COM2614 Decolonising Communication Studies Assignment 3 Portfolio Semester 1 2025 | UNISA

Introduction

This portfolio is a collection of my learning journey through the COM2614 module, which focused on decolonising communication studies. It includes my weekly reflexive journal entries, discussion forum activities, and a final semester synthesis. Throughout this module, I was encouraged to think critically about how power, history, and culture influence communication. The journal allowed me to reflect on my own identity, cultural background, and the ways I have understood communication up until now. I explored how colonial ideas still shape knowledge and media practices, and I engaged with alternative perspectives from the Global South. This process challenged many of my assumptions and helped me grow personally and academically. The activities in this portfolio helped me connect theory to real-world issues, while the synthesis allowed me to track my development over time. This portfolio represents not only what I have learned but also how I have changed as a communicator and thinker.

Part A: Reflexive Journel Entry 1

Topic: Decolonising the Museum (TED Talk: "Museum in Progress: Decolonising Museums")

Date: [Insert current date]

Initial Reactions

After watching the TED Talk on decolonising museums, I felt both challenged and inspired. The speaker brought attention to how museums, which are often seen as neutral spaces of learning, are shaped by colonial histories and power structures. It made me realise that many objects on display were taken from colonised countries and communities without consent, and this reality has been hidden under the idea of "preservation." I had never really questioned the origins of artefacts in museums before, and now I see how the storytelling within those spaces often centres Western perspectives.