The African Colonial State in Comparative Perspective

Young, Crawford:

ISBN 10: 0300068794 / ISBN 13: 9780300068795

Published by New Haven, London: Yale University Press, 1994

About this Item

xii, 356 S., 24cm x 16cm ill. brosch. Eb., dieser mit minimalen Gebrauchsspuren, Ecken geringfügig bestoßen, Buchrücken leicht aufgehellt, ansonsten Ex. in sehr gutem Zustand. Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 550.

Seller Inventory # 6040789

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The African Colonial State in Comparative Perspective
• Publisher: New Haven, London: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300068794
• ISBN 13: 9780300068795
• Binding: Broschiert
• Edition: 1. Aufl.
• Condition: Sehr gut
• Weight: 550 grams
• Seller catalogs:
  • Geschichte

About this title

Synopsis

In this comprehensive and original study, a distinguished specialist and scholar of African affairs argues that the current crisis in African development can be traced directly to European colonial rule, which left the continent with a "singularly difficult legacy" that is unique in modern history.

Crawford Young proposes a new conception of the state, weighing the different characteristics of earlier European empires (including those of Holland, Portugal, England, and Venice) and distilling their common qualities. He then presents a concise and wide-ranging history of colonization in Africa, from the era of construction through consolidation and decolonization. Young argues that several qualities combined to make the European colonial experience in Africa distinctive. The high number of nations competing for power around the continent and the necessity to achieve effective occupation swiftly yet make the colonies self-financing drove colonial powers toward policies of "ruthless extractive action." The persistent, virulent racism that established a distance between rulers and subjects was especially central to African colonial history.

Young concludes by turning his sights to other regions of the once-colonized world, comparing the fates of former African colonies to their counterparts elsewhere. In tracing both the overarching traits and variations in African colonial states, he makes a strong case that colonialism has played a critical role in shaping the fate of this troubled continent.

About the Author

Crawford Young is Rupert Emerson and John Bascom Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also author of Ideology and Development in Africa, published by Yale University Press.