African Culture And Global Politics: Language, Philosophies, And Expressive Culture In Africa And The Diaspora (routledge African Studies)

This volume attempts to insert itself within the larger discussion of Africa in the twenty-first century, especially within the realm of world politics. Despite the underwhelming amount of attention given to Africa's role in international politics in popular news sources, it is evident that Africa has a consistent record of participating in world politics- one that pre-dates colonization and continues today. In continuance of this legacy of active participation in global political exchanges, Africans today can be heard in dialogues that span the world and their roles are impossible to replace by other entities. It is evident that a vastly different Africa exists than ones that bolster images of starvation, corruption, and compliance. The essays in this volume center on Africa and Africans participating in international political discourses, but with an emphasis on various forms of expression and philosophies, as these factors heavily influence Africa's role as a participant in global politics. The reader will find a variety of essays that permeate surface discussions of politics and political activism by inserting African culture, rhetoric, philosophies into the larger discussion of international politics and Africa's role in worldwide political, social, and economic debates. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Dedication 8 Table of Contents 10 List of Figures 14 List of Tables 16 Introduction: The Intersection of Africanity and World Politics—Considering African and Diasporic Expressive Cultures in Global Politics 18 A Note on the African Diaspora and Expressive Culture 22 Notes 31 Part I: African Philosophies and Philosophies for Africa 32 1. Ideologies of Development in French Algeria: Saint-Simonians, Manifest Destiny, and Globalization 34 Introduction 34 Henri Saint-simon, His Philosophical Writings, and the Foundations of the Saint-Simonian Movement 35 America’s Manifest Destiny and the Inspiration for the Colonization of Algeria 37 Selling Napoleon III A Railroad: A Plan for the Colonization of Algeria 44 Concluding Remarks and Implications for the Arab World Today 50 Notes 51 Bibliography 52 2. Islam and the Politics of Assimilation in French Colonial Algeria 54 Introduction 54 French Colonization of Algeria 55 Islam Versus Assimilation in Algeria 59 Marriage 59 Language 60 Culture 61 Islamic Women 62 Wine Growing Industry and Taxation 63 Resistance to French Occupation 64 Conclusion 66 Notes 67 Bibliography 71 3. Theorizing Conflict and Conflict Resolution in an African Philosophical Discourse 73 Introduction 73 The Idea of African Philosophy 74 Conflict and Violence: A Conceptual Analysis 77 Violent Conflicts in Africa 78 The Contributions of African Philosophy Toward Conflict Resolution in Africa 80 Conclusion 84 Notes 85 4. The Emergent Church in Africa and the Phenomenon of Reverse Missions 88 Introduction 88 Is Power Changing Hands? 91 Nigerian Pentecostal Movement 92 Characteristic Features of Nigerian Pentecostals 93 Weaknesses of the Reverse Mission Movement 95 Conclusion and Recommendations 98 Notes 99 Bibliography 100 5. Africa’s Unheralded Contributions to World Politics 102 Introduction 102 Conferences of African States, 1968–1971 104 The African Peace Missions to Egypt and Israel: The Ten-man Committee 111 The Kinshasa Session: Preliminary Arrangements 115 The Division of Responsibilities 116 First Peace Mission to Cairo and Jerusalem 117 The Dakar Session: Interim Report 117 Report of the Sub-Committee of Four 118 The Second Peace Mission to Cairo and Jerusalem 119 Un General Assembly Debate on Proposals of African Peace Mission 121 Analysis of the Outcome of the Peace Mission 124 Inadequate Planning 125 Lack of Communication-Engineering 125 Lack of Support from the Super Powers 126 Lack of Unanimity within the African UN Group 127 The Intransigence of Israel and Egypt 127 Evidence of Partiality 129 Mission to the Vatican December 22, 1973 130 Conclusion 130 Notes 131 Bibliography 136 6. Failed State or Political Inspiration? 138 Introduction 138 Somali Realities 141 Chaos or Order? 144 Local Political Institutions 145 Local Economic Institutions 148 Conclusion 150 Notes 151 7. A Parallel Evolution: The Southern Africa Project of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 1968–1994 156 Introduction 156 From Birmingham to Johannesburg: The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Expands from the American South to South Africa 157 Beginning Work in Southern Africa 159 More Than Just “dabbling”: Continued Involvement with Southern Africa 161 The Southern Africa Project During the 1970s 163 Constructive Engagement: Gay Mcdougall, the Southern Africa Project, and the Death of Apartheid 165 Conclusion 170 Notes 170 Bibliography 174 Part II: Literature, Language, Rhetoric, and Politics in Africa and the African Diaspora 180 8. Ensuring that Africa’s Voice is Heard in International Forums in the Future: The Language Issues Involved 182 Introduction 182 Language Policies Accommodate Many Languages: Nigeria and South Africa 185 Nigeria Manages a Multitude of Tongues 185 South Africa Spotlights Indigenous Languages 189 Language Policies Focus on Unity and Assimilation: Algeria, Tanzania, and Botswana 192 Algeria Emphasizes its Arab Heritage 193 Tanzania Cultivates Kiswahili as a Neutral Lingua Franca 195 Conclusion 201 Notes 203 Bibliography 208 9. Strongmen and Strategists: Perspectivising Models of Conflict Resolution in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Anthills 214 Introduction 214 Some Time-tested Approaches to Conflict Resolution 216 Interrogating Achebe’s Proposed Method 222 Conclusion 228 Notes 228 Bibliography 229 10. Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the New South Africa 231 I 231 II 231 III 233 IV 236 V 237 VI 239 Notes 241 Bibliography 247 11. Evangelism as Political Protest in Nineteenth Century African Diaspora: Appraising Julia Foote’s Spiritual Autobiography, A Brand Plucked from the Fire 248 Introduction 248 Resisting the Status Quo—Foote’s Use of Scripture 252 Using Dominant Discourse—Echoing the Structure of Zechariah 256 Notes 262 Bibliography 266 Part III: The Politics of Culture in Africa and the African Diaspora 268 12. The Politics of Gender Roles: A Comparative Analysis of Female Husbands, Male Daughters, and Sworn Virgins among the Igbo of West Africa, the Nandi and Kikuyu of East Africa, and the Gheg of North Albania 270 Introduction 270 Gender Manipulating Institutions 271 Autonomy and Gender Manipulating Institutions 273 The Igbo of Western Africa 274 The Nandi of Eastern Africa 274 Kikuyu of Eastern Africa 274 Motives of Female Husbandry 275 The Institution of Male Daughters 277 The Gheg of Northern Albania and Sworn Virgins 278 Motives of Sworn Virgins 279 Modern Day Igbo Perspectives 280 Conclusion 280 Notes 283 13. The African and Afro-Brazilian Family and Kinship in Nineteenth-Century Brazil 286 New Foci, New Approaches 286 Some Considerations About the Re-creation of African Notions of Family and Kinship Ties 289 Experiences of Black Family Life in Brazilian Slave-based Society 292 Emancipationist Legislation and Black Protagonism 293 Notes 298 Bibliography 302 14. A Global Education: Cold War Networks, Imperial Angst, and the Development of Tanzanian Schools, 1960–1970 305 Cold War Networks and Imperial Angst 306 Tanzanian Students and Cold War Opportunities 309 The New Empire: Peace Corps and U.S.-tanzanian Interests During the Cold War 310 The Reaction to Peace Corps Teachers 314 Peace Corps and the Arusha Declaration 318 Conclusion 320 Notes 321 15. Race and Social Islands in Kenya’s Urban Social Spaces 324 Notes 337 Biblography 339 16. Zoot Suiters and Sapeurs: The Politics of Dress in the World War II Era 341 World War II and the Politicization and Criminalization of the Zoot Suit 341 Hot Couture: The Politicization of the Sapeur in the World War Ii Era 349 Conclusion 360 Notes 361 Bibliography 365 17. Democratizing Traditional Rulership and the Question of Women Traditional Rulers: A Comparison of Nigeria and South Africa 367 Introduction 367 Distinctions Between Traditional and Modern Institutions of Governance 368 Traditional Rulers Collaboration with the Government in Power 369 Traditional Rulers in Politics and Governance 371 Women in Traditional Rulership and Governance 376 Democratising Traditional Rulership 378 The Surge and Resurgence of Traditional Authorities 380 Conclusion 381 Notes 382 Bibliography 384 Editors and Contributors 388 Editors 388 Contributors 389 Index 394 This volume presents a wide array of essays that offer insight into the intersection of expressive culture, daily life, and global politics through analyses of power, colonialism, modernity, and change in Africa and the African diaspora. These essays challenge us to reconsider the role of culture in the making of larger discourses of politics in a global setting.