Decolonising Teaching and Learning in Anthropology, A Holistic Approach.

Abstract

The task of decolonising anthropology is not yet complete. Rather, it is an ongoing process, and recent times have reminded us that evidence of the colonial past can still be found in anthropology departments (and are potentially reproduced through our teaching). In this article, I argue for a holistic approach to the decolonising of teaching and learning. This is in contrast to more isolated attempts to decolonise anthropology, for example, in the inclusion of previously suppressed voices. I explore a repertoire that includes student-centred methods, links between fieldwork practices, teaching practices and ethics, and a practice of encouraging students to place their interlocutors aims and objectives at the centre of anthropological practice. Moreover, I argue for the importance of assignments, fieldwork exercises, and performative teaching techniques that assist students to experience, rather than merely discuss, anthropology. I also go on to encourage the teaching of an actively engaged and relevant anthropology, which is open to student engagement with contemporary issues and which is directly relatable and relevant to them. Finally, I provide examples of collaborative research methods as a medium for decolonising anthropology. I argue that these methods allow students to fathom more deeply the ways in which contemporary anthropological knowledge is produced.