Coloniality of power
The Coloniality of power is a concept interrelating the practices and legacies of European colonialism in social orders and forms of knowledge, advanced in postcolonial studies, decoloniality, and Latin American subaltern studies, most prominently by Anibal Quijano. It identifies and describes the living legacy of colonialism in contemporary societies in the form of social discrimination that outlived formal colonialism and became integrated in succeeding social orders. The concept identifies the racial, political and social hierarchical orders imposed by European colonialism in Latin America that prescribed value to certain peoples/societies while disenfranchising others.
Quijano argues that the colonial structure of power resulted in a caste system, where Spaniards were ranked at the top and those that they conquered at the bottom due to their different phenotypic traits and a culture presumed to be inferior. This categorization resulted in a persistent categorical and discriminatory discourse that was reflected in the social and economic structure of the colony, and that continues to be reflected in the structure of modern postcolonial societies. Maria Lugones expands the definition of coloniality of power by noting that it imposes values and expectations on gender as well, in particular related to the European ranking of women as inferior to men.
The concept was also expanded upon by Ramón Grosfoguel, Walter Mignolo, Sylvia Wynter, Nelson Maldonado-Torres, Santiago Castro-Gómez, Catherine Walsh, Roberto Hernández, and María Lugones. Quijano’s work on the subject “had wide repercussions among Latin American decolonial scholars in the North American academy.” The Grupo modernidad/colonialidad modernity/coloniality group is an active network of intellectuals spanning generations and disciplines that are expanding on this work.
Coloniality refers to the enduring structures of racial and social hierarchies, Western ways of knowing, and exploitative power dynamics that persist long after formal colonial administrations have ended. It involves the hierarchical division of people into categories like race, class, and gender, and the normalization of Western dominance and perspectives, perpetuating inequalities through various forms of control and subjugation.
Key aspects of coloniality
Coloniality of Power:
A concept, primarily by Aníbal Quijano, that describes how colonization created a global matrix of power. This matrix of racial and gender hierarchies and exploitation continues to shape societies and forms of knowledge today.
The systematic devaluation of non-Western knowledge systems and the promotion of European ways of thinking as universal and superior. This intellectual framework was used to legitimize colonial domination and continues to marginalize other forms of knowing.
Hierarchical Categorization:
Coloniality operates through the creation and reinforcement of hierarchical categories based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and other social markers. This creates a ranking system where white, European perspectives are elevated as the norm.
Internalized Hierarchies:
Coloniality is internalized not only by dominant groups but also by formerly colonized populations, affecting their individual identities, values, and ways of perceiving the world.
Enduring Legacies:
The effects of coloniality are not confined to the past but are embedded in contemporary institutions, social relations, and forms of power. It influences everything from economic structures to individual aspirations and cultural representations.