Exam (elaborations)
ICH4801 Assignment 2 2024 (322543) - DUE 21 June 2024
- Course
- ICH4801 (ICH4801)
- Institution
- University Of South Africa
ICH4801 Assignment 2 2024 (322543) - DUE 21 June 2024 QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
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ICH4801ASSIGNMENT 2 2024
(322543) - DUE 21
JUNE 2024
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
[School]
[Course title]
,ICH4801 Assignment 2 2024 (322543) - DUE 21 June 2024
Question 1 [40 marks]
Question 1(a) (20 marks) – compulsory Read the 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 follows. 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 20 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. 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)
2. How does Maldonado-Torres explain the concept of coloniality? (2)
, 3. Explain the difference between colonialism and coloniality. (2)
4. Sketch the sociohistorical background of colonialism and coloniality in the
South African context. (4)
5. Do you agree with the colonial policies that were implemented by European
powers? Substantiate your answer. (4)
6. How does the legacy of apartheid remain a structural element in
postcolonial South Africa? (6) [20] ICH4801/101/02024 21
1. Define “colonialism” in your own words. (2)
Colonialism refers to the practice where a foreign power establishes control over
another country, exploiting it economically, politically, and culturally. This
domination often involves settling in the colonized country, imposing the
colonizer's culture and systems, and maintaining power through various forms of
oppression and suppression of the local population's autonomy.
2. How does Maldonado-Torres explain the concept of coloniality? (2)
Maldonado-Torres explains coloniality as the enduring patterns of power, culture,
and social relations that persist even after the end of formal colonial rule. It refers
to the institutionalized practices and ways of thinking that continue to perpetuate
the hierarchical structures and cultural dominance established during the colonial
period.
3. Explain the difference between colonialism and coloniality. (2)
The difference between colonialism and coloniality lies in their scope and
persistence. Colonialism refers to the direct political and economic control exerted
by a foreign power over a colonized region. In contrast, coloniality refers to the
lasting legacy and ongoing effects of colonialism, including the entrenched
cultural, social, and epistemological dominance that continues to shape the post-
colonial societies long after formal colonial rule has ended.
4. Sketch the sociohistorical background of colonialism and coloniality in the
South African context. (4)
In the South African context, colonialism began with the arrival of the Dutch East
India Company in 1652, followed by British colonization in the 19th century.
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