Introduction: What colonialism tells us about Antarctica, and what Antarctica tells us about colonialism

The introduction begins by laying out why colonialism has been considered controversial in the context of Antarctica, despite growing acceptance that imperialism, capitalism and various forms of geopolitical competition have shaped human presence in Antarctica and human attitudes to its governance. Following evaluation of various definitions of colonialism, and its relationship to concepts such as imperialism and capitalism, the authors present different ways in which colonialism may be relevant to Antarctica. These include the attitudes that informed actions toward Antarctic resources and territory, and the way in which global power structures were reproduced in the Antarctic Treaty. The authors then consider how Antarctica may reveal the limits of the utility of colonialism as an analytical concept, before moving on to a description and overview of the individual chapters in the book.