Drs. Tanu Biswas & Toby Rollo explore the intersections of coloniality, youth autonomy, and adult supremacy. They discuss the historical marginalization of children, the impact of coloniality and adultism on daily life, and the need for educators to share power with students. They also explore the economic contributions of children, the survival skills of indigenous children, and the transformative potential of reclaiming education in Black and Indigenous communities.
Coloniality is an ongoing project that perpetuates power imbalances and impacts marginalized communities in laws, politics, and social norms.
Understanding the intersection of coloniality and adultism sheds light on power dynamics and the devaluation of children's experiences in justifying their exclusion and exploitation.
Deep dives
Colonialism as an Ongoing Project
Colonialism is not just a historical period, but an ongoing project that involves making claims to land and peoples to exploit them for the benefit of European powers. The ongoing influence of coloniality is seen in the legacy of colonial practices and the relationships that persist even after colonial powers have left. Coloniality is sustained by the logic of relationships that justify and perpetuate colonial projects. This impacts peoples of color and indigenous communities who still face the consequences of coloniality, including in laws, politics, and social norms.
The Interconnection Between Coloniality and Adultism
The figure of the child has played a key role in colonial projects, as indigenous and colonized peoples were often seen as underdeveloped or not fitting into the European idea of civilization. This developmental logic, which defines childhood based on white European norms, contributes to the perpetuation of adultism. Adultism is the subordination of children to adults and is a way to justify excluding people from decision-making and exploiting their labor. Understanding the intersection of coloniality and adultism helps shed light on power dynamics and the devaluation of children's experiences and contributions.
The Impact of Coloniality and Adultism on Education
Coloniality and adultism are deeply intertwined with education systems. Schools have historically enforced top-down power structures, resulting in authoritarianism and discriminatory practices. The curriculum, grading, and discipline systems reflect colonial and adultist ideologies that marginalize children's voices, experiences, and humanity. Recognizing the political nature of childhood and adulthood is essential in dismantling these systems. Many grassroots movements, such as Black homeschooling and unschooling, are emerging to challenge these structures.
Shifting Mindsets and Creating Change
To address the issues of coloniality and adultism in education, a mindset shift is needed. Recognizing the political fabrication of childhood and adulthood and understanding the power dynamics at play is crucial. Educators can be more aware of their positions of power and the impact they have on children's lives. This awareness can lead to changes in classroom practices, such as sharing power with students, reevaluating grading systems, and creating more inclusive and child-centered environments. Supporting research and establishing platforms focused on childism and decoloniality are important steps in driving transformative change in education.
Today we’re joined by Drs. Tanu Biswas and Toby Rollo. Tanu is an interdisciplinary philosopher of education, focused on challenging children’s historical marginalization. She serves as an advisory board member of The Childism Institute at Rutgers, and is an associate professor of pedagogy at the University of Stavanger and an associate researcher at the Doctoral College for Intersectionality Studies at the University of Bayreuth.
Toby is an associate professor of political science at Lakehead University, whose focus is on the democratic promises and failures of modern institutions with a specific focus on the marginalization of young people. His chapter in the recent work, Trust Kids!: Stories on Youth Autonomy and Confronting Adult Supremacy, edited by carla bergman, focuses on centering the child in our ongoing intergenerational fight for peace, justice, and sustainability in our world.
In our discussion, we'll be talking about the connections between colonization, historical marginalization, youth rights, and adultism.