Decolonisation and higher education : theory, politics and global praxis

Abstract

This essay addresses decolonization as a praxis involving “thinking and doing” (Mignolo, 2011) aimed at the critical education goals of representation, equity and social justice in the higher education context (Mbembe, 2016). It starts with an exposition of the notion (Amin, 1990; Ngugi, 1996), drawing principally on the work of Latin American theorist Walter Mignolo (2007, 2009, 2011) as well as African theorists (Amin, 1990; Mudimbe, 1988; Ngugi, 1996). It then explores the deployment of decolonization in contestations over environmental education (Tuck, McKenzie & McCoy, 2014) and central notions such as “science,” “objectivity” and “the environment”; the positioning of Indigeneity, both in terms of representation within traditional (i.e. hegemonic, Eurocentric passing as universal) higher education (Windchief & Joseph, 2015) and the articulation of Indigenous alternative higher education institutions , including Indigenous thought, extramural work and the diversification of epistemology. Finally, taking as guide the crucial assertion that “decolonization is not a metaphor,” (Tuck & Yang, 2012) and what we are distinguishing as “decolonization light” and “true decolonization,” the essay turns to the prospects of decolonization of the university in a specific context, namely South Africa, as an example. We conclude that rather than a self-contained, self-sufficient discourse and praxis, decoloniality ought to be (re)conceptualized as necessarily opening up additional issues which need to be addressed for its fulfilment as concrete and fully viable representation, equity and social justice oriented education.