Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
(p.135). Finally, the author ends the chapter with a discussion of whether colonialism helped or hurt Africa.
The author makes a very valiant and effective attempt to remain neutral and to present the information in an unbiased manner. However, the author makes several assumptions about the material presented. First, the author makes the assumption that the Europeans were exploitative when the colonized Africa. While acknowledging that Europeans may have legitimately believed that they needed to spread Christianity and otherwise "civilize" Africans, the author makes it clear that these beliefs furthered their own political and economic agendas, and could not have been the sole motivating factor. Those are assumptions that, while almost certainly true, are based upon personal belief and not fact. However, the author also seems to conclude that colonialism benefitted Africa, through things such as the introduction of Western medicine. This conclusion seems weak and is based upon the assumption that, absent colonization, Africa would not have been able to incorporate some of the benefits of Western life. When one looks at superpowers such as China, which have incorporated some of the beneficial aspects of Western life without being colonized, it becomes clear that assumption is unfounded.
The document makes it clear how much colonialism changed the face of modern Africa. Until European colonized Africa, most of the continent, especially areas outside of the Middle East, were relatively primitive. The cultural changes that occurred within a few...
The document also makes it clear that colonialism helped fuel much of the racism that plagues specific areas in modern Africa. What the article does not really explain is whether and how colonialism impacted the relations between warring tribes, which has put many modern African countries in the throes of civil war. Did colonialism exacerbate existing tribal rivalries, create new rivalries, or actually work to limit the amount of inter-tribal strife? One change that is clearly linked to colonialism is the fact that Christianity is one of the predominant religions in Africa. Another change that is linked to colonialism is the fact that many Africans have access to a Western-style education. In addition, African wealth continues to be disproportionately concentrated in European hands. Colonialism is directly responsible for those three major facets of modern African life.
Standing alone, this document does not have any real historical significance. It is not a historical document, in that it does not reflect events at a certain time in history. Instead, it is a document that discusses history. None of the information contained within the document reveals information that is not available elsewhere. However, the document does do a good job of explaining the European colonization of Africa, and how such colonization impacted African life, both during colonization and in present times. As such, it is an important work for anyone seeking to understand the impact of colonization on Africa.
it's theme touches on mercantilism and the slave trade, colonialism, and the African experience, and suggests that this experience unties all Africans, even those who have never lived on the continent. Lowe's article adds to this theme by showing that Africa is still viewed as unpopular in the media, and suggesting that the media contributes to furthering that stereotype by its use of the word tribe. Furthermore, the article
connect the African cultural roots and the Black experience in America. What experience would you gain from viewing a traditional African community in modern America that retains strong cultural roots? (South Carolina!) To view a traditional African community, such as exists in South Carolina, within the context of an America environment, is not simply to see a remnant in what is, to many African-Americans, a lost part of their past
Both of these techniques, however, tended to pervert the established regimes by either destroying them or granting them more power than they ever had before. Boahen sees the central cause behind this European imposed partitioning of Africa to lie within the changing economic postures of the European imperial powers: "The second half of the nineteenth century was the period during which international trade became increasingly competitive, following the spread
African-American Art The art of African-Americans became a powerful medium for social and self-expression. Visual arts including sculpture carried with it political implications related to colonialism, oppression, and liberation. Along with other forms of creative expression, African-American visual arts particularly flourished during the Harlem Renaissance. Three exemplary pieces of art that represent the character, tone, and tenor of African-American art during the Harlem Renaissance include Meta Warrick Fuller's "Ethiopia Awakening," Palmer
It is believed for every dollar that flows into Africa in the form of foreign loans eighty cents flows out as capital flight. One of the significant constraints to the growth in Africa is the low savings and investment. Trade and current account deficits are another source of worry. Though overall fiscal discipline showed improvement, fiscal profligacy remains an issue. Some of the African currencies experienced massive price increases
African Centered Education In 'The Miseducation of the Negro', Carter Woodson (2000) argues that the education provided to African-Americans ignored or undervalued African historical experiences, and overvalued European history and culture. This has caused the alienation of African-Americans, who became dissociated from themselves, by ignoring or cutting African-Americans' links with their own culture and traditions. Woodson argued that this type of education has caused African-Americans to reject their own heritage, while