Decolonial institutionalism: moving forward in new institutionalist analysis

• In Event: Colonialidad/Decolonialidad y Raza

Abstract

The new institutionalist approach has evolved in contrast to behaviourist and simplified rational choice perspectives towards a more complex understanding of institutions as part of a cultural and historical dimension of social life. However, so far little attention has been paid to the impact of coloniality – as current expressions of colonial relationships – in the institutional processes. Drawing on new institutionalism and decolonial theories rooted in Latin American and African scholars, this article argues that a decolonial turn in institutional analysis will contribute to unpacking the role of colonial relations in institutional processes, as well as understanding how institutions embody and reproduce coloniality. In particular, the article proposes the category of decolonial institutionalism as a theoretical contribution to new institutional perspectives. The results of the theoretical development of the decolonial institutional perspective are then applied empirically to the case of the Indigenous Development Areas (ADIs) in Chile.

Author

• Victoria Rivera Ugarte, Cardiff University