Africa (Books)
Africa and Africans
1995 301 pages (Waveland Pr Inc)
ISBN 13: 9780881338409 ISBN 10: 0881338400
Africa and Africans keeps a watchful eye on what has happened in Africa and on what has happened in the rest of the world that shapes how people look at Africa. The world's perception of Africa is an entanglement of myth and reality--both reflecting and changing with the times. This highly informative yet concise volume, written by two authors intimately familiar with Africa, presents the facts about African society--past and present. Readers wishing to explore Africa's historical [...]
Africa and Africans keeps a watchful eye on what has happened in Africa and on what has happened in the rest of the world that shapes how people look at Africa. The world's perception of Africa is an entanglement of myth and reality--both reflecting and changing with the times. This highly informative yet concise volume, written by two authors intimately familiar with Africa, presents the facts about African society--past and present. Readers wishing to explore Africa's historical events and rich traditions will discover that Africans want to keep what they value in their old way of life as they find themselves in an emerging global culture. Titles of related interest from Waveland Press: Holloway, Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali (ISBN 9781577664352); July, A History of the African People, Fifth Edition (ISBN 9780881339802); and Middleton, African Merchants of the Indian Ocean: Swahili of the East African Coast (ISBN 9781577663140). [less]
Africa In World Politics
1991 341 pages (Westview Press)
ISBN 13: 9780813309736 ISBN 10: 0813309735
African states have been on the periphery of world politics since independence, and they will likely continue to be marginalized as cold war tensions abate and economic and political ties to the industrialized world weaken. At the same time, however, international attention has been increasingly focused on issues that are vital to Africa - economic reform, human rights, environmental degradation, refugees, AIDS and democratization. This book explores Africa's changing position in international [...]
African states have been on the periphery of world politics since independence, and they will likely continue to be marginalized as cold war tensions abate and economic and political ties to the industrialized world weaken. At the same time, however, international attention has been increasingly focused on issues that are vital to Africa - economic reform, human rights, environmental degradation, refugees, AIDS and democratization. This book explores Africa's changing position in international relations. It addresses the region's colonial heritage and the historical, economic and cultural factors that have shaped the continent's position in world affairs; analyzes some of the region's most intense conflicts; and examines the evolution of relations with other regions and powers. [less]
Africa since 1940: The Past of the Present (New Approaches to African History)
2002 230 pages (Cambridge University Press)
ISBN 13: 9780521776004 ISBN 10: 0521776007
Frederick Cooper's latest book on the history of decolonization and independence in Africa helps students understand the historical process from which Africa's current position in the world has emerged. Bridging the divide between colonial and post-colonial history, it shows what political independence did and did not signify and how men and women, peasants and workers, religious leaders and local leaders sought to refashion the way they lived, worked, and interacted with each other.
Frederick Cooper's latest book on the history of decolonization and independence in Africa helps students understand the historical process from which Africa's current position in the world has emerged. Bridging the divide between colonial and post-colonial history, it shows what political independence did and did not signify and how men and women, peasants and workers, religious leaders and local leaders sought to refashion the way they lived, worked, and interacted with each other. [less]
African Colonial State in Comparative Perspective, The
1997 368 pages (Yale University Press)
ISBN 13: 9780300068795 ISBN 10: 0300068794
In this comprehensive study, a specialist and scholar of African affairs argues that the current crisis in African development can be traced directly to European colonial rule, which left the continent with a "singularly difficult legacy" that is unique in modern history. Crawford Young proposes a new conception of the state, weighing the different characteristics of earlier European empires (including those of Holland, Portugal, England, and Venice) and distilling their common [...]
In this comprehensive study, a specialist and scholar of African affairs argues that the current crisis in African development can be traced directly to European colonial rule, which left the continent with a "singularly difficult legacy" that is unique in modern history. Crawford Young proposes a new conception of the state, weighing the different characteristics of earlier European empires (including those of Holland, Portugal, England, and Venice) and distilling their common qualities. He then presents a concise and wide-ranging history of colonization in Africa, from the era of construction through consolidation and decolonization. Young argues that several qualities combined to make the European colonial experience in Africa distinctive. The high number of nations competing for power around the continent and the necessity to achieve effective occupation swiftly, yet make the colonies self-financing, drove colonial powers toward policies of "ruthless extractive action." The persistent, virulent racism that established a distance between rulers and subjects was especially central to African colonial history. Young concludes by turning his sights to other regions of the once-colonized world, comparing the fates of former African colonies to their counterparts elsewhere. In tracing both the overarching traits and variations in African colonial states, he makes a strong case that colonialism has played a significant part in shaping the fate of this troubled continent. [less]
African Democracies and African Politics (Ossrea)
2001 224 pages (Pluto Press)
ISBN 13: 9780745317243 ISBN 10: 0745317243
'This well-informed study starts from the premise that Western-style democracy has never been appropriate in Africa and is unlikely to catch on anytime soon'. Foreign Affairs Challenging orthodox views on contemporary African politics and democracy, M.A. Mohamed Salih offers a fresh approach to the topic, emphasising the role of ethnicity and religion, in particular that of minorities. His central theme is that government donors from Western nations have imposed Western style democracy in Africa [...]
'This well-informed study starts from the premise that Western-style democracy has never been appropriate in Africa and is unlikely to catch on anytime soon'. Foreign Affairs Challenging orthodox views on contemporary African politics and democracy, M.A. Mohamed Salih offers a fresh approach to the topic, emphasising the role of ethnicity and religion, in particular that of minorities. His central theme is that government donors from Western nations have imposed Western style democracy in Africa, ignoring the indigenous politics of the region, often resulting in chaos. As a consequence many African societies are divided by ethnicity. Revealing how minorities are inevitably marginalised in all aspects of development and education, Salih shows how, in many instances, they are treated as enemies of the state, as are the opposition parties. He examines democracy and authoritarian development in a pan-African context and the democratic potential of political education, and provides a range of country-specific case-studies, including multi-party democracy in Sudan; democratising anarchy in Sierra Leone; religious violence in Obasanjo's Nigeria and ethnic federalism in Ethiopia. [less]
African Experience: An Introduction (2nd Edition), The
1997 336 pages (Prentice Hall)
ISBN 13: 9780137458523 ISBN 10: 0137458525
This book provides an introduction to Africa -- covering its physical attributes, history, social structure, and culture. It emphasizes norms, values, and historical experience as the key variables that define who the people are, rather than labeling them as "tribes." Describes the main traditional cultural forms and institutions found in Africa. Explores the geography and demography of the African continent. Takes a critical look at how the Africans have done since they inherited or recovered [...]
This book provides an introduction to Africa -- covering its physical attributes, history, social structure, and culture. It emphasizes norms, values, and historical experience as the key variables that define who the people are, rather than labeling them as "tribes." Describes the main traditional cultural forms and institutions found in Africa. Explores the geography and demography of the African continent. Takes a critical look at how the Africans have done since they inherited or recovered political power from the European colonial masters -- the problems they have encountered, the forces that have influenced leaders in their choice of strategies in nation-building or economic development, political and economic reforms. [less]
African Experience: An Introduction, The
88 pages (Prentice Hall College Div)
ISBN 13: 9780130196620 ISBN 10: 0130196622
Providing an interdisciplinary introduction to Africa, this text covers Africa's physical attributes, history, social structure and culture. It considers the diversity and convergence of African people in the cultural and linguistic patterns and describes the main traditional cultural forms and institutions found in Africa. African history is interpreted in terms of state building, alliance formation and the rise and decline of various kingdoms. Coverage extends from the African resistance [...]
Providing an interdisciplinary introduction to Africa, this text covers Africa's physical attributes, history, social structure and culture. It considers the diversity and convergence of African people in the cultural and linguistic patterns and describes the main traditional cultural forms and institutions found in Africa. African history is interpreted in terms of state building, alliance formation and the rise and decline of various kingdoms. Coverage extends from the African resistance to colonial rule to how they have faired since Africans inherited or recovered political power. [less]
African Politics and Society: A Continental Mosaic in Transformation
1999 378 pages (Wadsworth Publishing)
ISBN 13: 9780312076030 ISBN 10: 0312076037
AFRICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY is the first comprehensive, single-authored textbook to examine African politics and society from the pre-colonial era to the present. The book surveys the theoretical, historical, political, and cultural forces that have shaped contemporary Africa, with special emphasis on trends in the post-Cold War era.
AFRICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY is the first comprehensive, single-authored textbook to examine African politics and society from the pre-colonial era to the present. The book surveys the theoretical, historical, political, and cultural forces that have shaped contemporary Africa, with special emphasis on trends in the post-Cold War era. [less]
African Politics and Society: A Mosaic in Transformation
2003 416 pages (Cengage Learning)
ISBN 13: 9780534567699 ISBN 10: 053456769X
AFRICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY: A MOSAIC IN TRANSFORMATION is the first single-authored textbook to examine continuity and change in African politics and society from the pre-colonial era to the present. It fills the needs of those with little prior knowledge while balancing this background information with thorough analysis for those already familiar with the subject. An emphasis has been placed on making sense of general developments on the African continent as a whole while introducing the [...]
AFRICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY: A MOSAIC IN TRANSFORMATION is the first single-authored textbook to examine continuity and change in African politics and society from the pre-colonial era to the present. It fills the needs of those with little prior knowledge while balancing this background information with thorough analysis for those already familiar with the subject. An emphasis has been placed on making sense of general developments on the African continent as a whole while introducing the distinctive natures of Africa's 53 countries. Each chapter emphasizes the major trends associated with a topic, trends that are further explored through illustrative case studies that represent all regions of the African continent. Each chapter concludes with a list of readings for further exploration and research. Numerous maps, tables, figures, and boxed elements highlight fundamental issues of interest. Because each chapter stands alone, instructors can assign chapters that relate topics that are of greatest relevance to the course or reorder chapters to better suit their syllabi. [less]
Approaches to Teaching Achebe's Things Fall Apart
1991 145 pages (Modern Language Association of America)
ISBN 13: 9780873525480 ISBN 10: 0873525485
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Borders Nationalism And The African State
2005 351 pages (Lynne Rienner Pub)
ISBN 13: 9781588263407 ISBN 10: 1588263401
Tackling a fundamental question in the study of contemporary African politics, Borders, Nationalism, and the African State systematically and comparatively examines the impact of colonial borders on the intertwined trajectories of ethnic conflict and state development. The authors combine case studies (Congo, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan) with thematic chapters to provide a vivid story of state weakness and conflict on the continent. Their richly detailed analysis and often surprising [...]
Tackling a fundamental question in the study of contemporary African politics, Borders, Nationalism, and the African State systematically and comparatively examines the impact of colonial borders on the intertwined trajectories of ethnic conflict and state development. The authors combine case studies (Congo, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan) with thematic chapters to provide a vivid story of state weakness and conflict on the continent. Their richly detailed analysis and often surprising findings offer an insightful reexamination of the prospects for peace in Africa, and prompt a fresh consideration of the nature of the African state. [less]
Burden of Memory, the Muse of Forgiveness (W.E.B. Du Bois Institute), The
2000 224 pages (Oxford University Press)
ISBN 13: 9780195134285 ISBN 10: 0195134281
Nobel Laureate in Literature Wole Soyinka considers all of Africa--indeed, all the world--as he poses this question: once repression stops, is reconciliation between oppressor and victim possible? In the face of centuries-long devastation wrought on the African continent and her Diaspora by slavery, colonialism, Apartheid, and the manifold faces of racism, what form of recompense could possibly suffice? In a voice as eloquent and humane as it is forceful, Soyinka boldly challenges in these pages [...]
Nobel Laureate in Literature Wole Soyinka considers all of Africa--indeed, all the world--as he poses this question: once repression stops, is reconciliation between oppressor and victim possible? In the face of centuries-long devastation wrought on the African continent and her Diaspora by slavery, colonialism, Apartheid, and the manifold faces of racism, what form of recompense could possibly suffice? In a voice as eloquent and humane as it is forceful, Soyinka boldly challenges in these pages the notions of simple forgiveness, confession, and absolution as strategies for social healing. Ultimately, he turns to art--poetry, music, painting, etc.--as the one source that can nourish the seed of reconciliation: art is the generous vessel that can hold together the burden of memory and the hope of forgiveness.Based on Soyinka's Stewart-McMillan lectures delivered at the DuBois Institute at Harvard, The Burden of Memory speaks not only to those concerned specifically with African politics, but also to anyone seeking the path to social justice through some of history's most inhospitable terrain. [less]
Democracy and Development in Africa
1996 173 pages (Brookings Institution Press)
ISBN 13: 9780815702207 ISBN 10: 0815702205
Despite three decades of preoccupation with development in Africa, the economies of most African nations are still stagnating or regressing. For most Africans, incomes are lower than they were two decades ago, health prospects are poorer, malnourishment is widespread, and infrastructures and social institutions are breaking down.An array of factors have been offered to explain the apparent failure of development in Africa, including the colonial legacy, social pluralism, corruption, poor [...]
Despite three decades of preoccupation with development in Africa, the economies of most African nations are still stagnating or regressing. For most Africans, incomes are lower than they were two decades ago, health prospects are poorer, malnourishment is widespread, and infrastructures and social institutions are breaking down.An array of factors have been offered to explain the apparent failure of development in Africa, including the colonial legacy, social pluralism, corruption, poor planning and incompetent management, limited in-flow of foreign capital, and low levels of saving and investment. Alone or in combination, these factors are serious impediments to development, but Claude Ake contends that the problem is not that development has failed, but that it was never really on the agenda. He maintains that political conditions in Africa are the greatest impediment to development.In this book, Ake traces the evolution and failure of development policies, including the IMF stabilization programs that have dominated international efforts. He identifies the root causes of the problem in the authoritarian political structure of the African states derived from the previous colonial entities. Ake sketches the alternatives that are struggling to emerge from calamitous failure--economic development based on traditional agriculture, political development based on the decentralization of power, and reliance on indigenous communities that have been providing some measure of refuge from the coercive power of the central state. Ake's argument may become a new paradigm for development in Africa. [less]
Ethnic Conflict In World Politics (Dilemmas in World Politics)
1994 224 pages (Westview Press)
ISBN 13: 9780813316970 ISBN 10: 0813316979
As hot spots from Bosnia to the Caucasus to the Horn of Africa clearly signal, the end of the Cold War does not mean an end to regional conflict but rather the early phase of a new era in world history. This book is an introduction to this new era of ethnic challenges to world order and security.From Africa’s postcolonial rebellions in the 1960s and 1970s to the anti-immigrant violence in the 1990s, Ethnic Conflict in World Politics surveys the historical, geographic, and cultural [...]
As hot spots from Bosnia to the Caucasus to the Horn of Africa clearly signal, the end of the Cold War does not mean an end to regional conflict but rather the early phase of a new era in world history. This book is an introduction to this new era of ethnic challenges to world order and security.From Africa’s postcolonial rebellions in the 1960s and 1970s to the anti-immigrant violence in the 1990s, Ethnic Conflict in World Politics surveys the historical, geographic, and cultural diversity of ethnopolitical conflict. Using an analytical model to elucidate four well-chosen case studies—the Kurds, the Miskitos, the Chinese in Malaysia, and the Turks in Germany—the authors give students tools for analyzing emerging conflicts based on the demands of nationalists, indigenous peoples, and immigrant minorities throughout the world. The international community is challenged to respond more constructively to these conflicts than it has in divided Yugoslavia, by using the emerging doctrines of peacekeeping and peacemaking that are detailed in this book.The text is liberally illustrated with maps, tables, and figures to enhance students’ understanding of the quest of unfamiliar peoples for autonomy and rights, putting all into the context of international politics. An appendix surveying over fifty of the most serious ethnopolitical conflicts in the world today—keyed to a global map and identifying the groups and issues as well as counting the number of lives affected—shows the enormous geopolitical and cultural reach of this issue. [less]
Global Studies: Africa
2005 320 pages (McGraw-Hill/Dushkin)
ISBN 13: 9780073195353 ISBN 10: 0073195359
Global Studies is a unique series designed to provide comprehensive background information and selected world press articles on the regions and countries of the world. Each Global Studies volume includes an annotated listing of World Wide Web sites. Global Studies titles are supported with study tools and links to related websites at our student website www.dushkin.com/online/.
Global Studies is a unique series designed to provide comprehensive background information and selected world press articles on the regions and countries of the world. Each Global Studies volume includes an annotated listing of World Wide Web sites. Global Studies titles are supported with study tools and links to related websites at our student website www.dushkin.com/online/. [less]
Global Studies: Africa, 10th Edition
2003 272 pages (McGraw-Hill/Dushkin)
ISBN 13: 9780072847130 ISBN 10: 0072847131
Global Studies provides comprehensive background information and selected world press articles on the regions and countries of the world. Included in this edition are background essays and statistics for the countries of North Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, South Africa, and West Africa, with a regional essay showing the connection of North Africa to the rest of the continent.
Global Studies provides comprehensive background information and selected world press articles on the regions and countries of the world. Included in this edition are background essays and statistics for the countries of North Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, South Africa, and West Africa, with a regional essay showing the connection of North Africa to the rest of the continent. [less]
Government and Politics in Africa, Fourth Edition
2002 352 pages (Indiana University Press)
ISBN 13: 9780253215451 ISBN 10: 0253215455
Praise for previous editions:"... a wonderfully comprehensive yet succinct textbook on African politics." —Third World Quarterly"[W]ritten with an economy of language and a breadth of knowledge rarely found in political science writings.... Tordoff’s interpretations will be respected by scholars from diverse perspectives." —International Journal of African Historical StudiesThe fourth edition of Government and Politics in Africa examines the experience of [...]
Praise for previous editions:"... a wonderfully comprehensive yet succinct textbook on African politics." —Third World Quarterly"[W]ritten with an economy of language and a breadth of knowledge rarely found in political science writings.... Tordoff’s interpretations will be respected by scholars from diverse perspectives." —International Journal of African Historical StudiesThe fourth edition of Government and Politics in Africa examines the experience of African states following the emergence of pro-democracy movements from the late 1980s to the present. This fully revised volume examines a wide range of issues and institutions, including multi-party elections and their democratic and authoritarian outcomes; privatization and the market economy; corruption, ethnic and clan rivalry, and religious fundamentalism; state collapse and civil war; the role of regional and Africa-wide organizations; debt relief, structural adjustment, and poverty alleviation; the spread of HIV/AIDS; the role and status of women; and Africa’s marginalization in the global economy. [less]
Half of a Yellow Sun
2006 448 pages (Alfred A. Knopf)
ISBN 13: 9781400044160 ISBN 10: 1400044162
A masterly, haunting new novel from a writer heralded by The Washington Post Book World as “the 21st-century daughter of Chinua Achebe,” Half of a Yellow Sun re-creates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra’s impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria in the 1960s, and the chilling violence that followed. With astonishing empathy and the effortless grace of a natural [...]
A masterly, haunting new novel from a writer heralded by The Washington Post Book World as “the 21st-century daughter of Chinua Achebe,” Half of a Yellow Sun re-creates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra’s impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria in the 1960s, and the chilling violence that followed. With astonishing empathy and the effortless grace of a natural storyteller, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weaves together the lives of three characters swept up in the turbulence of the decade. Thirteen-year-old Ugwu is employed as a houseboy for a university professor full of revolutionary zeal. Olanna is the professor’s beautiful mistress, who has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos for a dusty university town and the charisma of her new lover. And Richard is a shy young Englishman in thrall to Olanna’s twin sister, an enigmatic figure who refuses to belong to anyone. As Nigerian troops advance and the three must run for their lives, their ideals are severely tested, as are their loyalties to one another. Epic, ambitious, and triumphantly realized, Half of a Yellow Sun is a remarkable novel about moral responsibility, about the end of colonialism, about ethnic allegiances, about class and race—and the ways in which love can complicate them all. Adichie brilliantly evokes the promise and the devastating disappointments that marked this time and place, bringing us one of the most powerful, dramatic, and intensely emotional pictures of modern Africa that we have ever had. [less]
History of Africa
1995 447 pages (St. Martin's)
ISBN 13: 9780312125981 ISBN 10: 0312125984
In a single volume, History of Africa offers an illustrated and critical narrative introduction to the history of the continent from earliest times to the present. Beginning with the evolution of mankind itself, the book traces the history of Africa through the millennia of the ancient world to the centuries of medieval and modern Africa. The clear and simple language the wealth of carefully chosen maps combine to make an essential and accessible text.
In a single volume, History of Africa offers an illustrated and critical narrative introduction to the history of the continent from earliest times to the present. Beginning with the evolution of mankind itself, the book traces the history of Africa through the millennia of the ancient world to the centuries of medieval and modern Africa. The clear and simple language the wealth of carefully chosen maps combine to make an essential and accessible text. [less]
Introduction to African Politics, An
2004 304 pages (Routledge)
ISBN 13: 9780415282628 ISBN 10: 0415282624
An Introduction to African Politics provides an ideal gateway for individuals seeking to learn more about the African continent. Using accessible terms and concepts, the book seeks to make sense of the dynamic and diverse political systems that are a feature of this fascinating part of the world. It charts the region's fall from grace after independence, the rise and fall of the one-party state and Africa's recent struggle to consolidate democracy. This expanded, fully revised and updated [...]
An Introduction to African Politics provides an ideal gateway for individuals seeking to learn more about the African continent. Using accessible terms and concepts, the book seeks to make sense of the dynamic and diverse political systems that are a feature of this fascinating part of the world. It charts the region's fall from grace after independence, the rise and fall of the one-party state and Africa's recent struggle to consolidate democracy. This expanded, fully revised and updated edition remains a key source in helping readers to grasp the events and recurring political patterns that have dominated the African continent since decolonization. [less]
Markets and States in Tropical Africa: The Political Basis of Agricultural Policies (California Series on Social Choice and Political Economy)
1984 176 pages (University of California Press)
ISBN 13: 9780520052291 ISBN 10: 0520052293
Following independence, most countries in Africa sought to develop, but their governments pursued policies that actually undermined their rural economies. Examining the origins of Africa’s growth tragedy,” Markets and States in Tropical Africa has for decades shaped the thinking of practitioners and scholars alike. Robert H. Bates’s analysis now faces a challenge, however: the revival of economic growth on the continent. In this edition, Bates provides a new preface and [...]
Following independence, most countries in Africa sought to develop, but their governments pursued policies that actually undermined their rural economies. Examining the origins of Africa’s growth tragedy,” Markets and States in Tropical Africa has for decades shaped the thinking of practitioners and scholars alike. Robert H. Bates’s analysis now faces a challenge, however: the revival of economic growth on the continent. In this edition, Bates provides a new preface and chapter that address the seeds of Africa’s recovery and discuss the significance of the continent’s success for the arguments of this classic work. [less]
Modern Africa: A Social and Political History
1989 304 pages (Longman Pub Group)
ISBN 13: 9780582019003 ISBN 10: 0582019001
This book, revised and enlarged from its first edition, is primarily for students preparing for a variety of intermediate and senior level examinations in which a knowledge of the history of modern Africa is required. Designed for use with detailed national histories, it presents these histories within the framework of an all-African overview of events, trends, movements, ideas, dates and personalities between about 1914 and 1980. It presents the origins and the growth of the liberating ideas [...]
This book, revised and enlarged from its first edition, is primarily for students preparing for a variety of intermediate and senior level examinations in which a knowledge of the history of modern Africa is required. Designed for use with detailed national histories, it presents these histories within the framework of an all-African overview of events, trends, movements, ideas, dates and personalities between about 1914 and 1980. It presents the origins and the growth of the liberating ideas and actions of African resurgence at the end of World War II; reviews the varied fortunes of African nationalism in changing colonies into independent states; and considers the failure of the developed world to reform the imbalance of the "north-south" relationship with its former colonies. While the book concentrates on the wide range of subjects and themes required for full examination syllabus coverage, it is hoped at the same time that teachers, college students and other readers will find here a useful record and synthesis. [less]
Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis (W.E.B. Du Bois Institute), The
1997 176 pages (Oxford University Press)
ISBN 13: 9780195119213 ISBN 10: 0195119215
On November 10, 1995, the Nigerian military government under General Sani Abacha executed dissident writer Ken Saro-Wiwa along with eight other activists, and the international community reacted with outrage. From the Geneva based International Commission of Jurists (who called the executions a criminal act of state murder) to governments around the world (including the United States) who recalled their ambassadors, to the Commonwealth of Former British Colonies, who suspended Nigeria from the [...]
On November 10, 1995, the Nigerian military government under General Sani Abacha executed dissident writer Ken Saro-Wiwa along with eight other activists, and the international community reacted with outrage. From the Geneva based International Commission of Jurists (who called the executions a criminal act of state murder) to governments around the world (including the United States) who recalled their ambassadors, to the Commonwealth of Former British Colonies, who suspended Nigeria from the group, the response was quick, decisive, and nearly unanimous: Nigeria is an outcast in the global village. The events that led up to Saro-Wiwa's execution mark Nigeria's decline from a post-colonial success story to its current military dictatorship, and few writers have been more outspoken in decrying and lamenting this decline than Nobel Prize laureate and Nigerian exile Wole Soyinka. In The Open Sore of a Continent, Soyinka, whose own Nigerian passport was confiscated by General Abacha in 1994, explores the history and future of Nigeria in a compelling jeremiad that is as intense as it is provocative, learned, and wide-ranging. He deftly explains the shifting dramatis personae of Nigerian history and politics to westerners unfamiliar with the players and the process, tracing the growth of Nigeria as a player in the world economy, through the corrupt regime of Babangida, the civil war occasioned by the secession of Biafra under the leadership of Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, the lameduck reign of Ernest Sonekan, and the coup led by General Sani Abacha, arguing that "a glance at the mildewed tapestry of the stubbornly unfinished nation edifice is necessary" to explain where Nigeria can go next. And, in the process of elucidating the Nigerian crisis, Soyinka opens readers to the broader questions of nationhood, identity, and the general state of African culture and politics at the end of the twentieth century. Here are a range of issues that investigate the interaction of peoples who have been shaped by the clash of cultures: nationalism, power, corruption, violence, and the enduring legacy of colonialism. In a world tormented by devastation from Bosnia to Rwanda, how do we define a nation: is it simply a condition of the collective mind, a passive, unquestioned habit of cohabitation? Or is what we think of as a nation a rigorous conclusion that derives from history? Is it geography, or is it a bond that transcends accidents of mountain, river, and valley? How do these varying definitions of nationhood impact the people who live under them? Soyinka concludes with a resounding call for international attention to this question: the global community must address the issue of nationhood to prevent further religious mandates and calls for ethnic purity of the sort that have turned Algeria, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Sri Lanka into killing fields. Soyinka brings a lifetime of study and experience to bear on his writing, combining the skills of a poet and playwright with the astute political observations of a seasoned activist. An important and timely volume, The Open Sore of a Continent will be required reading for anyone who cares about Africa, human rights, and the future of the global village. [less]
Politics in Africa: A New Beginning? (New Horizons in Comparative Politics)
2002 258 pages (Cengage Learning)
ISBN 13: 9780155084605 ISBN 10: 0155084607
Examining the idea that politics in Africa are influenced by both internal and external forces, POLITICS IN AFRICA evaluates the management of power by the post-colonial African state over the four decades of the 1960's through the 1990's. The text's goal is to show students the extent to which state-society relations in African countries have been transformed by the domestic and external pressures of the 1990's--and, in doing so, offer a context within which to understand [...]
Examining the idea that politics in Africa are influenced by both internal and external forces, POLITICS IN AFRICA evaluates the management of power by the post-colonial African state over the four decades of the 1960's through the 1990's. The text's goal is to show students the extent to which state-society relations in African countries have been transformed by the domestic and external pressures of the 1990's--and, in doing so, offer a context within which to understand Africa and its relationship with the world. This text is a part of the New Horizons in Comparative Politics Series. [less]
Politics of Cultural Sub-Nationalism in Africa: Africa and the Problem of One State, Many Nationalisms, The
1972
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Reforming Africa's Institutions: Ownership, Incentives, and Capabilities
2003 382 pages (United Nations University Press)
ISBN 13: 9789280810820 ISBN 10: 9280810820
There is not a single African country that did not attempt public sector reform during the 1990s. Governments no longer see themselves as sole suppliers of social services, frequently opting for partnerships with the private sector. Efficiency and choice have entered the language of the planning and implementation units of Africa's line ministries, while privatization is no longer the controversial subject it was a decade ago. There have also been moves toward more open and democratic [...]
There is not a single African country that did not attempt public sector reform during the 1990s. Governments no longer see themselves as sole suppliers of social services, frequently opting for partnerships with the private sector. Efficiency and choice have entered the language of the planning and implementation units of Africa's line ministries, while privatization is no longer the controversial subject it was a decade ago. There have also been moves toward more open and democratic governments. Reforming Africa's Institutions looks at the extent to which public sector reforms undertaken in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years have enhanced institutional capacities across the breadth of government, and to what extent the reforms have been internalized and defended by governments. The book also reviews the impact of reforms on different African economies and questions whether "ownership" can be attained when countries continue to be heavily dependent on external support. [less]
State Failure, Collapse & Reconstruction
2003 336 pages (Wiley-Blackwell)
ISBN 13: 9781405105361 ISBN 10: 1405105364
This book situates state failure and state collapse in historical context and explains the structures and forces that have led to state collapse in a number of countries around the world. It also analyses and critiques contemporary interventions and reconstruction efforts in collapsed states. Addresses the subject of state failure which has received high-profile attention from both scholars and policy-makers. Examines how and why states collapse. Analyses and critiques post-conflict [...]
This book situates state failure and state collapse in historical context and explains the structures and forces that have led to state collapse in a number of countries around the world. It also analyses and critiques contemporary interventions and reconstruction efforts in collapsed states. Addresses the subject of state failure which has received high-profile attention from both scholars and policy-makers. Examines how and why states collapse. Analyses and critiques post-conflict reconstruction efforts. Has contemporary relevance for developments in places such as East Timor, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Georgia. Challenges our assumptions about states and the state system. [less]
Strategic Vision for Africa: The Kampala Movement, A
2002 192 pages (Brookings Institution Press)
ISBN 13: 9780815702658 ISBN 10: 0815702655
Increasingly marginalized since the end of the Cold War, the continent of Africa is struggling to identify both the root causes and possible solutions to the maladies that continue to plague it. The problems read like a laundry list of misrule in the aftermath of decolonization: rampant political corruption, internecine wars, widespread disease, underdevelopment, and economic collapse. In the early 1990s, a group of statesmen, academics, and civil leaders from all over Africa gathered to put [...]
Increasingly marginalized since the end of the Cold War, the continent of Africa is struggling to identify both the root causes and possible solutions to the maladies that continue to plague it. The problems read like a laundry list of misrule in the aftermath of decolonization: rampant political corruption, internecine wars, widespread disease, underdevelopment, and economic collapse. In the early 1990s, a group of statesmen, academics, and civil leaders from all over Africa gathered to put together a comprehensive plan to make the continent become less dependent on the rest of the world and prepare it to compete in the new globalizing economy. Those who gathered to write what would come to be known as the Kampala Document envisioned an organization which would succeed where the Organization for African Unity (OAU) had failed. This new organization, the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA), will provide a forum for discussion of democratization, security issues, and sustainable development. This new book by noted scholars Francis Deng and I. William Zartman provides a "mid-course" appraisal of the progress of the CSSDCA, as well as charting its future in relation to other regional organizations. With a preface by President Olusegun Obasanjo, this book will undoubtedly become an important tool in understanding Africa's present and future. Francis Deng is a nonresident senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies program at the Brookings Institution. His books include Masses in Flight: The Global Crisis of Internal Displacement (Brookings, 1998, with Roberta Cohen), The Forsaken People: Case Studies of the Internally Displaced (Brookings, 1998, co-edited with Roberta Cohen). I. William Zartman is Jacob Blaustein Professor of International Organizations and Conflict Resolution and Director of African Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. [less]
Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial African Issues (Taking Sides)
2009 390 pages (McGraw-Hill/Dushkin)
ISBN 13: 9780072845174 ISBN 10: 0072845171
This debate-style reader is designed to introduce students to controversies in African Studies. The readings, which represent the arguments of leading historians, political scientists, and economists, reflect a variety of viewpoints, and have been selected for their substance, liveliness and relevance. By requiring students to analyze opposing viewpoints and reach considered judgments, Taking Sides actively develops critical thinking skills. For additional support for this title, visit our [...]
This debate-style reader is designed to introduce students to controversies in African Studies. The readings, which represent the arguments of leading historians, political scientists, and economists, reflect a variety of viewpoints, and have been selected for their substance, liveliness and relevance. By requiring students to analyze opposing viewpoints and reach considered judgments, Taking Sides actively develops critical thinking skills. For additional support for this title, visit our student website: www.dushkin.com/online [less]
Things Fall Apart
209 pages (Anchor)
ISBN 13: 9780385474542 ISBN 10: 0385474547
Things Fall Apart tells two intertwining stories, both centering on Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first, a powerful fable of the immemorial conflict between the individual and society, traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world. The second, as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo's world with the arrival of aggressive European missionaries. These perfectly harmonized twin dramas are informed by [...]
Things Fall Apart tells two intertwining stories, both centering on Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first, a powerful fable of the immemorial conflict between the individual and society, traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world. The second, as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo's world with the arrival of aggressive European missionaries. These perfectly harmonized twin dramas are informed by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul. [less]
Things Fall Apart (Cliffs Notes)
2001 132 pages (Cliffs Notes)
ISBN 13: 9780764586477 ISBN 10: 0764586475
The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.In CliffsNotes on Things Fall Apart, you explore the ground-breaking work of author Chinua Achebe, considered by many to be the most influential African writer of his generation. The novel, amazing in its authenticity, [...]
The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.In CliffsNotes on Things Fall Apart, you explore the ground-breaking work of author Chinua Achebe, considered by many to be the most influential African writer of his generation. The novel, amazing in its authenticity, leaves behind the stereotypical portrayals of African life and presents the Igbo culture of Nigeria in all its remarkable complexity.Chapter summaries and commentaries take you through Achebe's world, and critical essays give you insight into the novel's themes and use of language. Other features that help you study includeCharacter analyses of the main charactersA character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the charactersA section on the life and background of Chinua AchebeA review section that tests your knowledgeA Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sitesClassic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides. [less]
Understanding Contemporary Africa (First Flight Level One Reader)
477 pages (Lynne Rienner Publishers)
ISBN 13: 9781555878504 ISBN 10: 1555878504
This book was used for an Afro American studies course. Very helpful.
This book was used for an Afro American studies course. Very helpful. [less]
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda
1999 356 pages (Picador)
ISBN 13: 9780312243357 ISBN 10: 0312243359
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction.In April 1994, the Rwandan government called upon everyone in the Hutu majority to kill each member of the Tutsi minority, and over the next three months 800,000 Tutsis perished in the most unambiguous case of genocide since Hitler's war against the Jews. Philip Gourevitch's haunting work is an anatomy of the war in Rwanda, a vivid history of the tragedy's background, and an unforgettable account of its aftermath. One [...]
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction.In April 1994, the Rwandan government called upon everyone in the Hutu majority to kill each member of the Tutsi minority, and over the next three months 800,000 Tutsis perished in the most unambiguous case of genocide since Hitler's war against the Jews. Philip Gourevitch's haunting work is an anatomy of the war in Rwanda, a vivid history of the tragedy's background, and an unforgettable account of its aftermath. One of the most acclaimed books of the year, this account will endure as a chilling document of our time. [less]
Wretched of the Earth, The
255 pages (Grove Pr)
ISBN 13: 9780802150837 ISBN 10: 0802150837
Frantz Fanon's seminal work on the trauma of colonization, "The Wretched of the Earth" made him the leading anti-colonialist thinker of the twentieth century. This "Penguin Modern Classics" edition is translated from the French by Constance Farrington, with an introduction by Jean-Paul Sartre. Written at the height of the Algerian war for independence from French colonial rule and first published in 1961, Frantz Fanon's classic text has provided inspiration for anti [...]
Frantz Fanon's seminal work on the trauma of colonization, "The Wretched of the Earth" made him the leading anti-colonialist thinker of the twentieth century. This "Penguin Modern Classics" edition is translated from the French by Constance Farrington, with an introduction by Jean-Paul Sartre. Written at the height of the Algerian war for independence from French colonial rule and first published in 1961, Frantz Fanon's classic text has provided inspiration for anti-colonial movements ever since, analysing the role of class, race, national culture and violence in the struggle for freedom. With power and anger, Fanon makes clear the economic and psychological degradation inflicted by imperialism. It was Fanon, himself a psychotherapist, who exposed the connection between colonial war and mental disease, who showed how the fight for freedom must be combined with building a national culture, and who showed the way ahead, through revolutionary violence, to socialism. Many of the great calls to arms from the era of decolonization are now of purely historical interest, yet this passionate analysis of the relations between the great powers and the 'Third World' is just as illuminating about the world we live in today. Frantz Fanon (1925-61) was a Martinique-born French author essayist, psychoanalyst, and revolutionary. Fanon was a supporter of the Algerian struggle for independence from French rule, and became a member of the Algerian National Liberation Front. He was perhaps the preeminent thinker of the 20th century on the issue of decolonization and the psychopathology of colonization. His works have inspired anti-colonial liberation movements for more than four decades. If you enjoyed "The Wretched of the Earth", you might like Edward Said's "Orientalism", also available in "Penguin Modern Classics". "In clear language, in words that can only have been written in the cool heat of rage, he showed us the internal theatre of racism". ("Independent"). [less]
