Does anybody have, or know of, a checklist type of list of questions that we could get students to reflect on when reading research articles to identify evidence of colonisation? I am thinking that, at the very least, you could just add this as one question on an existing list that helps students evaluate research more generally. However, I just wondered if anyone knew of anything more bespoke to decolonisation. Thanks
Here are some possible questions that students could use to reflect on when reading research articles to identify evidence of colonization:
How is the researcher's perspective or background relevant to the research topic and its potential impact on colonized communities?
How does the research engage with the historical and ongoing effects of colonization on the study population or community?
Are the voices and perspectives of colonized communities adequately represented in the research?
Does the research challenge or reinforce colonial power dynamics and structures?
How does the research contribute to decolonization efforts and anti-colonial resistance?
Are the research methods culturally sensitive and appropriate for the study population?
Is the research ethically sound, taking into account the unique considerations of studying colonized communities?
How does the research center the knowledge and expertise of colonized communities?
It's worth noting that this list is not exhaustive and that other questions may also be useful depending on the specific context of the research. Additionally, this list is designed to help students evaluate research more generally and to think critically about the potential impact of colonialism on the research and its findings.
Not quite what you are looking for, but I was very impressed with the book: The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a global world' by Maya Jasanoff treats Condrad both as a victim of (Russian) imperialism in his childhood and youth, and an observer and commentator, in his novels, of a more global imperialism (which he felt to be inevitable) around Asia, The Congo Free State, and Latin America, considering the imperialism of Britain, Belgium and the US as exemplars in his novels. Jasanoff relates this to the current state of the world, in 2018, and sees many parallels. She uses “the compass of a historian, the chart of a biographer, and the navigational sextant of a fiction reader” It is a very good read, and quite thought provoking, far beyond the novels of Conrad.
PS: Review of the book in The Nation: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/joseph-conrad-and-the-dawn-of-globalization/
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