Intellectual Imperialism: A Case Study of O-Levels History Curriculum In Pakistan

Abstract

In the past two decades, scholarship in International Relations has sought to understand how representations of Third World states are discursively formed. After initially outlining the contributions of post-colonial theory to International Relations, this thesis demonstrates that despite an agreement of the scholarly community that the global south needs to be viewed beyond a primitive orientalist lens, and discursively freed from labels like ‘rogue state’ terrorist state’ ‘repressive states’ etc. the hegemonic discourse of world politic remains unchanged. The thesis provides a detailed exploration of how despite being geographically located in the global south, history students enrolled in Cambridge education system are unable to cognitively function in non-western modes of thinking and practice which is symptomatic of intellectual imperialism. Due to the internationalization of education in globalized world, some texts are circulated more commonly and read predominantly by students as a part of their course work. The failure of competing alternative discourses to challenge prevailing euro centricity of these texts is left unobstructed. This study demonstrates the socio-psychological effects of ‘curriculum of dislocation’ by conducting an analysis of the curricular text of Modern World history-Cambridge International system IGSCE, an international examination board famous in the global elite circles of third world countries. By examining various underlying signification practices of these historical discourses circulating in knowledge corridors, the thesis reveals how prior to decolonization of IR, it is crucial to decolonize history itself. Only then can new ways of thinking be developed for understanding global securitization concerns and just ways of representing global realities.