Abstract
In this paper we discuss the interpretations of the geographer Milton Santos about Africa and the Africans. We seek to articulate the intellectual's debates on Africa to his trajectory of life. The analyzes here comprise two moments in Milton Santos' trajectory: the first one concerns the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which he produced his thesis on the settlement of Bahia, one of the groups addressed is the Africans, and he undertakes political and study trips to countries in Africa and produced the book Marianne em preto e branco (1960) and the journalistic articles L'afrique vue par un noir américain (1962) and Nossos irmãos africanos (1962). The second period comprises the year 1964 until the end of the 1970s. In this moment, the intellectual became globally recognized because of his research on “third world” countries and went to live in Tanzania (1974-76) with the task of found the Department of Geography at the University of Dar es Salaam. During this period, we highlight the analyzes of African cities present in the book Manual de Geografia Urbana (1981). We can notice with this research that Africa played a central role in the production of a complex geographic theory and "imaginative geography" in Milton Santos.
Highlights
In this paper we discuss the interpretations of the geographer Milton Santos about Africa and the Africans
The analyzes here comprise two moments in Milton Santos' trajectory: the first one concerns the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which he produced his thesis on the settlement of Bahia, one of the groups addressed is the Africans, and he undertakes political and study trips to countries in Africa and produced the book Marianne em preto e branco (1960) and the journalistic articles L'afrique vue par un noir américain (1962) and Nossos irmãos africanos (1962)
We highlight the analyzes of African cities present in the book Manual de Geografia Urbana (1981)
Summary
Quando se encontrava em processo de doutoramento em Tolouse, na França, Milton Santos realizou sua primeira viagem ao continente africano, passou algumas semanas na região conhecida no período como Afrique Occidentale Française (composta por Senegal, Guiné, Costa do Marfim e Mali). Anos depois, período em que estava exilado na França, Milton Santos (1989 [1981]; 1996 [1971]) pôde observar e teorizar sobre os países africanos e demonstrar como estas “infra-estruturas territoriais” e a política bipolarizada internacional nada serviram para o desenvolvimento das nações africanas, elas atuaram sim, para a ampliação do capital das grandes corporações européias, estadunidenses e da União Soviética. Nesta obra Milton Santos aborda o processo de urbanização nos países subdesenvolvidos – o que inclui países dos continentes americanos, africano, asiático e do Oriente Médio – e aponta como a dinâmica do capital influenciou na constituição das cidades, o que, devido a uma série de fatores elencados pelo intelectual, as diferenciava das cidades dos países desenvolvidos. Entretanto, apresentando já indícios de suas ideias sobre a “força do lugar”[19] na metrópole ele pontua ironicamente: “o feitiço, como é de regra, pode se voltar contra o feiticeiro, em vez de favorecê-lo” (SANTOS, 1989 [1981], p. 202)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Revista da Associação Brasileira de Pesquisador s Negr s - ABPN
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
