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The Affirmative Action Debate
by Steven M. CahnThis book is an essential guide to the full range of arguments surrounding affirmative action. Following the debate, as no other collection does, from all the early foundational articles to up-to-date selections, the book presents the strongest contributions from both sides of this highly charged issue. For students and general readers seeking to understand the controversy, this book offers a unique guide to the main lines of argument in the discussion. The contributors include most of the major contributors to the debate: Anita L. Allen, Robert Amdur, Michael D;. Bayles, Tom L. Beauchamp, Barbara R. Bergmann, Derek Bok, William G. Bowen, Carl Cohen, J. L. Cowan, Ronald Dworkin, Robert K. Fullinwider, Alan H. Goldman, Sidney Hook, James W. Nickel, William A. Nunn III, George Sher, Robert Simon, Paul W. Taylor, Abigail Thernstrom, Stephen Thernstrom, Judith Jarvis Thomson, Celia Wolf-Devine, and Paul Woodruff.
The Affirmative Action Empire: Nations and Nationalism in the Soviet Union, 1923-1939
by Terry MartinThe Soviet Union was the first of Europe's multiethnic states to confront the rising tide of nationalism by systematically promoting the national consciousness of its ethnic minorities and establishing for them many of the institutional forms characteristic of the modern nation-state. In the 1920s, the Bolshevik government, seeking to defuse nationalist sentiment, created tens of thousands of national territories. It trained new national leaders, established national languages, and financed the production of national-language cultural products.This was a massive and fascinating historical experiment in governing a multiethnic state. Terry Martin provides a comprehensive survey and interpretation, based on newly available archival sources, of the Soviet management of the nationalities question. He traces the conflicts and tensions created by the geographic definition of national territories, the establishment of dozens of official national languages, and the world's first mass "affirmative action" programs.Martin examines the contradictions inherent in the Soviet nationality policy, which sought simultaneously to foster the growth of national consciousness among its minority populations while dictating the exact content of their cultures; to sponsor national liberation movements in neighboring countries, while eliminating all foreign influence on the Soviet Union's many diaspora nationalities. Martin explores the political logic of Stalin's policies as he responded to a perceived threat to Soviet unity in the 1930s by re-establishing the Russians as the state's leading nationality and deporting numerous "enemy nations."
The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don't Need Racial Preferences to Succeed
by Jason L RileyFrom Wall Street Journal columnist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jason L. Riley, a "clear, concise, and humane account" (Christina Hoff Sommers) of how racial preferences have done more harm than good for black Americans After the Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the use of race in college admissions was unconstitutional, many predicted that the black middle class was doomed. One byproduct of a half century of affirmative action is that it has given people the impression that blacks can&’t advance without special treatment. In The Affirmative Action Myth, Jason L. Riley details the neglected history of black achievement without government intervention. Using empirical data, Riley shows how black families lifted themselves out of poverty prior to the racial preference policies of the 1960s and 1970s. Black incomes, homeownership, and educational attainment were all on the rise in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century and began to stagnate only after affirmative action became the law of the land, tainting black achievement with suspicions of unfair advantage. Countering thinkers who blame white supremacy and systemic racism for today&’s racial gaps, Riley offers a more optimistic story of black success without racial favoritism.
The Affirmative Action Puzzle: A Comprehensive and Honest Exploration of One of the Most Controversial Legal and Social Issues in US History
by Melvin I. UrofskyA rich, multifaceted history of affirmative action from the Civil Rights Act of 1866 through today&’s tumultuous times From an acclaimed legal historian, a history of affirmative action from its beginning with the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to the first use of the term in 1935 with the enactment of the National Labor Relations Act (the Wagner Act) to 1961 and John F. Kennedy&’s Executive Order 10925, mandating that federal contractors take &“affirmative action&” to ensure that there be no discrimination by &“race, creed, color, or national origin&” down to today&’s American society. Melvin Urofsky explores affirmative action in relation to sex, gender, and education and shows that nearly every public university in the country has at one time or another, successfully or not, instituted some form of affirmative action plan. Urofsky traces the evolution of affirmative action through labor and the struggle for racial equality, writing of World War I and the exodus that began when some six million African Americans moved northward between 1910 and 1960, one of the greatest internal migrations in the country&’s history. He describes how Harry Truman, after becoming president in 1945, fought for Roosevelt&’s Fair Employment Practice Act and, surprising everyone, appointed a distinguished panel to serve as the President&’s Commission on Civil Rights, as well as appointing the first black judge on a federal appeals court in 1948 and, by executive order later that year, ordering full racial integration in the armed forces. In this important, ambitious, far-reaching book, Urofsky writes about the affirmative action cases decided by the Supreme Court: cases that either upheld or struck down particular plans that affected both governmental and private entities. We come to fully understand the societal impact of affirmative action: how and why it has helped, and inflamed, people of all walks of life; how it has evolved; and how, and why, it is still needed.
The Affirmative Action Puzzle: A Living History from Reconstruction to Today
by Melvin I. UrofskyA rich, multifaceted history of affirmative action from the Civil Rights Act of 1866 through today&’s tumultuous times From acclaimed legal historian, author of a biography of Louis Brandeis (&“Remarkable&” —Anthony Lewis, The New York Review of Books, &“Definitive&”—Jeffrey Rosen, The New Republic) and Dissent and the Supreme Court (&“Riveting&”—Dahlia Lithwick, The New York Times Book Review), a history of affirmative action from its beginning with the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to the first use of the term in 1935 with the enactment of the National Labor Relations Act (the Wagner Act) to 1961 and John F. Kennedy&’s Executive Order 10925, mandating that federal contractors take &“affirmative action&” to ensure that there be no discrimination by &“race, creed, color, or national origin&” down to today&’s American society. Melvin Urofsky explores affirmative action in relation to sex, gender, and education and shows that nearly every public university in the country has at one time or another instituted some form of affirmative action plan--some successful, others not. Urofsky traces the evolution of affirmative action through labor and the struggle for racial equality, writing of World War I and the exodus that began when some six million African Americans moved northward between 1910 and 1960, one of the greatest internal migrations in the country&’s history. He describes how Harry Truman, after becoming president in 1945, fought for Roosevelt&’s Fair Employment Practice Act and, surprising everyone, appointed a distinguished panel to serve as the President&’s Commission on Civil Rights, as well as appointing the first black judge on a federal appeals court in 1948 and, by executive order later that year, ordering full racial integration in the armed forces. In this important, ambitious, far-reaching book, Urofsky writes about the affirmative action cases decided by the Supreme Court: cases that either upheld or struck down particular plans that affected both governmental and private entities. We come to fully understand the societal impact of affirmative action: how and why it has helped, and inflamed, people of all walks of life; how it has evolved; and how, and why, it is still needed.
The Affluent Society (Fortieth Anniversary Edition)
by John Kenneth GalbraithGalbraith's classic on the "economics of abundance" is, in the words of the New York Times, "a compelling challenge to conventional thought." With customary clarity, eloquence, and humor, Galbraith cuts to the heart of what economic security means (and doesn't mean) in today's world and lays bare the hazards of individual and societal complacence about economic inequity. While "affluent society" and "conventional wisdom" (first used in this book) have entered the vernacular, the message of the book has not been so widely embraced -- reason enough to rediscover The Affluent Society.
The Affluent Society: The Affluent Society And Other Writings, 1952-1967 - American Capitalism; The Great Crash, 1929; The Affluent Society; The New Industrial State (Penguin Economics Ser.)
by John Kenneth GalbraithThe classic by the renowned economist: &“One of those rare works that forces a nation to re-examine its values&” (The New York Times). One of the New York Public Library&’s &“Books of the Century&” Hailed as a &“masterpiece&” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), this examination of the &“economics of abundance&” cuts to the heart of what economic security means (and doesn&’t mean) and lays bare the hazards of individual and societal complacence about economic inequity. The book that introduced the phrase &“conventional wisdom&” to our vernacular, The Affluent Society is as timely today as when it was first published. &“Warrants careful reading by every thoughtful person.&” —The Christian Science Monitor
The Affordable City: Strategies for Putting Housing Within Reach (and Keeping it There)
by Shane PhillipsFrom Los Angeles to Boston and Chicago to Miami, US cities are struggling to address the twin crises of high housing costs and household instability. Debates over the appropriate course of action have been defined by two poles: building more housing or enacting stronger tenant protections. These options are often treated as mutually exclusive, with support for one implying opposition to the other.Shane Phillips believes that effectively tackling the housing crisis requires that cities support both tenant protections and housing abundance. He offers readers more than 50 policy recommendations, beginning with a set of principles and general recommendations that should apply to all housing policy. The remaining recommendations are organized by what he calls the Three S's of Supply, Stability, and Subsidy. Phillips makes a moral and economic case for why each is essential and recommendations for making them work together.There is no single solution to the housing crisis—it will require a comprehensive approach backed by strong, diverse coalitions. The Affordable City is an essential tool for professionals and advocates working to improve affordability and increase community resilience through local action.
The Afghan Papers: Committing Britain to War in Helmand, 2005–06 (Whitehall Papers #Vol. 77)
by Michael ClarkeIn 2006, British forces entered the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in what would become one of the defining military campaigns of the decade. At great cost in blood and treasure, the UK waged a protracted counter-insurgency against a resurgent Taliban. But how was the decision taken to commit Britain to such a difficult and drawn out campaign? The Afghan Papers is the result of private interviews with and frank contributions by some of the most important actors in the fateful decision. Former generals, politicians and civil servants contribute to an original RUSI analysis that provides a startling insight into the decision to commit the UK to a war – a decision wracked by conflict, incoherence and confusion.
The Afghan Patchwork State: Political Ideology, Infrastructural Power, and the Critical Juncture of 1929 (Politics of South Asia)
by Ryan S. BrasherThis book provides a theoretically grounded and empirically fine-grained analysis of uneven state development in Afghanistan beginning in the early 20th Century. Based on archival research, the book shows that after Amanullah Shah’s abortive modernist authoritarian experiment and Habibullah Kalakani’s brief rule, a newly empowered Musahiban dynasty charted a patrimonial absolutist course. The new regime delegated considerable authority to traditional tribal areas in the southeastern and eastern part of the country, while pursuing a coercive strategy in other parts of the country that usurped traditional leadership at the regional and local levels. Previous explanations of the weakness of the Afghan state tend to emphasize structural determinants such as difficult geography, acephalous tribal organization, ethnic heterogeneity, as well as colonial interventions. Others have focused only on events after the Soviet or NATO interventions, pointing out faulty external decision-making, corrupt government officials and warlords, neighboring insurgent safe havens, or the international aid-fueled rentier economy. This book proposes an intermediate explanation for the patchwork nature of the Afghan state rooted in institutional choices made by a new ruling elite that took over in 1929. The year represents one critical juncture in Afghan history, where individual agency based on certain ideological preferences set in motion a path-dependent process that shaped its politics well into the latter half of the century.
The Afghan Syndrome: How to Live with Soviet Power (Routledge Library Editions: Soviet Foreign Policy #2)
by Bhabani Sen GuptaThe Afghan Syndrome (1982) analyses and interprets the 1979 Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan and also examines its effects on America, China, India, Pakistan and other Islamic nations. It argues that one of the results was the rise of other centres of economic, political and military power outside the superpower spheres.
The Afghan-Central Asia Borderland: The State and Local Leaders (Central Asian Studies)
by Suzanne Levi-SanchezBased on extensive, long-term fieldwork in the borderlands of Afghan and Tajik Badakhshan, this book explores the importance of local leaders and local identity groups for the stability of a state’s borders, and ultimately for the stability of the state itself. It shows how the implantation of formal institutional structures at the border, a process supported by United Nations and other international bodies, can be counterproductive in that it may marginalise local leaders and alienate the local population, thereby increasing overall instability. The study considers how, in this particular borderland where trafficking of illegal drugs, weapons and people is rampant, corrupt customs and border personnel, and imperfect new institutional arrangements, contributed to a complex mix of oppression, hidden protest and subtle resistance, which benefitted illicit traders and hindered much needed humanitarian work. The book relates developments in this region to borderlands elsewhere, especially new borders in the former Soviet bloc, and argues that local leaders and organisations should be given semi-autonomy in co-ordination with state border forces in order to increase stability and the acceptance of the state.
The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War
by The Washington Post Craig WhitlockA Washington Post Best Book of 2021 The #1 New York Times bestselling investigative story of how three successive presidents and their military commanders deceived the public year after year about America&’s longest war, foreshadowing the Taliban&’s recapture of Afghanistan, by Washington Post reporter and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Craig Whitlock.Unlike the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 had near-unanimous public support. At first, the goals were straightforward and clear: defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. Yet soon after the United States and its allies removed the Taliban from power, the mission veered off course and US officials lost sight of their original objectives. Distracted by the war in Iraq, the US military become mired in an unwinnable guerrilla conflict in a country it did not understand. But no president wanted to admit failure, especially in a war that began as a just cause. Instead, the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations sent more and more troops to Afghanistan and repeatedly said they were making progress, even though they knew there was no realistic prospect for an outright victory. Just as the Pentagon Papers changed the public&’s understanding of Vietnam, The Afghanistan Papers contains &“fast-paced and vivid&” (The New York Times Book Review) revelation after revelation from people who played a direct role in the war from leaders in the White House and the Pentagon to soldiers and aid workers on the front lines. In unvarnished language, they admit that the US government&’s strategies were a mess, that the nation-building project was a colossal failure, and that drugs and corruption gained a stranglehold over their allies in the Afghan government. All told, the account is based on interviews with more than 1,000 people who knew that the US government was presenting a distorted, and sometimes entirely fabricated, version of the facts on the ground. Documents unearthed by The Washington Post reveal that President Bush didn&’t know the name of his Afghanistan war commander—and didn&’t want to meet with him. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld admitted that he had &“no visibility into who the bad guys are.&” His successor, Robert Gates, said: &“We didn&’t know jack shit about al-Qaeda.&” The Afghanistan Papers is a &“searing indictment of the deceit, blunders, and hubris of senior military and civilian officials&” (Tom Bowman, NRP Pentagon Correspondent) that will supercharge a long-overdue reckoning over what went wrong and forever change the way the conflict is remembered.
The Afghans: Three lives through war, love and revolt - from the bestselling author of The Bookseller of Kabul
by Åsne Seierstad'Åsne Seierstad is the supreme non-fiction writer of her generation' Luke Harding'No other recent book on the subject comes close' CPW Gammell, author of The Pearl of KhorasanIn her international bestseller The Bookseller of Kabul, award-winning journalist Åsne Seierstad studied life in Afghanistan before and after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Now twenty years later, the Taliban is back in power, and Seierstad returns with The Afghans, a book to help us understand Afghanistan's past, present and future, told through the lives of three unforgettable people. In her compelling, intimate and thought-provoking new book, Seierstad introduces us to three people whose lives have been shaped by the fall and rise of the Taliban - Jamila, Bashir and Ariana - as well their families, friends, foes and co-fighters. Jamila is a women's rights activist; Bashir is a Taliban commander; Ariana is a law student who had one semester left when the Taliban came to power. The stories of these three Afghans encompass love, loss, revolt and war as well as the everyday rhythms of family life. Through them, we experience and come to understand the lead-up to the Taliban retaking power in 2021, how the first year of Taliban rule unfolded, and where this leaves Afghans today, and tomorrow.Praise for Åsne Seierstad:'An intimate portrait of Afghani people quite unlike any other' Sunday Times on The Bookseller of Kabul'Has the feel of a non-fiction novel - irresistible' New York Times on One of Us'Hauntingly written, this book is both a masterpiece and a masterclass in investigative journalism' Christina Lamb on Two Sisters'Meticulously documented, full of drama' Kate Adie on Two Sisters
The Africa Rising Discourse: Tropes, Trophies and Social Actors (Routledge Contemporary Africa)
by Tracy TingaOver the last 25 years, the "Africa Rising" discourse has been used to signify hope and promise for the continent, marking a break from previous pessimistic portrayals. This book critically examines that discourse, analyzing recurring themes, tropes, metaphors, and imagery.It traces the evolution of the "Africa Rising" discourse and its connection with Afro-pessimism, providing valuable insights into how the continent is represented and understood. The book explores the tensions, contradictions and impacts of labeling Africa as "rising". Focusing on both local and global social actors, as well as geopolitical influences, it examines how these forces have shaped the discourse over time. Additionally, it highlights how African actors have engaged with and modified the discourse. For instance, the book assesses how in recent years digital media platforms have offered spaces for counternarratives that challenge stereotypical representations, leading to a more nuanced and diverse understanding of Africa’s rise.This book offers valuable insights for researchers in Media and Communication Studies, Digital Media, Journalism, African Studies, and Global Studies.
The African American Voice in U.S. Foreign Policy Since World War II
by Michael L. KrennFollowing World War II, America was witness to two great struggles. The first was onthe international front and involved the fight for freedom around the globe, as millionsof people in Asia and Africa rose up to throw off their European colonial masters. Inthe decades following 1945 dozens of new nations joined the ranks of independentcountries. Following the Civil War, the African-American voice in U.S. foreign affairscontinued to grow. In the late nineteenth century, a few African-Americans — such asFrederick Douglass — even served as U.S. diplomats to the "black republics" of Liberiaand Haiti. When America began its overseas thrust during the 1890s, African-Americanopinion was divided.
The African Colonial State In Comparative Perspective
by Crawford YoungIn this comprehensive and original study, a distinguished scholar of African affairs argues that the crisis in African development can be traced directly to European colonial rule, which left the continent with a "singularly difficult legacy." Crawford Young proposes a new conception of the state, weighing the characteristics of European empires of the past (including those of Holland, Portugal, England, and Venice) and distilling their common qualities. He then presents a concise and wide-ranging history of colonization in Africa, from construction through consolidation and decolonization. Young argues that several qualities combined to make the European colonial experience in Africa distinctive. The high number of nations competing for power on the continent and the necessity to achieve effective occupation swiftly yet make the colonies self-financing drove colonial powers toward policies of "ruthless extractive action." The persistent, virulent racism that distanced rulers from subjects was especially central to African colonial history.
The African Continental Free Trade Area: Economic and Distributional Effects
by World BankThe African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement will create the largest free trade area in the world, measured by the number of countries participating. The pact will connect 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined GDP valued at $3.4 trillion. It has the potential to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty by 2035. But achieving its full potential will depend on putting in place significant policy reforms and trade facilitation measures. The scope of the agreement is considerable. It will reduce tariffs among member countries and cover policy areas, such as trade facilitation and services, as well as regulatory measures, such as sanitary standards and technical barriers to trade. It will complement existing subregional economic communities and trade agreements by offering a continent-wide regulatory framework and by regulating policy areas—such as investment and intellectual property rights protection—that have not been covered in most subregional agreements. The African Continental Free Trade Area: Economic and Distributional Effects quantifies the long-term implications of the agreement for growth, trade, poverty reduction, and employment. Its analysis goes beyond that in previous studies that have largely focused on tariff and nontariff barriers in goods—by including the effects of services and trade facilitation measures, as well as the distributional impacts on poverty, employment, and wages of female and male workers. It is designed to guide policy makers as they develop and implement the extensive range of reforms needed to realize the substantial rewards that the agreement offers. The analysis shows that full implementation of AfCFTA could boost income by 7 percent, or nearly $450 billion, in 2014 prices and market exchange rates. The agreement would also significantly expand African trade—particularly intraregional trade in manufacturing. In addition, it would increase employment opportunities and wages for unskilled workers and help close the wage gap between men and women.
The African Continental Free Trade Area: Making the Most of Free Trade and Investment in Global Markets
by Laura PáezThis book explores the regulatory, institutional, and policy frameworks needed to enable the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to be effective. It examines the opportunities of African free trade and how it can advance regional integration and sustained economic growth on the African continent. It highlights the potential for trade and investment within Africa, and the ways in which the AfCFTA can help the continent overcome development challenges and create a more dynamic economy that generates jobs and alleviates poverty. This book sets out a policy framework to enable the effective establishment of the AfCFTA and economic development within Africa. It will be relevant to students, researchers, and policymakers interested in development economics and international trade.
The African Continental Free Trade Area: Prospects, Problems and Challenges
by Benjamin Ofori-AmoahIn March of 2018, 44 African countries signed the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA) to launch what is considered as the largest free trade area in the world. The signing of the agreement has been hailed as a major breakthrough for African development by African countries and organizations as well as external observers of African affairs. This is not the first time African countries have proposed a new organizational and institutional structure for development. African countries have signed at least 13 regional trade agreements (RTAs) for intraregional trade since 1959. However, the track record of these groups has been relatively mediocre compared to RTAs elsewhere. Thus, Africa has the lowest percentage of intracontinental trade in the world. This volume evaluates the prospects and challenges for the AfCFTA through a deep-dive assessment of previous trade blocs on the African continent and of regional free trade areas in other parts of the world. The central question of the book is this: If pre-AfCFTA trade blocs in Africa did not encourage more intracontinental trade, what guarantees that the AfCTA will? The formation of the AfCFTA will definitely remove overlapping membership that existed with previous trading blocs on the continent, but what is different about the AfCFTA that will get rid of cumbersome regulation, boost manufacturing, and create jobs? This book argues that the dreams of AfCFTA will not be realized unless African countries make efforts to address the industry mix of their economies and to enforce the rules and regulations they set down on paper.
The African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples' Rights in Context: Development and Challenges
by Charles C. Jalloh Kamari M. Clarke Vincent O. NmehielleThe treaty creating the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples' Rights, if and when it comes into force, contains innovative elements that have potentially significant implications for current substantive and procedural approaches to regional and international dispute settlements. Bringing together leading authorities in international criminal law, human rights and transitional justice, this volume provides the first comprehensive analysis of the 'Malabo Protocol' while situating it within the wider fields of international law and international relations. The book, edited by Professors Jalloh, Clarke and Nmehielle, offers scholarly, empirical, critically engaged and practical analyses of some of its most challenging provisions. Breaking new ground on the African Court, but also treating old concepts in a novel and relevant way, The African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples' Rights in Context is for anyone interested in international law, including international criminal law and international human rights law. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
The African Criminal Court
by Gerhard Werle Moritz VormbaumThis book examines the mutual recognition of judicial decisions in European criminal law as a cornerstone of judicial co-operation in criminal matters in the European Union. Providing comprehensive content and combining theoretical and practical aspects, it covers all of the major issues surrounding mutual recognition. The book analyses its definition, genesis, principles, case law, implementation and evaluation. Special attention is given to mutual recognition measures, namely European arrest warrant (i. e. surrender procedure), mutual recognition of custodial sentences, and measures involving deprivation of liberty, mutual recognition of probation measures and alternative sanctions, mutual recognition of financial penalties, mutual recognition of confiscation orders, the European supervision order in pre-trial procedures (i. e. mutual recognition of supervision measures as an alternative to provisional detention), the European investigation order (i. e. free movement of evidence), and the European protection order (i. e. mutual recognition of protection orders). Instead of focusing solely on a criminal law approach, the book also considers the subject from the perspectives of European Union law and International criminal law.
The African Exception (Contemporary Perspectives On Developing Societies Ser.)
by Ulf EngelGovernance has become an important concept in the politics of African development. It is therefore a crucial concept for social science analyses focusing on Africa. In public discourse Africa's future is being shaped by a combination of external interventions backed by African elites who cooperate with the donors, whose understanding of the importance of 'good governance' they share. This groundbreaking book disentangles the analytical aspects of governance from its political and normative connotations. The 'African exception' - the difference in 'development' between Africa and other regions of the South - can be understood by analysis focusing upon the specific forms of governance played out in politics and economics. The perspective of neo-patrimonialism is crucial but not sufficient here. The first section of the book explores African governance in two functional spheres: the political realm and the economic. Section two looks at new areas of governance in Africa: violent social spaces, HIV/AIDS and entrepreneurial urban governance.
The African Experience
by Vincent KhapoyaUpdated in its 4th edition, The African Experience is the only interdisciplinary survey to examine this region of the world from geographic, linguistic, social, historical, and political perspectives. Drawing on research from all of the social sciences, this text captures Africa in its complex totality. The African Experience helps readers develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of Africa, one that allows them to grasp the regions internal dynamics and its evolving place in the world.
The African Experience: From Olduvai Gorge To The 21st Century (History Of Civilization Ser.)
by Roland OliverThis masterpiece of scholarship and compression, the second edition of The African Experience, covers the entire span of human history across the African continent, from the earliest emergence of hominids in eastern and southern Africa up to the present day. Drawing on more than forty years of teaching and research, Professor Oliver arranges the book thematically, beginning with the human colonization of the different regions of Africa, the origins of food production, and the formation of African languages.The achievements of Ancient Egypt are placed in context with the developments in the rest of the continent, and the spread of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - "peoples of the book." The tradition of urban settlement is traced, especially in western Africa, as well as the emergence of large and complex societies formed by the interaction of pastoralists and cultivators in eastern and southern Africa.The extent and nature of slavery in Africa is fully discussed, together with the external slave trade and the caravan trade in precolonial times. This leads to an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of African political systems and why, from the early nineteenth century onwards, these systems were unable to withstand political pressure from abroad and the ensuing colonization. The colonial partition of Africa saw the rapid amalgamation of small units, through which considerable modernization was achieved at the expense of the indigenous structures and through the exploitation of the African peoples. Later chapters describe the birth of modern African nation-states, at a time of widespread belief in state planning - now being questioned as the political elites of black Africa begin to review their single-party systems. This new edition sees a number of revisions, including a new chapter on the 1990s, when the end of the Cold War left Africa free at last to try to solve its own problems.