How decolonization challenged assumptions
When decolonization turned the mirror on academia
The moment scholars began to talk about decolonization as more than a political slogan, something shifted in the way we think about knowledge itself. Frantz Fanon famously described decolonization as “a program of complete disorder,” and that chaos was intentional: it forced us to question the comfortable, taken‑for‑granted assumptions that undergird everything from textbook narratives to research funding models.
Instead of seeing colonialism as a closed chapter, decolonial theorists treat it as an ongoing structure that still shapes who gets to speak, what counts as evidence, and whose histories are displayed on museum walls. The shift from “decolonization = independence” to “decolonization = undoing colonial logics” has opened up new channels for critique, ranging from curriculum design to the very language we use in peer‑reviewed journals.
The hidden assumptions that fell apart
Colonial hierarchies masquerading as universal truths
For decades, many disciplines operated on the assumption that Western scientific methods were the default, objective way to investigate the world.
- Superiority of Euro‑American epistemologies – the notion that Western rationality is universally applicable.
- Neutrality of the researcher – the claim that scholars can detach themselves from their social and historical contexts.
- Objectivity of data – the belief that facts speak for themselves, independent of who collects them.
Decolonial scholars have shown that each of these ideas actually serves to preserve power for the Global North. By positioning Western frameworks as “universal,” other ways of knowing—Indigenous oral histories, African communal practices, Asian relational ontologies—are relegated to the margins or dismissed as anecdotal.
The myth of the “single, linear progress”
In history and development studies, progress has often been narrated as a straight line moving from “primitive” to “civilized.” Decolonial critiques expose this as a myth that masks the violent disruptions caused by colonization—land dispossession, cultural erasure, and economic extraction. The myth also hides the fact that many societies maintained sophisticated governance, trade, and scientific systems long before European contact.
“Neutral” institutions are anything but
Universities, research councils, and even NGOs tend to present themselves as neutral arbiters of knowledge. Yet their funding streams, hiring practices, and publication norms frequently privilege English‑language scholarship from elite Western institutions. This structural bias reinforces the idea that expertise resides primarily in the Global North, marginalizing scholars from the Global South and Indigenous communities.
How research practices got a reality check
The push to decolonize research isn’t just philosophical; it’s reshaping everyday methodological choices. Below are three concrete ways the decolonization project is challenging established practice, as highlighted in recent scholarship (e.g., Thambinathan & Kinsella, 2021; Decolonial research methodology, 2024).
Re‑centering Indigenous methodologies
Researchers are now collaborating directly with Indigenous knowledge holders, using protocols that respect community ownership of data. For example, the “Two‑Eyed Seeing” approach blends Western scientific observation with Indigenous relational insight, producing findings that are both culturally relevant and scientifically robust.Questioning the primacy of peer‑reviewed journals
Some scholars argue that the global dominance of English‑language journals creates a gatekeeping mechanism that excludes valuable non‑Western perspectives. Alternative publishing models—community‑based journals, multilingual open‑access platforms, and oral dissemination formats—are gaining traction as legitimate outlets for rigorous research.Decentering the researcher‑subject hierarchy
Traditional studies often position the researcher as the “expert” and the participants as passive data sources. Decolonial methodologies flip this script, treating participants as co‑creators of knowledge. Participatory action research (PAR) projects in Kenya, for instance, have led to policy changes because community members helped define research questions, interpret results, and draft recommendations.
A quick checklist for decolonial reflexivity
- Ask who benefits from the knowledge production process.
- Identify language barriers—are you publishing only in English?
- Seek community endorsement before finalizing findings.
- Consider alternative metrics of impact beyond citation counts (e.g., policy changes, community empowerment).
Everyday implications: from curricula to policy
Decolonization isn’t confined to ivory‑tower debates; its ripple effects are showing up in classrooms, museums, and government reports.
Curriculum redesign
Universities across Canada, Australia, and the United States have introduced mandatory Indigenous studies components, ensuring that students encounter non‑Western histories early in their degree programs. In New Zealand, the “Treaty of Waitangi” framework now guides the assessment of all new courses.Museum exhibitions
Institutions like the British Museum and the Smithsonian are re‑evaluating provenance records and, in some cases, returning artifacts to their places of origin. Collaborative exhibitions co‑curated with source communities emphasize storytelling rather than object‑centred displays.Policy formulation
Development agencies such as the World Bank are incorporating “decolonial impact assessments” to gauge whether projects inadvertently reinforce colonial power dynamics. These assessments look at land rights, cultural preservation, and the participation of local voices in decision‑making.
Real‑world examples that illustrate change
- The University of Cape Town’s “Decolonise the Curriculum” task force – produced a report in 2022 that led to the removal of several Euro‑centric reading lists and the inclusion of African scholars across disciplines.
- The “Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change” project in Alaska – merged traditional ecological observations with satellite data, yielding more accurate predictions of sea‑ice melt and informing state-level climate policy.
- The “Decolonising Data” initiative in the European Union – a 2023 working group recommended that EU statistics agencies collect disaggregated data on Indigenous populations to better address health disparities.
These moves demonstrate that challenging assumptions isn’t an abstract exercise; it can reshape funding priorities, alter how we teach future generations, and improve the relevance of research to the people it claims to serve.
What comes next: building beyond the disorder
If decolonization is “a program of complete disorder,” the next step isn’t to return to the previous equilibrium but to construct a new, more inclusive one.
Hybrid epistemologies
Rather than forcing a binary choice between Western and non‑Western knowledge, we can develop hybrid frameworks that acknowledge the validity of multiple ways of knowing. This might involve co‑authored publications where an Indigenous elder and a university professor each write a section in their own voice, later woven together by a facilitator.Redistributive funding models
Granting agencies could earmark a percentage of their budgets specifically for research led by scholars from the Global South or Indigenous communities. Some foundations, like the Ford Foundation, have already begun to pilot such models, but broader adoption is needed to shift the power balance.Accountability mechanisms
Institutions should embed decolonial accountability into tenure reviews, research ethics boards, and impact assessments. Simple tools—such as a “decolonial impact statement” attached to every grant application—can make the conversation a routine part of scholarly life rather than an occasional workshop.
A short action plan for the pragmatic reader
- Start a dialogue within your department about existing curricula and research practices.
- Identify one project where you can partner with a community stakeholder and co‑design the research agenda.
- Advocate for policy change at your institution’s research office to include decolonial criteria in funding decisions.
The journey from disorder to a more equitable knowledge ecosystem won’t be linear. It will involve setbacks, debates, and moments of uncomfortable self‑scrutiny. But the payoff—more relevant research, richer educational experiences, and a genuine democratization of knowledge—makes the effort worthwhile.