African Journals Online
The Journal of Cultural Studies

Volume 3, Number 1, 2001
Abstracts

Editorial

Beyond 'Isms' and 'Posts': Imagining Epistemology in  Africa in the Age of Globalization
Cyril Obi

From an African perspective, epistemology as a philosophy or science of truthful knowledge, and its raison d'etre, methods, paradigms, production, and dissemination stand at the crossroads in this rather complex age of globalization and enmeshment across space and time. The issues of how to transcend the limitations of truthful lies, imperialism at the level of the sociology of ideas, and what Zeleza (1997:ii) describes as the 'demeaning defamations of Africa and its people' appear more urgent now than ever before. Thus, the manner of how the truthful knowledge of Africa is, and can be produced by who and for whom, cannot be dealt with outside the very context of, and the locus of Africa in the world of contending universalisms.
Within Africa which is simultaneously being (re)constructed at the margins of a highly globalized world, and undergoing cycles of decay and renewal, and crisis at the levels of state, politics, economics, literature and society, the times are not one for the luxury of knowledge for knowledge's sake. It is time to break those silences imposed on the truthful knowledge of Africa, silences and distortions that construct the continent as the insignificant or inferior 'other', 'valorizes and affirms western superiority, and absolves the latter from its existential and epistemological violence against Africa' (Zeleza, 1997:ii). Through the crusade to mould Africa after the image of Europe through direct colonialism and neocolonialism, and the emergence of the paradigms of modernization, dependency, modes of production, and the more fashionable new political economy of 'rational choice' and 'free markets', through to Afropessimism and the 'depoliticized posturings of post-structuralisms', post-modernism, post-coloniality and other post-prisms (see Zeleza, 1997), the abiding mantra has remained that of telling Africa to embrace (the 'superior' Eurocentric culture of) capitalism or perish. Indeed, the clamour for Africa to toe the line has grown, even as globalization with its depth and sophistication reaches to all the senses of Africans to sell liberalization and neo-liberalism (free markets and democracy) as the ultimate goods to which there are no alternative.
Within the foregoing lies the issues of the tense moments and strained threads of Africanist and African collaboration and discourses. Yet, it remains important that Africa must be truthfully studied and on its own terms. The seeming penchant in some Africanist circles to construct African stereotypes and promote caricatures of knowledge that reveal but a fleeting familiarity with indigenous forms of knowledge and the intellectual production of African scholars, writers and artists, needs to be reversed. At other times, African scholars are made to generate and collate raw data, while their Africanist collaborators on the other side of the Atlantic clothe these in the current theoretical toga, which often serves ideological or functionalist ends. Thus, a lot of what comes out of the global media about Africa is not of Africa (Obi, 2000). The philosophy of the theory of truthful knowledge about Africa challenges all of us as intellectuals, scholars and producers of culture to unmask ideology, expose injustice and repression, and explore ways of promoting values that facilitate an agenda of social emancipation and equity (Ejembi, 1983:21). The silences imposed on Africa's history need to be shattered. Africans and their heroic struggles, victories, and creative energies need to be rediscovered and celebrated. Since knowledge is not produced in a vacuum, knowledge of Africa must reflect on Africa's reality not as constructed through Eurocentric prisms, but through a deep immersion in Africa's popular social realities, its rich repertoire of 'silenced' discoveries and wisdom, and the documentation of the ways it has resisted, adopted and adapted to those forces from outside that seek to subvert it through the frameworks of modernity (Zeleza, 1997; Obi, 2000).
Given the ways globalization through its speed and sheer power reinforces images of global uniformity, imposing its version of knowledge about Africa on all parts of the world, while increasingly denying Africa global space to state its truth and produce the truthful knowledge of itself, transcending the obstacles posed by 'isms' and 'posts' in Africanist discourses on Africa is not an easy task. Yet, for Africa not to be silenced or reduced to a caricature of truth, Africans must unite to resist the marginality of Africa from global discourses on Africa. They must interrogate African studies, and its shortcomings, and bring out in sharp relief the ways in which western epistemology amounts to no more than what Ake (1982) once described as 'imperialism in the guise of scientific knowledge'. Hopefully, this can be done in ways that bridge existing gaps between Africa and those studying Africa in other parts of the world. There need be more regards for African scholarship; African scholars need a place to publish under 'the global sun', and works must be cited by their colleagues within and outside the continent. The study of Africa needs to be widened and deepened, with African scholars and intellectuals at the forefront of forging the theoretical and philosophical lenses through which Africa can be truthfully understood and gained. In this age of globalization and globalism, Africa must stand up and insist to be studied on its own terms, reflecting its unique historical and social circumstances, and projecting the dreams, interests, and freedom of its peoples, who are at the very centre of the pan-African universe and reality.
The essays that follow aptly capture the vistas of hope, renewal and breaking of silences that forces of globalization and modernity seek to foist on Africa, especially in the way knowledge about the continent is produced. >From an interdisciplinary perspective, the contributors to this volume of the Journal of Cultural Studies give hope to the emergence of an emancipatory epistemology in Africa in ways that transcend the 'truthful lies' being promoted by ideologically-laden western epistemologies. They also explore the bridging of the growing rift between African and Africanist scholars, issues of knowledge production and dissemination, politics, linguistics, feminism and other aspects of the social knowledge of Africa.
The articles deal with the linkages between feminism and the epistemology of Africanist collaboration, the production and dissemination of knowledge on Africa, the philosophy of linguistic relativity, bilingualism and educational crisis, and how space is otherized and the cultures of Africa fictionalized in Western media. Others examine how Western knowledge has facilitated the exploitation of West Africa, epistemological musing on the nature of management in pre-colonial Africa, religion and political violence in Apartheid South Africa, as well as humanistic values and democratic tolerance in higher education in South Africa. The representation of political power in African writing and the decolonization of female sexuality receive critical treatment.
In conclusion, all the articles show that the issues in the scholarly production of knowledge on Africa go beyond the pretense of ideology masquerading as knowledge. Yet another generation of intellectuals has embraced the banner of producing knowledge of Africa on its own terms even in the age of globalization and the looming shadow of 'ism' and 'posts'. In fundamental terms, the challenge, it seems, is not just to merely study, understand and explain Africa, but also to transform the continent!

Works Cited

Ake, Claude. 1982. Social Science as Imperialism, Ibadan: Oxford University Press.
Ejembi, Henry I. 1983 'Science Vs Philosophy: The Need for a Relevant Political 
Science'. In Yolamu Barongo, ed. Political Science in Africa. London: Zed Press.
Obi, Cyril I. 2000. 'Globalised Images of Environmental Security in Africa,' Review of African Political Economy. No. 83. 
Zeleza, Tiyambe Paul.1997. Manufacturing African Studies and Crisis. Dakar: CODESRIA Book Series.


Of Prepositions and Propositions: Sharing Experiences and Perspectives  on Feminism and the Epistemology of Africanist Collaboration
Wambui Mwangi and Elisa von Joeden-Forgey

This article is a response to the growing rift between African and Africanist scholars, written by an African and an Africanist graduate student. Based on our respective experiences, we examine the moments of contention, bad faith and accusation between the two groups and the ways in which these moments are both embedded in, and constitutive of a lingering colonial parochialism based on global asymmetries and power inequalities. The two debates we specifically analyze are the heated exchange between Archie Mafeje and Sally Falk Moore over the history of Anthropology appearing in volumes 2 and 3 of the CODESRIA Bulletin as well as recent installments in the long-standing dispute over FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) research. This analysis transcends the sterile oppositions that arise from these exchanges - insider/outsider, African/Western - by bringing the exchanges together with developments in feminist scholarship as well as some recent work on collaborative knowledge and intellectual cosmopolitanism. The conclusion suggests some of the institutional and intellectual investments necessary to foster an epistemology of Africa that goes beyond the trans-Atlantic divide, while still engaging the material asymmetries that structure trans-Atlantic exchanges.


The Scholarly Journal in the Production and Dissemination of Knowledge on Africa: Exploring Some Issues for the Future
Sulaiman Adebowale

The scholarly journal has been a means of disseminating information and communicating acquired knowledge in Africa, as elsewhere. With the proliferation of tertiary institutions in Africa in the second half of the 20th century, the publication of scholarly journals in the continent has experienced much expansion. However, such expansion has been affected in many negative ways by the harsh socio-economic environment under which publishing in Africa is carried out, as well as the vagaries of the politics that dominate the knowledge industry especially in the relationship between Africa and the North. This paper thus examines the problems facing the development of the scholarly journal in Africa. It argues that with the wide internet gap between the developed world and developing countries, the publishers of scholarly journals in Africa now face a greater challenge in bridging the widening gap with their counterparts in the North. The paper suggests some strategies for achieving this.


The Temporal Systems of Dagaare and Dagbane: Re-Appraising the Philosophy of Linguistic Relativity 
Adams B. Bodomo

This essay discusses aspects of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, a philosophy of linguistic relativity which claims that the structure of a person's language is a determining factor in the way in which he or she understands reality and behaves with respect to it. An examination of the tense systems of the Mabia languages of northern Ghana, including Dagaare and Dagbane, reveals that the verbal elements of these languages exhibit a metrical tense structure calibrated into discrete time intervals. It is then shown that this structure seems to be mirrored in the real world behaviour of the Mabia with respect to time. Punctuality in traditional Mabia society is conceptualized not in terms of time points but in terms of time intervals. However, it is shown that other behavioural patterns of the Mabia are not reflected in these verbal systems.


Colonial Bilingual Heritage and Post-Colonial Myths in Cameroon's School System
Isaiah Munang Ayafor

This article examines Cameroon's bilingual heritage and describes post-colonial attitudes and tendencies towards language and language use in the country's educational system. The intent is to show that Cameroon's bilingual heritage - a colonial legacy - has led to an unnecessary and chaotic national competition among languages and is reflected in educational institutions by the failure of the French-English 'bilingual' tandem. Thus, the study traces and shows that an uncritical support of the existing school bilingualism, a aspect of the general political objective of national unity and integration, hinges on a fictitious collective post-colonial dream about using the bilingual heritage of French and English, and the cultures that lie behind them, to impose cohesion and harmony in an intrinsically heterogeneous linguistic and cultural community.


Otherizing Space and Cultures: The American Media's Coverage of President Bill Clinton's Visit to Ghana in 1998
Kwabena Akurang-Parry

Against the backdrop of the historical images of Africa in the West, this article explores the experience of contemporary Ghana in the American media. It focuses especially on the media's coverage of President Bill Clinton's visit to Ghana in 1998 and uses same to portray how space is otherized and concrete cultures fictionalized. It argues that to a large extent, the role of the American media in Africa is founded on myths, stereotypical images, and racial bias. These elements constitute the epistemological basis of the Western media's production of knowledge on Africa. With ample examples, the paper establishes the various forms of otherness which Africa is made to assume, all of which situates the continent in a Hobbesian world, thus distorting the essentially holistic image of Africa's rich cultural heritage and the many positive elements of its contemporary society.


Western Theories and the Exploitation of West Africa since the Slave Trade Era
David Aworawo

Much of the literature on development issues in West Africa has been dominated by the impact of the interaction between this region and the West, specifically Western Europe and North America. While scholars disagree sharply on the nature of the impact, what is perhaps beyond dispute is that the West has dictated the pattern of the interaction since the era of the slave trade, with the result that the benefits have been disproportionate. This situation was facilitated in large measure by the military and technological superiority of the West over West Africa. In another sense, iniquitous as the slave trade was, philosophical explanations were proffered to justify it, while it ensured the economic development of the West. With the obsolescence of the slave trade in the late 18th century following the industrial revolution in Europe, new theories were propounded which painted the slave trade as evil and immoral. West African Kings and merchants who wanted to continue the trade were compelled to change to the 'legitimate' trade as defined in Western economics of the period. It is argued that the same trend has continued till this era of neo-liberalism. The task of this paper is to show how Western economics and the knowledge it engenders have facilitated the exploitation of West Africa since the era of the slave trade. It also discusses the task before African scholars in their application of Western theories to the African cultural milieu.


Some Thoughts on Traditional African Idea of Management
Jide Osuntokun

This article examines the nature of management in Africa in the pre-colonial period. Contrary to the popular view especially in the West that ancient African societies carried out their activities without planning, there is over whelming evidence that systematic patterns were followed for positive results in pre-colonial Africa. Across the continent long before European colonialism, careful planning was carried out, and individual and collective resources were sedulously managed for the benefit of all. The various aspects of this process are discussed from a historical perspective.


Religion and Political Violence in Apartheid South Africa
Gampi Matheba

This article analyzes the impact of religion in the South African polity. Special attention is paid to events from as far back as the 14th century, leading to the democratic settlement in 1994, and the integral role of key religious figures therein. It argues that, had it not been for their timely intervention, the violence that erupted could have escalated beyond control, perhaps scuttling the whole process. In analyzing religion and violence in apartheid South Africa, the article expresses the hope that churches and other civil society organs will reclaim their watchdog role in entrenching democracy even more deeply in a post-apartheid South African society.


A Sociological Investigation of Humanistic Values and Democratic Tolerance in Higher Education: A View from South Africa
Dominic Milazi

The paper focuses on efforts by student movements, university administrations, and university teachers' unions to formulate policy programmes and practices. It explores various aspects of the nation's current transformation process as it affects the tertiary educational sector especially in such aspects of experience as racism, expartriatism and democratic governance. It argues for the need to usher in an effective learning and teaching culture, based on democratic and humanistic values that are geared towards the reconstruction and development of the post-apartheid South Africa. 

Representations of Political Power in African Writing
Gerd Bayer

At the beginning of a new millennium, and almost half a decade after the first African nation became independent, issues of politics and questions as to the role of the writer in the political realm are still prominent. Especially in the context of what is called post-colonial writing, the role of the writer will continue to be almost inseparable from politics and related questions of power and representation. It is indeed a defining characteristic of post-colonial writing that it accompanies, comments on, and criticizes colonial hegemony and the process of decolonization. With no end of neo-colonialism in sight, post-colonial writing and criticism will retain a special responsibility for political involvement, which finds its cause in the specific political situation of the formerly colonized nations. Yet, the logic of politics and its textual representations are far from homogeneous within the post-colonial text corpus, especially when fictional and non-fictional writings are compared. Out of such a comparison of some African writers arises legitimate questions as to the function of politics in their fictional writing, as well as the kind of political engagement the same authors subscribe to in their non-fictional texts. The intersection of the politics of writing with the writings of politics raises the central question of this essay, namely: how the representation of political power differs in fiction and non-fiction. The authors investigated in this paper, chosen both for the influence of their literary work and their political engagement, are Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong'O.


Decolonizing the Female Sexuality: What Nigerian Female Writers Don't Write
Uduopegeme J. Yakubu

This paper queries the phenomenon of the dominant mode(s) of knowledge production from the angle of how sexualities are captured in such manners that depict the partisanship of the producers of knowledge and their products. It posits that knowledge as a universal phenomenon is a human construction, which is essentially subjective and which expression often disrepresents or misrepresents the other. Women's experience of oppressions in the sphere of sexuality, it argues, is central to the issue of a liberal existence, and such oppressions are largely premised on traditional epistemologies which are basically patriarchal. Drawing upon various female-authored literary texts from Nigeria, it illustrates how Nigerian feminist writers still pander to the dictates of patriarchal epistemologies in the sphere of sexuality by their lack of capacity or interest in creating female characters whose sexuality and, by extension, general development are intrinsically male-dependent. Finally, it states the need for Nigerian writers, the female ones especially, to reconstruct women's sexuality in an overwhelming atmosphere of real freedom and gender equality.


Culture and the Construction of Social Work Practice in Africa
Kwaku Osei-Hwedie

This article explores the ramifications of the linkages between culture and a more developmental role for social work practice in Africa. Its main argument is that for social work to fulfill this developmental role, it has to, among other things, deal with the cultural basis of its practice; and thus be adaptable to the demands of multicultural societies. After dealing with the definitional and theoretical issues, the essay examines multiculturalism and social work practice, and concludes by positing that a broader re-definition of culture which places social work at the centre of the developmental project facilitates the emergence of a more relevant practice model.


The Market as an Instrument of Political Control and Exploitation: Some Insights from Kenya
Blessing Chinsinga

The vast majority of developing countries, especially on the African continent, have leapt into the new millennium trapped in enormous economic decline. The popular diagnosis blames the self-defeating tendencies of the Third World states as the main source of the dismal economic performance. It is against this background that the paper seeks to present an alternative account for the rampant economic stagnation experienced by developing countries on the African continent. It has been motivated by the dramatic ascendancy of Afro-pessimism, which seems to conclude that the African condition is largely of its own making and, therefore, there is little or no hope for improvement. The argument of this paper is that the colonial legacy has, to a very large extent, shaped, influenced and impacted on the range of post-colonial policy options for most countries within the policy framework of the market. The pervasive market distortions that currently characterize the majority of the economies on the continent are an enduring heritage of the colonial schemes and mechanizations.


Demoke's Totem: The Role of the Artist in Soyinka's A Dance of the Forests
Moteane John Melamu

Drawing upon Wole Soyinka's A Dance of the Forest, the paper explores the playwright's attitude to Africa's socio-political experiences in the period just after independence. More especially, it uses the concept of totemism to examine the role of the artist in a modern African state. Though the playwright is filled with pessimism about the future of the continent, even as he tries to debunk the 'myth' about Africa's glorious past, he does not leave society without any hope. This hope is borne by the artist, represented by Demoke, who symbolizes freedom and reconciliation of conflicting forces in society. Thus the paper depicts Soyinka as overturning his own pessimism at the end of the play.


Language and Style in Dramatic Discourse: A Phonostylistic Analysis of Athol Fugard's The Island 
A. Lekan Dairo 

Proceeding from the theoretical premise of patterns of stress, rhythm and intonation in the English Language, the study identifies how these patterns are manifested in Athol Fugard's The Island, and how they contribute to the semantic and phonological cohesion of the text. Explicit descriptions of the various patterns identified in the text are related to the semantic implications of characters' utterances. The phonological traits are also related to the speech-act propositions of characters' utterances using J. R.. Searle's propositional-act concept.


Tradition and Health: The Predicament of Female Adolescents among the Igbo
Clifford Obby Odimegwu,Modupeola Ojo and Christian N. Okemgbo

This article is based on a systematic study of community knowledge and traditional practices as they affect the girl- child in Abakaliki area of Ebonyi State in the South-eastern part of Nigeria. It explores the responses of 1,488 adults selected through a cluster sampling technique and interviewed by trained male and female interviewers in three local government areas of the state. A number of traditional practices that affect the girl-child include female genital mutilation, son-preference, food inhibition, and the denial of girl-child rights. These issues are examined elaborately from an empirical approach. On the basis of the findings, recommendations for designing community-based programmes against negative and unjust traditional practices against the girl-child in Abakaliki area are made.