D
Terms: Decolonization, Discrimination
Decolonization
Phonetic Pronunciation: dee-kol-uh-nigh-zay-shun
Definition:
Decolonization is both a distinct historical event and a multifaceted process. It marks a significant turning point in world history while also encompassing the diverse ways in which different regions and countries have ended colonial rule (2). In its political sense, decolonization refers to the restoration of sovereignty to territories and nations previously governed by foreign colonial powers. More broadly, it is an ongoing social, cultural, and political process that seeks to dismantle enduring colonial systems of oppression, restore Indigenous self-determination, and challenge Eurocentric worldviews (3).
History:
The term decolonization has a history spanning nearly 200 years, although it was used only occasionally and without a consistent definition for much of that time. One of its earliest known uses dates to 1836, when French writer Henry Fonfrède employed the term while criticizing France's occupation of Algeria (7). Even in this early context, decolonization conveyed ideas of protest, resistance, and opposition to colonial domination over territories and their peoples (7). The term became more widely established in academic and political discourse during the 1930s, when German economist Moritz Julius Bonn used the German equivalent of decolonization to describe the struggle of European colonies to gain independence and establish self-government (5, 6). Following the Second World War, a wave of independence movements spread across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. By the 1960s, decolonization had become closely associated with the dismantling of European colonial empires and the emergence of newly independent states (6, 7).
Current Usage:
While many countries have achieved independence from their former colonial powers, the effects of colonialism still remain embedded within society and ideologies, thus, decolonization can be understood through two broad perspectives. One emerges from the lived experiences of people who have experienced colonialism firsthand, while the other has developed through academic, political, and institutional discourse, where it is often discussed in theoretical rather than practical action (7). As a result, the term has taken on a range of definitions and interpretations and is used in different contexts depending on whose talking.
Examples:
Situational: In Canada, decolonization can be seen through efforts to advance the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and support Indigenous resurgence, including the revitalization of Indigenous languages, cultures, governance, and relationships with the land (1).
Sentence: Decolonization of knowledge is about questioning who has the power over knowledge production, dissemination and management and eventually decentering those sources of power by bringing in others who were marginalized by colonization (8).
Perspective:
In contemporary public discourse, decolonization is often understood through an institutional lens, where governments, corporations, and other organizations incorporate the language of decolonization into a settler-colonial framework (9). Rather than challenging the structures of colonial power, this approach often reduces decolonization to symbolic or administrative reforms that preserve existing systems of power, property, and governance, while emphasizing concepts such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (10).
This dominant interpretation, however, differs in important ways from how many Indigenous peoples and other formerly colonized communities understand and practice decolonization. From this perspective, decolonization extends far beyond political independence or institutional reform. It is an ongoing process of dismantling colonial systems of thought, challenging the assumed superiority of Western knowledge and worldviews, and restoring Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and relating to the land (8). At its core, decolonization calls for rethinking the relationships between people, land, and institutions while centering Indigenous voices, knowledge, and practices. It also requires individuals to critically examine how colonial assumptions shape their understanding of the world and to actively question and unlearn those ways of thinking (8, 9).
Did You Know?
India’s independence movement was a monumental catalyst for the broader wave of decolonization that followed the Second World War. After India gained independence from British rule in 1947, its successful anti-colonial movement—particularly Mahatma Gandhi’s use of non-violent resistance—challenged global perceptions of colonial power and encouraged other colonized peoples to pursue self-determination. Leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah of the Gold Coast (later Ghana) drew inspiration from India’s movement, contributing to the wider collapse of the British Empire and the emergence of newly independent nations across Africa and Asia (4).
Sources:
(2) https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/s10963.pdf
(3) https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/a-brief-definition-of-decolonization-and-indigenization
(4) http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/5/decolonization-and-the-collapse-of-the-british-empire
(5) https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-decolonisation-131455
(7) https://journals.openedition.org/aa/11832
(8) https://www.peacejusticestudies.org/chronicle/do-not-colonize-decolonization/
(9) https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/decolonization-in-everyday-life
Discrimination
Definition:
“Discrimination is defined as distinguishing differences between things or treating someone as inferior based on their race, sex, national origin, age or other characteristics.” yourdictionary.com
Other discrimination could be based on someone’s appearance, sexual orientation, physical or mental characteristics, income, religion, and so on.
Examples:
An employee policy which requires women to wear a uniform with short sleeves. (Muslim women wear long sleeves)
Using the term “gay” in a derogatory way.
Not having a wheelchair access to a public building.
Sources:
!4 Best Definitions of Discrimination Your Dictionary