Decolonising World Politics

Decolonisation was a set of historical processes that radically transformed international politics in practice and thought. The emergence of a world of sovereign states - a core premise for International Relations - is founded on the assumed completion of such processes. Yet increasingly, research in the field points to a number of ongoing theoretical, methodological and practical issues that result from the colonial and post-colonial constitution of global order. This module asks what it means to 'decolonise International Relations' by engaging with the challenges posed by anti-colonial, post-colonial and de-colonial thinkers on such issues. We will do so by critically examining the complexity and diversity of anti-colonial movements and thinkers, mainly in Anglophone contexts. We will study colonialism and anti-colonialism as international and transnational in thought and practice by exploring how both the colonised and the coloniser were transformed by decolonisation. We will also consider the contemporary relevance of decolonisation by looking at the condition of postcolonialism. In addition we will examine the intersections between 'race', gender and class. In doing so we will critically examine the relationships between theory and practice, text and action, thought and history.

Prerequisites

• Introduction to Global History (153400084) or
• Introduction to International Relations (153400085) or 
• Introduction to Political Theory (153400001 )

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

• Understand the historical complexity of decolonisation as an international and transnational process
• Understand, use and critique a range of different interpretations of colonialism and decolonisation
• Critically deploy 'decolonial' methods in historical and theoretical analysis
• Identify relationships between history, theory and practice

Workload

This module will be taught over 10 weeks with:

• 1 hour lecture per week
• 1 hour tutorial per week

Method of assessment

Assignment 1: 30%
Assignment 2: 70%

Suggested reading

• Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt. The souls of black folk. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1903.
• Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press. 2004
• Davis, Angela Y. Women, race, & class. London: Vintage, 2011.

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules