TOPIC: Write an essay in which you define decoloniality and discuss the following decolonial terms and
give examples to illustrate their meaning: “Coloniality of power”, “Coloniality of being” and “Coloniality
of knowledge”
Table of contents Page
1. Introduction
2. Coloniality of Being
3. Colonilality of Knowledge
4. Colonilality of Power.
5. Conclusion
6. List of references
, Introduction
Decoloniality is a school of thought that is used principally by an emerging Latin
American movement which focuses on extricating the production of knowledge from a
primarily Eurocentric episteme. It critiques the perceived universality of Western
knowledge and the superiority of Western culture (Quijano 2007). What this means is
that the western culture has dominated the world so much that people have now
followed it more whether it is willingly or unwillingly. The said people or nation now has
to unpack its reality so that it does not follow the western culture or adopt it as its own.
Ndlovu-Gatsheni (2014:181) established that "global coloniality is a major challenge that
denies Africans the space to create African features". With the rise of globalisation the
world has become one, and only one culture seems to have dominated the space and is
seen as the one to be followed. Many other nations including the Africans are unable to
occupy the global space following their culture only. Ndlovu-Gatsheni (2014), also
claims that this coloniality is constituted and sustained by three interconnected issues
that are, coloniality of knowledge, coloniality of power and coloniality of being".
1. Coloniality of Being.
"Racialization and classification systems of people according to race is a process of
Euro-North American- centric in the modern day society" (Ndlovu-Gatseni 2014).
Racism or class according to race has and still is experienced differently around the
world. In a country like South Africa is was legalised by the apartheid government. They
white people saw themselves as superior to the black people in Africa. They used their
power to take over the African and fed them their knowledge. This was intended to
destabilize their sense of being, their knowledge and power. Over a long period of time
they had successfully done this and ensured that the African people adopt and adapt to
their, European, ways of living. Many Africans were later made or sold into slavery all
over the world. This separated a lot of families and as mentioned they had to adopt and
adapt to a new way of life, which lead to the deterioration of the African person’s identity
and history.
give examples to illustrate their meaning: “Coloniality of power”, “Coloniality of being” and “Coloniality
of knowledge”
Table of contents Page
1. Introduction
2. Coloniality of Being
3. Colonilality of Knowledge
4. Colonilality of Power.
5. Conclusion
6. List of references
, Introduction
Decoloniality is a school of thought that is used principally by an emerging Latin
American movement which focuses on extricating the production of knowledge from a
primarily Eurocentric episteme. It critiques the perceived universality of Western
knowledge and the superiority of Western culture (Quijano 2007). What this means is
that the western culture has dominated the world so much that people have now
followed it more whether it is willingly or unwillingly. The said people or nation now has
to unpack its reality so that it does not follow the western culture or adopt it as its own.
Ndlovu-Gatsheni (2014:181) established that "global coloniality is a major challenge that
denies Africans the space to create African features". With the rise of globalisation the
world has become one, and only one culture seems to have dominated the space and is
seen as the one to be followed. Many other nations including the Africans are unable to
occupy the global space following their culture only. Ndlovu-Gatsheni (2014), also
claims that this coloniality is constituted and sustained by three interconnected issues
that are, coloniality of knowledge, coloniality of power and coloniality of being".
1. Coloniality of Being.
"Racialization and classification systems of people according to race is a process of
Euro-North American- centric in the modern day society" (Ndlovu-Gatseni 2014).
Racism or class according to race has and still is experienced differently around the
world. In a country like South Africa is was legalised by the apartheid government. They
white people saw themselves as superior to the black people in Africa. They used their
power to take over the African and fed them their knowledge. This was intended to
destabilize their sense of being, their knowledge and power. Over a long period of time
they had successfully done this and ensured that the African people adopt and adapt to
their, European, ways of living. Many Africans were later made or sold into slavery all
over the world. This separated a lot of families and as mentioned they had to adopt and
adapt to a new way of life, which lead to the deterioration of the African person’s identity
and history.
