Postcolonialism: Forging a knowledge of belonging
The topic of postcolonialism continues to attract substantive and critical attention, with increasing correlations with decolonisation, internationalisation, as well as Africanisation. The term ‘postcolonial’ is often reserved for a discourse or discipline that purports to explain the deleterious effects of power in imperial and colonial relationships including cultural legacies although it is also part of the narrative of political independence (Peters, 2019). Amid increasing currents of migration, displacement, as well as the possibilities of new iterations of postcolonial citizenships, and what these might look like, it seems very likely that the debates on postcolonialism will continue. On the one hand, are the appealing possibilities of seeing things differently, departing from counter-knowledges, offering a language of and for those who have no place, who seem not to belong, of those whose knowledges and histories are not allowed to count (Young, 2009) – opening a natural gateway for conversations on raced-gendered epistemologies that emerge from the social, cultural, and political (Bernal, 2000). On the other hand, the heterogeneity associated with postcolonialism contributes to inevitable fluidity, leading to questions, tensions, and vulnerabilities as to the pragmatic potential of a postcolonial way of life. Of concern, is not only how to move around or transcend ‘colonialism’s economic, political and cultural deformative traces’ (Shohat, 1992: 105). But also, whether it is at all possible to re-inscribe ‘other’ cultural traditions into
‘narratives of modernity and thus transforming those narratives’ Bhambra (2014: 116) to ensure belonging, whether in educational settings or the public space.
If we agree that postcolonialism has developed within a broader politics of knowledge, then what kinds of knowledge do we need to disrupt dominant assumptive conceptual frameworks which have rendered the ‘other’ as passive and docile (Bhambra, 2014), and more importantly, how, do we instil these new kinds of knowledge into our educational contexts? How might postcolonial theory and pedagogy assist in taking us out of western essentialism and exceptionalism, and into a new kind of world in which the racial, social, and cultural subjugation of any people becomes antithetical to the very idea of being?
The conference seeks to create a vibrant space of deliberation, dialogue, and debate, and invites philosophical papers reflecting on education in relation to the theme above and/or in relation to the following sub-themes:
o Knowledge and indigeneity
o Postcolonialidentities,stories,andimplicationsfordemocraticcitizenship o Essentialism and exceptionalism
o Postcolonialism and philosophy of education
o Postcoloniallanguage,curricula,andpedagogies
o Early childhood education and development
o Adult/community education and vocational training
o Belonging, and social justice
o Activism in formal and informal education
o Postcolonialism and decolonisation
References
Bernal, D.D. (2002) Critical race theory, Latino critical theory, and critical raced-gendered epistemologies: Recognising students of color as holders and creators of knowledge. Qualitative Inquiry 8(1): 105–126.
Bhambra, G.K. (2014) Postcolonial and decolonial dialogues. Postcolonial Studies 17(2): 115– 121
Gilson, E. (2014). The ethics of vulnerability: a feminist analysis of social life and practice. New York: Routledge.
Peters, M.A. (2019) Manifesto for the postcolonial university, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 51(2): 142-148.
Shohat, E. (1992) Notes on the ‘postcolonial’. Social Text 31/32: 99–113
Young, R. (2009) What is the postcolonial? Ariel, 40 (1): 13–25
There will be three plenary sessions: the Terence McLaughlin Lecture in honor of the late past President of INPE, plus addresses by two other invited speakers. In addition, there will be 3 types of sessions for which contributions are invited:
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Concurrent Paper Sessions
These will be organized around philosophical papers on one of the conference themes. Each session will allow sufficient time for discussion of a paper of up to 5000-6000 words in length. Submissions for concurrent paper sessions should include a full paper and a 500- word abstract.
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Working Paper Sessions
The purpose of working paper sessions is to allow participants to present papers outlining ‘work in progress’. Proposals for working paper sessions should be in the form of a 1000- 2000 word abstract and will be grouped by topic or approach.
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Round tables/symposia
Submissions may include proposals for round tables/symposia in which three or four participants will present related papers around a particular theme. Submissions should provide the symposium title and topic, an overall abstract of 200-300 words, the names of the participants and an outline of 100- 200 words on each of the proposed contributions.
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Please note, the due date for submissions is 1 February 2024. Please note also that the conference is planned to take place on site, in Lancashire.
Submissions should not include papers that have been published previously, presented at other conferences, or that are scheduled for other forthcoming conferences. All conference proposals – for any of the three types of sessions – should be sent to the Chair of the Programme Committee, Nuraan Davids (nur@sun.ac.za) by February 1st, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Programme Committee. All authors are requested to identify under which sub-theme their contribution is submitted. While contributions would ideally deal with the assigned themes, this is not mandatory. However, the philosophical-educational bearing should be rendered explicit in the text. Decisions will be announced by April 15th 2024. Proposals are welcome from those who are not members of INPE. However, if accepted, presenters will be required to join INPE before May 15th 2024.
