Post-Colonial theory and the disruption of othering – A pedagogical challenge

One of the many achievements of anti-oppressive movements which emerged during the second half of the 20th century was the questioning of generally held stereotypical beliefs about different social groups. In the present, though much of the earlier brutal language of ‘race’, gender and class, is no longer tolerated, ‘othering’ still retains its potency. The overall aim of this paper is to outline the possibilities of overcoming the damaging effects of ‘othering’, particularly as it operates within the context of ‘race’ and higher education and the demand to decolonise the university. In doing so I confront key 3 questions: are we capable and/or prepared to take this leap into the ‘unknown’? If not, what might be stopping us? What pedagogical strategies can we deploy to enable disrupting of othering? The first half of the paper offers a theoretical exploration of the process of ‘Othering’ in the context of Western colonialism, paying particular attention to the discursive mechanisms deployed the relationship between processes of othering and oppression. The second half of the paper seeks to offer some ideas about how we can develop pedagogical strategies for disrupting the process of othering, particularly where this can lead directly of dehumanisation and oppression.