University of Helsinki
DECOLONISING SOCIOLOGY
Session chairs: Amikeng Atabong and Minna Seikkula (University of Helsinki)
Beginning in the late-18th century with the successions of the United States from the British Empire and Haiti from France, over the course of the 19th century and accelerating in the latter half of the 20th century, lands previously defined as the colonies of Western empires gradually sought (and often fought for) their independence. This changed the geopolitical map significantly from some fifty-one member states at the inception of the United Nations in 1945 to some one hundred and ninety-three sovereign member states today. Nonetheless, while the colonial powers may have waned, colonial thinking continues to live on in the social, political and economic relations of the contemporary global order, particularly in relation to discussions of multiculturalism, ‘race’ and indigeneity. Indeed, as Gurminder Bhambra (2014: 119-120) has noted, the social sciences have generally been resistant to the insights of postcolonial theory.
In the light of such a critique, this session welcomes contributions that recognise the legacy of colonialism in sociological thinking today and seek to open sociology to possible futures, which address present-day inequalities that are consequences of long-standing historical injustices such as the genocide and dispossession of indigenous peoples, the appropriation of lands, and the enslavement of racialized ‘others’. In addition, the organisers welcome contributions that endeavour to decolonise academic knowledge production and challenge the hegemony of whiteness within academia.
Key concepts: Post-colonial sociologies, decolonising knowledge production, social justice, anti-racism, multiculturalism, indigenous groups.