Decolonisation: More Than a Trendy Word (original) (raw)

2023, Australian Social Work

Decolonisation has become a fashionable word. A jingoistic mantra repeated because it sounds grand, and one that can be misused and distorted to further colonise and strengthen colonisation. Trendy words occur in academic writing, commonly used, yet rarely defined, and embraced without being fully understood. Words like "decolonisation" have been appropriated, taken from legitimate scholars and used as a metaphor by "experts" in positions of power to further reinforce the colonialist social structures, intellectual agendas, and workspaces (Tuck & Yang, 2012). In my view, blithely or intentionally, academic articles, research funding applications, and media rhetoric can sometimes be scripted using trendy key words to progress agendas that on the surface looks reasonable, yet do not reflect the intent of words used. Decolonisation is one such word. The intention in writing this short commentary is to promote interest in further reading about, and respectful use of the word and movement that is "Decolonisation". Discovering Decolonisation Theory When I finally got to university in my late thirties, I realised how different I was from the mainstream. I had a way of looking at the world that did not fit within the conventional social script. When literature used the term "we" I realised that generally it meant "white/ dominant class"; it did not include me. Colonialist interpretation of history and reality challenged me. Then, I heard Hawaiian scholar and activist Poka Laenui's explain the five stages of colonisation, and his proposed five stages to de-colonisation. Decolonisation, undoing the process of colonisation, is the framework used in my research that enabled a safe space for discussions (Laenui, 2007; Muller & Gair, 2013). Decolonisation: Undoing Colonisation Confusion over what decolonisation means or fear of its success, or both, appear to have given rise to false claims on what it is. Semantics are sometimes used to push a colonialist agenda with unscrupulous people claiming their work and intention is decolonising, when it is acting to further the colonialist agenda. Social work practitioners, authors, and academics, need to gain a clear understanding of what is meant by decolonisation so they can explain what it is, and how the framework