About the Book

African intellectuals today face uniquely difficult circumstances - intolerant regimes, economies in sharp decline, societies wracked by violent conflict, and official languages that are not mother tongues. Compared with Asia or Latin America, Africa has experienced much higher rates of emigration of its intelligentsia to North America and Europe, and frequent displacement within the continent. This rare overview of their history, fate and future roles explores the relationship of African intellectuals to nationalism and the Pan African project; the indigenous language question; women intellectuals; and the role of the hugely growing African academic diaspora. It assesses the interface between African intellectuals and society, state and politics in the context of the restoration of multi-party politcs, changing economic policies, and renewed Pan African awareness.

Commendations

'It will take many such books, but the present effort gives an important "state of the art" snapshot.' - Stephen Chan, School of Oriental and African Studies

'African Intellectuals makes a compelling case that constructing a democratic, developmental, and socially inclusive social order has become a moral imperative and a question of survival for Africa...because it provides a comprehensive understanding and grasp of the key components of an African renaissance, this book will be of considerable value to all those who are genuinely concerned with Africa's intellectual revival.' - African Studies Review

Contents

Contents
1.Introduction - Thandika Mkandawire
2. African Intellectuals and Nationalism - Thandika Mkandawire
3. Pan-Africanism and the Intellectuals: Rise, Decline and Revival - Ali A. Mazrui
4. Intellectuals, Natio-nationalism and Pan Africanism: A Testimony - Joseph Ki-Zerbo
5. Gender Studies for Africa‘s Transformation - Amina Mama
6. The Character and Formation of Intellectuals within the ANC-led South African Liberation Movement - Raymond Suttner
7. Europhone or African Memory: The Challenge of the Pan Africanist Intellectual in the Era of Globalization - Ngugi wa Thiong‘o
8. The Language Question and National Development in Africa - Beban Sammy Chumbow
9. Historians, Nationalism, and Pan Africanism: Myths and Realities - Hannington Ochwada
10. The Academic Diaspora and Knowledge Production in and on Africa: What Role for CODESRIA? - Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

About the Author

Thankdika Mkandawire is director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)

Academic Adoption Information

This book is used for teaching at the following institutions:

University of Bradford

Liverpool John Moores University