POL2078 Seminar 3 Decolonising international politics

1. What does Capan mean by coloniality (pg 4)? How does she describe
eurocentrism?
a. In what ways is knowledge production underpinned by
Eurocentrism? What is this question asking? Why is this a
problem?
b. How might have you been affected by eurocentrism?
c. Can you think of some other examples of eurocentrism?

2. What does it mean to decolonise something? Does it just mean trying to

forget some parts of history? Or is actually about a more holistic
remembering of the past?
a. Why should we engage in decolonial practices? Who benefits?
How should we do this? What does Capan have to say about this?
b. What do you think about the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ Movement?
i. How should we deal with monuments like the ones of Cecil
Rhodes or the confederate monuments in the US?
ii. Take them down? Put them in a museum? Leave them?
Broader education approaches?
c. Can you think of some examples in the UK or your home country?
d. What do you think about the Kehinde Andrews VDO?

3. In the Ling and Agathangelou reading what do they mean when they
describe IR as a ‘colonial household’? (you can think of this as a recap of
IR theories)
a. What does ‘poisies’ mean? What do they propose with their
approach of ‘worldism’ (42-45)?
b. What do they mean by ‘cosmo man’ (page 35-36)? How does relate
to claims of objectivity?
c. How does their critique affect how you think about international
politics?

4. If you were to teach a ‘Decolonial politics’ module at Newcastle

University, what kind of topics would you address?
a. What is your response to the SOAS and Keele documents on
decolonization? Do you agree/disagree with their goals?
b. Can you think of how you might develop some research questions
using this approach?
SOAS (2017): ‘Decolonizing Our Minds’:

“Seeks to challenge the political, intellectual and structural legacies of

colonialism and racism both within and outside the university, by
promoting an awareness of global intellectual traditions, tackling
structural inequalities within the institution, and engaging with ethnic
minority and working-class communities around London and the UK.” 

“We look to have an impact on knowledge production within SOAS and

elsewhere, and to work alongside communities who are organising
against the various manifestations of racism, marginalisation and
inequality. Fundamentally, we hope to re-imagine the university and its
role within its immediate surroundings and the world at large”.

Keele (2018) University Manifesto for Decolonizing the Curriculum

‘Decolonization involves identifying colonial systems, structures and

relationships, and working to challenge those systems. It is not
“integration” or simply the token inclusion of the intellectual
achievements of non-white cultures. Rather, it involves a paradigm shift
from a culture of exclusion and denial to the making of space for other
political philosophies and knowledge systems. It’s a culture shift to think
more widely about why common knowledge is what it is, and in so doing
adjusting cultural perceptions and power relations in real and significant
ways.’