GEOG3877: Postcolonialism, Decoloniality and Development

• Any Level 2 GEOG Module

• None

• None

• This module enables Level 3 geographers to embed their understanding of development issues in a detailed consideration of postcolonial theory and decolonial politics.
• The module will:
• Examine the historical divergences and current convergences between postcolonial theory, decoloniality and development
• Explore the ways in which postcolonial and decolonial approaches challenge and rework the theory and practice of development

• The module explains, reviews, and critically evaluates recent debates about postcolonial and decolonial approaches and their implications for development studies. By outlining contemporary theoretical debates and examining their implications for how the developing world is thought about, written about and engaged with in policy terms, the module unpacks the difficult, complex and important aspects of the relationships between postcolonial theory, decoloniality, and development studies. It focuses on the importance of development discourses, the relationship between development knowledge and power, and agency within development. It explores the significance of postcolonial approaches to understanding development in the context of rapid global change and the dissonances and interconnections between postcolonial theory and decolonial politics. The module uses up-to-date illustrations and examples from across the regions of the world bring to these issues to life. The module will address key themes in postcolonial and decolonial geographies of development, for example:
• Postcolonialism theory and Development
• Politics of representation and discourses of development
• Knowledge, power and agency in development
• Decoloniality and Development
• Beyond Development and decolonizing life in the Anthropocene
• Postcolonializing development geographies & postcolonial praxis

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of postcolonial theory, its histories and geographies, and its relationship to development
• Understand the relationship between postcolonialism, decoloniality and development studies
• Understand the possibilities for rethinking development theory and practice using postcolonial and decolonial approaches

Subject-specific Skills:

• On successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
• Explore, analyse, interpret and discuss the critical relationship between postcolonialism, decoloniality and development
• Apply the conceptual tools required for a critical analysis of development through postcolonial and decolonial theory
• Explain and critically evaluate postcolonialism in the context of other theoretical approaches to development
• Examine critically the possibilities for rethinking development theory and practice using postcolonial and decolonial theory
• Think critically and creatively about the ethics and politics of development

Key Skills:

• On successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
• Demonstrate written communication skills
• Demonstrate a capacity to reflect critically and creatively on the relations between concepts and real world development problems and issues
• Demonstrate the ability to synthesize information and develop an argument on the implications of postcolonial theory and decolonial approaches for development theory and practice

• Core lecture content will: a) introduce postcolonial theory and its conceptual and practical implications for development; b) be anchored in contemporary examples, including but not limited to development discourses and agency; the history of Northern dominance of international development; the changing face of international development; the ethics and politics of engaging across difference. Each lecture will be enlivened by a number of small group tasks or class exercises designed to provide the opportunity for student engagement, interaction and feedback.
• Workshops will allow opportunities to discuss key module themes and readings; to develop debate, presentation, and team-work skills; and, to receive formative feedback on both learning and ideas for the summative essay
• Students will develop critical discussion skills and receive formative feedback on their learning through their engagement in class activities; students ability to interpret and apply theoretical concepts will be tested through a summative essay.

Continuous: formative feedback will be incorporated into in-class exercises and tutorials and ongoing during workshops, with specific feedback related to ideas for the summative assessment in an in essay writing workshop.

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