Shifting sands: The decoloniality of geography and its curriculum in South Africa

On shaky ground: A response to Long et al. (2019)

“…Given the centrality of postcolonial theory to the argument, it is reasonable to expect references to theorists such as Said 9 , Spivak 10 and Bhabha 11 , whose work in cultural and literary studies developed the foundational theories of postcolonialism. The work of the 'Subaltern Studies' scholars, including Chakrabarty 12 and Prakash 13 , as well as contemporary postcolonial geographies such as those elaborated by Raghuram, Madge and Noxolo 14-17 , Sidaway 18,19 , McEwan 20,21 , Jacobs 22 and Blunt and Rose 23 , to name only a few, similarly escape mention by Long et al 3 Instead, the authors devote about 10% of their contribution to Carter's 24 critical examination of the 'unwitting and lingering colonial referents' (p. 825) within science education scholarship on cultural diversity. Carter's piece makes a valuable contribution to the specific project of interrogating the language used in science education, but her work cannot substitute for a full appreciation of the wealth of debate within postcolonial geographies nor, more worryingly, is it accurately represented by Long et al 3 These authors misrepresent Carter's careful work on difference by using her framework as a basis for the claims they go on to make about who should speak within South African higher education, a point to which I return shortly.…”

“…While Long et al 3 do not specify what they mean by decolonisation, they are somewhat clearer about how they think it should be achieved. Some suggestions, such as re-thinking 'criteria of excellence' and building African partnerships, indicate a reflective and inclusive approach.…”

“…The silences here, and the slow demographic transformation of South African Geography departments clearly demonstrate the need to render more visible the oppressions and exclusions that shape the foundations of our discipline. This is the need that Long et al 3 identify, calling specifically for explicit recognition in curricula of 'local' knowledges and place names, and for a turn to postcolonial theory as 'resistance to imperialism, a critique of the colonial, and a rediscovery of indigenous histories and heritage' (p.1). There would surely be little argument against these, at least as principles, in any contemporary South African department of Geography, and indeed Long et al 3 would find little evidence in academic writing for their straw man that the postcolonial is 'often misconceived' as the era after colonialism (p.1).…”

“…This is the need that Long et al 3 identify, calling specifically for explicit recognition in curricula of 'local' knowledges and place names, and for a turn to postcolonial theory as 'resistance to imperialism, a critique of the colonial, and a rediscovery of indigenous histories and heritage' (p.1). There would surely be little argument against these, at least as principles, in any contemporary South African department of Geography, and indeed Long et al 3 would find little evidence in academic writing for their straw man that the postcolonial is 'often misconceived' as the era after colonialism (p.1). However, simply calling for resistance, critique and rediscovery does not amount to a substantive call for decolonised curricula (or indeed research).…”

“…In the space available here, however, I want to focus less on the 'what' and more on the 'how' in Long et al 3 in other words on what these authors see as the means by which decolonised curricula should be achieved in South African Geography departments. It is here that their argument steps onto shaky intellectual ground, displaying a surprising ignorance about the scholarship the authors claim as foundational to their project, and putting forth, frankly, regressive proposals for transformation.…”