Critical theory

Sociology

Pure mathematics

Mandate

Mathematics

Biology

Politics

Epistemology

Hegemony

Status quo bias

Philosophy

Political science

Ecology

Status quo

Narrative

Subaltern

Linguistics

Field (mathematics)

Indigenous

Information Systems Journal

Theories used in the Information Systems (IS) field come in large majority from authors based in Western countries, a bias that holds for critical theories as well. Such a bias is made more problematic by the mandate of critical theory, which is meant exactly to illuminate the oppressive conditions of the status quo. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the subalternity theory approach – developed by the Subaltern Studies collective from the early 1980s – as an indigenous theory that, proposing a socially and geographically connotated narration of ‘history from below’, can play a major role in the effort to decolonise critical IS research. By positioning subaltern theory in the IS field, the paper offers an alternative to the Western hegemony of critical theories, exploring the potential of such an alternative to voice systematically silenced and marginalised perspectives.

Decolonising critical information systems research: A subaltern approach