Decolonizing Knowledge, Decolonizing the Social Sciences: Issues, Concerns and Recommendations
Our Country, Our Culture by Kurzweil and Phillips, Supply and Demand Curves, Scientific Method, Internet, Condoms, Microwave Oven, Aggression, Stratification and Social Capital. Are they familiar? What are these things and concepts? These are only some of the wide variety of works the Westerners have made for the entire universe.
With the world we are living in today, it is no doubt that the Westerners have dominantly influenced us. They have made every possible way by which to achieve power and control over one country. And this they do in a manner that is not really obvious to the public. They’ve entered in such a way when we are in our times of drastic downfall. And the two major areas they dwell into are in Education and the Social Sciences. The “invaders” as we may call them first attacked us in a way that would further affect our whole being – our minds. Every individual acquires new knowledge in his process of growing up, and this can be achieved through education. One subject involved is Mathematics. It includes concepts, symbols, materials and method of teaching that perpetuates the cultural invasion of countries in terms of trade, administration and simply education (Bishop, 1995:73). In relation with education is the discipline of Social Sciences that is also greatly affected by the Westerners. The way people find their sense of self (David, 1977:100), the way they interact and depend to other people to find jobs (Alatas, 2006:605) are things that involve one specific area of what social reality is. The everyday journey we travel provides us with experiences that either changes or stagnates our well being. We came up with ideas that tests our objective and subjective knowledge that complicates more our thinking about things that surround us (Searle,1995:xi) – brought about by the continuous influence of Westerners in our country, the Philippines that we refer to as Neocolonialism. Thus, we really can say that we are still in the shadows of the reining class of the world.
In economics, the mode of teaching, theories, books and subject matter itself clearly shows liberalization. Professors use and discuss Western theories which invite students to enter into a new and large intellectual community. Students are challenged to read foreign books which in return liberate them from their backgrounds. Most of the books n economics are written in the west which leads to the issue of educating students away from what they believe in and their culture.
Smith, Solow, Lewis, and John Keynes are among of the famous economists. They formulated theories that are essential in economic decision making, explaining and predicting phenomena and the like which made them famous. Most of the economic theoreticians are from the west and males. Having these in mind, theories are design for Western and developed countries but due to academic dependency of the third world countries problems arise. In the book Economics of Development by Todaro and Smith, they argues that problems lie in the difference in structure and organization of the third world countries from the West making the theories questionable and incorrect. This issue exists due to the fact that there are no theoreticians in the third world countries. Academic dependency of the third world counties also exist because there are large amount of researches done and many theoreticians help in developing those theories and new ideas are formulated.
The issues that Education and the Social Sciences are experiencing right now demands of solutions that would lighten the problems and further enhance their status in intellectual thinking and standard of living.
We, the writers of this paper have come up with two major ways on which the issues be possibly solved. These could later be broken down in ways which a country can apply.
Our Country, Our Culture by Kurzweil and Phillips, Supply and Demand Curves, Scientific Method, Internet, Condoms, Microwave Oven, Aggression, Stratification and Social Capital. Are they familiar? What are these things and concepts? These are only some of the wide variety of works the Westerners have made for the entire universe.
With the world we are living in today, it is no doubt that the Westerners have dominantly influenced us. They have made every possible way by which to achieve power and control over one country. And this they do in a manner that is not really obvious to the public. They’ve entered in such a way when we are in our times of drastic downfall. And the two major areas they dwell into are in Education and the Social Sciences. The “invaders” as we may call them first attacked us in a way that would further affect our whole being – our minds. Every individual acquires new knowledge in his process of growing up, and this can be achieved through education. One subject involved is Mathematics. It includes concepts, symbols, materials and method of teaching that perpetuates the cultural invasion of countries in terms of trade, administration and simply education (Bishop, 1995:73). In relation with education is the discipline of Social Sciences that is also greatly affected by the Westerners. The way people find their sense of self (David, 1977:100), the way they interact and depend to other people to find jobs (Alatas, 2006:605) are things that involve one specific area of what social reality is. The everyday journey we travel provides us with experiences that either changes or stagnates our well being. We came up with ideas that tests our objective and subjective knowledge that complicates more our thinking about things that surround us (Searle,1995:xi) – brought about by the continuous influence of Westerners in our country, the Philippines that we refer to as Neocolonialism. Thus, we really can say that we are still in the shadows of the reining class of the world.
In economics, the mode of teaching, theories, books and subject matter itself clearly shows liberalization. Professors use and discuss Western theories which invite students to enter into a new and large intellectual community. Students are challenged to read foreign books which in return liberate them from their backgrounds. Most of the books n economics are written in the west which leads to the issue of educating students away from what they believe in and their culture.
Smith, Solow, Lewis, and John Keynes are among of the famous economists. They formulated theories that are essential in economic decision making, explaining and predicting phenomena and the like which made them famous. Most of the economic theoreticians are from the west and males. Having these in mind, theories are design for Western and developed countries but due to academic dependency of the third world countries problems arise. In the book Economics of Development by Todaro and Smith, they argues that problems lie in the difference in structure and organization of the third world countries from the West making the theories questionable and incorrect. This issue exists due to the fact that there are no theoreticians in the third world countries. Academic dependency of the third world counties also exist because there are large amount of researches done and many theoreticians help in developing those theories and new ideas are formulated.
The issues that Education and the Social Sciences are experiencing right now demands of solutions that would lighten the problems and further enhance their status in intellectual thinking and standard of living.
We, the writers of this paper have come up with two major ways on which the issues be possibly solved. These could later be broken down in ways which a country can apply.
1. Theoretization
Academic dependency exists in the third world countries because there are no theoreticians who help in the formulation of new knowledge and theory development. Government subsidies are important in resolving the issue. It is needed in order to finance and allocate funds for responsible and intelligent persons to engage in research for gaining knowledge and advancement of the theory. Lack of government support and finance is one of the factors in the scarcity of theoreticians. Research serves a vital role in generating and developing knowledge. Thus, it is through this process we will be able to lift our reputation as dependent nation when it comes to intellectual matters. Conducting research needs funding to fully facilitate the study. Government should invest in research in order for us to be known in intellectual community as a source of knowledge not just a passive one.
2. Implementation
After the theoretization principles are laid and tested, public could now be given the chance to experience the new found ideas. This includes the mode of teaching of educators. Rather than teaching only the Western concepts, they should take into consideration the importance of what is really their own. They must move away from the idea that the best of the best are in the First World countries and that we can no longer improve by our own selves. We must start by studying our identity, our self-concept. We believe that once we know our inner self, it will move out to the outside thus affecting our over-all well being and the environment as a whole – popularly known as “proximodistal development” in Psychology.
We are also not saying that it would be a fast paced of adaptation of the theories and achieving them, but we must inculcate into our selves the values of patience, courage, perseverance and determination. And besides as what the Filipino proverb states: “Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga” or “Kapag may itinanim, may aanihin”. Making the theories into action should be started locally, then nationally and in God’s own time internationally. We must do our part as citizens of our own country that has dignity and pride of standing up in our own feet.
These ways may be easier said and done, but if we really wanted it to happen – we must start now and it can happen.-
Academic dependency exists in the third world countries because there are no theoreticians who help in the formulation of new knowledge and theory development. Government subsidies are important in resolving the issue. It is needed in order to finance and allocate funds for responsible and intelligent persons to engage in research for gaining knowledge and advancement of the theory. Lack of government support and finance is one of the factors in the scarcity of theoreticians. Research serves a vital role in generating and developing knowledge. Thus, it is through this process we will be able to lift our reputation as dependent nation when it comes to intellectual matters. Conducting research needs funding to fully facilitate the study. Government should invest in research in order for us to be known in intellectual community as a source of knowledge not just a passive one.
2. Implementation
After the theoretization principles are laid and tested, public could now be given the chance to experience the new found ideas. This includes the mode of teaching of educators. Rather than teaching only the Western concepts, they should take into consideration the importance of what is really their own. They must move away from the idea that the best of the best are in the First World countries and that we can no longer improve by our own selves. We must start by studying our identity, our self-concept. We believe that once we know our inner self, it will move out to the outside thus affecting our over-all well being and the environment as a whole – popularly known as “proximodistal development” in Psychology.
We are also not saying that it would be a fast paced of adaptation of the theories and achieving them, but we must inculcate into our selves the values of patience, courage, perseverance and determination. And besides as what the Filipino proverb states: “Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga” or “Kapag may itinanim, may aanihin”. Making the theories into action should be started locally, then nationally and in God’s own time internationally. We must do our part as citizens of our own country that has dignity and pride of standing up in our own feet.
These ways may be easier said and done, but if we really wanted it to happen – we must start now and it can happen.-
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