Debating African Issues: Conversations Under the Palaver Tree

Description

This debate style textbook allows students to explore diverse, well-founded views on controversial African issues, pushing them to go beyond superficial interpretations and complicate and ground their understanding of the continent. From the positive images in the film Black Panther, to the derogatory remarks of former American President Donald Trump, the African continent often figures prominently in the collective, global imagination. This interdisciplinary collection covers 20 enduring and contemporary debates across a broad range of subjects affecting Africa, from development and health to agriculture, climate change, and urbanization. Each chapter has a pro and con view penned by a leading expert on the topic in an accessible and engaging style. These contrasting views on each issue are framed by an introduction that helps the student contextualize the debate and draw on further resources. Moreover, they enable readers to deepen their understanding of the topic, develop a more nuanced perspective, and foster classroom debates. This book is an excellent resource for Africa related courses across a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields including African studies, anthropology, development studies, economics, environmental studies, geography, history, international studies, political science and public health. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of figures List of table Acknowledgements Editor bios List of contributors 1. Introduction to debating African issues: Conversations under the palaver tree SECTION I: Historical and global context 2. Did European trade with Africans (including the slave trade) prior to 1700 damage or ruin economies on the continent? 3. Was Africa more peaceful and prosperous prior to European contact? 4. Did colonialism distort African development? 5. Is Africa’s border geography problematic? SECTION II: Development issues 6. Is Africa truly rising? 7. Are foreign land acquisitions the latest form of neo-colonialism in Africa? 8. Is China better than other outside powers in fostering African economic transformation? 9. Are cities engines for economic development in Africa? SECTION III: Agriculture, food and the environment 10. Are parks the best way to protect African wildlife? 11. Are Africans adapting well to climate change? 12. Is the New Green Revolution approach the best way to address hunger in Africa? 13. Does scholarship on African food insecurity have a rural bias? SECTION IV: Society, health and culture 14. Is modern African education counterproductive? 15. Is the focus on the development of the girl child counterproductive? 16. Are Africa’s health resources overly focused on HIV/AIDS? 17. Is African religiosity a hindrance to development? SECTION V: Politics, governance and security 18. Is multi-party democracy the best form of governance in African countries? 19. Is the growing foreign military presence in many African countries counter-productive? 20. Do more women in politics lead to better governance in African countries? 21. Has the proliferation of cell phones strengthened social movements in Africa? Index