Introduction to African Studies PDF

INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN STUDIES Lecture 2: Political Geography of Africa and Perspectives of African Culture © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 1  Objectives of Today’s Lecture To give General overview of  African Political, Social and Cultural Systems Give a specif...

INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN STUDIES Lecture 2: Political Geography of Africa and Perspectives of African Culture © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 1  Objectives of Today’s Lecture To give General overview of  African Political, Social and Cultural Systems Give a specific overview of following concepts: – African culture (s), – Development. Critique existing notions of these concepts. Establish & explain relationship between culture and development. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 2 What is meant by Political Geography of Africa? Political Geography of Africa accounts for physical and conceptual presence of Africa & African cultures, political systems and values across time and space. The Physical: Refers to what the map of Africa represents (land mass), its people, traditions, and political institutions. Physically, African can be divided regionally into Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) vs North Africa (Maghreb). © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 3  Political Geography cont.  The Conceptual: African presence through its people, cultures, traditions, and practices both on the continent and in the diaspora.  African Diaspora—Europe, Caribbean, North America & South America, Pacific Islands, India, Asia.  Time & Space: refers to the historical & contemporary expansion of Africa: its values, political and religious systems in the diaspora and on the continent. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 4  Important Facts Africa is the second largest continent after Asia. Land area (incl. lakes, rivers, mountains, etc.) of a little over 11,700,000 km2. Continental Africa stretches about 5000 miles from Cape Town to Cairo, and 3000 from Dakar to Mogadishu. Population of about 1.32 billion live in Africa as at 2019 © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 5  Important Facts Continental Africa is about USA, Argentina, Europe, India, China and New Zealand combined or about 3½ the size of the USA. Africa has 54 recognised states including island republics off its coasts. Most African states are multi-lingual except for a few like Somalia, Swaziland, Lesotho, and Botswana. Nigeria alone has over 500 languages, while Kenya has over 100. Africa is the cradle of humanity; the first humans (homo sapiens) lived on African soil. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 6  Ali Mazrui’s View of Africa  “Africa is the first habitat of man but it is the last to be made habitable; Africans are not the most brutalized of all people but probably the most humiliated in modern history; African societies are not the closest to the West culturally but have been experiencing the most rapid pace of westernization; Africa is not the poorest of all the regions of the world in resources but it is the least developed of the inhabited continents; Africa is not the smallest of the continents but it is probably the most fragmented; and Africa is the most central of all continents in geographical location, but politically and to some extent militarily, it may be the most marginal.”  Ali Mazrui, The African Condition: A Political Prognosis London : (Heinemann, 1980) pp. 1-3© IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 7 1. Africa is first habitat of man but last to be made habitable; 2. Africans not the most brutalized of all people but probably the most humiliated in modern history; 3. African societies not the closest to the West culturally but have been experiencing most rapid pace of westernization; 4. Africa not poorest of all in resources but is the least developed of the inhabited continents; 5. Africa not the smallest of continents but is probably the most fragmented; [Asia = 49 states and S-America = 12] 6. Africa is the most central of all continents geographically, but politically and, to some extent militarily, the most marginal.” © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 8  Artistic representation of Berlin Conference, 1884-1885 Colonisation: European rulers sharing out the African spoils © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 9  Partitioning Africa: European Holdings & Colonialism Great Britain desired a Cape-to-Cairo collection of colonies and almost succeeded; it got Egypt, Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), Uganda, Kenya (British East Africa), South Africa, and Zambia, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), &Botswana. Britain also controlled Nigeria, Ghana (Gold Coast), Sierra Leone and Gambia. France took much of western Africa, from Mauritania to Chad (French West Africa) and Gabon and the Republic of Congo (French Equatorial Africa). Belgium and its king, Leopold II controlled the Democratic Republic of Congo [Congo DRC] (formerly Belgian Congo). © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 10  European Holdings cont. Portugal took Mozambique in the east & Angola in west. Italy's holdings: Somalia (Italian Somaliland) & portion of Ethiopia. Germany took Namibia (German Southwest Africa), Tanzania (German East Africa), Togo & Cameroon; also initially Rwanda-Burundi too until the Belgium claimed it after WWW1 Spain claimed Spanish Sahara and Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), one of the smallest territories in Africa - © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 11  Then and Now Colonial Neo-colonial © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 12  PAN-AFRICANISM & THE PAN-AFRICAN MOVEMENT What is pan-Africanism? A movement, a notion, an idea? A perception by some Africans (continentally and abroad) that they share a common origin, history, destiny and interests as a people of African descent (usually expressed as unification economically, politically, etc.). © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 13  Origins of the Pan-African Movement Pan-Africanism in its modern form is undoubtedly the result of slavery and colonialism in Africa. As a socio- political movement, it can be traced to the first pan-African conference of July, 1900; in London. The conference was convened by Henry Sylvester Williams and the African Association (AA); which H. S. Williams founded in 1898. The conference set up the Pan-African Association (PAA) which later metamorphosed into the Pan-African Movement (PAM). © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 14  THE PAN-AFRICAN MOVEMENT: Its Goals Create the United States of Africa (USA) which will include Caribbean countries. Ensure closer ties bet. peoples of African descent the world over. Bring about friendlier relations between peoples of African descent and other races. Secure the civil rights of all Africans in the world. Promote African businesses/commerce globally. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 15  Some Leaders of PAM H. S. Williams (1869-1911) W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963)- the father of pan-Africanism. Marcus Garvey (1887-1940)- his mantra was “Africa for the Africans” George Padmore (1902-1959) Kwame Nkrumah (c. 1909-1972)- the father of pan-Africanism on the African continent. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 16  Haile Selassie I (1892-1975)- first Chairman of Africa Unity 1963/64 Cheikh Anta Diop (1923-1986)- Negro origins of pre-historic Egyptian Civilization. Julius K. Nyerere (1922-1999)- founding member of OAU: Introduced ujamaa. Malcolm X (1925-1965) © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 17  LEGACIES OF PAM Independence for African/Caribbean states; Formation of the OAU/AU; Global civil rights for people of African descent; African Studies/Afrocentrism. Etc. No USA –Africa, but there is ACP - African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 18  2019: THE YEAR OF RETURN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zw5d_jal3g (Steve Harvey in Africa: Pain of a Black Man) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbu9cCr6jtg&feature=youtu.be (The Year of Return 2019) © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 19  2019: THE YEAR OF RETURN: Backgrounding The history: enslavement and transshipment of Africans across the Atlantic which goes back to the 14th Century. However, first Africans recorded to have landed in English colony of Jamestown, Virginia, are said to have arrived on August 20th 1619. – It is on record that “20 odd Negroes.” were the hapless victims. – Originating from Angola, these slaves were stolen from a Portuguese slave ship, ©then transported to an English 20 IAS, UG, Legon, 2020  2019: THE YEAR OF RETURN On the insistence of the African American Representatives, The Congress of the United States of America has passed a bill titled ‘HR1242: 400 Years of African American History Commission Act’. The Black Congressional Caucus accompanied the Speaker of Congress visited Ghana in July 2019 to commemorate this ignominious moment in US History. Some of the peoples of African descent had struggled to get back. The classic case is the Maroons of © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 21  Why Ghana declared 2019 as the Year of Return A number of reasons can be advanced as follows: 1. The territories of Ghana once harboured the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade which must be unreservedly condemned. The Hub? 2. Ghana is first Sub-Saharan country to win independence from Colonialism and has from its inception been at the fore front of promoting Pan Africanism in Africa. Standard bearer? © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 22 3. A large number of members of the African Diaspora had determined that 2019 would be an appropriate year to make a pilgrimage back to Africa and to trace their ancestry. Ghana was chosen as pilgrimage destination. 4. The year presents a unique opportunity for Ghana to renew its engagement with the Global African Family for sustained, mutually beneficial, and long-term cooperation.  © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 23  Interactive session: Culture & Language What do people in your society understand by culture? What do you understand by culture? Do African languages have a word for culture? © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 24  Definitions of Culture Many scholars and thinkers have advanced definition for Culture. One writer - Amos N. Wilson says: “From their life experiences, a group develops a set of rules and procedures for meeting their needs. The set of rules and procedures, together with a supporting set of ideas and values, is called a culture.” © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 25  Steve Biko on Culture “A culture is essentially the society’s composite answer to the varied problems of life.” - Steve Biko © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 26  Frequently cited definitions: E. B. Tylor (1871) "that complex whole which includes knowledge, morals, religion, customs and habits or any other capabilities acquired by man as a member of society". What capabilities could Tylor have had in mind? © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 27  World Conference on Cultural Policies adopted the following definition “Culture is that whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterize a society or social groups. It includes not only arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs” (MONDIACULT, 1998) : © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 28  Amilcar Cabral “Culture is simultaneously the fruit of a people's history and a determinant of history, by the positive or negative influence which it exerts on the evolution of relationships between man and his environment, among men or groups of men within a society, as well as among different societies[…] if imperialist domination has the vital need to practice cultural oppression, national liberation is necessarily an act of © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 29  Frantz Fanon “A national culture is the whole body of efforts made by a people in the sphere of thought to describe, justify, and praise the action through which that people has created itself and keeps itself in existence.” (Fanon 1963:233) Who was Franz Fanon? West Indian psychoanalyst & social philosopher. Advocate for decolonisation. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 30 Franz Fanon: Born 20 July 1925; died 6 Dec. 1961. A psychiatrist, thinker, revolutionist, and Pan- Africanist from Martinique, he influenced post-colonial studies and the struggle for African independence. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 31  Some Aspects of life included in Culture Economy: (goods and services: their production, distribution and consumption within and without a given society) Political: the society’s political norms and behaviours. Some societies are identified by their political institutions and leaders. E.g. Ashantis are identified by their allegiance to the golden stool, a politico-religious symbol, and to the Asantehene. Technology: A society’s technology and sciences are crucial to its culture. The people’s tools and implements and how these are used are of relevance to identification of culture. Note that by studying artefacts Archaeologists are able to identify past cultures and shed light on©the present situation. IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 32  Some More Aspects of Culture Entertainment: forms of entertainment (dances, music, games, drama, etc.). So important are the performance arts some people seem to think that culture is only about these. Language: Languages that people speak are also crucial to their identity. Many ethnic people are known by the terms that refer to their languages. The Nzema speak Nzema, the Yoruba speak Yoruba. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 33 What do you see; does it fall within the domain of culture? © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 34  Misconceptions about Development Is Development Westernization/modernization? About Economic growth? It is about per capita income/GDP Development is a project or projects? Development is a definite state that some countries have attained, but others never will? African culture hinders development? To be developed, countries have to attain certain goals Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and SDGs? © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 35  Some Definitions of Development Amartya Sen (1999:3) Economist &Nobel Laureate: “development can be seen.....as a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy. Focusing on human freedoms contrasts with the narrow views of develop-ment, such as identifying development with the growth of gross national product, or with the rise in personal incomes, or with industrialisation or with technological advance, or with © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 36  Ake C. (1996): On Development “Development is a process by which people create and recreate themselves and their life circumstances to realize higher levels of civilization in accordance with their own choices and values.” © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 37  Remarks about Development Development is a Process. It should be people-oriented. Wellbeing should be central issue. It should be about freedoms & informed choices. It should be about social justice. It should include equity - gender equality. It should be about peace /absence of war, conflicts. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 38  How Culture applies to Development Promoting progressive cultural practices, and rejecting destructive ones. Accommodating a people’s aspirations. Adopting culturally sensitive approaches: recognizing and exploiting culture as assets – norms, knowledge, etc. can be exploited as means to develop. Appreciating that certain cultural practices may be entrenched in social systems. Knowing that cultural norms are not sacrosanct, and can be modified/replaced if society needs to. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 39  CONCLUSION Culture does not imply absolute homogeneity; it permits sub-cultures and intra-cultural differences. Culture is created by human beings and is dynamic Multilingualism is the norm in Africa but unity underlies heterogeneity of African cultures. African culture is the entirety of the African way of life. It is an abstraction. Culture can be used as an important tool for development. Development, it is said, is culture specific. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 40  SUMMARY This lecture gave an overview of the political, social and cultural systems in Africa examined the concept of African culture(s). examined concepts of development looked at the interrelationships between culture, development and language. Question: How can we make sense of the concept of ‘Ghanaian culture’ given the diversity of ethnic groups present in Ghana today? © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 41  REFERENCES 1 Ake Claude, (1996). Democracy and development in Africa. Washington DC; Brookings Institute. Biko, S. (1981). Black Consciousness & the Quest for a True Humanity. Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies, 11(1). Cabral, A. (1974). Return to the source: selected speeches: Monthly Review Press. Fanon, F., & Philcox, R. (2007). The Wretched of the Earth: Grove/Atlantic, Incorporated.. IIiffe John. (2007). Africans: The History of a Continent. Cambridge: C.U.P. Ch.4. Khapoya, Vincent. (2013). African Independence and Afterward. In The African Experience: An Introduction. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Chapter 6 © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 42  REFERENCES 2 Gordon April and Donald Gordon, (2001). Understanding Contemporary Africa. Third Edition. London: Lynne Rienner. Grant, James D. (1994) Political Development in Historic Africa. In Vincent Khapoya (ed)., The African Experience: An Introduction. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Heine, Bernd and Derek Nurse. (2001). African Languages: An Introduction. Cambridge: C.U.P pp 1-42. Levtzion, Nehemiah. (1973). Ancient Ghana and Mali. London: Methuen and Co. Ltd. © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 43  REFERENCES 3 Mueni wa Muiu & Guy Martin. (2009). Indigenous African Political Systems and Institutions. A New Paradigm of the African State. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Mazrui, Ali. (1980). The African Condition: A Political Prognosis. London: Heinemann. Obenga, T. (1993). Origine Commune de l'Egyptien Ancien, du Copte et des Langues Negro-Africaines Modernes. Paris: L'Harmattan. Sen, Amartya. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press. http://www.unesco.org/en/cultural-diversity/reflections-on-cultural- diversity/ © IAS, UG, Legon, 2020 44