Understanding Confusion in Africa : The Politics of Multiculturalism and Nation-building in Cameroon.
Title:
Understanding Confusion in Africa : The Politics of Multiculturalism and Nation-building in Cameroon.
Author:
Fossungu, Peter Ateh-Afac.
ISBN:
9789956790623
Personal Author:
Physical Description:
1 online resource (272 pages)
Contents:
Cover -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Contents -- Introduction -- Cameroon and Africa -- Book's Driving Forces and Importance -- The Central Arguments -- Chapter 1 - Advanced Multiculturalism and The February Story: The Politics Of National (Dis) Unity In The Hinge Of Africa -- Issues Experts Want Addressed -- Advanced Multiculturalism and the Palm Wine School of Deconstruction -- Defining Culture -- Is Culture Without History Culture? -- The February Story: Disuniting By Uniting? -- The Intimacy of the 1972 and 1984 Name Changes -- Disuniting By Uniting One History/Culture? -- The 1984 Name or History Case -- The 1985/83 Education Case -- Chapter 2 - The Perfect Nation is an Anathema to Multiculturalism -- (The Usual) Democracy and Collective Participation -- Kontchoumeterized Collective Participation and the Case of The Educational Systems -- Minority Politics and Self-Determination in a Unitary Centralized State? -- The Minority Exchange -- The Territory and Population of the Minority -- The Educational Systems Are Different But Not Different and At War? -- The Constitution and the Education Domain -- The Philosophy of the Education Law -- Chapter 3 - The One-Party System (Or 'Pluralistic Democracy') Is an Abomination to Multiculturalism -- Monosity: Prerequisite for 'Pluralistic Democracy'? -- Sexing Patriotism and Equality: The Illustrative Case of the 1997 Legislative and Presidential Elections -- The 1990 Multipartism Law and the Irreplaceable One-Party System -- On The Justification of the Single-Party State -- Deconstructing the Multipartism Law -- Chapter 4 - Colonialism And The Leadership Mess In Africa: When History Is Not Historical - From Cameroon To Njangawatar? -- On The Importance of History to Development -- Theories Drawn From Name-Changing Justifications -- From Cameroon to Njangawatar?.
"Intellectuals in Politics": Questioning the Discoverer Theory? -- From Pidgin to Njangawatok? -- From Victoria to Limbe: Biculturalism in Cameroon? -- From Bilingualism/Bijuralism to Ngoa-Lingualism/Unijuralism -- The Purpose and Objectives of Education plus Epsi as Preventing Biculturalism -- Chapter 5 - Leadership Non-Charisma and Non-Challenge of Historic Trivia: The Uniting Of One History Is Why Cameroon Is Not Championing In the Development Business in Africa -- Understanding the Political Economy of Cameroon -- Original Quality of Cameroon's Environment -- The Natural Qualities Of The Cameroon People -- Health and Intelligence in Development in Cameroon -- Confusioncracy Passing for Balanced Development -- The Anglophone Factor and Absence of Known Rules -- Turning the English-Speaking into the French -- Operating Without Local Governments and an Independent Umpire -- Stifling Industrialization -- Developing with Confusing and Incomplete Rules and Laws -- The Role of Agriculture and Poverty -- Closing Observation -- Conclusion -- References -- Back cover.
Abstract:
Cameroon is often considered to be Africaís legendary pathfinder. This book argues essentially that Cameroon cannot competently champion African unity and progress until it can correctly pursue its own multicultural nation-building. Cameroon's success continental-wise would depend on its theory and practice of multiculturalism, as particularly reflected in (1) the rejoicing in its historical diversity and the harmonious co-existence of its Systems of Education which must, of necessity, be linked to (2) effective federalization or decentralization of uniquely cultural matters. Critically examining history and education as components of culture, and therefore, of multiculturalism, the book makes some bold recommendations while demonstrating how nation-building is meaningless without the peopleís authentic history. It argues that Cameroon national culture cannot be a national culture without embodying the distinct culture of the Englishlish-speaking minority. Anything else is nothing but deliberate confusion of assimilation for multiculturalism, a confusion that is heavily tied to the countryís phoney independence. Hinging on education (and its associates of bilingualism and bijuralism), the book demonstrates that Cameroonís over-sung cultural dualism is a charade, epitomized by the 1998 Education Law. Rather than reaffirm Cameroonís biculturalism as it superficially avows, Cameroonís purported cultural dualism is really out to efface any semblance of cultural or educational dualism that may still be resisting assimilation. The continuous and persistent employment of terms such as biculturalism, bilingualism and bijuralism in legal texts in Cameroon is only to confuse the international community, especially from seeing exactly the kind of ëethnic cleansingí which is taking place in the country.
Local Note:
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2017. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.
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