Dimensions of African Statehood: Everyday Governance and Provision of Public Goods

Dimensions of African Statehood explores the concept of statehood as a set of daily practices that govern and generate effects through the voices of those performing and living the state. It is based on extensive research on the delivery of and access to public goods in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and offers an avenue for a dynamic and multilayered understanding of practices that express and shape statehood.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 138 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book makes a compelling case that the concept of state in many African countries requires a more in-depth exploration of the intricate dynamics between the state and society, rather than relying on a simplistic narrative of European state formation.

Dimensions of African Statehood delves into the concept of statehood as a collection of daily practices that govern and produce effects through the perspectives of those enacting and experiencing the state. The foundation of this book is extensive firsthand research on the delivery of and access to public goods as manifestations of statehood in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

A public good, a domain traditionally dominated by economic models, can be viewed as a power relation rather than a universal, positive good. By unraveling the meaning of whose public, the book opens up a pathway for a dynamic and multifaceted understanding of practices that express and shape statehood.

The assessment of statehood presented in this book offers a call to action for scholars and students of politics, African studies, and governance to contribute to the emerging new era of statehood in regions distinct from the Global North.

This book will be of immense interest to scholars and students seeking to deepen their understanding of the complex dynamics of statehood in Africa and beyond.

Weight: 272g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367784850