Question

women played a huge role in the Algerian fight for independence at a time when women were not generally involved in revolutionary or armed conflict. Do you feel their involvement is part of the “violent phenomenon” of decolonization described by Fanon or representative of their oppression within Islamic society?

Answer 1

Answer:

Since the emergence of official education in the colonies of the Caribbean and beyond, the curriculum which was taught has been colonial, racist and Eurocentric. Eurocentrism is a " superstructure that seeks to impose European consciousness onto other people's consciousness " (Asante 2012: 38). It is a pervasive ideology that sneaks into every aspect of life, attempting to erase the diverse histories of peoples, in order to replace their outlook on life and their understanding of the world with a perspective molded and sculpted by those who sought to subdue them. The spread and subsequent rooting of Eurocentric ideologies was vital to the processes of colonization. In order to conquer vast numbers of peoples and territories, the European aggressors tried their best to make the conquered believe in their supposed 'racial' inferiority, so that oppression would be internalized and self-perpetuating. This process started several centuries ago and unfortunately it still has not ended. Colonized education affects both the colonizer and the colonized, but in very opposite ways. It influences their worldviews, their identity, their self-esteem, and their physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It reproduces the racist status quo, by institutionalizing the premises on which enslavement and colonialism were built for hundreds of years. Furthermore, it reinforces the racist belief that people of colour have less or no right to agency and self-determination, because the colonizing (European) country supposedly 'knows what's best for them'. Through colonized education, people internalize racism and oppression, and as a result, racist ways of thinking become " common sense " knowledge. The field of social sciences has witnessed an increasing attention towards the decolonization of education in the past decade. However, progress in these decolonization processes is slowed down, partially because of internalized oppression and internalized anti-black racism and colourism. This article focuses on how the works of Frantz Fanon and others can be used in the decolonization of education to address this internalized oppression. It addresses the problem of 'epidermalization of inferiority' (Fanon 2008), which causes some people of colour to accept their subjugated position as being the 'natural order of things'. It lays out a short history of colonized education, its aims, and the role of religion and colour symbolism in education. It also discusses the element of class in colonized education and 'development'. Furthermore, it analyses the effects of a colonized education on the colonized and the colonizer, and on the advancement of knowledge. It proceeds to discuss the need for a decolonization of education, and possible pathways towards achieving a decolonized education system. In all sections, the work of Frantz Fanon is leading.

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