Postcolonialism: WTF? An Intro to Postcolonial Theory
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ย. 2024
- In this month's episode of What the Theory?, we're diving into postcolonialism with an intro to postcolonial theory in literature, film and culture.
We'll be looking at the ideas of Edward Said (as laid out in his book Orientalism), Gayatri Spivak (Can the Subaltern Speak?), Homi Bhabha (The Location of Culture) and Stuart Hall (The West and Rest).
In particular, this postcolonialism crash course hopes to give you an insight into how some of these core ideas of post-colonialism can be used to analyse cultural texts through the critical lens of postcolonial theory. As such, we'll put these ideas into action in discussing James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar and Ryan Coogler's 2018 film Black Panther.
Further Reading
Orientalism by Edward Said
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Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction by Robert J.C. Young
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Postcolonial Theory and Avatar by Gautam Basu Thakur
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[The above are affiliate links. I receive a small kickback from anything you buy which, in turn, helps to support the channel.]
If you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as PhD vlogs in which I talk about some of the challenges of being a PhD student then do consider subscribing.
Thanks for watching!
Twitter: @Tom_Nicholas
Website: www.tomnicholas.com
References
Barry, P. (1995) Beginning Theory. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Eligon, John (2018) /Wakanda Is a Fake Country, but the African Language in ‘Black Panther’ Is Real/. The New York Times. [Online] www.nytimes.co... [18 October 2018].
Hall, S. (1996) ‘The West and the Rest: Discourse and Power’. in S. Hall and B. Gieben [eds] Formations of Modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press. pp. 275-331.
Sanginga, N. A. (2018) A Portion Of Pan-Africanism In “Black Panther”. The Mac Weekly. [Online] themacweekly.c... [20 October 2018].
Said, E. (1978) Orientalism. New York: Pantheon Books.
Spivak, G. C. (2010 [1988]) ‘Can the Subaltern Speak?’. in R. Morris [ed] Can the Subaltern Speak? Reflections on the History of an Idea. New York: Columbia University Press.
Wong (Omowale), D. (2018) The Black Panther: An Anti-Colonial Pan-African Superhero. Huffpost. [Online] www.huffington... [20 October 2018].
Hi all! Thanks for watching, I hope you found the video enlightening in some small way! If you'd like me to help me to make more videos like this, and to influence what topics I cover next, then I've just launched a Patreon. I'd love it if you'd check it out and, if you're able, consider supporting my channel. Thanks! Tom. www.patreon.com/tomnicholas
I look at movies like Avatar and Black Panther as taking cultural icons, or texts, and placing them in a framework outside of their original context. A cultural appropriation. Here in Canada the legal system, in an attempt to "Indigenize" its legal processes, has borrowed an icon of the Indigenous social systems, namely talking-circles, and called them sentencing circles. These are circles where relatives, other concerned persons, and the legal workers (judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, etc) all join in a circle to discuss any matter concerning the harm created, or the harm brought on to any person, or thoughts about the person who committed the harm(s) or other aftereffects of the harm. This information is used by a Judge to help them render a judicial sentence.
But this is a case of taking something, talking circles, out of their original context to serve the purposes of a colonial system. The purpose being, to serve the processes of sentencing an offender rather than returning balance to damaged relationships in the community. The talking-circle, by being placed into the western style legal system, ceased serving its intended, original function. The circle ceases to serve its intended cultural and social role rather than supporting the social conventions and social identities of the original host society.
Many of the texts (cultural icons) in the movies Black Panther and Avatar are placed within a framework (the movie) that is outside their original context. And they cease to truly represent their original purpose. They take on a new colonial identity and purpose just like talking-circles had in my example above.
All societies build social institutions which maintain social identity because they were built upon the social values of those societies. Whether its the institution of law or the health care system. They are systems of self preservation whether design intentionally or inadvertently through cultural self-realization. Colonialism to me has a lot to do with self-realization of colonial aspirations. Anything that is a barrier to those colonial aspirations (societal aspirations) must be removed. Whether by genocide or by maintaining a social narrative about the other. Colonialism is, at its core, about removing barriers to its aspirations.
Really appreciate it, it's not easy to sum these ideas up. Thank you!
How does one analyse the choice of Xhosa as a language for the people of Wakanda, and the power dynamics within South Africa;(and Africa) itself? By promoting a language to a higher status over other, does this lead to an internal power issue? S.A. has 11 official languages, and arguably, with their own hierarchy. What lens, theory, ideas would one use to critically analyse that choice, as well as, any other "internal" class, language,status hierarchy, not necessarily dictated by colonialism? Or because we (arguably) live in a "post-colonial" world, that analysis is already tainted and must be analysed by how the "west" influenced its discourse?....
Ps: thanks for the video!
I'm studying Politic science in Venezuela, with these videos I'm getting an A+ in critical perspectives. Thank u Bigheaded white man
@@KMASCII THANKYOU and still learning
I'm studying Politic science in Venezuela, with these videos I'm getting an A+ in critical perspectives. Thank u Bigheaded white man
u ok mate? hope all is well. mashallah!
@@yunggab5322 Yes, I'm well thanks for asking. u see here in Venezuela we are lacking of materials and even food but we help each other, grow our own food, and water just pours out from earth is a very fertile soil up here, and we are always happy cause the clima is always like spring sunny and around 16 to 27 celsius so can u ask anything else to life?
BIG HEADED WHITE MAN HAHAHAHAHA
Si estás aprendiendo estas estupideces, te deberían reprobar por burro. Darle la espalda a la hispanidad es un grave error.
@@hacheismo Chavista? y sino, persona sin cultura general
the lengths I go to to watch marvel movies without paying for them
based
thanks to u for pointing this out, i now cant focus on what this person is saying and just keep on cackling looking at the background with your comment whirling around my head hahahahaha
Get an apk
From filelinkeed
Just type it in om TH-cam
This guy straight up played Black Panther in the background and dodged channel termination from Disney like a boss
dude, you're my hero. I'm studying geography at U of Edinburgh and some of that stuff you're covering in your videos has come up (I'm going into third year now), I've been looking for a youtuber who explains the humanities in an accessible way and finally found you! thanks for what you do, keep it up!
As a British Iranian I must say that you have as much right in speaking this topic as much as I do. We all have different perspective but we all should have same rights. There should be more channels such as this!
I absolutley see where you're coming from but I do think it's important to acknowledge as, if "western" voices end up drowning out those with more visceral experiences of colonialism in discussions of postcolonialism, then there's a real danger that the power dynamics of that discourse only mirror those of colonialism itself. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
@@Tom_Nicholas very much appreciate your self awareness and intention to be conscious of your privilege. I would just add that it is reductionist to identify people of colors contribution to post colonial work as only visceral while yours academic. I think you can see the irony here. I do value what you do and please keep it up!
@@monamimaulik2544 Yes, Tom should say experiential, actual, or personal as opposed to academic, rather than visceral. Won't say more, as I like and appreciate this man.
@@monamimaulik2544 I think that implied in his statement is the understanding of his perspective being only 'academic', whilst the perspective of e.g. Said, Spivak and Bhabha being BOTH academic and visceral. But I do get your point.
@@Tom_Nicholas I think that in general it's good to start with a disclaimer about your personal relation to what's being discussed, what sources you gained your info and positions from. And when speaking on something that doesn't personally affect you to also point people whom it does concern peronally.
I think using privilage to elevate and amplify less privilaged voices is much more helpfull than appologizing for or ignoring the privilage.
Ofcourse the danger in that is that privilaged people still decide what voices are worth amplifying; maybe people better versed in dynamics of power and privilage know how to deal with that responsibly?
Can't stop coming back to watch this video. Maybe 10times now and still counting. Using postcolonialism as my theoretical framework as PhD student, I have always had to come back here to refresh myself with the summary of postcolonial theory when I get stuck in thinking and writing. Thank you Tom for this great job and concise summary. You dont know how much it has helped- a treasue indeed
You are already citing yourself. You are now a true academic.
Loved this video just as much as the last one, Tom. I found 'Black Panther' playing in the background a little distracting though.
Thanks for saying so, Ben. And I'll take that on board!
DIDNT even notice the movie playing till I read this comment 😂
Agreed. That's what kept popping up in my mind. His content is rich enough and needs a level of attention to unpack them as he speaks. I am tempted to think that whoever enjoys his content is really 'interested' - why - Because it's not "entertainment" per se but "educational". And I love it.
God I wish I'll meet you one day for the opportunity to talk to you, you seem to be the perfect "what if and what was" person to talk to. Can't describe how happy the fact that I found this channel makes me. You kind of saved me, to be said in a dramatic way. Thank you so much!
Glad to have helped out Katarina!
This was such a great video! I'm trying to write a paper on postcolonial theory at the moment and this was by far the best video I've seen - I thought you explored the theory with great sensitivity and thoughtfulness. I really appreciated how you linked back to more modern pieces like Avatar and Black Panther as well - you thought about how to take a really unique and insightful angle to help explain and relate back to the audience!! Thanks so much!
Thanks Tom, just finished reading 'The Empire Writes Back' and this video has been very useful to sum up the most important aspects of this theory.
Oh good, I always think of these videos as intros for people who have maybe read/learnt very little about each theory previously. It's good to know they still stand up to scrutiny if you've already got a decent working knowledge! Ta!
looking forward to watch the cultural materialism video!
Yay! Sometimes it feels like a bit of a gamble when writing/recording each episode as to whether anyone’s going to be interested, so always good to know there’s some demand in advance!!
Hey Tom, I’m studying polsci and philosophy at Uni and your channel has been a saving grace for me during exams 😂
Great video and clearly unpacks post colonialism.
I must add... If you search deeper about the wars against the white colonizers right from the start, it was infact the Zulus and Indebele tribal groups who should be credited. Then only most recently can we say that Xhosa activist emerged much like the late Nelson Mnadela.
This just serves as a side note not changing the facts of the video entirely x.
Thanks for saying so. And thanks for the amendment too, I always like to be put right when I get something a bit wrong!
You remained faithful to what you set out to do, using a perspective on postcolonialism to show how that perspective can be used to analyse Black Panther. As with other texts, other perspectives could have been used but I thought this was well done, clear and informative.
I am currently taking my master's in literature and although I am not formally writing it my thesis until next year (hopefully, when I pass the comprehensive exam), I intend to do a postcolonial reading of stories in speculative fiction. This video has been an enormous help. More power to you and your channel.
For those somehow only now finding this video (and are studying around this) I really encourage you to read Stuart Halls’s The west and the Rest: Discourse and Power.
It’s mentioned in this video but it’s so dense you could almost do a 8 min video on it alone. Ive leaned heavily on that essay since doing my masters around EDI and trust me it’s a cornerstone piece you will come back to forever.
This was great. I am working on an assignment involving Said's Orientalism and I had a bit of writer's block. This video helped clear that. :)
Thanks Vincent, really glad it was of some help!
Hi Tom! I have International Relations as a course in my studies and I really must say your videos are of such great help! They really help me understand the theory better. Thank you!
Good vid Tom. I liked that Black Panther was playing throughout, as it meant that we're already relating some of the issues raised to that example, even before you raised it directly! Bravo!
Thanks George! There were moments when editing when the video in the background lined up perfectly with what I was saying which was... erm... entirely planned... Hope you're well!
5:29 To be fair, “gharib” the word we use to say “strange” in everyday life in Arabic comes from the etymological root (gh-r-b) that refers to the west (where the sun sets, more accurately), so that kind of thinking really goes both way XD
@@Grimloxz Maghreb is in the western part of the Mediterranean, it’s opposed to Mashreq
@@Grimloxz If you want another interesting fact, “ghurba”, the word for “exile” or generally just living far away from home, also comes from this root.
@@Grimloxz that comes from the word "ghouroub" which means sunset. Idk if it has any shared roots with the word "gharib" but I doubt that since the meaning isn't anywhere close to that.
That's not necessarily the same thing.
You are an absolute godsend. This channel is a goldmine. Thank you for your work!
No worries at all, really glad you think so!
This is really great, I was surprised at how few views it had!
The future is bright!
Thank you, it’s fairly new and sometimes my vids take a little while to build momentum, haha. Hope you found it interesting!
The fact that Wakanda is an image thought about by a westerner is still a bad thing since it gives the idea that Africa should/could have been better than it really is, and that this idea has not been realized by Africans on their own.
Makes me miss Chadwick Boseman and the struggles he might have been experiencing while shooting the film despite the chemotherapy and surgeries.
Thank you for this this helpful video, Tom!~
King T'challa shall live on!~
@@BadxZoomer LoL sans the vibranium, flying cars and all the great technologies.. just the idea that africa should have been a progressive continent free from any colonizers who exploited it in the name of "civilization"; that it can stand on its own; that there is no hunger or any racial division or apartheid; and all the good things that africa should have had and should have been which are all far different from its reality now.
I loved that you made these concepts easier to understand by using Black Panther as the context to explain them. Great teaching method and very effective.
I'm writing a dissertation on this topic and this video was honestly a treat. Thank you :D
What was the title of your dissertation if you don't mind me asking?
beautifully manipulated, the addition of film references was smart
3:14 Edward Said
5:41 Gayatri Spivak
6:49 Gautam Basu Thakur
7:50 Peter Barry
9:14 Homi K. Bhabha
11:51 Dwayne Wong (Omowale)
15:42 Nteranya Arnold Sanginga
This is a really great primer. I just shared it with my AP Comparative Politics students since we're beginning to explore post colonial theory and it's relevance to Nigerian politics. Thanks for keeping it interesting and relevant with the film references. (Wakanda Forever!)
Ah cool, always lovely to hear that my videos are being used in classrooms/lectures. Hope your students find it useful!
I still roll my eyes at people who took issue with Scarlett Johansson playing the lead in Ghost In The Shell.
When interviewing people who are from Japan, and even Ghost In The Shell’s creator, they all said, “She’s a great choice because she looks like the character.”
Hi Tom, Ph.D. student from Canada, grateful for your useful videos :)
Hi Tom! Thank you for these great videos "disconstructing" dense theoretical concepts. Would you consider doing a video about "theoretical decolonization"? In the follows of colonialism and more specifically postcolonialism, how is academia currently reflecting about the effective decolonization of politics, economics, literature and scientific research itself?
I am a PhD student in Development Studies and am particularly interested in this epistemology!
Thanks again and keep up with this great work 👍🏽
You earned my subscription along with a bell notification ring just by your statement about your approach and awareness about the irony in the introduction.
I am a TH-camr who is also white and speaks Tagalog and my audience is Filipino. And I have noticed a disconcerting post-colonial issue that has involved loads of non-Filipino people making content related to the Philippines. 98% of these do not seem to do anything other than offer false praise; and, many Pinoys eat it up, perhaps not realizing the disingenuous play acting of many of these foreigners who really don’t intend to actually deep dive into the culture, language, and/or to understand actual issues that would enable ally-ship and therefore actually do, say and provide meaningful integration and uplifting... instead they just make ego-stroking nonsense, benefiting from it, whilst their audience remains unhealed from post-colonial affects... anyhow.
I am going to be discussing this with a fellow creator later on a podcast who is Filipino and who brought the term “PinoyBaiting” to the public’s awareness here in the Philippines. Anyhow, keep it up. I’ll check more of your stuff out later.
Filipino here brotha, definitely agree with the pinoy baiting thing, for some reason our race has always looked up to foreigners as somewhat better especially the white people. I guess a big part of it is because of the colonization of the Spanish and Americans. Nevertheless, I'm glad the younger generation is starting to pick up on these misconceptions and that there are non-filipinos such as you willing to actually teach understand the culture with no intent for just clickbaiting, thank you for that. Personally, I also started my youtube channel to also educate fellow Filipino's about the realities in our country.
Hanzo Buzen, and I appreciate your appreciation! Simulan mo nga ang channel mo. Willing ako magkaroon ng pag-uusap din sa channel mo kung Gagawin mo. Taga-saan ka pala?
@@PutingPinoy Awesome man! Salamat! We definitely should, let me know where I can contact you in regards to this, would also love to have a conversation with you on your channel as well. In any case here's my e-mail: thelatenightramblers@gmail.com The account I'm using right now is actually the official channel where I post my content, hope you got time to check it out :D I've also been planning to start a youtube podcast channel soon but for now I post all of my content in this account.
By the way i'm from Metro Manila, been living here for almost two decades, what about you?
Hanzo Buzen Pwede mo ako I-message @
2ang.putingpinoy@gmail.com
FB or IG: Puting Pinoy
Hanzo Buzen ako, taga-US. Lumipat ako sa Bataan noong 2008 Tapos palipat lipat ako sa Pangagasinan at Zambales hanggang 2010. And then noong bumalik ako sa States very involved pa rin ako sa Filipino community and then bumalik ako dito sa Pinas at nasa Pasig na ako.
Thanks for watching! Let me know any suggestions you have for future What the Theory? videos and, if you've yet to check out the rest of the series, then you can find them all in a handy playlist here: th-cam.com/play/PLIVcDWpMT7Kd3O0eq8b6fMOwvK26vpiWE.html
Great vid! Wondering if you have any thoughts on the development of decolonising theory and praxes, and whether that might feature in a future video? Really useful introductions though, big fan!
Tom Nicholas can u pls present on the representation pls
Great video buddy! I was kinda forced to watch your video as part of my anthropology studies, but I am so glad I didn't miss the chance to see such a well organized video on postcolonialism. I completely agree that it is difficult to discuss such a spicy topic as a white, privileged young man, but you definitely made a point on what you believe in and that discussion is always welcome. Cheers
Black Panther is one of my favorite Marvel movies and a great entry of afrofuturism into cinema. However, calling it a postcolonial text is a bit too optimistic in my opinion. The movie doesn't really resonate unless one is aware of all the negative conceptions about Africa. It doesn't escape the western gaze, it just tries to perform africanness and blackness differently. When you think of Wakanda or the character of Killmonger, you realise these are not postcolonial story elements. Wakanda is a _total_ fabrication. Completely out of scratch. Yeah, they worked in some cosmetic aspects of actual african cultures but at the core of it, Wakanda is a delusion. I would go as far as to say that Wakanda is the manifestation of a deep alienation. As for Killmonger, people have to understand that he's the 'realest' character of that movie. He's the anti-delusion. His very presence invalidates the whole movie and they had to make him the villain because of that. The truth is postcolonial thought doesn't really apply to Black ppl. There's something deeper going on with us..
I came here to say this as well. Wakanda is a captive nation; a nation that is not able to show itself or be itself to the world without the threat of extraction. It must hide itself from the world to continue being itself. Moreover, I even question what we mean regarding 'technologically' advanced. Is this technology in the ways that the West understands tech qua machinery, lights/lazers...and "civilization" as cities and big buildings. This resonates with my Afropessimist leanings. Black people are not able to truly engage in "the world", and at the time that we show up, extraction is inevitable. This is why T'Challa must work "with the world" instead of Killmonger's option to reset it (even though I think that's not even possible in the way Killmonger was thinking as he was, himself, a product, epistemically, of the West). I think that this reading of Wakanda is absolutely delusional and speaks more to a psychological need on behalf of both Black people and non-Black people for a "resolution" to anti-Blackness writ large that ALSO leaves the world intact. And that's just not a possibility.
...and that deeper thing is what I feel the Afropessimists, Black nihilists, and their interlocutors (the rigorous ones) are getting at. Which is why I think they return to and intervene on Lacan, Butler, etc.
Thanks for the great video!! I was looking at this for my literature class as we had to research different perspectives, post-colonialism being one of them and this was sooo helpful.
I wanted to agree with the idea that black panther is a representation of Africa in a scenario in which colonization did not exist, but then if you think about it the imagination or depiction of africa in this cultural text employs almost exclusively western technological innovations, even the cameras that are used to produce the film aren't made in Africa, which goes to prove that after all the subaltern may never speak for itself.
Hi Tom, I do not comment but I feel compelled to do so now! I am an avid reader, but many of the texts assigned to students this semester at my uni have been completely over my head, and I embarrassingly, could not understand a vast majority of what they were saying. This video has made me understand postcolonialism confidently. Thanks!
Thank you, very cool video. I'm writting from Oaxaca, Mexico. A brief comment, clarifying that I have not read the previous ones.
I think movies such as Avatar and Black Panther disguse or present themselves as post-colonial or anti-colonial but do not alter the status quo a bit. What they do instead is they jump on the wave of civilizatory discontent and capitalize on it, while deepening the USA sensibilities and aesthetics of virtuality, techno-centrist futurism, sexualization of the body, anthropo-centrism, resolution of conflict through violences, and many other such ideas that are at the core of the imperial, colonial, hyper-industralized, (refraining to say western) mindset.
There are reasons far outside the colonialist focused lens as to why Africa hasn't developed faster than Europe, similarly to a few other regions across the world. The location and roll of dice of evolution had imo, much bigger effect on this.
When I want to watch a well done analysis video with a nice vibe, I come here
This video really helped me get my head round postcolonialism, thanks!
Thank you for your video. I was reading Peter Barry's Beginning Theory. And came here to understand your view about Postcolonialism.
Hello from the future, with the sequels to these movies already had come out I want to say how happy I am to finally find a video essay speaking on how Black Panther and Avatar handle their topics and the people they represent. Would love to see a follow up to this conversation.
Tom, I'm enjoying your smart fun. I am an American expat in Canada studying Buddha Dharma. Over the past few decades I've become interested in the different spiritual foundations of these two countries. I like to hear your take on the "Puritan" movement that precipitated the English Civil War, murdering of the King, and subsequent migration of those "Godly People " who set up Massachusetts who then became the evangelicals; the view from England as it were.
Incredibly glad I discovered this channel, your video was fantastic
this is quality content! beyond enlightening
Thanks Gabe! Really glad you found it helpful!
I always feel like the ideas of Post Colonialism seem kind of limited in their understanding of the ebb and flow of empires in history. A colony of this century generally becomes (or wishes it might) the colonizer of the next century as its wealth, power, and influence grow. Who will Wakanda colonize? Who will colonize North America in the next century? Likely, China...
I agree. The preeminence of Europe is only a chapter of the long lines of historical empires throughout history. Not too long ago, in historical terms, Europe *was* the backwater of the world.
this reminds me of an inclusive class and i loved the idea of projecting Avatar and Black Panther in discussion. LIT
I do hope to make my videos as accessible as possible. I'm sure I don't always get in 100% but that's certainly the goal!
Omg bless you. I'm studying literary theory and the subject of post colonialism is pretty prevalent in our course. I'm a newbie and your video is helping me a lot. Keep up the fantastic work!
I found this to be surprisingly educational and I really like how you took Black panther for an example here
9/10 if I hate to rate it
also your voice isn't annoying or anything like that it's actually pretty relaxing
Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon might be a generative addition to these scholarly voices.
on aesthetics as well!
Thanks, Tom, enjoyed the video and dig your channel.
My big focus is political science, more macro than micro. I loved your video on the discipline and punish guy (can't spell his name) and haven't seen enough of your stuff to know if you've done more on power and control (which, of course, basically politics when you get past elections), but if you haven't done more I hope you will. And I'll watch more of your videos to see if I'm making silly requests.
Thanks so much! Keep doing great work, you have a very grateful audience.
Amazing!! hooked on every word, makes sense of complex ideas and theory thank you!
I have to make an essay about poscolonialism, and your video helped me so much so understand it, and to aplicate in any other theme for my research, thanks soooo much and keep the good work!
I am learning Fine Art now and my teacher ask me to learn about the discolonization in the art. This video helps a lot! Thanks very much!
Brilliant! Do you have anything on postmodernism? I would be great to see your views on the subject. Thanks for this video
Hello there! Thank you for this awesome video. It's great to see this intermedialism concerning films and postcolonial literature. I hope to see you talking more about how English language plays a big role on empowerment at the colonies focusing on appropriation and abrogation. See ya! :)
I appreciate this video, though I question the concept of the Post-colonial era as we are still experiencing various forms of colonialism. It has morphed and changed its face, but it is still colonialism. I love the conversations you are having though, because if we don't talk about it, we never learn and grow.
I agree with KMASCII's comments below, taking cultural icons or texts out of their original context can be problematic to say the least. Though I can see the benefit of using this framework to examine cultural texts in Western academia, or Western thought. I can also see how it can be problematic. There is so much more to the conversation than I think we can discuss here, again, because it is HUGE! lol.
As KMASCII mentioned in their example of the talking circle that is intended to return balance to a relationship, we must remember that all cultural texts are about relationship. Therefore, if we do not understand the complex relationships within the text, that are often specific to the culture from which the text came, we cannot examine the text in any meaningful way. And we certainly cannot examine the text authentically if we do not have a full and deep understanding of the language if another language, and specifically an Indigenous language, is being used. By and large because the worldview from which the language was developed is entirely different than any colonial languages we may understand. When Indigenous languages are often verb-based rather than noun-based, for example. Just some thoughts. But I certainly did enjoy the video. I love it when a talk makes me think deeply about the topic!
Interesting. Have you read Vivek Chibber's book critiquing postcolonialism? One criticism is that postcolonialism essentializes race as cultural, for example. Edward Said essentialized race himself when he claimed westerners or white people cannot understand the East. But I'm still learning. It's exciting how many academic fields Marxism has given or helped give birth to.
Thank you for this video. I'm taking a college course on ethical conflicts and I had to reference postcolonialism. It makes a lot more sense if you view it through a broader perspective instead of the literal colonialism/post colonialism eras lol.
Can I ask you question? Is postcolonialism a pseudo and misguiding term? Or Is postcolonialism related to pschological, collective, national and cultural identity?
How interesting that I come across this. Studying History for my undergrad right now, and began looking at Master’s programs in Germany. I have a high degree of interest in a graduate degree program at the University of Münster; namely British, American, and Postcolonial Studies.
So, are you saying that there’s no narrative in the orient (or basically any non-western place) that places the west as the other, and their own culture as central? Is it not perfectly normal, very human and almost universal to set your own perspective as the subject of your own narratives? And by extension, things that are different as ‘other’?
Also: how can Wakanda at the same time be central to the world economy, and hidden away?
this video was soo helpful thank you so much! i won't skip your ad because you deserve to get the ad revenue. Thank you for staying polite and trying to remain neutral.
thank you!!! i have an exam on postcolonial perspectives of africa in a week and this video was so useful :)
No worries Abby, best of luck with the exam!
What course are you on?
Thinking of doing an essay on whether "Irish Studies" can escape the label of being "post-colonialist"... then realized I didn't really know what post-colonialism meant.
You've really helped with my understanding, and I'm highly considering the essay now.
Thanks, Tom!
Great content! Thanks for the video! I'm studying English literature and postcolonial literature. Hopefully, my masters project will be approved
i've been binging your channel for the whole afternoon now and i must say, i'm impressed. I did find both your videos on colonialism a bit lacking compared to the others, still good though.
Wanna point out something you may find interesting: there are a set of thinkers from latin america that theorized on postcolonialism way before the dude you mentioned on the video. By 1950's there were a lot of intellectuals working on the "dependence theory", a neomarxist alternative for latin america development (check Ruy Mauro Marini)
We all live in a post colonial world - thus we are all inextricably part of the post colonial experience - my sister is married to a Hindu Mauritian. My son is going out with an Indian American (Hindu) we all do yoga together - we are going to a ball together in sarees.....so in a post colonial world we can celebrate and enjoy the deep beauty of our varied cultures in LOVE. It is up to us to work in a global world with love - and learn to share resources. Welcome the other! And eschew the Western elite's materialistic capitalistic rational world view. Note the elite! It is time to demote patriarchy see Vandana Shiva
YOU SOUND SO INSANELY FUCKED UP AND ARE A WHOLE WHYTE COLONISER LIKE IMAGINE UR ANCESTORS HAVING DESTORYED GEMOCIDED, RAPED AND COLONIESED OTHER CULTURES AND NOW U SELF ENTITLED OLD KAREN FEEL THAT U HAVE THE RIGHT TO THE VERY CULTURE U PROBABLY SPENT UR ENTIRE LIFE BEING RACIST TOWARDS LITERALLY FUCK OFF AND SENDING ALL BAD 'KARMA' YOUR WAY AS U WHYTE COLONISER FREAKS LIKE TO SAY 💀
@@pire6916 Sat nam - sending you love ....
Thank you Tom this is an absolute gold mine! If possible can you do one on “Francafrique”
Very well explained, Tom. Really impressive.
I like to sum up my experiences of postcolonialism in the simple idea that I'm speaking English as a first language, rather than Irish, the language that the English historically spent decades and centuries stamping out in one way or another.
thank you so much, so much better explained than my professors.Also, you are very easy to listen to while explaining in fast tempo. Thanks!
In terms of Avatar, can we not accept that the world presented to us is otherly and unknown at first (obviously seen through the eyes of the protagonist), but through exploration and understanding of its culture, it becomes less unknown and allows the protagonist to embrace it. Can we allow people to tell stories without nitpicking every single "fault" that doesn't align perfectly with your ideology?
Having lived in India and Malaysia for over a decade before recently returning to the UK, I was able to experience neo colonialism at first hand both as part of a self identified expat community and in researching a book on tourism. I'd love to see you look at Animal Rights theory in a subsequent video.
I really do not want to be here, but I have to watch this video for a class. I can't wait to be done with that class😪😪
But, cool video
Hello Tom, I think it would be better to have a static background movie for your videos. The movie being displayed behind you is really distracting. Otherwise, great video as usual!!
Thank you so much for this amazing video Tom! Is there any possibility that you can explain transnationalism, post nationalism, cultural pluralism, multiculturalism or cosmopolitanism in future videos? (That's a lot... 😂) I am quite confused about these concepts/theories as well. Again, thank you so much for these wonderful videos you have already posted.
Thank you, Tom. It was very helpful to watch it.
This is brilliant. I have to write an essay on post colonialism and Edward Said in particular. Thank you!
Hi Tom! Thank you so much for explaining key concepts. Elaborate videos are really necessary for people pursuing higher studies.Please make one video on Orientalism by Said in detail.
Much love from India.
Thank you Tom for this enlightening video! Now i know where i start for my Master Thesis. Keep the good work and keep enlightening 🌟
The divide between Asia and Europe as two separate continents when they are a single landmass (Eurasia) highlights this political agenda and the power of colonial nations in separating themselves from other countries.
Appreciate you content and how you go about presenting it with a sense of humility/ self reflection and invitation for exchange. 👍
Really helpful! Thank you for introducing the characteristics of post-colonial analysis, and providing examples on how to apply them :) It's helpful to provide examples on theory application
Thank You from Colombia. Veryyy clear and inspirative
i've written my two best essays based on this video THANK YOU
I appreciate your sincere contribution ...this is an academic exploration.. your approach is appropriate
Hi Tom, thank you so much for your videos. I'm currently taking a literary theory class and your videos are super helpful as they help me get a better grasp of the different paradigms as a whole. Loved this video too although I was a little distracted by the movie playing on your screen 🙈. Thank you again for all your work !
Can I ask you question? • Is postcolonialism related to pschological, collective, national and cultural identity? Or Is postcolonialism a pseudo and misguiding term?
@@deniznazlcicek3474 That's a super interesting question. I am by no means an expert, however there has been a lot of debate in academic circles about the term "postcolonialism" as the "post" invokes a sort of temporality, as if colonialism was not still present. We all now that colonialism is, unfortunately, still alive and well. Many people will now talk about "decolonization", however this term also creates a lot of debate. I highly recommend Tucker and Yang's article "Decolonization is not a metaphor" on the topic. Not everyone agrees with their definition of the word but most people still reference their very important article. :)
Hi Tom, thanks for this video it has been really helpful, understanding this theory from your perspective and simplifying it.
This video is great, but I was hoping you would discuss some of the problems present in the film; although it contains excellent discussion of postcolonialism, it still presents Wakanda through an Orientalist lens in many ways. Wakanda is ruled by a dictator decided by force, many buildings have *straw roofs*, use of rhinos instead of horses/cattle, etc. Overall it seems to come off as being presented specifically to African-Americans, not the Pan-Africans that the plot is about. (with the disclaimer that I'm another white british male simply echoing the concerns of the more qualified)
Really thankful for your work, Tom!
Thank you for making this video, loved it. Always love your take on different topics. MashAllah very well research video. Will you please make a video on fourth wave of feminism? Pleaseeeeeeeeeee...
This guy is really great!! Keep up the good work!
How about W.E.B. DuBois stated this dynamic of the dominant culture defining the “other” & through this power, the “other” begins to define itself through the dominant culture’s lens. He called this a “double consciousness”
i have been recently reading walter rodney and frantz fanon and i think they're fundamental to decolonization theory as pan/trans africanism authors. a video about them would be very interesting!
Great video, Tom! However, a little tick off since this is a vid on postcolonial theory. The pronunciations of both Gayatri Spivak and Gautam Thakur's names were way off!
It's Gaa-yuh-tree with the most minimal emphasis on the "yuh", and as for Thakur which you pronounce as Thacker is pronounced as Thaa-kur ('u' in kur is almost pronounced like the 'u' in hurrah albeit with a bit more emphasis).
All the best. And thank you for making great videos!