Africa: The Politics of Suffering and SmilingThe question usually asked about Africa is: 'why is it going wrong?' Is the continent still suffering from the ravages of colonialism? Or is it the victim of postcolonial economic exploitation, poor governance and lack of aid? Whatever the answer, increasingly the result is poverty and violence. In Africa: The Politics of Suffering and Smiling Patrick Chabal approaches this question differently by reconsidering the role of theory in African politics. Chabal discusses the limitations of existing political theories of Africa and proposes a different starting point; arguing that political thinking ought to be driven by the need to address the immediacy of everyday life and death. How do people define who they are? Where do they belong? What do they believe? How do they struggle to survive and improve their lives? What is the impact of illness and poverty? In doing so, Chabal proposes a radically different way of looking at politics in Africa and illuminates the ways ordinary people 'suffer and smile'. This is a highly original addition to Zed's groundbreaking World Political Theories series. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 The politics of being | 24 |
2 The politics of belonging | 43 |
3 The politics of believing | 65 |
4 The politics of partaking | 85 |
5 The politics of striving | 106 |
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Common terms and phrases
accountability action activities actual Africa Africanist political agency analysis approach areas argument aspects authority become beliefs belonging called chapter chiefs citizenship clearly colonial concept concerned contemporary context continent countries course cultural depend discuss economic effect elections ethnic existing explain fact factors failed force foreign formal generalisation governments groups hand historical human identity important independence individual influence instance interest interpretation issues legitimacy less limited linked live matter means merely morality move nature networks notion obligation offer origin particular person political science political theory politicians possible post-colonial present question rationality reality reasons reciprocity relations relevant religion religious rent respect result rule scientists seen sense simply situation social social science society tion trade traditional understand violence Western
Bibliographic information
| Title | Africa: The Politics of Suffering and Smiling World Political Theories |
| Author | Patrick Chabal |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing, 2009 |
| ISBN | 184813374X, 9781848133747 |
| Length | 225 pages |
| Subjects | › Political Science / Comparative Politics Political Science / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |