Four concepts of Africa

dc.contributor.authorFourie, Willem
dc.contributor.emailwillem.fourie@up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-08-26T07:20:34Z
dc.date.available2015-08-26T07:20:34Z
dc.date.issued2015-05-12
dc.description.abstractWhat makes the words ‘Africa’ and ‘African’ possible and useful? In this article it is argued that at least four internally coherent concepts of Africa exist, and that none of these concepts are ethically neutral. The article is presented as a contribution to attempts at using the term ‘Africa’ in self-critical, reflexive and constructive ways. It could therefore be of interest to all researchers, particularly those in the humanities and theology, who locate their research within the context of ‘Africa’. It is argued that Africa can be conceived of as a place, a commodity, a condition and an ideal. By drawing on mostly primary sources it is shown that the term ‘Africa’ only relatively recently came to refer to a continent, that Africa as a place and Africa as a condition in need of betterment formed the foundation for its commodification, and that Africa only very recently became a self-description of the people who live on the continent of Africa. Each of these concepts of Africa is shown to be based on a particular logic with both strengths and weaknesses.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianam2015en_ZA
dc.description.librarianae2025en
dc.description.sdgSDG-04: Quality educationen
dc.description.sdgSDG-10: Reduced inequalitiesen
dc.description.sdgSDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutionsen
dc.description.sponsorshipThe Alexander von Humboldt Foundationen_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.hts.org.zaen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationFourie W, 2015, ‘Four concepts of Africa’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 71(3), Art. #2847, 10 pages. http://dx.DOI.org/ 10.4102/hts.v71i3.2847.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0259-9422 (print)
dc.identifier.issn2078-8050 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.4102/hts.v71i3.2847
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/49601
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherOpenJournals Publishingen_ZA
dc.rights© 2015. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS OpenJournals. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.subjectAfricaen_ZA
dc.subjectContinenten_ZA
dc.subjectPlaceen_ZA
dc.subjectCommodityen_ZA
dc.subjectTheology
dc.subjectEthnicity
dc.subjectReligion
dc.subjectLanguage
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-04
dc.subject.otherSDG-04: Quality education
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-10
dc.subject.otherSDG-10: Reduced inequalities
dc.subject.otherTheology articles SDG-16
dc.subject.otherSDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
dc.titleFour concepts of Africaen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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