The long-lasting ‘provincialization’ of Europe. An interview with Dipesh Chakrabarty

This article and the related interview aim at exploring the intellectual legacy of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s book Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Though and Historical Difference (2000). The long-lasting process of “provincialization” of both Europe and the Western world is analysed in the light of today’s most pressing global challenges. A particular attention is dedicated to the process of European integration, the ‘colonial origins’ of the European Economic Community and the reconfiguration of labour subjectivities within contemporary society in Europe and beyond. In this respect, our aim is to introduce a fruitful postcolonial perspective into such an intriguing topic, that is the transnational history and politics of European integration. This article is conceived as a long introduction to an interview with Chakrabarty himself, where we seek to understand how he conceptualizes the far-reaching transformations that both Europe and the entire “globe” experienced over the last twenty years in the realm of transnational social, economic, political, and cultural relations.