Our six areas of focus are:
Areas of focus
Outreach and Activism
The Outreach and Activism subcommittee aims to link up with different liberation initiatives to support decolonisation work across the University.
Curriculum Reform
The Curriculum Reform subcommittee is working on the better integration of authors from the global south across the sociology curricula, not as token authors but as required reading.
Workshops and Training
The Workshops and Training subcommittee is developing workshops on anti-racist pedagogy and training on racism awareness, with the aim to run pilots in the Sociology Department that can later be presented to other Departments.
Communications
The Communications subcommittee is responsible for keeping the Decolonise Sociology working group in touch with the Sociology Department, and maintaining this website.
Share your ideas
We’d love to hear from you about any ideas you might have to help advance the decolonisation agenda.
Send the team an email at decolonise@sociology.cam.ac.uk
Write for our blog
We're always looking for new content for our blog. You might want to write about your experiences, observations, or studies - all is welcome! Don't worry about word count...[read more]
Histories of Sociology and Decolonising Education
Dr Ali Meghji joins the Surviving Society podcast to discuss how sociology was formally institutionalised in the West during the height of imperialism. The following conversation also approaches concerns about the current decolonising moment in British universities. Continue Reading →
Global Social Theory
Global Social Theory is a free online resource for students, teachers, academics, and others interested in social theory and wishing to understand it in global perspective. The site was established by Gurminder K Bhambra in response to the campaign organised by students in the UK asking ‘Why is my curriculum white?' This question, alongside many... Continue Reading →
Podcast: Gendered Violence in India
Dr Manali Desai is a Reader in Comparative and Historical Sociology at the University of Cambridge. Her work focuses on the areas of state formation, political parties, social movements, development, ethnic violence, gender and post-colonial studies. In this conversation, Dr Desai describes the underlying factors behind gendered violence in India, which is a key focus... Continue Reading →
Mutiny: A story of Black British WW1 veterans
Around a third of the manpower drawn upon by Great Britain to fight in the first world war came from the colonies in India, Asia and Africa. Featuring testimony from Black British WW1 veterans, Mutiny tells the story of a dramatic shift from loyal volunteers for King and Empire in 1914 to a new Black... Continue Reading →
Personal Histories of People of Colour in Cambridge
In this event, organinsed by the Personal Histories Project and Trinity College BME Officer Richelle George, panellists reflected on their histories and experiences to investigate what it means to be a person of colour at the University of Cambridge.
You can watch a video of the event here.
Poet’s Corner with Jackie Kay
In this short clip, Jackie Kay describes growing up in Scotland, her poetry and her parents, against stunning Scottish scenery. Watch on Youtube.
Jackie Kay on Growing Up Black and LGBTQ in a White Family
Watch Jackie Kay tell an emotive story about her 12-year-old self writing her first ever novel, 'One Person, Two Names' on Youtube.
Angela Davis in Conversation with Imani Perry
On February 19, 2019, Angela Davis spoke with Imani Perry in her hometown of Birmingham Alabama about the roots of her activism. You can watch and read a transcript of the conversation here.
Free Angela Davis, and all political prisoners
On August 18, 1970, the Federal Bureau of Investigation placed 25-year-old Angela Yvonne Davis on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. You can browse an interactive storyboard of the events surrounding Angela Davis' imprisonment and calls for her release here.
“A poem is a little moment of belief” – Jackie Kay
Jackie Kay is the Scottish Poet Laureate and an award-winning writer of fiction, poetry and plays. You can hear her poem "35" on the Poetry Archive.
Angela Davis in conversation with Toni Morrison
On February 2, 2016, Angela Davis and Toni Morrison came together to discuss Frederick Douglas, Libraries, Literacy and Liberation. You can listen to the podcast here.
Angela Davis’ Women’s March Speech
On 21st July 2017, Angela Davis addressed the Women's March in the US with a powerful message: "this country's history cannot be deleted". You can read the speech in full here.
Jackie Kay Lannan Readings
You can watch Jackie Kay's reading at the Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice on Vimeo here.
Angela Davis Youtube Playlist
View a playlist of videos of Angela Davis on Youtube here.
Angela Davis: Extremism in Defence of Liberty is no Vice
At the Oxford Union, Angela Davis speaks in favour the same motion addressed by Malcolm X on Dec 3, 1964. Watch on Youtube here.
Decolonise Sociology @ Cambridge 