The continent of Africa has experienced a conglomerate of political and social issues over the past two hundred years. AIDS, war and insurgency, genocide and extreme poverty have riddled many countries on the large continent. Efforts to resolve such issues and to facilitate social change reveal an ideological, political and social divide as a result of a generational gap. Individual generations have a different stance on how to direct the future of their nation. The younger generation look to the success and failures of their predecessors to form their own unique ideas for said direction. Thus, conflicting ideas are born. Different generations of Africans openly criticize each other, have unique social differences and conflicting ideas on African politics.
Scholars and politicians have often been critical about past generations, blaming them for the failures of society as a whole. This highlights the difference of opinion between current generations of Africans and their ancestors. A younger generation of African scholars, particularly Frantz Fanon, have been critical about the failure of African leaders to create independent and flourishing societies after the colonial regime ended. Emerging from colonialism with a nationalistic energy, a generation of Africans were optimistic about socio-political change in a post-colonial African society. However, nations continued to struggle in the subsequent decades after colonialism. Franz Fanon places the blame on the generation of African middle class persons for their failure to stabilize the nation. In The Trials and Tribulations of National Consciousness, Fanon argues that the bourgeoisie's failure to invest in domestic business due to fear of risk, a failure to build a stronger...
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...d political movements have the ability to bring to light generational differences which did not exist prior to the strife for change.
In conclusion, generational conflict has been seen in Africa through the criticisms of past generations, backlash due to cultural change and the tensions arising from attempts to gain social and political equality. Since generations are formed out of socio-political circumstance, tensions can arise between people of different age-groups due to fundamental ideological differences. The continent of Africa has been plagued with a variety of social and political issues in which all generations have attempted to solve. For Africa to truly progress, a consensus must be reached to heal the generational gap. If all Africans can work together in agreement to solve an issue, the continent can erase hardship for most and thrive in the future.
"The wind of change is blowing through this [African] continent, and whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact. We must all accept it as a fact, and our national policies must take account of it" (Macmillan). This speech, made by the prime minister of England in 1960, highlights the vast changes occurring in Africa at the time. Changes came quickly. Over the next several years, forty-seven African countries attained independence from colonial rule. Many circumstances and events had and were occurring that led to the changes to which he was referring. The decolonization of Africa occurred over time, for a variety of complex reasons, but can be broken down into two major contributing factors: vast changes brought about in the world because of World War II and a growing sense of African nationalism.
Politics had played a large part in the movement’s beginning, and they continued to be important to La M...
Bryant H. McGill once said “Education should prepare our minds to use its own powers of reason and conception rather than filling it with the accumulated misconceptions of the past” (McGill ). There are misconceptions all around us; people look at certain things in a particular manner but what each person sees comes from their background. I have recently come to the realization that there are many misconceptions held about the African continent; my current class has helped me see these misconceptions and understand why they are incorrect and how I formed them. With the help of our Western society, I developed beliefs that Africa was a continent full of poverty, civil unrest, and in desperate need of help. Much of the media coverage in Africa showed droughts, famine, the need for clean drinking water; everything that was exposed to the American population about Africa through these channels carried a negative connotation. I was never taught or informed about the complex culture and fascinating traditions that make up such a diverse continent. The ancient kingdoms of West Africa were complex, developed civilizations that had rich culture, traditions, values, norms and skills that exceeded those of societies of the rest of the world such as European ones. In this paper, I will first further explain some of the common misconceptions that I had about African in general and about their ancient kingdoms.
Politics had played a large part in the movement’s beginning, and they continued to be...
...e senseless and heartless government, which ruthlessly destroys the peaceful atmosphere in the villages. Africa will only reach its potential when everybody realizes the importance of preserving the cultural traditions.
In the 1960s, the younger generation felt a societal disillusion that translated into widespread and massive student movements in the 16th century. The movements could be traced back to the period after the Second World War of the 1950s. The older people viewed this period as a period of tranquility and peace that was good for the rebuilding process. However, the youths had a different view of the post-war period. Most of the young people saw this period as a period characterized by massive complacency, authoritarianism, and stagnation.
Some of the effects of slavery in America were positive, but almost all of slavery’s impact in Africa was harmful. One major change in the areas that slaves were exported from is shown in demographics. Thousands of males were taken from their families and communities, and the tribes were expected to survive without many of their local leaders or role models. Not only did local tribes in Africa have hardships, but the leadership in many of the countries’ governments weren’t stable. The cruel trade demonstrated “how the external demand for slaves caused political instability, weakened states, promoted political and social fragmentation, and resulted in a deterioration of domestic legal institutions” (Nunn) in Africa. In addition to the crumbling political aspects of the tribes, there were cultural and native conflicts. Many wars and disagreements occurred, and those conflicts significantly slowed down development and economic growth in African countries
In the Western world European colonialism is hailed as an accomplishment. It is the time where Europeans flourished economically after finding and taking control of the lands of the New World. Because of European colonialism and the need for free labor, millions of Africans were forced from their homeland and were forced into slavery. Years later the Europeans came back to colonize and take the rich resources of Africa without any regard to the native people who lived there. Though colonialism ended in the United Stated in the 1700’s and other parts of the Americas in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, many of its racial and injustices are still an ingrained in society today There have been many instances where groups of people within African
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney, was one of the most controversial books in the world at the time of its release. The book seeks to argue that European exploitation and involvement in Africa throughout history. This is the cause of current African underdevelopment, and the true path to the development is for Africa to completely sever her ties with the international capitalist economy. Rodney describes his goal in writing the book in the preface: “this book derives from a concern with the contemporary African situation. It delves into the past only because otherwise it would be impossible to understand how the present came into being and what the trends are for the near future” (vii). Rodney writes from a distinctly Marxist perspective by arguing that the inequalities inherent in European capitalism and required exploitation of certain countries in order to sustain capitalism.
Africa’s struggle to maintain their sovereignty amidst the encroaching Europeans is as much a psychological battle as it is an economic and political one. The spillover effects the system of racial superiority had on the African continent fractured ...
...hat this is the era of accountability and transparency in the running of governmental affairs, the current generation of Africans is enlightened and empowered, and are capable of asking questions about their actions.
Africa's Growth Tragedy: Policies and Ethnic Divisions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Institute for International Development, Harvard U, 1996. Print. Hopkins, A. G.
There is no doubt that European colonialism has left a grave impact on Africa. Many of Africa’s current and recent issues can trace their roots back to the poor decisions made during the European colonial era. Some good has resulted however, like modern medicine, education, and infrastructure. Africa’s history and culture have also been transformed. It will take many years for the scars left by colonization to fade, but some things may never truly disappear. The fate of the continent may be unclear, but its past provides us with information on why the present is the way it is.
The Berlin Conference of 1884 peacefully divided Africa between world leaders. The conference, also known as the Congo Conference, looked at Africa as a great source of wealth in many areas to be shared among the participating countries. The division that took place at no time had at interest the people of Africa. By the time Africa regained its freedom in the 1950’s most areas had developed severe political and racial division. The result of this turbulence and division is the occurrence of such violent civil wars and genocides in African countries such as Rwanda.
Throughout history, Africa has been a vulnerable player in the eyes of the rest of the world. From the slave trade to various civil right injustices that have taken place over in every century, from what we have studied in this class, we have been able to see the lasting impact on the continent as a ramification of certain events occurring. Using various sources from the text, which serve as evidence, and help prove how the western world exercised its power in order to capitalize on the African continent and exploit the African people and land.