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Few studies of globalization have analyzed its impact on African
societies from the viewpoint of sustainable development. This
volume answers that need. The essays here contribute to the store
of knowledge about globalization in sub-Saharan Africa by
documenting the affect of this global force on the continent's
growth -- economic, political, and cultural. This interdisciplinary
collection provides comprehensive analyses at the international,
national, and local levels of the theoretical issues revolving
around the complex process of globalization, while offering
detailed examinations of new models of economic development that
can be implemented in sub-Saharan Africa to enhance economic
growth, self-sufficiency, and sustainable development. These models
are accessible to politicians, public policy analysts, scholars,
students, international organizations, nongovernmental actors, and
members of the public at large. Finally, the essays here provide
insightful case studies of African countries that already
demonstrate creative, indigenous-based models of entrepreneurship
and discuss efforts to achieve sustainable development and economic
independence at the grassroots level. Contributors represent the
disciplines of law, history, political science, economics,
sociology, anthropology, business and management, African studies
and art history, criminal justice, and education. Bessie
House-Soremekun is the Public Scholar in African American Studies,
Civic Engagement, and Entrepreneurship, Professor of Political
Science and Professor of Africana Studies at Indiana
University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. Toyin Falola is the
Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities and
University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of
Texas at Austin.
This timely and expansive biography of Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian
writer, Nobel laureate, and social activist, shows how the author's
early years influence his life's work and how his writing, in turn,
informs his political engagement. Three sections spanning his life,
major texts, and place in history, connect Soyinka's legacy with
global issues beyond the borders of his own country, and indeed
beyond the African continent. Covering his encounters with the
widespread rise of kleptocratic rule and international corporate
corruption, his reflection on the human condition of the
North-South divide, and the consequences of postcolonialism, this
comprehensive biography locates Wole Soyinka as a global figure
whose life and works have made him a subject of conversation in the
public sphere, as well as one of Africa's most successful and
popular authors. Looking at the different forms of Soyinka's
work--plays, novels, and memoirs, among others--this volume argues
that Soyinka used writing to inform, mobilize, and sometimes incite
civil action, in a decades-long attempt at literary social
engineering.
This handbook places emphasis on modern/contemporary times, and
offers relevant sophisticated and comprehensive overviews. It aims
to emphasize the religious, economic, political, cultural and
social connections between Africa and the rest of the world and
features comparisons as well as an interdisciplinary approach in
order to examine the place of Africa in global history. "This book
makes an important contribution to the discussion on the place of
Africa in the world and of the world in Africa. An outstanding work
of scholarship, it powerfully demonstrates that Africa is not
marginal to global concerns. Its labor and resources have made our
world, and the continent deserves our respect." - Mukhtar Umar
Bunza, Professor of Social History, Usmanu Danfodiyo University,
Sokoto, and Commissioner for Higher Education, Kebbi State, Nigeria
"This is a deep plunge into the critical place of Africa in global
history. The handbook blends a rich set of important tapestries and
analysis of the conceptual framework of African diaspora histories,
imperialism and globalization. By foregrounding the authentic
voices of African interpreters of transnational interactions and
exchanges, the Handbook demonstrates a genuine commitment to the
promotion of decolonized and indigenous knowledge on African
continent and its peoples." - Samuel Oloruntoba, Visiting Research
Professor, Institute of African Studies, Carleton University
This handbook investigates the current state and future
possibilities of African Philosophy, as a discipline and as a
practice, vis-a-vis the challenge of African development and
Africa's place in a globalized, neoliberal capitalist economy. The
volume offers a comprehensive survey of the philosophical
enterprise in Africa, especially with reference to current
discourses, arguments and new issues-feminism and gender, terrorism
and fundamentalism, sexuality, development, identity, pedagogy and
multidisciplinarity, etc.-that are significant for understanding
how Africa can resume its arrested march towards decolonization and
liberation.
Written by two senior scholars, A History of Africa introduces
students to the history of the world's second largest continent.
While it is not possible to discuss every event that ever happened
in African history, the book comprises an historical narrative
emphasizing key trends and processes illustrated by detailed
examples. It represents a chronological and empirical history based
on scholarly research and reconstructions of Africa's past. As a
continental history, it seeks to cover all regions of Africa
including North Africa, a region often seen as culturally and
historically distinct. Furthermore, the narrative summarizes
changing views and academic debates concerning aspects of African
history. Richly illustrated with numerous maps and photographs, A
History of Africa is the most comprehensive story of the place all
humans call home. A History of Africa is available in a combined
print or eBook volume, or in split eBook volumes (Volume One: to
1880 and Volume Two: since 1870).
This book introduces readers to the rich and fascinating history of
West Africa, stretching all the way back to the stone age, and
right up to the modern day. Over the course of twenty seven short
and engaging chapters, the book delves into the social, cultural,
economic and political history of West Africa, through prehistory,
revolutions, ancient empires, thriving trade networks, religious
traditions, and then the devastating impact of the Trans-Atlantic
slave trade and subsequent colonial rule. The book reflects on the
struggle for independence and investigates how politics and
economics developed in the post-colonial period. By the end of the
book, readers will have a detailed understanding of the fascinating
and diverse range of cultures to be found in West Africa, and of
how the region relates to the rest of the world. Drawing on decades
of teaching and research experience, this book will serve as an
excellent textbook for entry-level History and African Studies
courses, as well as providing a perfect general introduction to
anyone interested in finding out about West Africa.
The Palgrave Handbook of African Traditional Religion interrogates
and presents robust and comprehensive contributions from
interdisciplinary experts and scholars. Offering a range of
perspectives and opinions through the prism of understanding the
past about African Traditional religions and, more importantly,
capturing their dynamics in the present and projecting their
sustainability and relevance for the future, this volume is an
essential resource for knowledge and understanding of African
Traditional religions in the global space of religious traditions.
This book explores how modern Nigerian fiction is rooted in
writers' understanding of their identity and perception of Nigeria
as a country and home. Surveying a broad range of authors and
texts, the book shows how these fictionalized representations of
Nigeria reveal authentic perceptions of Nigeria's history and
culture today. Many of the lessons in these works of literature
provide cautionary tales and critiques of Nigeria, as well as an
examination of the lasting impact of colonialism. Furthermore, the
book presents the nation as both the framework and subject of its
narrative. By conducting literary analyses of Nigerian fiction with
historical reference points, this work demonstrates how Nigerian
literature can convey profound themes and knowledge that resonates
with audiences, teaching Nigerians and non-Nigerians about the
colonial and postcolonial experience. The chapters cover topics on
nationhood, women's writing, postcolonial modernity, and Nigerian
literature in the digital age.
This volume is a bold attempt to address a comprehensive range of
themes and issues relating to contemporary Kenya. It covers
independent Kenya’s history, society, culture, economics,
politics, and environment with great breadth and depth, comprising
thirty-four chapters divided into three parts. Part I focuses on
independence and the political economy of development, followed by
Part II on environment, globalization, gender, and society. Part
III examines the external context’s impact and implications for
Kenya and the role of Kenya in the global political economy.
As the epicenter of Christianity has shifted towards Africa in
recent decades, Pentecostalism has emerged as a particularly
vibrant presence on the continent. This collection of essays offers
a groundbreaking study of the complex links between politics and
African Pentecostalism. Situated at the intersection between the
political, the postcolonial, and global neoliberal capitalism,
contributors examine the roots of the Pentecostal movement's
extraordinary growth; how Pentecostalism intervenes in key social
and political issues, such as citizenship, party politics,
development challenges, and identity; and conversely, how politics
in Africa modulate the Pentecostal movement. Pentecostalism and
Politics in Africa offers a wide-ranging picture of a central
dimension of postcolonial African life, opening up new directions
for future research.
Negotiating Identities in Contemporary Africa: Gender, Religion,
and Ethno-cultural Identities explores the changing dynamics of
identities in Africa, with a focus on gender, ethno-cultural, and
religious identity. Toyin Falola and Emmanuel M. Mbah argue that
because identity defines who we are as individuals or groups,
studies on African identities must focus on understanding the
changing dynamics in the socio-economic and political spheres in
the continent. These chapters cover subjects such as women’s
career identity, gender roles and knowledge, childlessness,
ethnocentrism and democracy, cultural identity through theater,
Black identity in the diaspora, and diasporic consciousness. Using
existing scholarship, the chapters in this edited volume challenge
our understanding of what identity entails and provide new
discussions on the hitherto politicized historiography of some
identities in Africa.
Focusing on the three leading religious traditions in Africa
(African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity), this book
shows how belief in the supremacy of sacred words compels actions
and influences practices in contemporary Africa. "Sacred words" are
taken to mean holy texts as in divination, the Quran and the Bible.
Toyin Falola evaluates how religious leaders engage with sacred
words, both orals and texts, engendering practices that reveal the
expression of religious beliefs, the impact of those beliefs, and
the knowledge contained in them. Attention is given to the key
ideas in the words chosen by religious leaders, and how they form a
continuous knowledge system, impacting the politics of managing
society and people.
This book considers the promises and challenges of globalization
for Africa. Why have African states been perennially unable to
diversify their economies and move beyond export of primary
produce, even as Southeast Asia has made a tremendous leap into
manufacturing? What institutional impediments are in play in
African states? What reforms would mitigate the negative effects of
globalization and distribute its benefits more equitably? Covering
critical themes such as political leadership, security challenges,
the creative sector, and community life, essays in this volume
argue that the starting point for Africa's meaningful engagement
with the rest of the world must be to look inward, examine Africa's
institutions, and work towards reforms that promote inclusiveness
and stability.
Memories of Africa: Home and Abroad in the United States suggests a
new lens for viewing African diaspora studies: the experiences of
African memoirists who live in the United States. The book shows
how African diaspora memoirs beautifully and grippingly depict the
experiences of African migrants over time through political,
social, and cultural spheres. In reading African diaspora memoirs
from the transatlantic slave trade period to the present, a reader
can understand the complexity of the African migrant legacy and
evolution. Author Toyin Falola argues that memoirs are significant
not only in their interpretation of events conveyed by the
memoirists but also in demonstrating how interpersonal and human
the stories told can be. Memoirs are powerful because they are
emotionally captivating and because important themes and events
circulate around a particular person (in this case, the memoirist).
Undoubtedly, a memoir is significant because it can teach anyone
about a part of the human experience, even if the "facts" are not
described without bias. Through this sort of narrative, the reader
cannot help but enter into the memoirist's mind and, therefore,
feel more empathy for them. In doing so, the reader can "feel" what
the memoirist feels and "see" what the memoirist sees as clearly as
is humanly possible. In this way, the historical events and life
lessons become tangible and poignantly real to the reader.
In Citizenship and the Diaspora in the Digital Age: Farooq Kperogi
and the Virtual Community, Toyin Falola examines how the members of
the Nigerian diaspora create a virtual community and
instrumentalize the digital age to speak about the nation and its
failures, possibilities, and promises. This book depicts
individuals' relationships with society and how the world's
progressive shift toward technology and globalization does not
disregard the concept of society and its members. As a result of
this shift, people have been migrating to new places without giving
up their citizenship in their home countries. This book explores
how migrants are focused on the idea of a virtual community,
examines how citizens' roles have evolved through time, and
displays society's essential principles in this light. Furthermore,
it evaluates social commentaries enhanced by the dynamics of the
digital age, such as societal issues like education in Nigeria, the
question of democracy, challenges facing the country, and the
development of a national language. Many of these societal
challenges are examined in this book from the perspective of Farooq
Kperogi, who has conducted extensive studies and published on the
above themes. This is balanced against emerging facts, Nigerians'
positions, and disregarded realities. Kperogi's relentless writings
on Nigeria make him a preeminent figure whose positions are
valuable to the understanding of modern Nigeria.
This Handbook provides a robust collection of vibrant discourses on
African social ethics and ethical practices. It focuses on how the
ethical thoughts of Africans are forged within the context of
everyday life, and how in turn ethical and philosophical thoughts
inform day-to-day living. The essays frame ethics as a historical
phenomenon best examined as a historical movement, the dynamic
ethos of a people, rather than as a theoretical construct. It
thereby offers a bold, incisive, and fresh interpretation of
Africa's ethical life and thought.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti was the Afrobeat music maestro whose life and
time provide the lens through which we can outline the postcolonial
trajectory of the Nigerian state as well as the dynamics of most
other African states. Through the Afrobeat music, Fela did not only
challenge consecutive governments in Nigeria, but his rebellious
Afrobeat lyrics facilitate a philosophical subtext that enriches
the more intellectual Afrocentric discourses. Afrobeat and the
philosophy of blackism that Fela enunciated place him right beside
Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, and all the others who
champion a black and African mode of being in the world. This book
traces the emergence of Fela on the music scene, the cultural and
political backgrounds that made Afrobeat possible, and the
philosophical elements that not only contributed to the formation
of Fela's blackism, but what constitutes Fela's philosophical
sensibility too.
This handbook generates new insights that enrich our understanding
of the history of Islam in Africa and the diverse experiences and
expressions of the faith on the continent. The chapters in the
volume cover key themes that reflect the preoccupations and
realities of many African Muslims. They provide readers access to a
comprehensive treatment of the past and current traditions of
Muslims in Africa, offering insights on different forms of
Islamization that have taken place in several regions, local
responses to Islamization, Islam in colonial and post-colonial
Africa, and the varied forms of Jihad movements that have occurred
on the continent. The handbook provides updated knowledge on
various social, cultural, linguistic, political, artistic,
educational, and intellectual aspects of the encounter between
Islam and African societies reflected in the lived experiences of
African Muslims and the corpus of African Islamic texts.
Identity Transformation and Politicization in Africa: Shifting
Mobilization, edited by Toyin Falola and Celine A. Jacquemin,
questions whether identity is providing and sustaining power for
elites, or fueling oppression and conflicts, being mobilized for
exclusionary movements versus inclusive societal changes, or
educating in ways that foster progress and development. Do aspects
of African identities and the challenges they present also hold
prospects for more inclusive and peaceful democratic and
representative futures? The contributors cover a wide spectrum of
expertise on different African countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana,
Rwanda, Morocco, and Libya). They come from diverse disciplines
(History, Political Science, Public Administration, Philosophy,
Economics and Finance, Cultural Studies, Music, and International
Relations), and use various methods and approaches in their
research. Some contributors belong to the groups whose identity is
being scrutinized and are participants in the efforts to politicize
and mobilize, while others remain outside observers, who share some
traits or interests with the African identities examined and
provide different kinds of insights. Several chapters explore how
innovative pedagogical projects studying African history and
identity-facilitated by the internet and new social media-transform
and connect with the African continent. Each author provides
important insights on how mobilization around identity issues has
been shifting with the internet and social media.
African scholarship concerning the nexus between institutions and
development is still dominated by economic perspective of
development despite the emergence of humanistic perspective of
development. Human development is a more embracing, encompassing
and comprehensive view of development than economic development and
offers a better explanation of African situation than economic
development. It is essential that the examine the relationships
between democratic political institutions and human development.
This collection examines this issue in two main sections. The first
section contains chapters that focus on democratic institutions and
processes in post-independence Africa. The contributors tried to
examine the political institutional processes in post-colonial
Africa. The section dealt with workings of various institutions
like education, bureaucracy, interest groups, trade unions, and
problems of enforcements in Africa. It also discussed the relevance
of creative arts for political socialization as well as the role of
privatization on service delivery in contemporary African
societies.
Key to African studies is understanding the knowledge systems of
the continent and her diaspora. The representation and
understanding of Africa are dependent on the observer's definition
of knowledge. Afrocentric knowledge is comprised of a collection of
political, religious and indigenous belief systems. Religious
Beliefs and Knowledge Systems in Africa begins with deconstructing
the Western philosophy of knowledge before defining and exploring
the epistemic disciplines of Africa. It transcends postcolonial
critique, through an Afrocentric approach to knowledge divided into
three key themes. The first of these is the African Worldview,
exploring knowledge through eldership, witchcraft and divination.
This is followed up Kingship ideology and epistemologies, exploring
how politics, religion and belief shape African society. Finally,
the World Religion chapter explores Christianity, Islam and
Pentecostalism in their impact on African ways of knowing. The book
calls to action new fields of study in universities, understanding
African ways of knowing through more nuanced disciplines.
Development in Modern Africa: Past and Present Perspectives
contributes to our understanding of Africa's experiences with the
development process. It does so by adopting a historical and
contemporary analysis of this experience. The book is set within
the context of critiques on development in Africa that have yielded
two general categories of analysis: skepticism and pessimism. While
not overlooking the shortcomings of development, the themes in the
book express an optimistic view of Africa's development
experiences, highlighting elements that can be tapped into to
enhance the condition of African populations and their states. By
using case studies from precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial
Africa, contributors to the volume demonstrate that human instincts
to improve material, social and spiritual words are universal. They
are not limited to the Western world, which the term and process of
development are typically associated with. Before and after contact
with the West, Africans have actively created institutions and
values that they have actively employed to improve individual and
community lives. This innovative spirit has motivated Africans to
integrate or experiment with new values and structures, challenges,
and solutions to human welfare that resulted from contact with
colonialism and the postcolonial global community. The book will be
of interest to academics in the fields of history, African studies,
and regional studies.
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