ICH4801
Assignment number: 02
Year: 2023 (SEMESTER 1)
LOLA JACOBS ASSIGNMENTS 2023- 0618151315
,COMPULSORY READING
Prescribed book: Seroto, J, Davids, MN & Wolhuter, C (eds). 2020. Decolonising
education in the Global South: historical and comparative international perspectives.
Cape Town: Pearson.
SECTION A: COMPULSORY SECTION
Question 1 [40 marks]
Question 1(a) (20 marks) – compulsory
Read the given extract titled, “Colonialism, coloniality and post-colonial Africa: a
conceptual framework”, from chapter 7 of the prescribed book (Seroto, Davids &
Wolhuter 2020) and then answer the questions that follow.
Colonialism, coloniality and post-colonial Africa: a conceptual framework Post-colonial
reconstruction of African societies cannot be limited to political and economic
transformation. Due to the predominance of Western epistemologies and systems of
education during and after colonialism, the African masses often became oblivious to
their forgotten history. Western European colonial policies such as ‘assimilation’
(French) and ‘assimilados’ (Portuguese) were based on a rejection of the local culture
and an adoption of a foreign, European culture – essentially a denial of an African
identity. The African elite that worked in close collaboration with the colonial
administration often became the main protagonists of European culture. When a few
African leaders met in Addis Ababa in 1963 to establish the Organisation of African
Unity (OAU), the objective was to liberate the continent from colonialism and apartheid.
While apartheid was abolished in 1994, African countries remained largely dependent
on foreign aid which compromised their political and economic independence. Without
achieving its objectives, the OAU was dissolved in July 2002 and transformed into the
African Union (AU), which aimed to unite its fifty-three member-states politically, socially
and economically. The AU intended to address the old African problems afresh through
the promotion of democracy, good governance and foreign investment (Carbone, 2002).
For a long time, Africa seems to have been suffering from the aftermath of colonialism,
which has posed serious challenges to its economic development and independence.
The colonial legacy left behind structural inequalities that were difficult to eradicate.
However, Smith argues that ‘there can be no social justice without cognitive justice’ and
calls for an ecology of knowledge(s) that enables alternative ways of knowing and
scientific knowledge to co-exist (Smith, 2012:214). The inspiration of an African
Renaissance, which is mainly about cultural and intellectual revitalisation, should
become an integral part of transforming and reconstructing the socio-economic
landscape of Africa. Therefore, the restoration of Africa’s intellectual and cultural history
needs to be at the centre of political and economic reconstruction and should not be
treated in isolation.
LOLA JACOBS ASSIGNMENTS 2023- 0618151315
, A common observation in previously colonised societies during the post-colonial period
is the patronising continuation of colonial myths and stereotypes that represent the
culture of the colonised as inferior (Alvares, 1991). Colonial powers regarded Asian and
African people as belonging to ‘backward’ or ‘child races’, who were inherently inferior
because of their skin colour and perceived immorality, laziness, as well as a disregard
for the sacredness of human life (Kies, 1953). These stereotypes became an integral
part of the colonial educational systems. To maintain the political and social dominance
of the colonisers, the real history of colonies was suppressed and replaced with the
history of the coloniser, which was alienating to the local populations. The continuation
of a colonial worldview and lifestyle after achieving political independence became a
defining characteristic of post-colonial Africa, which had to be confronted.
Conceptually, Maldonado-Torres (2007) explains the irony of colonial continuity by
drawing a distinction between ‘colonialism’ and ‘coloniality’. Colonialism designates
political and economic relations in which the power of a people rests on a foreign
colonial/ imperial power, while coloniality refers to institutionalised colonialism, i.e.
colonial practices, expressed in a longstanding pattern of culture, social relations and
knowledge production (Maldonado-Torres, 2007). This duality between colonialism and
coloniality has previously been addressed by Mignolo (1999) who sees the imaginary of
the modern/ colonial world as a function of ‘colonial difference’ that operates on a notion
of a ‘coloniality of power’. Mignolo borrows the concept ‘double consciousness’ from
WEB du Bois, which captures the dilemma of subjectivities formed within the colonial
difference, i.e. the experience of anyone who has lived and lives modernity from
coloniality (Mignolo & Ennis, 1999:29–30). Double consciousness becomes a crucial
concept in explaining the ambivalence and tendencies of liberated Africans towards
colonialism.
1. Define “colonialism” in your own words. (2)
In my own words, "colonialism" refers to a system in which a foreign power
establishes political and economic control over another territory or people,
often exploiting its resources and imposing its own cultural and social norms.
2. How does Maldonado-Torres explain the concept of coloniality? (2)
According to Maldonado-Torres, "coloniality" refers to the enduring impact
and institutionalization of colonial practices even after the formal end of
colonialism. It encompasses the long-lasting patterns of culture, social
relations, and knowledge production that were established during the colonial
era and continue to shape societies in the post-colonial period.
3. Explain the difference between colonialism and coloniality. (2)
The difference between colonialism and coloniality lies in their scope and
duration. Colonialism refers specifically to the political and economic relations
LOLA JACOBS ASSIGNMENTS 2023- 0618151315
