Decolonization of the curriculum is the revenge of administrators

https://thomasprosser.substack.com/p/decolonization-of-the-curriculum

10 14 4 years ago

thomasprosser.substack.com

‘Most analyses of the decolonization of university curriculums focus on the role of social justice ideology. Yet decolonization is in the interests of administrators. For years, administrators have sought greater control over curriculums, this being part of university power battles and intensifying as administrations have expanded.

The decolonization agenda enhances the leverage of administrators. Building on fashionable ideas, such initiatives enable supporters to portray opponents as prejudiced, stifling challenges to administrative control.

Administration has no necessary ideology, yet disruption associated with social justice ideology is convenient, entailing an alliance between administrators and those academics who support social justice ideology.

In the medium term, universities will continue with decolonization programmes. Such agendas make political and commercial sense; whether they make liberal-democratic sense is another question.’

Dig1t3• 4 years ago

Specifically, what does it mean exactly to decolonize math?

Euphorbium• 4 years ago

The + symbol should not be used as it is christian propaganda. Jewish symbol is ﬩

ContrarianBrit4• 4 years ago

The linked article which discusses the decolonization of maths is very interesting.

devwastaken• 4 years ago

For gov funded universities social justice and EDI is good for leverage. You can get a grant for almost anything humanities, you will struggle for years to get anything for STEM.

Students are easier to get when you make them false promises in humanities studies. These 18 year olds don't realize they will never pay that money back until their 40's. More lies for profit.

The actual EDI ideas are never actually implemented, or are entirely focused upon western assumptions. Causing yet further discrimination. Admins are requiring further classes on EDI that do the topic a disservice, increasing credit counts, lying to accreditation, and collecting tax money. There is nobody holding them accountable.

This is politics. Politics is where people choose sides for personal gain. Politics is where individuals lie and believe in lies because their paycheck is tied to it.

nextlevelwizard2• 4 years ago

Too bad after 3 paragraphs there is full screen email nag. Might have been interesting article, but author apparently doesn’t want readers.

Dig1t3• 4 years ago

Just click the button in the nag that says "Let me read the article first"

Fatnino• 4 years ago

If someone intentionally spits in my face the correct course of action is to disengage and leave. Not wipe it off and see what else he might have to contribute.

nextlevelwizard2• 4 years ago

Since there is exactly zero chance I will contaminate my email by signing up to some sicko’s mailing list so they can freely spam me I am just going to move on and read something worthwhile from someone who respects me and doesn’t see me just as some abstract dollar amount they can squeeze

et2o• 4 years ago

Addressing his specific point that “decolonization” of the curriculum in medicine is “dangerous” - As a practicing physician, I strongly disagree. I think the author likely has a completely inaccurate idea of what a medical curriculum even is, as I cannot reconcile most of what he is saying with what I’ve seen at several of the top medical training places in the country. Decolonization of medical curriculum in general is important as our euro-centric view of disease often ends up dramatically hurting minority individuals. This runs from obvious things like making sure physicians have pictures of rashes on melanotic (dark) skin in textbooks to more difficult things like incorporating non-European ancestry individuals in massive genetic studies and not simply discarding their genetic info (as has been done for a lot of large population studies historically).

ContrarianBrit4• 4 years ago

Agree that such efforts are important and, in the article, I assert that certain initiatives are worthy. But certain projects go far beyond these; see the efforts in New Zealand, discussed in this thread.

Dig1t3• 4 years ago

From a linked article inside this article:

In New Zealand the school chemistry and biology syllabus has been decolonised and now invokes the concept of mauri, or life force, to give the atomic theory a new spiritual dimension. This is because of a central diktat that Maori knowledge must be given equal status to other forms of knowledge, including science.

This strikes me as extremely similar to teaching creationism in schools.

ContrarianBrit4• 4 years ago

Very similar!

wara23arish• 4 years ago

I generally agree with the sentiment.

Is there a way to measure if administrators and SJW theories started growing together?

Basically confirm what you’re saying in the article.

Decolonization of the curriculum is the revenge of administrators

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