Perspectives on the State Borders in Globalized Africa

The contributors present a borderland and trans-region approach to understanding the challenges and opportunities facing the peoples of the African continent, arguing that porous borders can contribute to cultural and socio-economic network construction and the creation of active borderlands.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 25 February 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Assessing the diverse range of borders between African nations, the contributors adopt a borderland and trans-region approach to understanding the complex challenges and abundant opportunities facing the people of the African continent.

In the face of globalization, Africa grapples with a multitude of pressing issues, including widespread violence, terrorism, the degradation of water, energy, and food provision, the influx of refugees and immigrants, and religious hatred. Conventional state-building approaches alone cannot address these complex challenges. Statehood is limited in many places on the African continent due to the prevalence of loose political ties that combine states. However, as the contributors to this volume argue, these porous borders hold the potential to foster cultural and socio-economic networks that transcend state boundaries and create vibrant borderlands. By promoting increased mobility, contact, and trade, these borders can facilitate the exchange of ideas, resources, and cultural practices, contributing to the development and well-being of the people of Africa.

This book is a valuable resource for scholars of African studies, offering insightful perspectives that will also be of great interest to academics and students with a broader interest in nationhood, globalization, and borders. It sheds light on the complex dynamics and interconnections that shape the African continent and provides valuable insights into the potential for positive change and development in the region.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032064338