Abstract
This thesis explores the impact of the University of Johannesburg's (UJ) Decolonisation Charter (2017) on curriculum decolonisation and transformation within the institution. Despite efforts to decolonise and transform higher education curriculum, Eurocentric epistemic hegemony continues to pervade the curriculum in South Africa’s higher education institutions. The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a second tier South African higher education institution when judged by a variety of indicators. However, the University's efforts to dismantle colonial knowledge, address epistemic violence, and challenge Eurocentric epistemic hegemony have not been thoroughly examined. This thesis accordingly addresses this gap and investigates how the UJ Decolonisation Charter (2017) has influenced curriculum decolonisation and transformation since its introduction. In addition, it examines its practical implementation across various faculties within the University.
A qualitative research methodology was employed to gather data from a sampled group of participants including politically active and non-politically active students, members of the decolonisation committee, and transformation officers. Data was gathered through semi structured interviews. This study is guided by a theoretical framework that integrates African humanism and Ubuntu and decoloniality theory particularly the decoloniality of power, knowledge and institutional practice. This theoretical approach also helped me to assess how well the Decolonisation Charter aligns with decolonisation principles. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the findings of this study.
The findings reveal a slow and uneven implementation of the Decolonisation Charter across various UJ Auckland Park campus faculties. Some faculties have embraced the Charter's principles by engaging in curriculum decolonisation efforts such as holding decolonial discussions, integrating African knowledge systems, and promoting African indigenous languages. Others exhibit resistance or lag in their efforts. This study argues that, although some progress has been made to implement the charter, the full potential of the Decolonisation Charter has yet to be realized across all faculties. Some of the participants recommended elevating the Decolonisation Charter from a guiding framework to a binding policy, ensuring comprehensive commitment from all faculties in implementing its principles. Furthermore, participants suggested enhancing awareness and engagement among stakeholders regarding
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the Charter’s objectives to strengthen its overall impact. Overall, these findings are important in casting light on the legacy of the Rhodes Must Fall student protests ten years on.