Postcolonialism, 2nd Edition

A Very Short Introduction

By: Robert J. C. Young

Narrated by: David Vickery

Postcolonialism explores the political, social, and cultural effects of decolonization, continuing the anti-colonial deconstruction of Western dominance. This Very Short Introduction discusses both the history and key debates of postcolonialism, and considers its importance as a means of changing the way we think about the world.

Robert J. C. Young examines the key strategies that postcolonial thought has developed to engage with the impact of sometimes centuries of Western political and cultural domination. Situating the discussion in a wide cultural and geographical context, he draws on examples such as the status of Indigenous peoples, of those dispossessed from their land, Algerian rai music, and global social and ecological movements. In this new edition, he also includes updated material on race, slavery, and postcolonial gender politics. Above all, Young argues that postcolonialism offers a political philosophy of activism that contests the current situation of global inequality, which in a new way continues the anti-colonial struggles of the past and enables us to decolonize our own lives in the present.

©2020 Robert J. C. Young (P)2021 Tantor

Interesting book

Interesting books, evokes many thoughts about the state of the current world and societies in it. We should know our history better.

A great introduction

Excellent narration. A wide range of concepts broken down for easy understanding. Will be listening to more of this series.

OK book, too uncritical

I am not an expert on the topic, but the book seems to offer a decent introduction. the reader was good. Just don't expect the author to present any criticisms of the ideas presented.

many ignorant mistakes and biases

1. Very clearly a white perspective.
For example: "democracy works in the West, but can become oppressive in [non-Western] countries that have ethnic minorities" - as if democracy in Western countries isnt helping white majority groups to subjugate ethnic minority groups.

2. Very stupid writer that doesn't understand what decoloniality is.

3. This book is the proof that it's not because you read a lot of theories, and can summarize them, that you necessarily understand these theories. However 1 good thing about this book was the short summaries of some decolonial ('postcolonial') thinkers.