Moving forward

The notion of progress is often dependent on an imagined movement from a supposedly lethargic and backwards past towards some signifier of forward direction. However, “forward” is not neutral, but is heavily dependent on power, that is the meaning of this idea is often dictated by those with the institutional capacity to define “progress” and to make their definition the definitive conception of it. Thus this definition does not merely reside in minds, but is bound up in policies, and institutional structures. Consequently, many of us, due to the political and economic dimensions of knowledge, embrace conceptions of progress that are inescapably Eurocentric.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *