Workshop with Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí: Decolonial Scholarly Self Critique
Schedule
Thu Oct 24 2024 at 10:00 am to 01:00 pm
UTC+02:00Location
CREA Amsterdam | Amsterdam, NH
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Register via Diversity Forum: cgdiversity[at]gmail.comCredits for MA and RMA students: 1EC via NICA
The seminar is open for to all to register. However, registration is complete after you have received a confirmation email from Diversity Forum.
This workshop is part of the Teach-in series Decolonial Scholarly Self-Critique and organized by University of Colour, Diversity Forum and Africadelic, in collaboration with Professor Yolande Jansen (UvA), and made possible by ASCA and NICA.
About Oyeronke Oyêwùmí
Professor Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí is a Professor of Sociology specializing in Gender, Knowledge, and Culture at Stony Brook University. A scholar of Nigerian origin, her research spans (post)colonial studies, modernities, and African studies. Her seminal work, The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses (1997), has had a profound impact on fields such as sociology, (cultural) anthropology, decolonial theory, and African, cultural, and gender studies. Her writings are widely studied in humanities and social sciences courses, including in the Netherlands. In 2021, she was honored with the prestigious Africanist Award by the African Studies Association, and recently, she co-edited Naming Africans: On the Epistemic Value of Names (2023), a volume that explores the idea that personal names serve as rich sources of historical and cultural insight, revealing layers of hidden knowledge.
Seminar Description
Join us for a group discussion focused on scholarly practices aimed at developing tools for interrogating and critiquing your own work. We will explore key questions related to positionality, invisibilized hierarchies in academic research and discourse, erased epistemologies within academic practices, and the concept of academic freedom.
During the workshop we will address how students, activists and scholars navigate related to (colonial) research methods and the position of scholars in themes concerning the so-called ‘global South’. These issues are vital for scholars trained in Western and Westernized institutions who seek to avoid reproducing colonial methodologies. We invite you to reflect on these themes together!
Some questions to explore during the workshop:
- Why did I pick this subject to study or talk about? Why do I like it?
- How do I stand in relation (any type of relation) to this subject?
- Have you ever reflected on your position as a scholar in relation to your subject before? Have you seen others do this? What questions were asked? Or what are the shared tactics used for that reflection?
- Have you ever reflected on the hierarchies within your field as you practice your craft?
- Reflect on the lens through which, or “sense” with which, you approach a topic. Is it possible to approach it in a different way?
Preparation and Assignment
In preparation of the seminar, participants are asked to read the assigned readings listed below and write a 250 (max. 300) word reflection on what resonated with them in relation to their previous work. This could include questions, tensions, or paradoxes, and does not need to be a structured or coherent paragraph. You may also use the guiding questions provided above or your own. If you have any additional questions you found useful for your reflection, please bring them to the seminar. In addition, please include a brief sentence or two outlining your motivation for attending this seminar. The reflection is personal and does not need to be shared with anyone before the seminar. It is an opportunity for self-reflection, which may bring up challenging or conflicting thoughts about your writing or research. We encourage you to bring these reflections to the workshop, as they will help enrich the discussions during the session.
The Readings
ASSIGNED READINGS
Oyěwùmí, Oyèrónkẹ́. “Preface” in The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of
Western Gender Discourses, U of Minnesota P, 1997, pp. ix-xvii. ASSIGNED
– “Visualizing the Body: Western Theories and African Subjects.” in The Invention of Women:
Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses, 1990, pp. 1-30. ASSIGNED
hooks, bell. “Critical Interrogation: Talking Race, Resisting Racism.” in Yearning, 2nd ed.,
Routledge, 2015, pp. 89-96. ASSIGNED
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Where is it happening?
CREA Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 170, 1018 WV Amsterdam, Nederland,Amsterdam, NetherlandsEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
