandar's writing and analysis gradually declined.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bhandar’s examination of the racial configurations of private property uses very pertinent present-day case studies (Palestine, Canada, Australia, South Africa) and critiques of liberal theorists to demonstrate how private property law has remained a force of disenfranchisement and dispossession since early settler colonialism. Seems obvious at first but then veers toward a radical critique of property itself, positing that maybe the only way to attain freedom & break with settler colonial epistemologies is to ‘own nothing’. Best critique of Locke’s ideas on improvement and the property-identity nexus. Highly recommend!

[Sohum · Rating 5 out of 5]

i feel that it likely could have gone further in the body of the text to think about the form of radical contestation to property and what that might look like, but this was still a very good, clearly written book that helped me crystallize certain genealogies of property and the proprietary.

[Altay · Rating 3 out of 5]

did for class. some good history and has broadened my awareness of legal paradigms and their development. but the overarching argument throughout is inconsistent and vague, each chapter works better by itself. also the writing style, though not esoteric, is way too roundabout.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh I need some more time to reflect on this !
But: this comprehensive introduction to how colonialism created modern property laws as well as conceptions of ownership and self governance is so so interesting!
I say introduction because the examples she chose (British Columbia, Southern Australia, Palestine and Israel) invited you (me) to think more closely about how colonialism and conceptions of race and inferiority formed in that period underlie ALL of current law.
Also the conclusion where she presents some resources and examples (from indigenous and decolonial scholars) for new envisionings of property and ownership is very good!

In short: abolish property. But also: modern property is inherently colonial.
Would like to reread to get another take from it as there's so much.
Starts a bit abstract but is actually very readable!

[Emily]

I was reading this as part of a reading group which got me further through it than i had when trying to read it alone. The book is full of great ideas but they are written in such dense academic language that it’s basically impossible to understand any of what Bhandar is saying unless you’re an academic yourself (very sadly). Stopped reading it around halfway through

[Abi Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished this book for class. It was informative but was a little too wordy and convoluted. Often the main points were said in a repetitive pattern but it was a good comprehensive book on the historical accounts of colonialism.