POLSCI 450: Decolonial Theory

This upper level political theory course is designed to introduce students to decolonial theories, broadly understood. We will explore foundational texts of post-colonial theory, the subaltern studies tradition, afro-pessimism, and critical indigenous studies, among other approaches. This course seeks to challenge the hegemony that western political theory continues to hold in the ways in which the political has been theorized, by privileging the voices, knowledges, and practices of those resisting from various counter-hegemonic locations. From Frantz Fanon and Edward Said to Saidiya Hartman, María Lugones, and Frank Wilderson, this course is of interest to students seeking to learn about the ways in which settler colonial capitalism has shaped and continues to shape our lives and our political imaginaries.