[TYPE THE COMPANY NAME]
COM2614 Assignment 3
PORTFOLIO (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1
2025 - DUE 22 May 2025
NO PLAGIARISM
[Pick the date]
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of
the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of
the contents of the document.]
, Book
Decolonizing Communication Studies
COM2614 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (DETAILED ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025
- DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION
GUARANTEED Answers, guidelines, workings and references ,.
Decolonising the museum Watch TedTalk entitled “Museum in Progress:
Decolonizing Museums” After watching this TedTalk, make an entry in your
COM2614 Reflexive Journal. For this entry, think of a system in which you are
a member, then respond to the following prompts and questions: • Describe
the system. • What communicative action could you change that would
change the system? • What do you think the effect would be? In your
response, please follow the below structure: 1. Reflection Entry Date: [Insert
date] Reading/Video/Topic: [Insert weekly topic or reading] A. Initial
Reactions (200-250 words) • What were your immediate thoughts and
feelings about this week's content? • Which aspects challenged your existing
understanding of communication theory? • What connections can you draw
to your own cultural background and experiences?
1. Reflection Entry
Date: 19 May 2025
Reading/Video/Topic: Museum in Progress: Decolonizing Museums
A. Initial Reactions (200–250 words)
Watching the TED Talk “Museum in Progress: Decolonizing Museums” was both eye-opening
and unsettling. My immediate reaction was a mixture of admiration for the speaker’s courage
and frustration at how deeply colonial legacies still shape institutions like museums. The speaker
highlighted how museums have historically functioned as tools of empire—curating narratives
that celebrate conquest, erase indigenous voices, and commodify cultural heritage. This
challenged my understanding of museums as neutral, educational spaces. I had always viewed
them as preservers of knowledge rather than as selective storytellers tied to power structures.
The concept of decolonisation in communication theory became much clearer through this lens.
Communication is not just about exchanging information—it is about whose voice is heard, how
stories are framed, and which histories are prioritised. The speaker’s emphasis on community
involvement and shared authority made me reflect on how institutions can adopt more dialogic
and inclusive forms of communication.
As someone raised in a post-apartheid South African context, this talk resonated deeply. I
remember school trips to museums where African artefacts were displayed behind glass with
little context, often described in anthropological or primitive terms. I now realise how those
displays subtly taught us whose history mattered. This talk encouraged me to think critically
, about how communication systems uphold or dismantle power—and how we can begin to
change that.
B. System Description and Communicative Action
One system I am a part of is the university classroom. It operates within a hierarchical model
where lecturers are the primary source of knowledge, and students are expected to passively
receive it. Much like traditional museums, this system privileges certain voices and marginalises
others.
A communicative action I could change would be to initiate student-led dialogue circles where
diverse cultural narratives and experiences are shared and validated as knowledge sources.
Instead of only responding to lecturer prompts, students could co-create the learning experience
by contributing their perspectives, especially those informed by indigenous knowledge and lived
experience.
The effect of this change could be profound. It would decentralise authority in the classroom,
create a more inclusive and participatory learning environment, and challenge the assumption
that only Western academic frameworks are valid. Just like the speaker in the TED Talk
advocated for collaborative curation in museums, this approach could help decolonise the
educational space—transforming it from a top-down system into one that values reciprocal
learning and multiple truths.
1. Reflection Entry
Date: 19 May 2025
Reading/Video/Topic: Museum in Progress: Decolonizing Museums – TED Talk by Sandrine
Colard
A. Initial Reactions (200–250 words)
Watching this TED Talk was both enlightening and thought-provoking. Sandrine Colard’s
reflections on the colonial legacy embedded within museum spaces made me reconsider the
power dynamics involved in the way history and culture are curated. I felt a mix of discomfort
and curiosity as I recognised how Western museums often display African artefacts stripped of
their original context, turning vibrant cultural objects into exoticised relics.
One aspect that challenged my existing understanding of communication theory was how space
and silence can function as powerful communicative acts. The absence of African voices in the
interpretation of African objects communicates dominance and erasure without saying a word.
This connects deeply with Habermas's theory of communicative action, particularly the need for
inclusive dialogue free from domination.
COM2614 Assignment 3
PORTFOLIO (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1
2025 - DUE 22 May 2025
NO PLAGIARISM
[Pick the date]
[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of
the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of
the contents of the document.]
, Book
Decolonizing Communication Studies
COM2614 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (DETAILED ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025
- DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION
GUARANTEED Answers, guidelines, workings and references ,.
Decolonising the museum Watch TedTalk entitled “Museum in Progress:
Decolonizing Museums” After watching this TedTalk, make an entry in your
COM2614 Reflexive Journal. For this entry, think of a system in which you are
a member, then respond to the following prompts and questions: • Describe
the system. • What communicative action could you change that would
change the system? • What do you think the effect would be? In your
response, please follow the below structure: 1. Reflection Entry Date: [Insert
date] Reading/Video/Topic: [Insert weekly topic or reading] A. Initial
Reactions (200-250 words) • What were your immediate thoughts and
feelings about this week's content? • Which aspects challenged your existing
understanding of communication theory? • What connections can you draw
to your own cultural background and experiences?
1. Reflection Entry
Date: 19 May 2025
Reading/Video/Topic: Museum in Progress: Decolonizing Museums
A. Initial Reactions (200–250 words)
Watching the TED Talk “Museum in Progress: Decolonizing Museums” was both eye-opening
and unsettling. My immediate reaction was a mixture of admiration for the speaker’s courage
and frustration at how deeply colonial legacies still shape institutions like museums. The speaker
highlighted how museums have historically functioned as tools of empire—curating narratives
that celebrate conquest, erase indigenous voices, and commodify cultural heritage. This
challenged my understanding of museums as neutral, educational spaces. I had always viewed
them as preservers of knowledge rather than as selective storytellers tied to power structures.
The concept of decolonisation in communication theory became much clearer through this lens.
Communication is not just about exchanging information—it is about whose voice is heard, how
stories are framed, and which histories are prioritised. The speaker’s emphasis on community
involvement and shared authority made me reflect on how institutions can adopt more dialogic
and inclusive forms of communication.
As someone raised in a post-apartheid South African context, this talk resonated deeply. I
remember school trips to museums where African artefacts were displayed behind glass with
little context, often described in anthropological or primitive terms. I now realise how those
displays subtly taught us whose history mattered. This talk encouraged me to think critically
, about how communication systems uphold or dismantle power—and how we can begin to
change that.
B. System Description and Communicative Action
One system I am a part of is the university classroom. It operates within a hierarchical model
where lecturers are the primary source of knowledge, and students are expected to passively
receive it. Much like traditional museums, this system privileges certain voices and marginalises
others.
A communicative action I could change would be to initiate student-led dialogue circles where
diverse cultural narratives and experiences are shared and validated as knowledge sources.
Instead of only responding to lecturer prompts, students could co-create the learning experience
by contributing their perspectives, especially those informed by indigenous knowledge and lived
experience.
The effect of this change could be profound. It would decentralise authority in the classroom,
create a more inclusive and participatory learning environment, and challenge the assumption
that only Western academic frameworks are valid. Just like the speaker in the TED Talk
advocated for collaborative curation in museums, this approach could help decolonise the
educational space—transforming it from a top-down system into one that values reciprocal
learning and multiple truths.
1. Reflection Entry
Date: 19 May 2025
Reading/Video/Topic: Museum in Progress: Decolonizing Museums – TED Talk by Sandrine
Colard
A. Initial Reactions (200–250 words)
Watching this TED Talk was both enlightening and thought-provoking. Sandrine Colard’s
reflections on the colonial legacy embedded within museum spaces made me reconsider the
power dynamics involved in the way history and culture are curated. I felt a mix of discomfort
and curiosity as I recognised how Western museums often display African artefacts stripped of
their original context, turning vibrant cultural objects into exoticised relics.
One aspect that challenged my existing understanding of communication theory was how space
and silence can function as powerful communicative acts. The absence of African voices in the
interpretation of African objects communicates dominance and erasure without saying a word.
This connects deeply with Habermas's theory of communicative action, particularly the need for
inclusive dialogue free from domination.
