Review of the main terms of postcolonial theory and the state of their «localization»

Abstract

In this review, we will analyze the main terms of postcolonial theory and discuss their relevance and applicability to the socio-cultural situation in modern Kazakhstan. The terms borrowed from a postcolonial theory first appeared in the Western academic context or, more precisely, in the interaction between Western academies and intellectuals from former European colonies. These terms are now widely used in contemporary social sciences and humanities across the globe– in history, anthropology, and sociology. Despite the widespread use of these terms, many domestic and Russian colleagues continue to question whether the postcolonial frame and postcolonial terms apply to the former Soviet space and whether a comparison between the post-Soviet and postcolonial situations in other parts of the world is productive. This review will address two issues: firstly, we provide definitions for the terms, and secondly, we show how these definitions can help describe and theorize our particular situation. What are coloniality and postcoloniality, and how does coloniality differ from borrowing? How do coloniality and postcoloniality relate to Orientalism? At what point does decolonization replace post-colonialism? And, in the end, how (through whom) did these terms come to us, why did they become so popular, and how do they fit or don't fit in our context?