On 14th May of 2009 at Europainstitut
Basel Patrick Chabal, professor at King's
College London, presented his book
“Africa: The Politics of Suffering and
Smiling”. The former scholar of Harvard
and Cambridge has written or was cowriter
for such books as Cultures Troubles
(2006); Africa Works (1999); Power in
Africa (1992 and 1994) and Amílcar
Cabral (1982 and 2003). The question
usually asked about Africa: Why people
suffer? Suffer from poverty, violence,
wars… Patrick Chabal asks more simple
questions about these complex matters:
How do people define who they are?
Where do they belong? What do they
believe? How do they struggle to survive
and improve their lives? What is the
impact of illness and poverty? (EIB: 2009)
In doing so Chabal proposes a radically
different way of looking at politics of
“suffer and smile” in Africa (Zed Books,
2008: 5). To write about Africa in
objective way is challenging, but Patrick
Chabal tries to deal with this hard task.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Debatable aspects
- Overview rather than recommendations
- Old theory rather new guidance
- Theoretical rather empirical examples
- Outsider's rather than insider's eyes
- Suffering rather than smiling
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This book aims to provide a critical analysis of the political landscape in Africa, moving beyond simplistic narratives of suffering and focusing on the complex realities of African societies. The author seeks to engage readers with the politics of Africa, encouraging critical thinking and understanding.
- The complexities of African politics and the need to move beyond stereotypical narratives of suffering.
- The impact of colonialism and its enduring influence on African societies.
- The role of tradition and modernity in shaping African political systems.
- The challenges of applying Western political theories to African contexts.
- The importance of understanding African perspectives and experiences from an insider's view.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for the book by discussing the author's approach to analyzing African politics. It emphasizes the need to move beyond simplistic narratives of suffering and to consider the complex realities of African societies.
- Debatable Aspects: This section critically examines various aspects of the book, including the author's approach to providing recommendations for solving Africa's problems, his use of existing theory, and the balance between theoretical and empirical analysis. It also raises concerns about the author's outsider perspective on African politics.
- Overview rather than recommendations: This sub-section discusses the author's focus on providing a critical overview of African politics rather than offering concrete recommendations for solving its problems. It argues that the complexities of Africa's political systems make it challenging to provide simplistic solutions.
- Old theory rather new guidance: This sub-section critiques the author's reliance on existing theories of political science rather than developing new ones. It argues that the author does not significantly contribute to the field of comparative political science regarding political parties and civil society in Africa.
- Theoretical rather empirical examples: This sub-section emphasizes the need for more empirical examples to support the author's arguments. It uses the example of Rwanda as a case study of suffering and smiling after the genocide, highlighting the lack of attention to issues like gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS in the book.
- Outsider's rather than insider's eyes: This sub-section explores the limitations of the author's outsider perspective on African politics. It argues that the author's analysis is ultimately shaped by his own experiences and biases, leading to a potentially incomplete understanding of African realities.
- Suffering rather than smiling: This sub-section criticizes the book's focus on suffering in Africa, arguing that it neglects to explore the resilience and hope found in African societies. It also questions the author's commitment to addressing the problems he highlights.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key terms and concepts explored in this work include African politics, comparative political theory, colonialism, suffering, resilience, outsider perspective, insider perspective, tradition, modernity, and the complexities of applying Western theories to non-Western contexts.
- Quote paper
- Karina Oborune (Author), 2009, Africa: The Politics of Suffering and Smiling, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/156856
