Decolonial Scholarship

In recent years, scholarship across the social sciences has increasingly engaged with the themes of decoloniality through conferences, journal publications, and edited volumes. These efforts reflect what Fernández, Carolissen, and Stevens (2021, p.1) describe as the decolonial turn: a paradigm shift aimed at disrupting enduring colonial legacies of power, knowledge, and being.

This issue of the journal builds upon that momentum. We invite contributions that critically examine how unequal socio-political power structures, both historical and contemporary, have shaped academic disciplines and professional practices. Submissions should explore how theories, knowledge systems, and methodologies rooted in colonial contexts continue to be reproduced, often impeding more inclusive and globally informed scholarly exchanges.

By fostering these conversations, we aim to encourage scholars to reflect on the persistent influence of colonial power dynamics in their pedagogy, research, and praxis. This issue, and those that follow, seek to contribute to a broader, transformative dialogue within the social sciences, one that challenges inherited epistemologies and opens space for more equitable and pluralistic forms of knowledge production.

Guest Editor

Dr. Mvikeli Ncube