Why read Citizen and Subject?

Book cover of Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism

Book description

In analyzing the obstacles to democratization in post- independence Africa, Mahmood Mamdani offers a bold, insightful account of colonialism's legacy--a bifurcated power that mediated racial domination through tribally organized local authorities, reproducing racial identity in citizens and ethnic identity in subjects. Many writers have understood colonial rule as either "direct"…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Citizen and Subject as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Mohamed Haji Ingiriis

Author

This is one of the most compelling books written on Africa. The author insightfully and thoughtfully reassesses the predicament and plight of the African continent with regards to socio-cultural development, institution-building, nation-building, and state-building. The book – both challenging and stimulating as it is – proves to be a somewhat difficult read as the author alternately targets scholars of African studies more than students of Africa as his main audience and recipients.

From Mohamed's list on contemporary Africa and late colonialism.