Democracy And Socialism In Africa

by Robin Cohen, Harry Goulbourne

After independence many African countries abjured conventional patterns of political representation and democratic participation in the interest of creating a unified state and promoting economic development. Today, however, the dominant models of one-party democracy and African socialism are in terminal collapse as a result of internal pressures and the influence of political changes taking place in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Throughout Africa, especially in South Africa, the old Left has been slowly forced to abandon its belief in democratic centralism in favor of a more pluralistic vision of the future.
In this volume of provocative essays, leading scholars from Africa, Europe, and the United States examine the extent to which popular demands for democracy are both subverting and enriching the postcolonial order in Africa. The contributors explore a wide range of topics, including economic democracy, the state and civil society, the impact of the economic crisis on women, and agrarian reform. Theoretical chapters are followed by case studies of the prospects for democracy in South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, the Sudan, Botswana, and the southern African region. This book will be indispensable for those seeking to understand Africa's future in the world order.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991