Representativeness means to sympathize and fit into the interests and characteristics of a particular social class or people group. It is a competence attributed to an individual or an entity (political, sexuality, religion, etc.) based on the ability to perform such a role. In other words, representativeness makes us separate people into groups according to how much an individual resembles a category prototype.
Yes its worth it, because colonization allowed governments to profit by leasing land to companies to farm some natural resources. It did cost some, but the profits earned help make up for the expenses.