ANTH326 Peoples and Cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa

Meeting 13, December 3, 2007

Tomorrow

• Wrap-Up• Prepare– Week-by-week– Themes, threads– Questions

• Freebie question

Final Exam

• Friday (December 7, H433, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.)• Answer five out of seven questions• Blue book• No documentation is allowed

Final Paper

• Due Wednesday 23:59 (December 5)• No penalty until Monday 23:59 (December

10)• Connect with course, explicitly• Format is open• Submitted as attachment on Moodle– Text, RTF, Word, PDF

Chabal/Daloz

Chabal/Daloz Themes

Chabal/Daloz Themes Team 1• Ethnicity necessary for identity

– Assumes nation-state needs to function• Africanization

– Opposition not work– Community, religion, politics interconnected– (opposing community)– Ethnic accountability

• Tribal politics

• Paths to modernity– Not defined (compete in contemporary world/norms)

• Inability African politics separate religion/political• Western expectations not panned out

– Independence to Western, more African

Chabal/Daloz Themes Team 2• Are politics separate sphere in West? (Social, religious)

– Modernity with secularization

• Religion as irrational/rational in West• Legitimacy through religion

– Community model, personal relationships (not state power)

• What authors mean by “modernity?”• Generalized, Africa/West as very different (subsume

differences)• Locality• Wealth distribution

Chabal/Daloz Themes Team 3

• Difficult to represent multiple ethnicity• Importance of the dead/ancestors• “Karma” with political parties, political failure

as punishment, witchcraft• Accepting of outside notions (churches less

accepting)– Rural

• Equal redistribution of wealth in local community

Chabal/Daloz Themes Team 4• Conceptions of democracy

– Holding African to Western norm– Progress– Other states (non-Western) progressed in own system, without

structural reajustments, IMF• Dualism supposed secular West (economics, social),

blurred distinctions in Africa• Individualism, individual defined by overarching

community• Leaders using witchcraft/religion to pass buck• Religion’s role in African politics• Reinforcement of community

– Witchcraft with anti-community behaviour (social pressure)

Team (Leading) Questions

1. What “works” in Africa?2. What inspiration can we get from Africa?3. What makes Africa modern?4. What makes Africa traditional?

Works• Everything that promotes community

– Works with urbanization, local identities• Can ethnicity work?

– Politics based on• reducing/ aid to Africa

– Push to take on, not intervene• Education system

– Older generation– Creating community, cultural transmission– Questionable use of Western education

• Kinship with wealth distribution, land ownership (ancestral structures), prohibiting wealth gaps

• Popular culture to promote unified identity• Non-religious/non-ethnic groups (clubs, networks) creating strengths• Nation-States?

– Requires reform identity associated with identity– Ethnicity used even if artifact of colonialism

Inspiration

• Family and kinship– Raising children, sharing– Individuals within community, important whole

• Sense of belonging• Wealth redistribution– Different types of wealth (social capital)

• Politicians expected to deliver to those they represent

• Pulling together without tragedy• Living history, clear sense of group origins/identity

Modern

• Modern– Adapting to changing world– Not Western-centric

• Different musical genres (White on Congolese)• Incorporation major religions• Mass production, exports• Adaptation of dress/clothing• Contact languages

Traditional• Defining traditional

– Existed within Africa, persevered– Adapted, answered needs

• By opposition to modernization• Urban/rural• Backwardness?• Unchanging, lack of contact, resist change (if ain’t broken why fix it)• Stability (changing)• Inside knowledge• Preservation local/historical customs, conservativism• Every culture is traditional: defining itself by its past• Historicity, origins• Worldview based on (perceived) past• Scapegoat for failure of development projects despite expectations• Outside perception• Modernization, change filtered through tradition

– Imposed political structure are localized

Political Africa

Political Science

• Governance and government• Development• Cultural awareness• Determinism vs. ethnography• Embedded evolutionism (progress)• Ethnic multiplicity• Mono-ethnic countries– Lesotho, Swaziland, Somalia

Post-Colonial African State

• Distinct from pre-colonial states• Countries– Borders, flag, anthem, airline and beer (Zappa)– International status

• Political representation (groups)• Heads of States– “Big Man”– Geshiere

Processes

• Westernization– “Acculturation”

• Africanization– Local adaptation

• Hammer theory

Democracy

• Appiah’s “Golden nugget”• In configuration (state system, market

economy, citizenship...)• Adapted to conditions• Ideology of egalitarianism

Government Issues

• Corruption• Cronyism• Authoritarian regimes–Dictators– Lifetime presidents

• Civil war

Identities

• Ethnic– “Tribal”

• National• Local• Religious• Degree of Westernization• Social (gender, age, class...)

Senses of place

• Local, regional, national (Russian dolls)• Local community• Land ownership• Ancestors

Group Labels

• Toponyms, glossonyms, ethnonyms– Not coextensive– Identity claims by use/explanation of

• Colonial constructs (perhaps unwittingly)• Apply through contact/conflict

Postmodernism (PoMo)

• Reaction to modernism/modernity• Implied historicity• Cross boundaries• Deconstruct identities• Multiplicity of identities/viewpoints• Flexibility/fluidity/informality/chaos• Recognise anything?

Chabal/Daloz Notes

Chabal/Daloz

• “Modern”• “Traditional”• Alternative models for modernity• Genuine identity• Community/individuality• Identity complexity

Chabal/Daloz

• Native/migrant• Fluidity, flexibility• Kinship• Household• Citizenry