decolonization

IPA/diːˌkɒlənaɪˈzeɪʃn/
IPA/diːˌkɑːlənəˈzeɪʃn/

decolonization — 名詞

1. the process by which a region or country that was ruled by a foreign power gains

1.名詞B2
釋義

去殖民化

殖民地區脫離統治的過程

the process by which a region or country that was ruled by a foreign power gains the right to govern itself and becomes an independent nation

例句

The decolonization of Algeria followed a brutal war that lasted nearly eight years.

阿爾及利亞的去殖民化過程始於一場持續近八年的慘烈戰爭。

decolonization + of + [country name]

Asher studied how decolonization changed the political borders of Southeast Asia.

Asher 研究去殖民化如何改變了東南亞的政治邊界。

同義詞
  • independence

    more general; independence describes the resulting state, while decolonization describes the entire process

  • liberation

    stronger emotional tone, emphasizes the struggle against oppression

  • sovereignty

    focuses on the legal right to self-govern rather than the process of achieving it

  • self-determination

    refers to the principle that a people should decide their own government

反義詞
  • colonization

    the opposite process of establishing colonial rule over a territory

  • colonialism

    the system of political and economic control that decolonization seeks to end

文法句型

decolonization + of + [region]

用法筆記

Most commonly used in historical discussions about the mid-20th century, when many former colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean became independent nations. Can be modified by adjectives such as 'political', 'economic', or 'cultural' to specify the type of decolonization being discussed.

常見錯誤

❌India's decolonization happened in 1947.
✅India gained independence in 1947, but its decolonization was a longer process.
💡Decolonization refers to the whole process of ending colonial rule, not just the date independence was declared.

2. the act of rethinking an institution, course of study, or field of knowledge so

2.名詞C1
釋義

文化去殖民

修正制度中的歐洲中心偏見

the act of rethinking an institution, course of study, or field of knowledge so that it no longer treats European perspectives as the most important ones, and instead includes ideas and voices from regions that were once colonized

例句

Meera joined a committee on the decolonization of her university's history syllabus.

Meera 加入了一個委員會，推動大學歷史課程的去殖民化。

decolonization + of + [academic discipline]

The museum in Lagos started a decolonization project to feature more local sculptors.

拉哥斯的那間博物館啟動了一個去殖民化計畫，以增加展出當地雕塑家的作品。

同義詞
  • decentering

    specifically describes moving a particular group (often Europe) away from the center of a narrative or field

  • diversification

    broader term — means adding variety without necessarily restructuring the power hierarchy

反義詞
  • Eurocentrism

    the viewpoint that decolonization in this sense aims to move away from

文法句型

decolonization + of + [institution/discipline]

用法筆記

This newer sense appears mainly in academic and cultural criticism contexts. It typically refers to re-examining what is taught in schools, displayed in museums, or valued in a field of study, rather than changing a country's political government. May be modified as 'academic decolonization' or 'curricular decolonization' for clarity.

常見錯誤

❌Adding a few non-Western books to the syllabus is decolonization.
✅Adding non-Western books is diversification; decolonization also questions why certain authors are treated as more important than others.
💡Diversification adds content, while decolonization re-examines the underlying framework that decides what counts as important knowledge.