SOCIOL 726 / Social Psychology of Colonialism and Decolonization

Prerequisite(s): Must be enrolled in a graduate plan in Sociology.

This course will focus on the social psychological dimensions of colonialism and decolonization. We will first take a broad historical overview, surveying selected classical theories of colonialism (i.e., Fanon, Memmi) and reviewing key tenets of postcolonial and settler colonial theories. Then, we will shift our attention to the Canadian context, examining critical Indigenous and allied perspectives on settler colonialism and intergenerational trauma and recent work on Indigenous resurgence and settler decolonization. We will consider how colonialism shapes individual identities, relationships, and life-chances, how colonialism intersects with racism, capitalism, heteropatriarchy, and other systems of oppression, and the promise and challenges of various decolonial strategies.