E. P. Thompson, decolonial theorists and decolonial feminism: contributions to rural women

Abstract

This article proposes a theoretical reflection on the feasibility of integrating the approaches of E.P. Thompson and the decolonial perspective in studies on rural women. Although both approaches are widely discussed in the humanities and social sciences, their articulation to specifically investigate the experiences of rural women is still uncommon. This analytical exercise draws on the works of Thompson, as well as decolonial intellectuals Catherine Walsh, Edgardo Lander, Walter Mignolo, Aníbal Quijano and decolonial feminists Rita Segato, Ochy Curiel and Yuderkys Espinosa Miñoso, who explore decoloniality from the perspective of Latin American women. We argue that the notion of “history from below”, especially through Thompson's concepts of “historical logic” and “experience”, can be articulated with the “bottom-up” construction of knowledge advocated by decolonial theory. Through notions such as “decoloniality”, “epistemic disobedience” and “interculturality”, decolonial theory offers a conceptual apparatus that complements Thompson's historical vision. This articulation favors an understanding of the complex interactions between gender, race/ethnicity, class and colonialism in the experiences of rural women in colonial and post-colonial contexts, positioning them as producers of knowledge and not mere objects of study.

Keywords:
decoloniality; epistemic disobedience; experience; feminism; rural women