Postcolonial perspectives in the 21st Century: a critical analysis of modern theories and methodologies

The article is devoted to the analysis of modern theories of postcolonial perspective and methodologies applied for their research. The aim of the research is to analyze modern theories and methodologies in studying cultural and social postcolonial phenomena. Also, this research aims to outline methodologies used to investigate postcolonial theories; to introduce practical applications of postcolonial studies across cultural and social dimensions. The research is predominantly interdisciplinary and implies the use of a range of theoretical research methods (theoretical analysis of literature and scientific texts, historical research, discourse analysis, comparative analysis as well as synthesis and interpretation). The article provided the recent interpretation of the concepts of colonialism and postcolonialism. It was found that the mid-20th century marked a shift in focus from colonial to postcolonial studies. The theoretical framework of postcolonial studies is analyzed from diachronic and synchronic tiers. The specifics of six main theories were revealed (postcolonial theory, critical theory, site-specific theory, decolonial theory, and creolization theory). They offer both strengths and weaknesses when analyzing the impacts of colonialism. The methodology of postcolonial studies is usually interdisciplinary and prefers examining the impacts of colonialism based on literary sources and cultural analysis. Other methodologies include: historical research, textual analysis, ethnographic methods, interviews, observations, and comparative analysis. The implications include improving the understanding of the existing socio-political and economic structure and developing effective strategies to overcome the contemporary issues that emerged as a result of colonialism and postcolonialism.