Intellectuals and African development : pretension and resistance in African politics / / edited by Bjorn Beckman and Gbemisola Remi Adeoti, editors

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910345140103321
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Dakar ; ; London ; ; New York, : Codesria Books in association with Zed Books, 2006
• ISBN: 1-350-22078-7; 1-84813-148-8; 1-281-21604-6; 9786611216047
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (185 p.)
• Collana: Africa in the new millennium
• Classificazione: 15.80
• Altri autori (Persone): BeckmanBjorn <1938->; AdeotiGbemisola
• Disciplina: 320.96
• Soggetti: Political culture - Africa; International agencies - Africa; Africa Politics and government 1960-; Africa Social conditions 1960-
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Predicament and response: an introduction / BjöRn Beckman and Gbemisola Adeoti -- Part 1. Intellectuals, writers and soldiers -- Chapter 1. Psychopaths in power: the collapse of the African dream in A Play of Giants / Olusegun, Adekoya -- Chapter 2. Re-establishing the basis of social order in Africa: a reflection on Achebe's reformist agenda and Ngugi's Marxist aesthetics / M. S. C. Okolo -- Chapter 3. Narrating the green gods: the (auto) biographies of Nigerian military rulers / Gbemisola Adeoti -- Part 2. Students, youths and people -- Chapter 4. Ambiguous transitions: mediating citizenship among youth in Cameroon / Jude Fokwang -- Chapter 5. Student radicalism and the national project: the Nigerian student movement / Björn Beckman -- Chapter 6. Transnational governance and the pacification of youth: civic education and disempowerment in Malawi / Harri Englund -- Chapter 7. Identity and knowledge production in the fourth generation / Nana ; Akua Anyidoho -- Contributors -- Index.
• Sommario/riassunto: The essays in this book study responses to 'the African predicament'. They draw on a diversity of sources, including prominent writers such as Soyinka, Ngug̃i ̃and Achebe; military men in power; and students who defy repression. The volume suggests that intervention by international agencies claiming to promote 'democracy' and to 'empower the youth' may only reinforce authoritarian attitudes and structures. Instead, it gives voice to the outrage, ridicule, revolutionary ardour and reformist caution of those directly involved. It also exposes the shallow pretences of those in power, and conclud.