The search for ecologies of knowledge in the encounter with African epistemicide in South African education
Date
2015
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UNISA Press
Abstract
This article discusses the manufactured absence of African epistemologies, that
we refer to as ‘epistemicide’, in formal education in Africa. The exemplifying
case for our argument is the western hegemonic positioning of university and
school-based knowledge in South African education during the past 20 years.
This is taken up in the first half of the article where we illustrate how this
(westernised) knowledge form is instantiated in the education body politik. The article concludes with a consideration of an ‘ecologies of knowledge’ approach
which we argue opens a radicalising space for the inclusion of African-centred
epistemologies. The pluralisation of knowledge traditions, via an ‘ecologies of
knowledge’ approach, is the fulcrum of such an epistemological orientation.
Keywords: post-colonialism, epistemicide, higher education, cognitive in/justice,
ecologies of knowledge, knowledge pluralisation, epistemology
Description
CITATION: Fataar, A. & Subreenduth, S. 2015. The search for ecologies of knowledge in the encounter with African epistemicide in South African education. South African Journal of Higher Education, 29(2):106–121, doi:10.20853/29-2-468.
The original publication is available at http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe
The original publication is available at http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe
Keywords
Knowledge, Theory of -- Africa, Education, Higher -- Africa
Citation
Fataar, A. & Subreenduth, S. 2015. The search for ecologies of knowledge in the encounter with African epistemicide in South African education. South African Journal of Higher Education, 29(2):106–121, doi:10.20853/29-2-468.