Definition and disputed meanings of decolonization

Summary

Decolonization is commonly defined as the ending of colonialism—the process in which imperial powers establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The term’s meanings and applications are disputed: some scholars emphasize political independence movements and the collapse of global colonial empires, while others broaden the concept to include undoing colonial legacies beyond formal rule. In international and scholarly discussions, decolonization is often tied to self-determination. One view (attributed to David Strang) treats decolonization as being achieved through attaining sovereign statehood with international legal recognition or through full incorporation into an existing sovereign state. The United Nations similarly frames self-determination as the core requirement, noting it can be exercised with or without political independence. The concept has also been used to describe intellectual decolonization—rejecting colonizers’ ideas that portrayed colonized people as inferior—and, in contemporary debates, issues are sometimes discussed under related terms such as decoloniality.

Key Points

• 1

  Decolonization is the ending of colonialism, but the term’s scope and meaning are contested.

• 2

  Some definitions focus on political independence and the collapse of colonial empires, while others include broader cultural/intellectual legacies.

• 3

  International approaches emphasize self-determination as central, and it may or may not require formal political independence.

• 4

  Decolonization is also used to describe intellectual change, including rejecting colonizers’ narratives of inferiority.