The Creation of Tribalism in Southern Africa (Perspectives on Southern Africa) - Hardcover

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9780520062849: The Creation of Tribalism in Southern Africa (Perspectives on Southern Africa)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0520062841 ISBN 13: 9780520062849

Publisher: University of California Press, 1989

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Despite a quarter century of "nation building," most African states are still driven by ethnic particularism—commonly known as "tribalism." The stubborn persistence of tribal ideologies despite the profound changes associated with modernization has puzzled scholars and African leaders alike. The bloody hostilities between the tribally-oriented Zulu Inkhata movement and supporters of the African National Congress are but the most recent example of tribalism's tenacity. The studies in this volume offer a new historical model for the growth and endurance of such ideologies in southern Africa.

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About the Author

Leroy Vail is Professor of History, Harvard University.

Review

"An important contribution to a complex and seminal issue, treated in depth and without jargon. A must for all Africanists, faculty, graduate students, upper-division undergraduates, and those trying to understand 'tribalism.'" -- P.C.W. Gutkind, Choice

"The book's wealth of detail greatly enhances our understanding of the volatility and complexity of ethnic consciousness and ethnic behavior, and the essays add substantially to our knowledge of particular societies." -- Leonard Thompson, African Studies Review

"[This] remarkably fine and original book leaves the historian with the exciting feeling that modern African historiography is on the verge of an almost complete revision and reevaluation. . . . [Vail's] brilliant introduction . . . is perhaps the best short discussion of the phenomenon of African 'tribalism' yet to appear and should become required reading for all students of modern Africa." -- John Flint, International History Review

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