Decolonising the curriculum
What does it mean to Decolonise the Curriculum?
This guide is intended to provide an introduction to the process of decolonising or diversifying the curriculum.
We also provide this resource in an alternative format for our stakeholders who don't have access to the Hallam SharePoint platform.
We begin by untangling some of the different terms used to describe emancipatory approaches to curriculum design: diversifying, decolonising and so on. Readers are then invited to complete a short exercise designed to illustrate the phenomenon of ‘ethnocentrism’, that is, the tendency to place one’s own culture and history at the centre of all knowledge. This leads into the idea of ‘Whiteness’, where a Eurocentric viewpoint is the dominant discourse, and we look at how ‘Whiteness’ manifests itself in the curriculum in schools, colleges and universities.
Finally, we look at decolonising the curriculum itself, and consider five points in relation to this:
- that decolonising is a complex process.
- it’s about teaching, not just content.
- it involves supporting students to critically analyse texts and discourses.
- it helps students to learn about racism and other types of discrimination.
- it’s about representation and diversity.
Following this, we consider some frequently asked questions, before listing useful resources and providing signposting to the next steps, including how to collaborate with your students, and support for designing and evaluating curriculum interventions.
To start reading the guide, select the first section: An introduction to the language of emancipatory curriculum design.
The other sections of the guide are:
Feedback and engagement
This resource has been created by the Academic Development and Inclusion (ADI) team and we’d welcome your feedback on the content and design, and, in particular, on the impact that this resource has had on your academic practice.
We run a network called #DecolHallam Collaborate Network for staff at SHU who are working on decolonising or diversifying their curricula. If you would like to join this network, please contact the team with your comments/feedback.