Work

Leaving area studies behind: the challenge of diasporic connections in the field of African studies

Year: 2007

Type: article

Abstract: In recent years, diaspora has become one of the key terms of social analysis in various fields. Emphasizing the multiple trajectories out of which present identities – inasmuch as political or economic realities – are forged, the concept forces us to reconsider the scope of classical area studies (and associated disciplinary boundaries) in radical terms. The article looks at the colonial foundations of African Studies as area studies and examines some ways by which to overcome enduring colonial epistemologies. The author suggests a theoretical framework in which Africa herself is considered as diasporic. Moreover, she calls for a critical perspective that will facilitate the comparative analysis of different diasporic discourses and practices.

Source: African and Black Diaspora An International Journal

DOI: 10.1080/17528630701676588

Author: Katharina Schramm

Institutions: Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Language: English

Topic: Cultural Studies and Colonialism

Subfield: Religious studies

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W1976268464

FWCI: 35.9

Cites: 56

Cited by: 16

Related to: 10