Africa and the New International Division of Labour

Abstract

Africa is in crisis. The nature of this crisis varies depending on where the observer stands. This chapter looks at the problem from the macro-perspective of the global political economy. Structural changes in train in the global political economy have specific implications for Africa that will shape its destiny for the foreseeable future. In essence, we have seen, and are continuing to see, the evolution of a New International Division of Labour (NIDL). Africa is being drawn into this division in a subordinate manner and this subordination is in turn conditioning the nature of political behaviour in Africa — particularly with regard to the form and functions which characterise the peripheral state in the last quarter of the twentieth century.KeywordsComparative International DevelopmentStructural AdjustmentInternational CapitalAfrican StateAccelerate DevelopmentThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.