Talk:Postcolonialism

From RationalWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

This is a modified version of a presentation I did in my second year at university. I will come back to it later to create external links to the sources I have used, such as Mishra and Hodge. You guys can help improve this article by linking internally and externally as you see fit. Cheers.--Graham 15:15, 25 September 2007 (EDT)

The article on Colonialism needs expanding and tidying up in order to compliment this one. I will include a section on the apparent demise of post-colonialism within this article in the near future.--Graham 18:39, 25 September 2007 (EDT)

I wrote the article on colonialism at least in part to have something to link to yours. I'm not an expert on colonialism, except in the sense as to why it doesn't work anymore. (Asymmetric warfare has come a long way since then.) If you have anything to add, please! Researcher 21:03, 25 September 2007 (EDT)
Nice article - but it could use a nice summary sentence or two as an intro. I'll try to figure out if I can write one after I read it three or four more times... humanUser talk:Human 22:21, 23 October 2007 (EDT)

Okay, thanks Human. I leave the summary in your capable hands. --Graham 16:34, 26 October 2007 (EDT)

Haha... please don't let my offer stop you from doing it - especially since you already know what it means! humanUser talk:Human 16:40, 26 October 2007 (EDT)
He used the "d" word (discourse); that's almost as bad as "critical" but not quite as bad as "dialectic".162.82.215.199 16:45, 26 October 2007 (EDT)

Aww, damn you Human; now I have to write something! ... I'll endeavour to summarise tomorrow evening :) As for the above User's comment, if you are not happy with the 'd' word then feel free to substitute it for one of your own liking, this is a mobocracy after all :) --Graham 16:50, 26 October 2007 (EDT)

I for one find myself using the 'd' word often, and liking it. You can too - try it out! --AKjeldsenGodspeed! 17:20, 26 October 2007 (EDT)

Okay, how's this for a summary? Hit me with your critical sticks. --Graham 19:38, 27 October 2007 (EDT)

It's excellent. Explains what it is before getting into the details. humanUser talk:Human 12:23, 29 October 2007 (EDT)

M'kay, thanks for the tidy up Human. I've just added a sentence or two to the summary to make it clearer. --Graham 17:47, 28 October 2007 (EDT)

The first sentence...[edit]

Currently reads: "Postcolonialism is a field of academic study that takes for its object the writings and theorisations of those European nations and individuals who once colonised other parts of the world."

It strikes me as being off somehow. Is it not the case that alongside the writings and theorisations of those who colonised, postcolonialism also has as an object of study the colonised/formerly colonised and their attempts to create meaning in the colonial system or in the world that took the place of the colonial world? As the definition reads now - though this is less the case in the body of the article - it seems as though *all* postcolonial works only engage with the ideas of the metropole, which is, of course, not at all the case. Ideas? PFoster 12:32, 29 October 2007 (EDT)


I believe the article in its present form alludes to this aspect of postcolonialism that you raise: 'The term ‘Post-colonialism’, argues Mishra and Hodge, ‘has many advantages over [its predecessor]. It foregrounds a politics of opposition and struggle, and problematises the key relationship between centre and periphery.’

If you feel this to be unsatifactory, feel free to edite the article as you see fit. --Graham 15:22, 30 October 2007 (EDT)


Foster, I suggest that you now alter this paragraph so as to maintain the articles' coherency. The first sentence in its original form introduced colonial theorisations and justifications, thus the paragraph that follows exemplifies one of these racist theories. If you were to read the entire article, you will observe that the introductory sentence no longer seems to adequately summarise it. The ball is now very much in your hands, but I do suggest further modification.--Graham 18:38, 30 October 2007 (EDT)

Thanks :)--Graham 07:46, 1 November 2007 (EDT)

citations needed[edit]

Or at least some external links and wikification. I did some post-colonialism in policy debate in high school, but I don't believe myself to be capable of working on this article--User:Brxbrx/sig 11:52, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

Sadly...[edit]

...the "woo" section maybe be expanding through many social circles. For example, the novel "Celebration" by pueblo writer Leslie Marmon Silko is a good example of that, claiming, among other things, that science is bad by itself and white people were created by the devil to destroy the world. (Sources: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScienceIsBad "Literature") Nitrato de Chile (talk) 20:30, 23 November 2021 (UTC) Nitrato de Chile

@Nitrato de Chile This seems like a strawman, please provide a direct citation. ☭Comrade GC☭Ministry of Praise 20:11, 10 March 2022 (UTC)