Decomposing the Colonial Gaze is a practice of learning to see the world anew. It is a set of tools with which to interrogate the ways our lives intersect with systems of power. And an invitation to enact conscious and creative change.

The premise of Decomposing is that manifestations of systemic violence—racism, sexism, nationalism, economic exploitation, ecological devastation, the suppression of indigenous knowledge—are symptoms of a dominant worldview, which we call colonial logic. While these symptoms are familiar to many, emphasis on issue-specific reform and superficial behavioral change often overshadows the need to expose and divest ourselves of the underlying premises of colonial logic.

As issues of race and racism gain urgency, we find people turning to Decomposing for the approach we take to racial justice, which is distinct in three ways. First, we understand race as one of many interconnected symptoms of colonial logic. From this perspective, true racial equity as contingent upon addressing the root of colonial logic rather than one (or even two or three) symptom(s). Thus the process of Decomposing exposes—and proposes alternatives to—the underlying factors that sustain all manifestations of colonial oppression.

Second, Decomposing provides a global perspective on systemic oppression. While the history of race in the United States is obviously unique, it is nonetheless rooted in formative global histories and dynamics that predate the European conquest of the Americas (much less the founding of the United States).

Third, while we contextualize and analyze systems of oppression, in lieu of prescriptive, behavioral solutions, we prioritize processes of investigation, discussion, reflection, and creativity as catalysts of change.

To facilitate the process of conscious and creative change, we offer courses and consultation services:

The Foundation Course

The foundation course is an interactive introduction to the practice of Decomposing the Colonial Gaze. It includes historical content about the origin and evolution of colonial logic as well as analytical and creative assignments that prompt participants to trace the ways their lives and perceptions intersect, often unconsciously, with systems of power. And to imagine other options.

The Foundation Course is a total of 32 hours over 17 session. In the times of COVID-19 we are offering virtual sessions (via Zoom).

If you would like more information about signing up as an individual or about bringing the Foundation Course to your institution, please contact us here.

Consultation Services:

If, upon completing the Foundation Course, you would like to apply the practice of Decomposing the Colonial Gaze to a specific topic in an individual or small-group setting, please inquire about our consultation services.