Dutch Culture Overseas

Abstract

Why were citizens of a small and politically insignificant European nation like the Netherlands able to represent as natural and normal their paternalistic dominance over ancient civilizations in places such as Java and Bali? How did 'ethical' twentieth century residents of the Dutch East Indies see their idealistic efforts to nurture, tutor and instruct Indonesians in the direction of maturity and, perhaps, eventual autonomy? Gouda searches for answers to these and other deceptively simple questions. In general, she examines ways in which the Netherlands articulated and portrayed its unique colonial style to the outside world