Development and the African Diaspora: Place and the Politics of Home Contributor(s): Mercer, Doctor Claire (Editor), Page, Ben (Editor), Evans, Martin (Editor) |
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ISBN: 184277901X ISBN-13: 9781842779019 Publisher: Zed Books OUR PRICE: $40.54 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 2009 Annotation: This innovative book examines the relationship between African "civil society" and "home association" networks in the diaspora. Remittances home via these networks outweigh official development assistance. Looking in particular at Cameroon and Tanzania, the authors argue that building "civil society" in Africa must be understood in tandem with the political economy of migration and wider debates concerning ethnicity and belonging. They demonstrate both that diasporic development is distinct from mainstream development, and that it is an uneven historical process in which some '"homes" are better placed to take advantage of global connections than others. In doing so, the book engages critically with the current enthusiasm among policy-makers for treating the African diaspora as an untapped resource for combating poverty. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Emigration & Immigration - Political Science | Political Economy - Political Science | International Relations - General |
Dewey: 338.96 |
LCCN: 2009284104 |
Physical Information: 0.7" H x 5.4" W x 8.3" (0.75 lbs) 272 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: There has been much recent celebration of the success of African 'civil society' in forging global connections through an ever-growing diaspora. Against the background of such celebrations, this innovative book sheds light on the diasporic networks - 'home associations' - whose economic contributions are being used to develop home. Despite these networks being part of the flow of migrants' resources back to Africa that now outweighs official development assistance, the relationship between the flow of capital and social and political change are still poorly understood. Looking in particular at Cameroon and Tanzania, the authors examine the networks of migrants that have been created by making 'home associations' international. They argue that claims in favour of enlarging 'civil society' in Africa must be placed in the broader context of the political economy of migration and wider debates concerning ethnicity and belonging. They demonstrate both that diasporic development is distinct from mainstream development, and that it is an uneven historical process in which some 'homes' are better placed to take advantage of global connections than others. In doing so, the book engages critically with the current enthusiasm among policy-makers for treating the African diaspora as an untapped resource for combating poverty. Its focus on diasporic networks, rather than private remittances, reveals the particular successes and challenges diasporas face in acting as a group, not least in mobilising members of the diaspora to fulfill obligations to home. |