Publisher's Synopsis
This book consists of three interrelated historiographical essays on the subject of decolonization. The first essay deals with decolonization in education, the second essay focuses on decolonization in medicine, and the third essay discusses decolonization in religion. The book is the product of a prospectus from a professor who directed a study by the author in graduate school; the professor wanted to address retrieval of tradition, cultural survivals, and identity formation. The professor did not require a full-length book to satisfy the requirements, but the author's analysis of the various sources consulted took her in that direction. The book was originally written in 2008. Although the prospectus was a starting point, the author has dealt mainly with what decolonization has meant for the sense of reality among Western and indigenous peoples, especially on the African continent, in light of deconstruction and post-modern theory. The book includes a discussion of the impact of "fakery," as mentioned in the prospectus, in perpetuating a colonial God, but this has not been the overall thesis. Likewise, the points about Australia that are included in the book are for comparative purposes as directed by the prospectus. Some of the discussion in the book addresses recent or ongoing events, but the author has tried to note change over time where possible. Readers are advised that the discussion of the various arguments and points of views from scholars included within the book does not necessarily constitute endorsement and/or support on the part of the author of the positions that these scholars have made.
