Dispossession

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In this particular quote, Smith uses the term "dispossession" to mean the act of taking away the power of a group/or individual through indoctrination of their norms and committing "cultural genocide". In this example he illustrates that Indian women are being taught not for their own economic prosperity, but to domesticize and mold them into a patriarchal society in order to take away their position of leadership through education (Smith, 37). This dispossession can be further enforced by the institutions lack of accountability towards authorities, lack of resources to help them achieve, and through the teaching that their culture is "uneducated/barbaric" (Willinsky, 97-99).
Although colonial schools were shut down, I would consider the idea that the curriculum and "standard" way of teaching in present schools can be seen as another act of neocolonialism. Willinsky addresses Martin Corney's idea that education has been used throughout history to disenfranchise minorities and is fit into the capitalist ideas and European concepts (99). Presently, much pressure is put on students due to the idea that education is a main indicator of the economic and social success the child may become. Under this type of education, minority students are generally set up to be at a disadvantaged since their culture does not align with these types of teaching, and in result set up for future failure in society since this is how we judge them. Those who are able to assimilate and learn these principles are graded better in schools. Therefore, although it is not "eliminate or assimilate"(Smith, 36) in a sense that these students will die or assimilate, but it is set up to eliminate them from achieving any sort of power or voice, thereby leaving them ...

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...ngs provide a paradox of education and neocolonialism: the same education and tools that is used to keep the dominant culture in power can be used by the dominated to liberate and mobilize them into power. Yet, we see in the past and present, that many minorities have used their education to write critically about the biases, racism, and inherent privileges that is possessed within education, legislative processes, economic institutions. The readings assigned to us in class have authors who have also seen struggle and hardships dealing with prejudice and pressure to get rid of their identity, but all have utilized it to speak up against these injustices. They may be writing it using the education that was meant to suppress them, but have turned it as a weapon against them to empower rather than disposses, fighting for a society that is more open to multiculturalism.

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