Question

Write an an introduction for an essay include background, thesis and roadmap in which you: a.) Summarise Gordon’s argument and b.) Analyse how that argument may pertain to decolonising social science at the UFS and other South African universities today. Reference using the havard method

Answer 1

In her seminal work "Decolonizing social sciences: Transdisciplinarity and African transformative thinking" (2019), Professor Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni Gordon challenges the Eurocentric foundations of social science and argues for the decolonization of knowledge production in Africa. Gordon contends that traditional social science disciplines have been complicit in the perpetuation of colonial power structures and calls for a radical transformation that prioritizes African voices, perspectives, and methodologies.

This essay will first summarize Gordon's argument for decolonizing social science and then analyze how this argument is relevant to the University of the Free State (UFS) and other South African universities today. Drawing on Gordon's work, as well as relevant literature on decolonization and higher education in South Africa, this essay will explore the challenges and opportunities for decolonizing social science at UFS and beyond. By critically examining the current state of social science education in South Africa and proposing strategies for decolonization, this essay aims to contribute to ongoing debates on knowledge production, epistemological diversity, and social justice in higher education.