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African Development

This discourse explores the multifaceted nature of ethnicity and sub-nationalism in Africa, analyzing the complex interplay between ethnic identity, nationalism, and the politics of conflict. Through case studies from Rwanda, Somalia, and Nigeria, the readings address the implications of colonialism, language, and cultural dynamics on ethnic consciousness. The text delves into the challenges posed by multi-ethnic societies, the perception of ethnic groups as nations, and the impact of these factors on contemporary social and political landscapes in Africa.

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African Development

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  1. African Development Ethnicity and the Politics Of Sub-Nationalism

  2. Reading • Questions and Clarification

  3. Examples of Ethnic Conflict • Cambodia? • Bosnia/Kosovo • Somalia • Central Africa: Rwanda/Zaire • East Timor and Indonesia

  4. Nationalism and Ethnicity • DISCUSSION POINT: IS AFRICAN ETHNICITY DIFFERENT?

  5. Ethnicity The Story of Lingala: • Language spoken along Congo River by many groups • No real Ngala Group • Missionaries and Colonial officers “heard the language” • By 1960, a group definition

  6. Defining Ethnicity • Core Separatism based on Language • Language Group Identity • Impaced by Colonialism-Divide and ally • Geographic Ethnic Separation • Multi-Ethnic Groups live together • Sub-Nationalism- Perception of Group as nation • Africa- Ethnic Mosaic

  7. Nigeria • 100, 000 people • 10 Major languages (350,000 people +) • 248 Languages

  8. Nigeria: Three Places in One Northern Nigeria: Dry, Grazing County Moslem, Hausa and Fulani Middle Belt: Temperate, Hilly, Underutilized potential for Grain Crops- small heterogenous groups, Tiv and Nupe South: Tropical forest, humid, palm oil, cocoa, oil. Yoruba, Wes, Ibo East

  9. The Norway Problem • Norway- A Nation State of 3.9 million people • “Ibo”- a “tribe” of 17 million people • Theme: a State without a Nation

  10. Defining Nationalism without states: The Norway Problem • Defined as parochialism- Identification and value system set within Autonomous Local Communities • Problems with "tribalism“ • European Term, Conventional Use • Tribes vs. “Detribalization”- What does it mean?

  11. Ethnic Consciousness • Sometimes New • Often accidental • External in origin • Formed by urban contact • Changing • Related to Differences in Economic Advantages

  12. Definitions of Sovereign Authority • State • Nation • Government • State-Centric Nationalism

  13. Asian Ethnicity • A Core Nationality and Outlying “tribes” • Indonesia and Java • India and Hindi (Crosscutting caste, religion and language) • Kurds: Minorities in Four Countries- Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran • Iran: Persia

  14. Patrimonial Leadership and ethnic identity • Is there an African “traditional” model? • The authoritarian President as paramount chief? • Is there a uniquely African State?

  15. Defining Nationalism • North Africa: "Arab majorities" and "minorities"- • Sudan, Chad, Mauritania and Morocco • The Horn- Clans, religion and colonial borders

  16. Defining Nationalism • Uganda and sub-nationalism • Nigeria and "federalism" – Biafra • Guinea Conakry and "ethnic arithmetic” • South Africa and "Zulu Nationalism"

  17. Ethnicity, Race and Culture • Focus of Explanations for Failure in Africa • The nature of conflict • The legitimacy of colonial borders

  18. Ethnicity Issues • Biology vs. Attitudes (Race) • Ethnicity as a concept • Colonial vs. Indigenous Languages • The role of lingua francas: English, French, Portuguese and Trade Languages: Hausa, Swahili

  19. Ethicity • Clifford Geetrz and his Critics • Clifford Geertz, “The Integrative Revolution: Primordial Sentiments and Civil Politics in the New States” • In Clifford Geertz, ed. OLD SOCIETIES AND NEW STATES (New York: Free Press, 1968).

  20. Theories of Ethnicity: Primordial Sentiments • Primordialism- Allegiance based on givens, culture, language and religion • Contrasts Primorial vs. civil sentiments (Civil Society) • Primordial- Permanent and unchanging

  21. Primoridalism • Corporate sentiments of oneness • Personality flaw that must be corrected • Undermines the Nation • Ethnicity is destrictive • Embedded in ancient myths and history

  22. Civil Society • Interests are rationally defined • Broaden to form nation state • Civic sense: separates public interest from group interests • Government: superior to other collective or private interests • Nationalism within Nation-State- Rational

  23. Cleavages • Cumulative (overlapping) vs. • Crosscutting • NORTHERN IRELAND: Catholic Poor Urban Working Class

  24. Ethnic Conflict • Conflict in Africa is Civil War • Colonial Boundaries Artificial • Anti-colonial agitation often ethnic based • Result: Geographic sessession • Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea/Ethiopia, Angola and Mozambique

  25. Related Terms Finding a meaning for Social divisions • Cultural Pluralism • Cultural Sub-nationalism • Religious Fundamentalism and Nationalism

  26. Ethnicity as a Process • Contextual and Changing • Towns: urban contact and the “other” • “retribalization” • European origins of ethnic identity • Tradition actually changes

  27. Explanations of Ethnicity • Ethnicity as class • cultural sub-nationalism • Contextual- intensification of ethnic identity- and the reverse • Ethnicity as Nationalism

  28. Ethnicity and Class • Class is Traditional • Class was reinforced by Colonial Rule • New Organizational and Economic Elites have ties to Pre-colonial elites • Strikes and Spoils- Ethnic in Nature

  29. Discussion: The Novels • Ousemane • Achebe • Gordimer • Vassanji • Ngugi

  30. NEXT Week • The Francophone Group

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