This paper shows that the three competing discourses related to slavery issues were interlinked with social forces in the 19th century England: political evangelism, ‘scientific racism,’ and liberalism. The three discourses came to be associated w...
This paper shows that the three competing discourses related to slavery issues were interlinked with social forces in the 19th century England: political evangelism, ‘scientific racism,’ and liberalism. The three discourses came to be associated with social forces whose economic interests were compatible to the discourses. Also, it presents that the link between discourses and social forces reflects the changing economic environments. When the slavey was not abolished yet, commercial and industrial sectors allied with political evangelism and liberalism; plantation owners allied with Christian/‘scientific’ racism. In contrast, after the slavery was abolished, commercial and industrial sectors kept distances from political evangelism because of the economic dissonance between their economic interests and beliefs; plantation owners tried to invoke political evangelism to defend their economic interests. This case implies that researchers should extend the time span in their study of norms from emergence in domestic political configurations to internalization/adaptation. Multiple research paradigms need to be integrated in norm studies.