Decoloniality and Postcoloniality Winter 2020/21

What are the stakes of pushing for decolonization in the academia and for studies of media and communication in particular? What are the theoretical debates around decoloniality and coloniality, and how have they powered the call for decolonization and various protest movements erupting on campuses? This course provides an introduction to key concepts and theoretical debates around decoloniality, and how they relate to and diverge from postcolonial theory. Our particular focus will be on media anthropology, and how canonical approaches to the study of media, communication and culture are challenged by the conceptual, historical, epistemic and political frameworks of decoloniality. The course will discuss foundational texts on decoloniality that have highlighted the epistemic violence of coloniality, imbalance of power created by historical colonialism, and how modernity and coloniality are inseparable (covering Latin American research collective; debates around decolonizing media studies in Africa; perspectives of Global Social Theory). The course will then turn to cases from media anthropology where decolonial perspectives are most helpful in advancing critical approaches to neocolonial data relations of global capitalism; in developing anti-colonial research methods; as well as in investigating how digital infrastructures are enabling protest movements to decolonize knowledge, oppose racialized hierarchies and revamp historical memory. Decoloniality is a provocation that seeks to drive us out of our theoretical comfort zones, methodological complacency, and the dangers of reducing knowledge to bureaucratic forms of recording, however sophisticated they may be in delivering the details. At the end of the course, students will • demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and theoretical debates around decoloniality • critically and productively think through contested knowledge environments • connect debates on decoloniality with key issues related to contemporary media and communications • apply theoretical insights of decoloniality to develop a practical, interventionist project. Halfway into the semester, students will present a 3-page (double spaced) project proposal that lays out the vision and practical steps towards how they approach decolonizing media anthropology. The proposal will be presented and discussed in the classroom. This will form the basis for the final essay on decoloniality.

Grading and participation 

Students are encouraged to read the key texts assigned to each class and prepare responses and questions to participate in the classroom discussions. Students will post two guiding questions or summaries for discussion based on the week’s readings on Moodle at least two days before the class meets.  Grading will be based on the final paper (3000 words for undergraduate students, 5000 words for master’s students).