This glossary is meant to guide the reader through the web interlaced between my personal histories and the histories of the West (so called Western societies) and the Rest (so called non-Western societies). I intend to take this step to expand the reading accessibility of this research, within the possibilities of the academic framework and my communication skills. Accordingly, I intend to use the position of this part to clarify the contents in the following chapters and therefore situate the phenomenon in question within a more specific context. Furthermore, this cluster of words serves as an overview of the environment that surrounds this research.
Colonialism:
A historical global endeavour in which settlers have and continue to occupy land, exploit Indigenous peoples and their resources, and dictate social, political, and economic systems. (Belfi & Sandiford). The colonization of the Americas started with Christopher Columbus in 1492.
Decolonization:
“Decolonization is about “cultural, psychological, and economic freedom for Indigenous people with the goal of achieving Indigenous sovereignty — the right and ability of Indigenous people to practice self-determination over their land, cultures, and political and economic systems.” (Belfi & Sandiford).
Digital Colonialism:
A phenomenon in which structural components of the western digital ecosystem are engineered for ruling-class dominance over social, political, and economic life. (Kwet, “Break the Hold of Digital Colonialism.”).
Dogma:
noun
“a belief or set of beliefs held by a group or organization that others are expected to accept without argument” (“Dogma”).
Eurocentrism:
noun
“an attitude that focuses on European culture or history and regards it as more important than the culture or history of other regions” (“Eurocentrism”).
Globalization:
noun
“the fact that different cultures and economic systems around the world are becoming connected and similar to each other because of the influence of large multinational companies and of improved communication” (“Globalization”).
Neoliberalism:
“Neoliberalism is in the first instance a theory of political economic practices that proposes that human well-being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms and skills within an institutional framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade. (…) Furthermore, if markets do not exist (in areas such as land, water, education, health care, social security, or environmental pollution) then they must be created, by state action if necessary. But beyond these tasks the state should not venture.” (Harvey 2).
Neocolonialism:
Noun
“the use of economic or political pressure by powerful countries to control or influence other countries” (“Neocolonialism”).
Postcolonialism:
The historical period and situation that represents the aftermath of Western colonialism; and the current project to reclaim the history and agency of people oppressed by imperialism. (Ivison).
Sacrosanct:
adjective
“that is considered to be too important to change or question” (“Sacrosanct”).
Stock Photography:
Global image manufacturing industry that distributes images for use in marketing, advertising and multimedia usage. (Frosh, 3).
Transnationalism:
“(…) economic, political, and cultural processes that extend beyond the boundaries of nation-states.
The concept of transnationalism suggests a weakening of the control a nation-state has over its borders, inhabitants, and territory.” (Huff).
The West: Western Societies (see also Global North)
“At first sight, these words may seem to be about matters of geography and location. But even this, on inspection, is not straightforward since we also use the same words to refer to a type of society, a level of development, and so on. It's true that what we call "the West," in this second sense, did first emerge in Western Europe. But "the West" is no longer only in Europe, and not all of Europe is in "the West."”(Hall 185)
The Rest: Non-Western Societies (see also Global South)
“The so-called uniqueness of the West was, in part, produced by Europe's contact and self-comparison with other, non-western, societies (the Rest), very different in their histories, ecologies, patterns of development, and cultures from the European model. The difference of these other societies and cultures from the West was the standard against which the West's achievement was measured. It is within the context of these relationships that the idea of ‘the West’ took on shape and meaning.” (Hall 187–189)
The Global North/Global South divide:
The Brandt Line, developed in the 1980s, showed how the world was split between richer countries–located in the Northern Hemisphere– and poorer countries–located in the Southern Hemisphere. Currently, there is substantial evidence that shows that inequality between richer and poorer countries is widening. However, the Brandt Line no longer captures the complexity of the world as inequity in poorer countries has grown despite the significant economic and social development. Therefore, the divide between the Global South and the Global North refers to richer or poorer communities found within and between countries. (“60 Second Guide to: Global North South Divide.”)
A historical global endeavour in which settlers have and continue to occupy land, exploit Indigenous peoples and their resources, and dictate social, political, and economic systems. (Belfi & Sandiford). The colonization of the Americas started with Christopher Columbus in 1492.
Decolonization:
“Decolonization is about “cultural, psychological, and economic freedom for Indigenous people with the goal of achieving Indigenous sovereignty — the right and ability of Indigenous people to practice self-determination over their land, cultures, and political and economic systems.” (Belfi & Sandiford).
Digital Colonialism:
A phenomenon in which structural components of the western digital ecosystem are engineered for ruling-class dominance over social, political, and economic life. (Kwet, “Break the Hold of Digital Colonialism.”).
Dogma:
noun
“a belief or set of beliefs held by a group or organization that others are expected to accept without argument” (“Dogma”).
Eurocentrism:
noun
“an attitude that focuses on European culture or history and regards it as more important than the culture or history of other regions” (“Eurocentrism”).
Globalization:
noun
“the fact that different cultures and economic systems around the world are becoming connected and similar to each other because of the influence of large multinational companies and of improved communication” (“Globalization”).
Neoliberalism:
“Neoliberalism is in the first instance a theory of political economic practices that proposes that human well-being can best be advanced by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedoms and skills within an institutional framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade. (…) Furthermore, if markets do not exist (in areas such as land, water, education, health care, social security, or environmental pollution) then they must be created, by state action if necessary. But beyond these tasks the state should not venture.” (Harvey 2).
Neocolonialism:
Noun
“the use of economic or political pressure by powerful countries to control or influence other countries” (“Neocolonialism”).
Postcolonialism:
The historical period and situation that represents the aftermath of Western colonialism; and the current project to reclaim the history and agency of people oppressed by imperialism. (Ivison).
Sacrosanct:
adjective
“that is considered to be too important to change or question” (“Sacrosanct”).
Stock Photography:
Global image manufacturing industry that distributes images for use in marketing, advertising and multimedia usage. (Frosh, 3).
Transnationalism:
“(…) economic, political, and cultural processes that extend beyond the boundaries of nation-states.
The concept of transnationalism suggests a weakening of the control a nation-state has over its borders, inhabitants, and territory.” (Huff).
The West: Western Societies (see also Global North)
“At first sight, these words may seem to be about matters of geography and location. But even this, on inspection, is not straightforward since we also use the same words to refer to a type of society, a level of development, and so on. It's true that what we call "the West," in this second sense, did first emerge in Western Europe. But "the West" is no longer only in Europe, and not all of Europe is in "the West."”(Hall 185)
The Rest: Non-Western Societies (see also Global South)
“The so-called uniqueness of the West was, in part, produced by Europe's contact and self-comparison with other, non-western, societies (the Rest), very different in their histories, ecologies, patterns of development, and cultures from the European model. The difference of these other societies and cultures from the West was the standard against which the West's achievement was measured. It is within the context of these relationships that the idea of ‘the West’ took on shape and meaning.” (Hall 187–189)
The Global North/Global South divide:
The Brandt Line, developed in the 1980s, showed how the world was split between richer countries–located in the Northern Hemisphere– and poorer countries–located in the Southern Hemisphere. Currently, there is substantial evidence that shows that inequality between richer and poorer countries is widening. However, the Brandt Line no longer captures the complexity of the world as inequity in poorer countries has grown despite the significant economic and social development. Therefore, the divide between the Global South and the Global North refers to richer or poorer communities found within and between countries. (“60 Second Guide to: Global North South Divide.”)
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