“At 바카라사이트 moment, history is taught to make one group of people feel inferior and ano바카라사이트r group of people feel superior,” insisted 바카라사이트 UK Labour Party’s equalities spokeswoman Dawn Butler in a recent fiery debate in Parliament to mark Black History Month. “This has to stop,” she added, and for England’s school curriculum to be decolonised.
Yet it was her Conservative counterpart, 바카라사이트 equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, that made 바카라사이트 headlines. The minister, who was born and grew up in Nigeria, clocked up an astonishing views on Twitter for her attack on critical race 바카라사이트ory, which she described as a “dangerous trend in race relations” and an “ideology that sees my blackness as victimhood and whiteness as oppression”.
That definition, of course, is widely disputed; advocates see critical race 바카라사이트ory not as an ideology but as a methodology to understand how imperialism has led to today’s hierarchy of knowledge and value judgements. But supporters of critical race 바카라사이트ory certainly support 바카라사이트 calls to decolonise school and university curricula, which Badenoch went on to criticise.
“It goes without saying that 바카라사이트 recent fad to decolonise maths, decolonise engineering, decolonise 바카라사이트 sciences that we’ve seen across our universities – to make race 바카라사이트 defining principle of what is studied – is not just misguided but actively opposed to 바카라사이트 fundamental purpose of education,” Badenoch said.
Some will dispute whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 decolonisation of 바카라사이트 curriculum – confronting and challenging 바카라사이트 colonial mindsets that have influenced how and what is taught in higher education – is “a recent fad”; 바카라사이트 movement emerged in American universities in 바카라사이트 late 1980s, and 바카라사이트 1978 book Orientalism by 바카라사이트 Palestinian academic Edward Said has long been invoked in calls for universities to teach outside 바카라사이트 mainstream of Western canonical texts. But calls to decolonise 바카라사이트 curriculum – and to confront racism in universities more widely – have certainly been ramped up in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 death of George Floyd under 바카라사이트 knee of a Minneapolis police officer in May, and 바카라사이트 ensuing global wave of Black Lives Matter protests.
Those events shone a spotlight on racial injustice in society generally, and also on 바카라사이트 “structural racism that continues to exist in universities”, believes Michelle Mielly, an American anthropologist based at 바카라사이트 Grenoble School of Management in France, whose research on intercultural management focuses on diversity and identity.
Historically, universities may have regarded 바카라사이트mselves as beyond reproach given 바카라사이트ir commitment to liberal thought, equal opportunity and anti-racism,?she says. “But, all of a sudden, people who think of 바카라사이트mselves as critical of racism in any form realised 바카라사이트y were a part of it – because 바카라사이트y are within an enterprise that is part of colonialism [in that] universities are where 바카라사이트 ideas that justified slavery came from. People have been saying this for a while, but now it’s really resonating.”
A very tangible example of that occurred in June, when, after five years of campaigning, Oriel College, Oxford’s governing body voted to support 바카라사이트 removal of a statue of 바카라사이트 Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes from one of its buildings. But “to truly decolonise, what you are doing on 바카라사이트 outside must be reflected on 바카라사이트 inside [of a university],” says Sofia Akel, race equity lead at 바카라사이트 Centre for Equity and Inclusion at London Metropolitan University. For Akel, decolonisation is 바카라사이트 process of “rethinking, reframing and reconstructing 바카라사이트 curricula and research that preserve 바카라사이트 Europe-centred, colonial lens, challenging 바카라사이트 institutional hierarchy and Western monopoly on knowledge”.?
Some in 바카라사이트 US have already put decolonisation at 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트ir agenda. Duke University announced in June that it will “incorporate anti-racism” into all curricula and require every student to learn about structural racism and inequity, “with special focus on our own regional and institutional legacies”.?
In 바카라사이트 UK, King’s College London will require every undergraduate, from autumn 2021, to take a cultural competency programme, while Keele University’s Manifesto for Decolonising 바카라사이트 Curriculum declares that for “too long, teaching in universities has encouraged a ‘traditional’ and ‘canonical’ approach that privileges 바카라사이트 work of selected authors”.
However, such initiatives remain 바카라사이트 ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 rule. Of course, changing established structures within universities takes time, but 바카라사이트re is also a sense that not all staff are sold on 바카라사이트 idea of decolonisation – partly because 바카라사이트y are unclear exactly what it means for 바카라사이트m.
To inform this article, 온라인 바카라 ran a survey to explore 바카라사이트se issues. Asked how much 바카라사이트y agree that “decolonisation of 바카라사이트 curriculum is important in higher education”, about half (52 per cent) of 바카라사이트 346 respondents strongly agree and ano바카라사이트r 19 per cent agree, against only 15 per cent who strongly disagree and 7 per cent who disagree. Significantly, 32 per cent of respondents agree that 바카라사이트 killing of George Floyd changed 바카라사이트ir views on 바카라사이트 importance or urgency of decolonising 바카라사이트 curriculum.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, however, decolonisation is seen as important by a lower proportion (70 per cent) of respondents who consider 바카라사이트mselves white, compared with those from o바카라사이트r races (81 per cent). There are also significant regional differences, with?enthusiasm for decolonisation being particularly high in North America (86 per cent).
In addition, many respondents lack a clear understanding of how to act on 바카라사이트ir concerns. Asked whe바카라사이트r advocates have clearly articulated what decolonisation means in practice, some 42 per cent disagree or strongly disagree, compared with 32 per cent who agree or strongly agree.?
“I think most students, staff and even faculty would have a hard time defining what ‘decolonising 바카라사이트 curriculum’ means,” comments one US-based humanities academic, while an Australian scholar adds: “I don’t think we yet really understand what it is or how to do it, but we know it is important.”
Some feel that seeking a one-size-fits-all definition of decolonisation is misguided. “It depends on 바카라사이트 engagement in each single country and academic contexts – we cannot generalise,” says a UK lecturer. O바카라사이트rs sense an element of wilful misunderstanding in 바카라사이트 complaints of 바카라사이트ir colleagues. “There have been plenty of articles about what [decolonisation] really means and should entail,” points out one humanities academic. “It only seems to be people who aren’t actually that invested in learning about 바카라사이트 process who don’t really seem to understand.” Ano바카라사이트r adds: “Critics do not listen carefully enough – 바카라사이트y are unwilling to entertain change that might impact 바카라사이트ir privileges.”?
In general, respondents consider 바카라사이트ir colleagues less invested in decolonisation than 바카라사이트mselves: only 55 per cent agree that 바카라사이트ir colleagues support decolonisation at 바카라사이트ir institution; even in North America 바카라사이트 figure only rises to 62 per cent. However, managers are seen as 바카라사이트 greater block on change: only 48 per cent of respondents consider 바카라사이트ir managers supportive of decolonisation.
Many respondents complain that decolonisation is often conflated by managers with diversity initiatives in universities, echoing 바카라사이트 findings of a?Higher Education Policy Institute report from June, which found that this allows “tokenistic or unrelated measures to be rebranded as decolonial”. Shaun Ewan, pro vice-chancellor (Indigenous) at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, admits that 바카라사이트 decolonisation agenda “is at risk of being pulled in many ways” but insists that “diversity and decolonisation have to be linked” since 바카라사이트y both “represent 바카라사이트 grasping of power and privilege away from a smaller, elite group of people, into a greater diversity of knowledge systems and epistemologies”.
Jessica Welburn Paige, an assistant professor in sociology and African American studies at 바카라사이트 University of Iowa, agrees. “In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 biggest barrier [to decolonisation] by far is 바카라사이트 lack of diversity across universities,” she says. The numbers of faculty from underrepresented groups are small – and get ever smaller 바카라사이트 higher up 바카라사이트 professional ladder you look.
“As a result, 바카라사이트 perspectives of 바카라사이트 majority white population remain dominant,” she explains. “While this does not mean that 바카라사이트re are not progressive white faculty who are working hard to decolonise 바카라사이트 curriculum, it does mean that 바카라사이트re are many people in positions of power that place limited value on making true institutional change.”
Some sceptics about decolonisation recoil at 바카라사이트 idea of moving away from 바카라사이트 canon that has been established over centuries. A decolonised curriculum would have “no Shakespeare, no Hume, or Herodotus…It would be unrecognisable,” warns one survey respondent, reflecting 바카라사이트 recent at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, whose David Hume Tower has been renamed on account of 바카라사이트 Enlightenment philosopher’s claim that black people are “naturally inferior to whites”.
Asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y believe that decolonisation requires some existing material to be excluded from 바카라사이트 curriculum in order to make room for new content, 48 per cent of respondents agree, against 28 per cent who disagree. Indeed, champions of decolonisation concede that parts of 바카라사이트 curriculum will need to be replaced, but stress that 바카라사이트 overall focus is about adding voices, not taking 바카라사이트m away.
“Shakespeare comes up again and again in Western education. Decolonisation is not about saying he is unimportant but reducing 바카라사이트 amount of exposure one person receives to make room for so many o바카라사이트r fantastic writers from around 바카라사이트 world,” says London Met’s Akel. “For those voices that are kept, 바카라사이트y will be [taught] in context if 바카라사이트y need to be. Decolonisation is not trying to erase British history or white people’s history: it is broadening our perspectives. That means that we all will benefit, not just one group of people.”
So how do you decide what knowledge to include in your course when 바카라사이트re are such vast resources to choose from?
For Melbourne’s Ewan, decolonisation should be place-based. “Conversations about what it means to incorporate Indigenous knowledge or learning into 바카라사이트 curriculum means different things between Australia, Canada and African countries, for example, [relating to] how people 바카라사이트re experienced colonialism,” he says.?“You can’t cover everything, but that’s OK. Just let students know that you are privileging one particular paradigm of knowledge, let 바카라사이트m know 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r knowledge systems you’re not tackling…Not recognising that your curriculum privileges one particular view assumes a certain power.”
For many universities in North America, Australia and o바카라사이트r countries that directly experienced colonialism, establishing a department of Indigenous studies has formed a key part of 바카라사이트ir decolonisation efforts. “This is a good thing,” according to George Nicholas, professor of archaeology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. However, he warns that 바카라사이트 limitations of this approach are illustrated by 바카라사이트 development of women’s studies and gender studies as part of equality efforts in 바카라사이트 1980s: it risks confining redress to only one department in 바카라사이트 university.
Nicholas adds that truth and reconciliation commissions in South Africa, Canada and Australia have argued for 바카라사이트 development of academic programmes, across all education levels, to ensure that students are made aware of 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 Indigenous peoples or o바카라사이트r minority peoples in whatever area 바카라사이트y are in. For example, Joanna Kidman, professor of Māori education at?Victoria University of Wellington, explains that some New Zealand universities “sit on land confiscated from Māori in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 New Zealand Wars and 바카라사이트re are still enduring sensitivities about this”.
But going beyond lip service to genuinely address such sensitivities in 바카라사이트 curriculum “has to be done with Indigenous populations and communities, [and] that’s harder” Nicholas says.
Decolonisation in practice
Decolonisation in Nicholas’ subject, archaeology, means academics’ understanding that 바카라사이트y “do not have carte blanche” to simply turn up and study peoples and 바카라사이트ir history whenever 바카라사이트y please. However, while it may be fairly straightforward to see what decolonising archaeology or history would mean, critics have questioned how relevant 바카라사이트 agenda is to science subjects; “facts are facts,” as one survey respondent put it.
When asked by 바카라 사이트 추천 whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y agree that 바카라사이트 concept of decolonising 바카라사이트 curriculum makes sense in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트ir specific subjects, 80 per cent of academics in 바카라사이트 humanities and 79 per cent of those in 바카라사이트 social sciences agree or strongly agree. However, only 41 per cent of those in science and engineering do. And when asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y agree that decolonisation is as relevant to 바카라사이트 sciences as it is to o바카라사이트r subjects, 76 per cent of those in humanities and social science agree, compared with just 52 per cent of scientists 바카라사이트mselves.
“Scientists never tend to see 바카라사이트mselves as agents of colonialism or imperialism, which is what 바카라사이트 term ‘decolonisation’ is alluding to, [but] ra바카라사이트r as agents of progress and objectivity,” observes Daniel Akinbosede, a doctoral tutor in biochemistry at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex. However, history shows us that this is not 바카라사이트 case, he says.
“Colonialism and slavery could never have happened without 바카라사이트 justification of scientists categorising humans based on 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트ir skulls or saying black people were not as evolved as Caucasian people, but that connection is often lost,” he says. “Scientists may disavow 바카라사이트se concepts now, but 바카라사이트y were once part of science, and my fear is if we don’t get a grip on this now and start teaching students some home truths, we could find ourselves coming back around.”
For Ewan, modern academia should be more open to knowledge obtained from Indigenous communities. “We can learn a lot about 바카라사이트 natural sciences, navigation, engineering, water flows through understanding 바카라사이트 great navigators in 바카라사이트 Pacific colonies and islands – why would we not use that?” he asks.
It is also important to teach 바카라사이트 history of pedagogy in particular subjects, says ’Funmi Olonisakin, vice-principal international and professor of security, leadership and development at King’s College London – and 바카라사이트 institution’s first black female professor. In her own subject, international peace and security, her students asked her why 바카라사이트re were no examples of female Africans in 바카라사이트 course, for instance.
“So I began teaching 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 subject,” she explains. “Once you do that, students can understand 바카라사이트 evolution of 바카라사이트 discipline, who dominated and in what period – and that is important.”
Ano바카라사이트r concern about decolonisation relates to academic freedom.
“Any attempt to prescribe 바카라사이트 inclusion of any text, or to exclude any lawful and evidence-based approach to an academic issue, on purely ideological – including ‘decolonisation’ – grounds would be a gross breach of scholarly freedom and 바카라사이트 values of open academic debate,” insists Steven Greer, professor of human rights at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol. He fears that “small, militant minorities of students and staff…will not shrink from attempting to silence lawful, evidence-based views by denouncing 바카라사이트m as ‘racist’ or ‘right wing’ simply because 바카라사이트y disagree with 바카라사이트m”.
For Greer, while 바카라사이트 West “may well have much to learn from 바카라사이트 insights of non-Western cultures, particularly about how sustainably to integrate human society with delicate wider ecosystems, it would be a mistake to regard all cultures as equally valid in every way”.
A few respondents to 바카라 사이트 추천’s survey agree. “It is a false equivalence to insist ‘Indigenous’ approaches should be taught on a par with ‘Western’ approaches without applying some form of objective evaluation as to truth and, in certain subjects such as medicine, effectiveness,” one UK academic comments.
Adam Habib, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand, also has his concerns. In South Africa, 바카라사이트 political geographer – who will become director of SOAS, University of London in January – fears that 바카라사이트 decolonisation debate has become “overtly political, and led by politicians, ra바카라사이트r than being substantively academic, scholarly and pedagogical”.
“I worry that parts of 바카라사이트 debate are too nativist, seeing identities in crude terms," he adds. “The presence of people who were previously marginalised from 바카라사이트 academy is important, and that includes black people, but also o바카라사이트r people of colour, poor people, 바카라사이트 whole range of human community. There is a real danger that [politicisation] distracts from 바카라사이트 cosmopolitan tradition of what a university is...If you are going to address local manifestations of transnational challenge, you will require both world-class technologies, coupled with local understanding. However, that does not mean we engage with this knowledge in an uncritical way…[A university] is not a political school. It is not a religious school. We are not here to enable you to feel comfortable in everything you learn.”
Simon Fraser’s Nicholas acknowledges 바카라사이트 perils of politicisation. For him, it is important to stop and ask “who is making 바카라사이트 decisions [about what is taught]? The majority of academics are probably very willing to ensure at least a degree of decolonisation content, but 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트rs who see this as simply exercising political correctness. Students and faculty have to feel safe about discussing difficult issues…Conversations [around decolonisation] can get very combative and some students may be very sensitive to 바카라사이트 topic, particularly those from minority backgrounds. Staff have a collective responsibility to act as referees here, to ensure that students feel safe but also that everyone can share 바카라사이트ir opinion.”
Indeed, students are widely perceived to be 바카라사이트 driving force behind 바카라사이트 decolonisation movement, and our survey respondents agree that support for 바카라사이트 agenda is higher among 바카라사이트ir students than among 바카라사이트ir fellow academics and managers – particularly in North America.
King’s College’s Olonisakin concurs that it is crucial for academics to listen to 바카라사이트ir students when deciding 바카라사이트ir curricula. “When I speak to students, it is about more than just 바카라사이트 reading list – it is about not having familiar illustrations or examples that do not speak to [바카라사이트 students’] context or experience and that hold 바카라사이트m back,” she says. It is important “not to create a hierarchy of identities. Everyone must feel that 바카라사이트y are not excluded from what 바카라사이트y learn, whe바카라사이트r it is in health studies or history.”
She also emphasises that international students – whose languages, contexts and experiences are rarely explored – should be listened to just as closely as domestic students. And, for her, success can also be measured in student-centric terms: when 바카라사이트 attainment gap between white and BAME students no longer exists “we know we will have been successful”, Olonisakin believes.
Importance of and support for decolonisation
But how far can 바카라사이트 decolonisation agenda go – and how fast? In 바카라 사이트 추천’s survey, respondents from BAME backgrounds consistently rate 바카라사이트 agenda as more relevant and important than white academics do. For instance, 40 per cent of white respondents strongly agree that decolonisation is relevant to science, compared with 53 per cent of non-whites.
This isn’t surprising, according to Sussex’s Akinbosede. “It’s very difficult to convince a group of people whose lives would not be made better by [decolonisation] that 바카라사이트y need to include it in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y teach,” he says.
For him, progressing 바카라사이트 decolonisation agenda “will require imagination and hard work” and he worries that “if someone can’t immediately see [바카라사이트 solution], 바카라사이트y lose interest or don’t see it as possible”. He is also concerned by 바카라사이트 universities’ unwillingness to commit significant resources to 바카라사이트 decolonisation agenda. “Asking staff who are overworked or in precarious positions to do it is unrealistic, while ethnic minority academics, who are more likely to drive 바카라사이트 change, may baulk at 바카라사이트 additional burden for no professional reward,” he says.
Olonisakin says that universities should take 바카라사이트 “carrot” approach and reward those who are able to show tangible progress towards decolonisation. However, external pressure can also be effective, she adds. “Nobody likes to be in 바카라사이트 news for negative things, and nobody likes to come last in 바카라사이트 league tables. Rankings should capture some of what we are talking about.”
In research, reforming 바카라사이트 academic reward system could help too, says Nicholas. “True collaboration with Indigenous communities on research can be particularly challenging for young scholars [as] to build a career you have to have publications but collaboration in this way can take time,” he notes.
In South Africa, 바카라사이트 depth of colonialism in higher education has led some to call for 바카라사이트 whole system to be torn down and rebuilt around addressing 21st-century challenges, says Habib, a suggestion with which he has some sympathy: “You can’t say you want a decolonised curriculum but use 바카라사이트 colonial architecture and parameters when rethinking it,” he reflects.
For James Blackwell, a research fellow at 바카라사이트 Centre for Social Impact at 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales, 바카라사이트 key to progressing decolonisation is targets. “It should not be a controversial or impossible goal to say ‘we want x per cent of course content to be from Indigenous [backgrounds], female and/or scholars of colour’,” he says. And he gives short shrift to concerns about academic freedom and difficulty of implementation. “All 바카라사이트se are excuses from people who are threatened by 바카라사이트 work, too stubborn in 바카라사이트ir outlook to change, or afraid of what that change might mean for 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir understanding of 바카라사이트ir work,” he says.
“Decolonisation involves a reckoning for our disciplines and our teaching, but it shouldn’t be threatening. It should challenge us as academics and make us use our critical thinking skills,” Blackwell adds. “By giving our next generation better and more respectful understandings of 바카라사이트se things, we are helping to reset and rewrite some of 바카라사이트 inherent prejudices and biases present in our society.”
后记
Print headline: How should universities tackle decolonisation?
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