Themes Flashcards
Colonialism
Refers to a period of time when one country was actively participating in the colonization or imperialistic exploitation of another geographic area.
Decolonization
Refers to the process of revealing and dismantling colonialist power in all its forms. This includes dismantling the hidden aspects of those institutional and cultural forces that had maintained the colonialist power and that remain even after political independence is achieved.
Racism
To describe a condition in society in which a dominant racial group benefits from the oppression of others, whether that group wants such benefits or not.
Marginalization
Also referred to as social exclusion, occurs when certain groups of people get denied access to areas of society.
Discrimination
The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of ethnicity, age, sex, or disability.
Matriarch/y
A system of society or government ruled by a woman or women.
A form of social organization in which descent and relationship are reckoned through the female line.
The state of being an older, powerful woman in a family or group.
Oral Tradition
A form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.
The transmission is through speech or song and may include folktales, ballads, chants, prose or poetry.
Family and Community
Whether loving, distant, eccentric or conservative, family is central to many readers’ lives, with the absent often as influential as the present. The closeness and intimacy of family relationships offers writers the opportunity to explore great depths of emotion, from intense joy and affection to grief and loss.
Tricksterism
Tricksters are also associated with rule-breaking. They are curious pranksters who frequently cross and challenge boundaries, as well as ignore social harmony and order. For generations, trickster stories have been used to entertain community members as well as to transmit traditional knowledge about society, culture and morality.
Identity and Belonging
Identity can refer to an individual, a small group, or a social collective—and encompass issues such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and the body. In the identities theme, you will explore where values, beliefs, and behaviors come from.
Stereotyping
A generalized belief about a group of people
Poverty
Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter
Addiction
Drug and alcohol abuse
Traditional Territory and Land Use
A term used to describe the land that was (and often still is) occupied and stewarded by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. Some refer to traditional territory as homelands.
Resilience
It is a powerful way of illustrating toughness, and creates many emotions such as hope, power or even love.
