Turning the Decolonial Gaze towards Ourselves: Decolonising the Curriculum and 'Decolonial Reflexivity' in Sociology and Social Theory

Moosavi, Leon ORCID: 0000-0002-1639-5049 (2023) Turning the Decolonial Gaze towards Ourselves: Decolonising the Curriculum and 'Decolonial Reflexivity' in Sociology and Social Theory SOCIOLOGY-THE JOURNAL OF THE BRITISH SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, 57 (1). pp. 137-156. ISSN 0038-0385, 1469-8684

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Abstract

This article provides a theoretical evaluation of the author’s attempts at decolonising a sociology and social theory course in Singapore. It also introduces the notion of ‘decolonial reflexivity’ as a strategy for refining academic decolonisation. In doing so, this article seeks to overcome both the insufficient introspection about the potential for coloniality to reside within efforts at academic decolonisation, and the tendency to separate theoretical and applied discussions about academic decolonisation. It is argued that the author’s attempts to decolonise the curriculum were limited because the course may have inadvertently: (a) sustained exclusion while claiming to be inclusive; (b) maintained the status quo while claiming to be radical; and (c) reinscribed Westerncentrism while claiming to decolonise. This article suggests that although academic decolonisation is a commendable aspiration, academics who wish to decolonise must continually consider the theoretical complexities that are generated by our attempts at academic decolonisation.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	academic decolonisation, decolonising the curriculum, higher education, social theory, sociology, teaching, Westerncentrism
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	05 Aug 2022 08:32
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 09:52
DOI:	10.1177/00380385221096037
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1177/00380385221096037
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3160415
Disclaimer:	The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate.