Maschi in colonia. Gli italiani in Etiopia (1935-1941)

Males in a colony. The Italians in Ethiopia (1935-1941)
This essay describes the preliminary findings of an ongoing study into the relationship between masculinity and colonialism, with reference to the Italian colonization of Ethiopia during the fascist regime. The author begins with an overview of historiographical works (mostly by non-Italians) about colonialism and gender, and continues with some discussion of the methodological problems posed by this kind of study. Finally, by means of an analysis of various texts, comprising propagandistic texts, and the memoirs and diaries of the colonizers, a tentative outline is proposed of the models, behaviour, and male (self)perceptions of the Italians who took part in the «conquest of the empire», with particular attention focused on their relationship with «the Other» (the indigenous males), and on the inter-racial relationships they had with African women.