Africa, Colonialism, and the Global Economy Flashcards
Define ‘primitive accumulation’.
Influenced by Karl Marx’s concept of primitive accumulation and refers to:
i) processes of commodification & privatization of land & the development of exclusive property rights regimes
ii) monetarization of exchange
iii) Commodification of labour power; and the use of forced labour
(Harvey, 2003)
Limits of the capitalist system drives it to seek new sources of raw materials, markets and labour.
Define ‘capitalist imperialism’.
‘Capitalist Imperialism’ - a distinctly political project on the part of actors whose power is based in command of a territory and a capacity to mobilize its human and natural resources towards political, economic, and military ends’.
(Harvey, 2003)
Define ‘accumulation by dispossession’.
Accumulation by Dispossession can be interpreted as the necessary cost of making a successful breakthrough into capitalist development with a strong backing of state powers
(Harvey, 2003)
Immense social cost – involving coercion, violence, social distress, and fierce class struggle.
How was neoliberalism involved in the capturing of assets?
Significant shift in state power and state/society relations.
Privatization ‘ the transfer of productive assets from the state to the private sector’ (Harvey 2003); assumption that the state cannot act alone as a development agent – must link up with private sector.
The commodification of those sectors that did not have monetary value, such as water, the environment etc.
Pre-colonial vs Post-colonial comparison?
Pre-colonial states were communally run. Colonialism introduced chiefs.
Kingdoms in West Africa competed for control over trade. Islamic scholars settled in W.Africa and introduced more trade.
Europeans destroyed the trade network due to new shipping and preservation technologies.
Slavery existed in pre-colonial Africa through prisoners of War.
Europeans established highly profitable trade which increased competition between African states and European states. Over 10 million African slaves sold out of Africa.
When did the Scramble for Africa take place?
The Scramble for Africa following the Great Depression of 1873 and the financial panic of 1893
What happened at the Berlin conference?
15th November 1884 -26th February 1885
Article 34 of the Berlin Act introduced the doctrine of “spheres of influence” - the control of a coast also meant that they would control the hinterland to an almost unlimited distance. It states that any European nation that took possession of an African coast, or named themselves as “protectorate” of one, had to inform the signatory powers of the Berlin Act of this action. If this was not done then their claim would not be recognized.
What was the role of the Colonial State in Primitive Accumulation?
- provided the infrastructure for capital’s mobility and capitalist penetration;
- facilitated the mobilization of labour and creation of a cheap labour source;
- directed peasant agriculture;
- controlled trade and markets for national capitalists
Who were the agents of capitalist transformation?
1) Concessionary companies e.g. Unilever - received 750.000 hectares of land; British American Tobacco
2) European settlers (missionaries and farmers, miners)
3) New labour and taxation regimes e.g. taxation/recruitment of seasonal migrant workers/forced labour (labour migration - some settled -> longer term implications for conflicts surrounding identity, citizenship + belonging -> who is indigenous to an area?)
4) African peasant producers – forced and voluntary
How did colonialism produce new patterns of uneven geographical development?
(Amin, 1972)
Regionalization of economies ( Northern & Southern Nigeria)
Export-producing areas (enclaves)
Urban enclaves - Colonial Cities – new centres of administration and services e.g. Kinshasa, Nairobi, Dakar
How did Africans resist colonial rule?
Economic methods –tax evasion, migration, sabotage, groundnut boycott in Senegal valley; hold-ups; strikes;
Defensive strategies – religious movements -African Independent Churches; women’s naked protests;
Political Movements - Pan-African political movements; nationalist movements
