INTRO AS 1 and 2 Flashcards
Course outline of african studies
To help students appreciate the contemporary value of African Studies as an area of enquiry.
To help students engage with discourses on African realities.
To encourage students to appreciate African Identities.
To help students develop a sense of Self Determination in the global world.
WHO IS AN AFRICAN ACCORDING TO JIDEOFOR ADIBE
In his book Redefining Africanity: The Search for a New Identity, Adibe writes:
“An African is anyone who identifies as African. This identity is not based on any single, essentialist definition, but rather on a complex web of shared experiences, histories, and cultures. It is a fluid and dynamic identity that is constantly evolving.”
WHAT IS AFRICANNESS
“Africanness is not a fixed or essential identity. It is a fluid and dynamic identity that is constantly evolving. It is an identity that is shaped by our history, our culture, and our experience. It is an identity that is both African and global.”
Element of Africanness
According to Jideofo Adibe, Africanness is a complex and multifaceted concept that is not easily defined. However, he suggests that it can be understood as a “fluid and dynamic identity” that is based on a shared sense of history, culture, and experience.
Adibe identifies three key elements of Africanness:
-A shared history of colonialism, slavery, and oppression. This history has shaped the African psyche and has led to a common sense of solidarity among Africans.
-A rich and diverse culture. Africa is home to a vast array of cultures, each with its own unique history and traditions. These cultures have been shaped by the continent’s diverse geography, climate, and people.
-A common experience of living in a continent that is often misunderstood and misrepresented. This experience has led to a sense of resilience and determination among Africans.
How to define AFRICANNESS
It’s multilayered
-Legal,E.g. citizenship, parentage, naturalization
-Conceptual
*Philosophical,shared value systems and worldview (precepts: “ubuntu “– I am because we are)
e.g. BeliefS in the ancestors
*Cultural-tangible (buildings, monuments, artifacts,
- intangible (skills; highly developed oral traditions; knowledge systems )
*Genotype (DNA sequence/the genetic makeup)
Phenotype (Outward appearance)
Allegiance
What’s ALLEGIANCE ACCORDING TO ADIBE
According to Jideofo Adibe, allegiance is a “complex and multifaceted concept” that is not easily defined. However, he suggests that it can be understood as a “commitment to a particular cause or group.”
Adibe identifies three key elements of allegiance:
*A sense of loyalty.
*A sense of obligation. This is the feeling that one has a responsibility to support a particular cause or group.
*A sense of identity. This is the feeling that one’s identity is tied to a particular cause or group.
Adibe argues that these three elements are what give allegiance its unique character.
What’s parentage
“Parentage is a complex and multifaceted concept that is shaped by a variety of factors. It is not simply a biological relationship, but also a social and legal one. It is a concept that is constantly evolving, and it is one that is often contested.”
African diaspora
EASTERN DIASPORA, Indigenous Black people of Australia
2)Indigenous Black People of Me’ekamui (Pacific Bougainville Island
WESTERN DIASPORA,Indigenous Black people of West Papua New Guinea,black people of jamaica,black people of usa,black people of brazil
What’s is AFRICAN DIASPORA
“The African diaspora is not a monolithic entity. It is a diverse community of people who share a common history of displacement and migration. The African diaspora is found all over the world, and it is made up of people from all walks of life.
“The African diaspora is a source of strength and resilience for Africans all over the world. It is a reminder that we are not alone, and that we have a shared history and culture. The African diaspora is also a source of creativity and innovation. It is a place where new ideas are born, and where new cultures are created.”
3 types of migration in AFRICAN DIASPORA
Ancient Voluntary Migration
First humans to populate the rest of the world including remote islands
Forced Migration
Maafa/Maangamizi/Neshni (So-called Trans-Saharan and Trans-Atlantic ‘slave trade’)
Conflicts
Colonialism (French Policy)
Manipulated Migration
=Pursuit of economic interests
Education
Diplomatic postings
Race? - range of racial types on the continent
Descent? – People of African descent?
Large concentrations in Northern and Southern Americas, the Caribbean.
They are also found in India, the Middle East etc
Political? -
citizenship in one of the 54 states of the AU – see the constitutive act;
long term residence in an African country?
Geographic? – Countries on the African Continent/Map
Africa is not a country, but a continent
Allegiance? – Dedication to African heritage and aspirations
DEFINING AFRICA
*Race? - range of racial types on the continent
*Descent? – People of African descent?
Large concentrations in Northern and Southern Americas, the Caribbean.
They are also found in India, the Middle East etc
*Political? -
citizenship in one of the 54 states of the AU – see the constitutive act;
long term residence in an African country?
*Geographic? – Countries on the African Continent/Map
Africa is not a country, but a continent
*Allegiance? – Dedication to African heritage and aspirations
MISREPRESENTING AFRICA
Africa has been and continues to be misrepresented in many ways, including the use of phrases, such as:
Africa has no history?
Africans have no civilization?
Africa is the dark continent?
Africans have inferior minds?
MISREPRESENTATION OF AFRICA BY ADIBE.DEFINITION
Adibe Jideofo is a Nigerian writer He argues that the misrepresentation of Africa is a form of violence that has a negative impact on the continent and its people.
Jideofo identifies three main ways in which Africa is misrepresented:
Two types of narratives about Africa
- Except Africa Narrative –Development works everywhere in the world but in Africa. Therefore Africa has to change rather than development policies tailor themselves better to the needs of Africa
Two types of narratives about Africa
Doomsday narratives –
There is a crisis of overpopulation in Africa, poverty, drought, over utilisation of scarce resources, environmental crisis, corruption, ethnic tensions, civil wars.
All of which are resulting in a terrible crisis that requires external interventions to halt.
The solution has to come from outside since African states are not competent to solve problems they have created
ANOTHER NAME FOR DOOMSDAY NARRATIVE IS
“neo-Mathusian Doomsday Scenario,”
sOME CONFLICTS IN aFRICA
child soldiers
boko haram
ISIL(The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a terrorist organization that has been active in Africa since 2015.)
foreign mercenaries
What are some of the GOOD representations of Africa?
Dwenini mmɛn (Ram’s Horns)
World’s First mathematical tool
World’s First writing system
World’s First medical text
World’s First archeo-astronomical device
World’s First female ruler
World’s First female physician
World’s First monumental stone structure
