Product details
Publisher : University of Rochester Press
Language : English
Print length : 516 pages
ISBN-10 : 1648250505
ISBN-13 : 978-1648250507
Item Weight : 1.88 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 2 x 9 inches
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
PART 1. Methodologies for Decolonizing African Studies
1. Decolonization and Edible African Studies
2. The Africanization of Knowledge
3. Indigenous Research Methodologies
4. Logos and Oral Traditions
5. Arabic and Ajami Sources
6. Archaeology and African History
PART 2: CREATIVE FRONTIERS
7. Images and Objects in Research Methodology
8. Literature and African Epistemologies
9. Music As Source Materials
10. Performance
PART 3: Edible African Studies
11. Usable Past and Reflection on Africa’s History and Development
12. Decolonizing Knowledge Systems in Africa
13. The Afrocentric Model
14. Public History, The Public Historian, and Africa
15. Innovative Research and Quality Education
16. Research Communications for Impacts in African Studies
17. Digital Humanities
18. Technological Media
19. Conclusion: The Future of Knowledge
Bibliography
Index
Book Description
A study of African intellectual traditions as a resource to decolonize African Studies, this book argues that indigenous methods and knowledge are essential for studying Africa's diverse peoples and histories.
The study and research of the African past and present require well-defined approaches and methodologies aimed at decolonizing African studies. Research on Africa has often been conducted using materials and sources produced by Eurocentric scholarship that drew upon colonial systems and actors, which continue to shape the modern experiences of Africans. Though colonialism has played a significant role in African history, this is only one part of the broader context. There are many other sources, perspectives, and approaches yet to be utilized that could aid in the discovery and research of hitherto uncharted aspects of African history and contemporary African societies. This book is a study of the African intellectual traditions, methods, and knowledge that can be used to decolonize African studies, leading the field in more nuanced and holistic directions.
There is a pressing need to utilize alternative approaches, particularly engaging with Africa's wealth of indigenous knowledge systems, even when doing so is far from straightforward. Through a variety of written, oral, and material sources, this work builds upon decolonization scholarship by analyzing and implementing non-traditional sources to enhance the field. Drawing from case studies throughout the continent and its vast history, this volume covers a range of subjects to improve underrepresented research in African scholarship.
About the Author
TOYIN FALOLA is Distinguished Teaching Professor of History and Jacob & Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, University of Texas, Austin, TX. He is the series editor of the University of Rochester Press' series Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora.
