Talk on Decolonising Political Theory next Monday
If you’re interested in political theory, why not join Richmond’s Centre for the Study of the State, Power & Globalisation at 4pm on Monday 30 November for a discussion of the Decolonisation of Political Theory, with Simon Choat.
In addition to being a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Kingston University, Simon Choat is the author of Marx Through Poststructuralism: Lyotard, Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze (Continuum 2010) and Marx’s Grundrisse: A Reader’s Guide (Bloomsbury 2016). He is currently co-editing a volume entitled Decolonising Political Theory (Oxford University Press).
The talk, which is open to anyone interested in attending, will be held on Microsoft Teams. Join on your computer or mobile app: Click here to join the meeting
Abstract:
Events during the summer of 2020, including the Black Lives Matter protests and the toppling of the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol, have reignited debates about Britain’s colonial legacy. In universities, these debates touch on issues not only of symbolic representation – such as what should be done with the statue of the imperialist Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford – but also on what we teach and how. Calls to ‘decolonise the curriculum’ are especially relevant to political theory, which has traditionally been dominated by a canon of dead white men. This talk will explore why political theory curricula should be decolonised and how it might be done. Drawing on original research of political theory modules at 92 UK universities, Simon Choat shows that non-white thinkers and discussions of colonialism and race are marginalised and neglected within the teaching of political theory. Choat argues that there are intellectual, political, and pedagogical reasons why this neglect is problematic and should be reversed. Finally, he reflects on the experience of rewriting and delivering the core second-year undergraduate modern political thought module at his own university, including assessing the impact of the changes on the attainment gap between BME and white students and considering some of the difficulties with and obstacles to decolonising the curriculum.
Choat’s research on this subject has been published here: journals.sagepub.com
Any questions should be directed to Paul Rekret (rekretp@richmond.ac.uk).
We look forward to seeing you.
