Postcolonialism & Postcolonial Theory: An Introduction

Post-colonial studies emerged in the 1970s as a historical designation referring to situations after colonization, focusing on Western hegemony, marginalized histories, and archaeological analysis of current situations. Decolonial thought originated in Latin America around the same time, catalyzed by the 1955 Bandung Conference. Decolonial theory traces colonial impacts back to 1492, introduces the concept of 'coloniality' (coloniality of power, knowledge, being, gender, nature), and promotes transmodernization as completing decolonization. These movements differ in their philosophical foundations, geographic origins, and temporal scope of analysis.

Post-colonial and decolonial theories emerged in the 1980s-90s to critique how colonial powers constructed 'the Other' through binary thinking (race, gender, ethnicity) and imposed Eurocentric knowledge systems that marginalized indigenous and African peoples; decolonial theory specifically addresses how nations maintain colonial mentalities even after political independence, requiring educators to critically examine curricula, challenge epistemicide, and adopt pedagogical approaches that center marginalized voices and knowledges rather than reproducing dominant paradigms.

Decolonial theory differs fundamentally from postcolonial theory in its temporal and conceptual scope. Postcolonial theory addresses the second wave of colonization affecting Africa, Middle East, and Asia after WWII, while decolonial theory addresses the first wave of Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the Americas beginning in 1492. Decolonial theory focuses on the intersection of colonial problems with modernity itself, not just capitalism or imperialism. Enrique Dussel argues modernity began in 1492 when Europe first constituted itself as unified subject, challenging Eurocentric historical narratives.

Decoloniality differs fundamentally from postcolonial studies in that it is not merely a descriptive framework but an active process of decolonizing thinking and epistemological foundations of modernity, requiring scholars to move beyond binary dualisms (North-South, self-other) that colonial power structures perpetuated; effective decolonial practice demands contextual development of theory by those directly experiencing colonial trauma, rather than applying externally created concepts, and involves processes of 'rerooting and rerouting' that rediscover indigenous knowledge to invent new ways of being transmodern.

Post-colonialism views history chronologically: there was a colonial period, and now we are in the post-colonial period after empires officially ended. Decolonialism, however, argues that despite official decolonization, the colonial power structure (coloniality of power) persists. The same people who were masters during colonialism remain in power, particularly visible in Latin America. Foundational texts include Edward Said's 'Orientalism' (1978) and Hannibal M. K. M. (Kisangani)'s 'Race and Coloniality of Power.' This distinction is crucial for understanding ongoing colonial impacts.

This segment examines how neocolonialism functions through local elites who maintain connections with former colonial powers. The speaker explains that neocolonialism only works because local elites in former colonies have interests aligned with former colonial powers, as seen in Madagascar where a bourgeoisie connected to France did not want to lose their power, leading to recurring crises. The segment covers the 2023 uprising in Madagascar, where young people protested against corruption and foreign influence, resulting in the fall of President Rajoelina. The speaker argues that this pattern occurs in many former colonies, including Côte d'Ivoire, and that popular uprisings often occur when these local elites begin to lose influence. The speaker emphasizes that decolonization requires both colonizers and colonized peoples to engage in mutual learning and reconciliation.

Neocolonialism refers to the indirect control of developing countries by developed nations through economic, financial, and trade policies implemented by transnational corporations and international institutions like the IMF and World Bank, rather than through direct political rule; this system maintains colonial-like exploitation by creating dependency through unequal treaties, trade agreements, and investments that enrich a few while keeping nations economically subordinate.

Marx has been systematically deformed by both the Soviet Marxist-Leninist tradition and the capitalist opposition. The Soviet tradition portrayed Marx as an atheist materialist who opposed tradition, while the capitalist opposition portrayed Marx as a demon who opposed tradition. In reality, Marx was neither an atheist nor a materialist in the conventional sense. Marx's work contains a coherent metaphysics consistent with Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, which has been systematically ignored by both sides. Capitalism emerged through colonial exploitation. The Chinese invented paper in the 4th century, printing in the 9th century, and gunpowder - technologies that Europe later adopted. The Spanish used gunpowder to conquer indigenous peoples in the Americas, beginning the era of modern capitalism. The Spanish extracted approximately 1,000 tons of silver from Zacatecas and Potosí in the 16th century without paying any taxes or compensation to the indigenous peoples. The Theory of Dependency explains how less developed countries are exploited by more developed countries. Countries with less technology have higher labor costs because they must pay higher wages to reproduce workers. When they compete with more developed countries, their products are more expensive, so they lose in the global market. Since 1810, Mexico has been economically dependent on Europe and later the United States. The global distribution of capital is extremely unequal - the top 1% of humanity possesses as much capital as the bottom 80%. This inequality results from the accumulation of surplus value and the exploitation of workers and less developed countries. The capitalist system operates through a mechanism where the worker is paid a wage that covers only a portion of the value they produce. For example, if a worker produces $500 worth of goods but is paid only $100, the remaining $400 represents surplus value that the capitalist appropriates. This surplus value is the source of capitalist profit and represents the unpaid labor of the worker. The system systematically desangrines the worker, extracting life and labor without compensation. This is why the poor not only remain poor but become increasingly dehumanized.

The speaker critiques Western values, arguing that 'rule-based order' has become neocolonialism where the West designates who is good and bad, representing neoimperialism. The speaker contends the West has abandoned its values by no longer accepting opinion diversity and the variety of civilizations. The speaker criticizes NATO's 75th anniversary expansion and its role as a global policeman, questioning who actually controls NATO and suggesting it operates under American influence. The speaker argues that Western hegemony, particularly 'Pax Americana,' is inappropriate for dealing with major powers like India, Russia, and China, creating disorder rather than order.

The video presents a theory of neocolonialism, arguing that Peru has been under foreign control for over 200 years, first through Spanish colonization and now through American influence. The speaker alleges that the United States embassy controls Peruvian politics and that the country has become a 'narcoestado' where all sectors collaborate with foreign agencies for exploitation. The content discusses territorial losses in the Amazon region and the exploitation of national resources by foreign entities.

Post-colonial criticism examines literature produced by colonized countries and texts that discuss colonization. It addresses themes of double identity or hybridity—where individuals born in colonized countries adapt to both colonizer and colonized cultures, making self-identification difficult. Key analytical questions include: (1) How does the text represent colonial oppression explicitly or allegorically, (2) What does the text reveal about post-colonial identity problems including double consciousness and hybridity, (3) How do characters cope with identity issues resulting from colonization, and (4) What persons or groups does the work identify as 'other' or strangers and how are they treated.

Postcolonial criticism analyzes how Western discourse constructs 'Orientalism'—fixed exoticized identities justifying domination. Frantz Fanon examined 'Black Skin, White Mask' psychological effects of colonialism. Gayatri Spivak asked 'Can the subaltern speak?' questioning marginalized voices. Homi Bhabha analyzed 'mimicry'—colonized peoples' ambivalent imitation. Thomas King declared postcolonialism an 'imaginary creature' preventing discussion of contemporary imperialism. Cultural studies examines how culture operates as ideological apparatus serving power relations. Raymond Williams distinguished 'culture as ordinary'—everyday practices like eating and speaking—not merely elite traditions. Michel Foucault developed genealogical methods tracing how knowledge and power connect. Stuart Hall developed encoding-decoding model treating communication as open system with three decoding positions: dominant, negotiated, and oppositional. New Historicism (Stephen Greenblatt) studies text-history dialogue, practicing parallel reading of literary and non-literary texts. Cultural materialism applies Marxist theory to literature, examining class, ideology, and economy.

Post-colonial literary theory examines the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism, analyzing how colonized peoples are represented in texts written by those within the colonial system. Colonialism involves one nation taking political, economic, and cultural control over another, while imperialism is the ideology justifying such expansion. Critics analyze how colonized peoples are portrayed as 'other' or different, examining derogatory assumptions that justify colonial power. Key terminology includes: Colonialism (territorial control), Imperialism (justifying ideology), The Other (regarded as different), Subaltern (outside power structures with no voice), Cultural Identity (belonging including nationality, religion, ethnicity), and Marginalized (relegated to society's edge with voices taken away). The literary canon—traditionally dominated by authors from the colonial power's perspective—is challenged by post-colonial critics who seek to uncover writers with different perspectives and bring marginalized voices to the center.

Colonial discourse shapes literary intentions and audience expectations through established cultural templates. Writers often choose settings based on marketability and existing cultural imaginaries rather than authentic representation. Joseph Conrad intentionally selected Africa because it had already been established in European imagination as 'the other'—a foil to European identity. Most cultures create an 'other' to sustain their own identity by projecting failures onto external groups. This process involves impugning one's own shortcomings onto constructed others, thereby stabilizing dominant cultural self-conceptions as civilized and superior.