Suchergebnisse

Social scientists frequently appear to find themselves in a dilemma: how to remain true to the demands of their professional disciplines and how, at the same time, to identify with the needs and aspirations of the governments and peoples of Africa. As great as this conflict seems on the surface, the apparent gap between these two commitments could be reduced through altered theoretical framework. By focusing on policy analysis, both disciplinary and areal orientations can be juxtaposed, helping social scientists who are concentrating on the Third World to raise "the right questions."

The Clinton administration and its predecessors have had a difficult time assessing the impact of ethnicity and nationalism on international conflict. They are inclined to focus on state power and individual rights considerations, downplaying the importance of the ties of communal identity and the emotive appeals of ethnic self-determination. Then, when ethnic groups do gain political significance, U.S. officials often give the communal concerns a prominence out of proportion with reality. The primary challenge for the Clinton administration is that U.S. liberalism classically has involved commitments that preclude flexibility on communally based demands for self-determination and group rights. Such perspectives can at times complicate the formulation of effective foreign policies for a region only partially integrated into the global capitalist economy, and therefore autonomous for some purposes from U.S. manipulation. What is needed is an involved but pragmatic liberalism that links U.S. conflict management objectives with what Thomas Friedman describes as a "coherent post–Cold War strategic framework." Without that framework, he writes, "the Americans look like naive do-gooders trying to break up a street brawl."

Africa in World Politics provides advanced undergraduate and graduate students with the perfect introduction to the challenges faced by African states on an increasingly turbulent world stage. Africa in World Politics has long served as the go-to resource for students of African politics seeking to navigate the continent's complex political and economic landscapes. Updated throughout, this new edition includes new chapters on the unprecedented challenges the continent faces from climate change and the fallout of the Covid-19 global pandemic. Adding to existing coverage of international diplomacy, peacebuilding, women in politics, and the building blocks of political economy, the book also includes expanded coverage of the role of China in Africa, and fresh perspectives on decolonization.