Democracy and empire in Africa

Abstract

Chapter 7 deals largely with British colonial rule in Africa. With the eyes of an anthropologist, Maxwell Owusu looks over his shoulder at history and sees not only the ambiguities and offensive myths by which European imperial powers sought to legitimatise their civilising mission in Africa, aimed at lifting African populations from poverty to generate social progress. He also sees, I think, the real possibility in contemporary times for ordinary people to rally and together face future challenges. At the heart of his contribution lie three sets of overlapping arguments. First, economic development can create the objective conditions for a better distribution of income; elimination of extreme economic inequalities will reduce tensions in state–society relations and foster a climate for the evolution of democracy. Second, mass education is critical to advancing democracy; an informed and educated citizenry will be politically motivated to safeguard constitutionally guaranteed rights and ensure that rulers abide by the rule of law. Third, traditional institutions of governance possess the capacity to help domesticate a culture of democracy. The author has identified an eclectic choice of the classical literature on colonial rule in Africa, whose contents he evaluates to buttress a controversial argument on the merits and demerits of empire building. Owusu has dissected those main determinants of democracy and he is convinced about the possibilities for political and economic reform in transitional African societies.