Decolonization

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The process of a colony gaining independence from its colonizer, often marked by violence and political upheaval.

European colonialism: The history of European expansion and colonization, including the motivations, methods, and effects on colonized peoples and societies.
Scramble for Africa: The period of intense competition and colonization of the African continent by European powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Partition of India: The division of the Indian subcontinent into two separate nations, India and Pakistan, in 1947 which led to massive violence and displacement.
Algerian War of Independence: The conflict between France and Algerian nationalists from 1954 to 1962, which resulted in Algerian independence and shaped modern Algeria's political and social landscape.
Independence movements in Africa: The struggles of African nations to achieve independence from colonial rule, including the role of political leaders, armed resistance, and international support.
Imperialism in Asia: The expansion of European powers into Asia, including the colonization of India and Southeast Asia, as well as Japan's Meiji Restoration and emergence as a colonial power.
Colonial education and cultural hegemony: The impact of colonial education and cultural policies on indigenous peoples, including the imposition of European cultural values and the suppression of indigenous languages and cultures.
Economic effects of colonialism: The ways in which colonialism contributed to economic underdevelopment of colonized countries and the continued economic exploitation in postcolonial periods.
Postcolonial literature: The literature produced by writers from formerly colonized countries, which often critiques colonialism and explores its lasting impact on society.
Decolonizing methodologies: The development of research and intellectual practices that challenge colonial perspectives and seek to center indigenous experiences and perspectives.
Neocolonialism: The continuation of colonial economic and political domination through indirect forms of control, such as foreign aid and multinational corporations.
Indigenous resistance movements: The political and cultural resistance struggles carried out by indigenous peoples against colonialism and its legacies, including land rights movements, cultural revitalization, and political autonomy movements.
Colonialism and gender: The impacts of colonialism on gender relations and the experiences of women and queer people in colonized societies.
Intersectionality and decolonization: The recognition of how race, gender, sexuality, and other identities intersect in experiences of colonialism and in struggles for decolonization.
Military Decolonization: This involves the use of armed forces to resist and overthrow the colonizers. Such decolonization usually results in violent conflicts and wars.
Political Decolonization: This type of decolonization involves the winning of political independence from the colonizing power through the national democratic process.
Economic Decolonization: Economic decolonization involves the development and expansion of indigenous economic activities and reducing the reliance on foreign economic activities.
Cultural Decolonization: This refers to the breaking away from the cultural ties created by the colonizers and the restoration of the colonized countries’ cultural heritage.
Social Decolonization: Social decolonization involves the implementation of policies that promote social justice and inclusion in the decolonized country.
Intellectual Decolonization: Intellectual decolonization involves the dismantling of artificial knowledge systems that have been imposed upon colonized populations.
Environmental Decolonization: This includes the correct use of forests and natural resources, and encouraging the preservation of the environment.
Spiritual Decolonization: This involves the restoration of traditional spiritual beliefs and practices that colonialism suppressed.
Linguistic Decolonization: This involves restoring and reviving languages that colonialism has suppressed.
Legal Decolonization: Legal decolonization involves the complete removal of laws that are discriminatory, unjust or oppressive in the post-colonial society.
Quote: "Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas."
Quote: "The meanings and applications of the term are disputed."
Quote: "Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on independence movements in the colonies and the collapse of global colonial empires."
Quote: "Other scholars extend the meaning to include economic, cultural and psychological aspects of the colonial experience."
Quote: "Decolonization scholars form the school of thought known as decoloniality."
Quote: "Decolonization scholars... apply decolonial frameworks to struggles against the coloniality of power and coloniality of knowledge within settler-colonial states even after successful independence movements."
Quote: "Indigenous and post-colonial scholars have critiqued Western worldviews."
Quote: "promoting decolonization of knowledge and the centering of traditional ecological knowledge."
Quote: "Such a broad approach that extends the meaning of decolonization beyond political independence has been disputed and received criticism."
Quote: "Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò argued that it is analytically unsound to extend the meaning of "coloniality" to this extent."
Quote: "[He] argued that approaches that see 'decolonization' as more than political emancipation deny the agency of people in former colonies who have consciously chosen to adopt and adapt elements from colonial rule."
Quote: "Others, such as Jonatan Kurzwelly and Malin Wilckens or Veeran Naicker, argued that such scholarly and practical attempts at 'decolonization' perpetuate reified and essentialist notions of identities."
Quote: "Some scholars extend the meaning to include economic, cultural and psychological aspects of the colonial experience."
Quote: "Decolonization scholars apply decolonial frameworks to struggles against the coloniality of power and coloniality of knowledge."
Quote: "Indigenous and post-colonial scholars have critiqued Western worldviews."
Quote: "promoting decolonization of knowledge and the centering of traditional ecological knowledge."
Quote: "Such a broad approach that extends the meaning of decolonization beyond political independence has been disputed and received criticism."
Quote: "approaches that see 'decolonization' as more than political emancipation deny the agency of people in former colonies who have consciously chosen to adopt and adapt elements from colonial rule."
Quote: "such scholarly and practical attempts at 'decolonization' perpetuate reified and essentialist notions of identities."
Quote: "Indigenous and post-colonial scholars have critiqued Western worldviews, promoting decolonization of knowledge."