The Concept of Decolonization in Modern Foreign Scientific Discourse

Abstract

One of the effective means of counteracting the destructive influence of russian propaganda on Ukrainian society, as well as eliminating russian narratives from Ukraine’s public space, is the practical implementation of the concept of decolonization. The purpose of this study is to examine and systematize approaches to the scholarly conceptualization of decolonization within contemporary international academic discourse. Achieving this objective entails addressing the following tasks: (1) identifying and analysing existing scholarly approaches to the concept of decolonization; (2) generalising and systematising the ways in which decolonization is theoretically conceptualised. It is demonstrated that, over recent decades, decolonization has extended beyond purely historical or political contexts. In contemporary scholarship, it is predominantly understood as a complex process of evolutionary transition toward a new postcolonial reality encompassing political, economic, and cultural dimensions. International research — primarily North American and European — indicates that studies of decolonization are aimed at identifying tools and methodological frameworks for reassessing sociocultural, including media-related, processes, with a focus on the formation (or restoration) of a distinct and self-defined identity. Particular attention is paid to the development of critical consciousness in postcolonial subjects, understood as an intolerance toward colonial narratives. Based on the analysed material, the study concludes that scholarly engagement with the issues of decolonization remains persistently relevant. It further emphasizes the relationship between the effectiveness of decolonization efforts and the involvement of media resources in these processes. This is determined by the capacity of media to foster anti-colonial epistemic resistance and to contribute to the mitigation of political, social, and cultural dominance exerted by former metropoles.