Violence and genocide in African literature and film
Studies on violence and genocide in Africa have for many years relied on the disciplines of history, sociology, and individual testimonies to make sense of the crimes against humanity. The main justification for using anthropological and sociological accounts to explain violence and genocide in...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
UNISA Press
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02564718.2014.931041 https://doi.org/10.1080/02564718.2014.931041 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4387 |
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| Summary: | Studies on violence and genocide in Africa have for many years relied on
the disciplines of history, sociology, and individual testimonies to make
sense of the crimes against humanity. The main justification for using
anthropological and sociological accounts to explain violence and genocide
in Africa has been encouraged by an empiricist research culture that relied
on quantitative methods to measure the impact of violence and genocide in
Africa. The main aim in these sorts of research had been to over-awe the
world with the image of Africa as the heart of darkness. These approaches
are forcefully recreated in the worked by critics like Patrick Chabal and
Jean-Pascal (1999) for whom it is disorder that makes Africa work.
Furthermore the reliance on the evidence provided in statistics gathered
from the victims who of violence and genocide unfortunately was
manipulated by some critics to create the wrong perception which that only
the people in Africa affected directly by violence and genocide could write
insightfully and authoritatively on the subject. These views have now been
challenged in a new scholarship by young African intellectuals. These
African intellectuals as are represented in this issue argue in different ways
that the structural, systemic and symbolical forms of violence introduced by
colonialism, found a new life and was and then intensified by some
postcolonial leaders whose politics undermined the potential of Africa to
grow out of the stereotype constituted in the view that the continent is a
place where anything and everything negative that can happen in the world
is manifested. The power of the voices of victims of genocide has also
provided compelling evidence of, and provided a robust moral argument to
convince the world to act whenever the spectre of genocidal wars rears its
head. But the actions of the world’s powerful governments have been
selective. Where their interests lay, they would act or not act depending on
the global coalition forces’ immediate interests. There is however in Africa,
a refreshing look by young African intellectuals that refuse to minimize the
complicity of Africans in their own historical misfortunes. |
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