Transformation ist nicht Sache der Betroffenen

Postcolonial critique is often treated as a concern only for those directly affected by racism and colonial legacies. Yet institutional change is not a peripheral issue - it is a structural responsibility.

Who bears responsibility when institutions not only reflect social inequalities, but actively help (re)produce them? And why are postcolonial perspectives still so often treated as concerns primarily for those affected by racism, rather than as a central challenge for society, academia, and culture as a whole?

Postcolonial critique draws attention to the historical continuities of colonialism, power, and knowledge production, asking how these continue to shape institutions, public debates, and collective understandings of society in the present. At stake is not only representation, but also the question of whose voices are heard, which forms of knowledge are recognized as legitimate, and how social participation is structured.

In this episode, we speak with Patricia Purtschert about:

• the beginnings of postcolonial debates in Switzerland (2005–2008)
• economic and cultural-theoretical approaches
• accusations of “culturalism”
• institutional resistance to change
• Theater Bern as a site of public contestation and negotiation
• the responsibility of white majorities
• why diversity of perspectives is an epistemic necessity

Together, we discuss what it means to reimagine universities and cultural institutions—and why transformation is particularly important for those who have historically benefited from existing structures.

Content note: This episode discusses colonial legacies and institutional racism.

Patricia Purtschert's book recommendation: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.