http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/africa Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:10:22 -0400 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:10:22 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1934/the-politics-of-nation-building-ethnicity-and-democratization-in-ethiopia By Melale G. Hailu - This article explores the political relationship between nation-building, ethnicity, and democracy in the context of Ethiopia. It traces Ethiopia's poltical history, explores the consequential role ethnicity has played in the formation of the modern Ethiopian nation-state, and analyzes the manner in which democracy (or some form of it) has materlaized in the country post 1990. It argues that the politicization of ethnicity, in an already weak and culturally pluralistic state, further reinforces the existence of a repressive state and becomes a considerable impediment to democratic maturation and... Mon, 17 Jan 2022 11:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1934/the-politics-of-nation-building-ethnicity-and-democratization-in-ethiopia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1930/mobutu-and-the-collective-congolese-memory-reconstructing-the-past-as-a-survival-tool By John M. Mulunda - Despite the focus of scholars on the repressive elements of Mobutu’s Reign, “The rumble in the Jungle,” abacost jackets and the return to “authenticité” instead form the core of the 32-year reign of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in the collective Congolese memory. In the nearly 24 years since his removal from office, Mobutu’s memory has been collectively reconstructed by the Congolese people, complicating our scholarly understanding of Mobutu’s reign and its place in contemporary imagination. The once despised dictator is now often admired as a symbol... Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1930/mobutu-and-the-collective-congolese-memory-reconstructing-the-past-as-a-survival-tool http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1875/the-graphic-novel-as-argument-visual-representation-strategy-in-kyle-bakers-nat-turner By Jacqueline Rodriguez - Traditional slave narratives follow a set of conventions that helped abolitionists recognize them as factual and trustworthy stories. Previously enslaved authors subverted those conventions to take control of their narratives and expose white abolitionists’ selfish motivations. In Kyle Baker’s graphic novel retelling of Nat Turner’s life story, free from the conventions of those traditional narratives, the reader is provided a new perspective on Turner’s story with an emphasis on reader participation. His graphic narrative prioritizes the black story without a white person... Thu, 11 Feb 2021 11:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1875/the-graphic-novel-as-argument-visual-representation-strategy-in-kyle-bakers-nat-turner http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1855/reading-religion-in-literature-toni-morrison-luisah-teish-and-postsecular-theory By Kayla R. Drummond - The postsecular turn of the late 1990’s refers to the emergence of a critical theory which challenges an important modern assumption: that secular ideologies are inherently more valid and truthful than religious ideologies. Other developments in literary theory in the latter half of the 20th century were aimed at disrupting and challenging normative assumptions, and postsecularism was no different. By disrupting the hierarchy of the knowledge/faith binary, postsecular theory provides a range of fresh opportunities for reading religion in literature. This essay examines several important... Mon, 04 Jan 2021 12:13 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1855/reading-religion-in-literature-toni-morrison-luisah-teish-and-postsecular-theory http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1832/complementary-spheres-of-resistance-in-the-anti-apartheid-struggle-the-relationship-between-formal-and-informal-arenas-of-protest By Faith A. Fisher - The African National Congress is widely credited as the institutional body that effectuated the fall of Apartheid in South Africa. While the formal actions of the ANC enfeebled the National Party, the political party only represents one source of resistance in the anti-Apartheid movement. Citizen-driven protest movements, too, provided crucial support to the anti-Apartheid struggle. In order to truly understand the end of Apartheid, however, it is necessary to consider the African National Congress and the informal citizen-driven protest movements as not as separate entities, but as mutually dependent... Sun, 08 Nov 2020 08:22 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1832/complementary-spheres-of-resistance-in-the-anti-apartheid-struggle-the-relationship-between-formal-and-informal-arenas-of-protest http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1731/newspaper-coverage-of-the-mau-mau-movement-a-constructivist-argument By Esme Trahair - On February 14th, 1965, just one week before he was assassinated, Malcolm X delivered a speech in Detroit. He spoke about his beliefs concerning segregation and civil rights, and made a point of contextualizing the civil rights movement globally. Toward the beginning of the speech, he mentioned the Mau Mau in Kenya, and stated that they had "played a major role in bringing about freedom for Kenya, and not only for Kenya but other African countries," adding that "what [they] did frightened the white man."[1] He was not the only civil rights leader to speak of this movement,[2] and in fact,... Wed, 21 Mar 2018 02:47 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1731/newspaper-coverage-of-the-mau-mau-movement-a-constructivist-argument http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1720/before-drones-us-covert-action-in-africa-during-the-congo-crisis By Drew A. Calcagno - A man named Patrice Lumumba led the nation's independence struggle, starting as the head of a local anti-colonial movement and eventually growing to be the first democratically-elected prime minister. Lumumba was under no delusion that Belgium and the greater West would continue to exploit the Congo if given the chance. Due to this philosophy, he expressed in famously charismatic terms that the Congo would progress only if it fully divorced itself from the colonial yoke. Through his magnetism, Lumumba found great allies as well as great enemies. His approach was rich with revolutionary diction... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1720/before-drones-us-covert-action-in-africa-during-the-congo-crisis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1724/mnc-decision-making-under-sanctions-south-africa-and-rhodesia By Yuichiro Kakutani - By using an incentives/disincentives model to map the divergent behaviors of multinational corporations (MNCs) confronted by a sanctioned economy, I explain why some economic sanctions work better than others at achieving their desired political outcomes. When presented with the opportunity to "run the blockade," MNCs are incentivized to sanction bust by the allure of higher profit through rent extraction. At the same time, MNCs are disincentivized to sanction bust by the penalties for breaking the sanction, but only if MNCs believe sanction busting operations is inconspicuous enough to avoid... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1724/mnc-decision-making-under-sanctions-south-africa-and-rhodesia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1704/jazz-is-my-story-a-historical-analysis-of-jazz-and-20th-century-african-american-literature By Anjali J. Misra - The period of time from the Bebop era to the present—mid-1940s onwards—has been an era of great cultural evolution in the United States, and in few groups more so than the African American community. A factor particularly significant in this journey, and one with which jazz music has been closely tied over the past century, is African American literature. This genre, more colloquially called black literature, has only been a formal notion since the Harlem Renaissance (from roughly 1919 to 1939), during which prominent black leaders sought to elevate black culture and status by producing... Wed, 15 Nov 2017 10:26 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1704/jazz-is-my-story-a-historical-analysis-of-jazz-and-20th-century-african-american-literature http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1692/the-effects-of-institutional-and-political-instability-on-civil-war-in-south-sudan By Michael DeFeo - Political and military instability plague South Sudan, but economic depression and mass starvation have resulted from the civil war as well. Cutting off oil production sent the economy into a recession it has not recovered from. International sanctions designed to force the government to provide aid to its people, combined with political upheaval have decimated the South Sudanese economy. Corruption amongst political and military elites has diverted foreign aid to just a few kleptocrats rather than the starving population. Even in relatively stable regions, food insecurity is rampant. Controversy... Thu, 02 Nov 2017 10:30 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1692/the-effects-of-institutional-and-political-instability-on-civil-war-in-south-sudan http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1655/the-modern-and-the-traditional-african-women-and-colonial-morality By Rabah Omer - Modernity and tradition are used as contradictory and exclusive concepts where the former indicates progress and the latter indicates a past without contemporary legitimacy. Modernity characteristically denotes a post-traditional, post-medieval historical period, one marked by the transition from feudalism and agrarian structure to capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its institutions with their systems of surveillance (Barker 2005, 444). Conceptually, however, modernity refers to the modern era. For a while in the eighteenth century, culture was... Wed, 18 Oct 2017 09:27 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1655/the-modern-and-the-traditional-african-women-and-colonial-morality http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1625/literary-repetition-and-revision-as-healing-harryette-mullen-and-suzan-lori-parkss-collective-solution-to-historical-trauma By Zeena Y. Fuleihan - Music functions as a source of healing in Toni Morrison’s Jazz, both to the bird who is inexplicably sad and for the broken relationship between Violet and Joe, the novel’s two main adult characters. The bird cheers up and regains its appetite once it hears music, and Violet and Joe begin to repair their love after a younger character brings a record player into their home. Borrowing from the musical forms of jazz, and more specifically jazz played by black musicians, Morrison structures her book as a series of solos from various characters, moving forward and backward in time to expand... Tue, 11 Apr 2017 09:09 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1625/literary-repetition-and-revision-as-healing-harryette-mullen-and-suzan-lori-parkss-collective-solution-to-historical-trauma http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1544/imagining-ethiopia-the-contrasting-views-of-ethiopian-power-progress-and-significance By Benyam T. Alemu - The ancient civilization of Ethiopia has captivated the West and served, across centuries, as an inspiration for much of Africa. As a regional power in Eastern Africa, the nation is a strategic pathway into the Horn of Africa and guiding force in continental diplomacy. Ethiopia has been an imperial force imposing its will on neighboring nation states and also a firm symbol of resistance against colonialism. Interestingly enough, despite all of its influence on the world, Ethiopia has correspondingly shrouded itself in mystery. The Ethiopian mystique has seductively toyed upon the visions of the... Sun, 26 Feb 2017 10:08 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1544/imagining-ethiopia-the-contrasting-views-of-ethiopian-power-progress-and-significance http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1525/development-discourse-and-the-conduct-of-conduct-promoting-good-governance-in-tanzania By Samuel W. Singler - Following the failure of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) in the 1980s, and the liberal triumphalism caused by the end of the Cold War, development discourse underwent a significant transformation. Key to the new development paradigm was the promotion of “good governance,” stressing the role of governments in providing a sound legal and institutional framework for economic growth and development, and conversely locating the failures of past development programmes in the “poor governance” of aid recipient states (World Bank, 1992: 9). According to the good governance... Wed, 01 Feb 2017 11:53 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1525/development-discourse-and-the-conduct-of-conduct-promoting-good-governance-in-tanzania http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1511/the-role-of-female-quotas-and-female-activism-in-passing-gender-based-violence-legislation-in-sub-saharan-africa-south-africa-as-a-case-study By Gina Starfield - In the 1900s, gender-based violence was commonplace throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Surveys conducted in the region revealed that over 40% of Ugandan, Zambian, and Kenyan women, and 60% of Tanzanian women experienced regular physical abuse.2 Over 80% of married Nigerian women reported being verbally or physically abused by their husbands.3 In most countries, however, state assistance and legal protections were non-existent or nascent and very limited. In South Africa, for example, an abused woman could only seek state assistance through a "peace order." She could submit a complaint of abuse to... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1511/the-role-of-female-quotas-and-female-activism-in-passing-gender-based-violence-legislation-in-sub-saharan-africa-south-africa-as-a-case-study http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1556/applying-the-centrifugal-organizational-model-for-pastoralists-and-other-competing-communities-on-the-ethiopian-landscape-and-the-shift-to-agriculture-after-1975 By EliSabeth Noe - For the past four decades, pastoralist activities have been pushed to marginal areas in several regions of Ethiopia. This change was initiated by the Agrarian Land Reform Proclamation of 1974. Pastoralist activities prior to the agrarian reforms were strongly connected to the Earth and developed symbiotically. A connection to the Earth through symbiotic relationships has been shown to foster sustainability. This paper applies the centrifugal organizational model, originally synthesized in the field of plant community ecology, to the changing environment and pastoralism in Ethiopia, demonstrates... Sun, 30 Oct 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1556/applying-the-centrifugal-organizational-model-for-pastoralists-and-other-competing-communities-on-the-ethiopian-landscape-and-the-shift-to-agriculture-after-1975 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1419/rethinking-the-role-of-cooperatives-in-african-development By Cynthia Kwakyewah - In their search for a new development paradigm, many African governments and international organizations have reverted to cooperatives, a distinct business model that manifest a turbulent history ranging from pre-colonial to colonial and post-independence Africa. Owing to their ethical and democratic features as well as their dual pursuit for social and economic yields, cooperatives have come to be perceived as the solution to the enigma of underdevelopment. But a critical examination indicates that African cooperatives face profound encumbrances deriving from their historical background and the... Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1419/rethinking-the-role-of-cooperatives-in-african-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1409/the-uprisings-of-nat-turner-and-john-brown-response-and-treatment-from-the-abolitionist-movement-and-the-press By Franco A. Paz - This paper examines two influential slave uprisings and the treatment these received by both the abolitionist movement and the press. The first section explores the country’s reaction to John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry, as well as his subsequent trial, conviction, and execution. The second section discusses the media coverage of and reaction to the Southampton Insurrection, the largest slave rebellion in the history of the United States. The third section explores the contrasting reactions to Nat Turner’s and John Brown’s respective revolts, and analyzes some... Mon, 23 May 2016 05:55 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1409/the-uprisings-of-nat-turner-and-john-brown-response-and-treatment-from-the-abolitionist-movement-and-the-press http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1414/angola-1990-2000-oil-democracy-and-a-successful-failed-state By Eric Wilcox - Four decades after independence from Portugal, Angola remains a country with significant barriers to good governance and social development. Although the state's constitution established a multiparty democracy in the early 1990s, measures of high poverty and low state provision of public goods, in addition to high levels of corruption from the Angolan executive government headed by President José Eduardo dos Santos, do not equate with the proclaimed status of a democracy. Through an analysis of Angola's attempts at and challenges in democratization, particularly in the decade of the constitutional... Mon, 23 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1414/angola-1990-2000-oil-democracy-and-a-successful-failed-state http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1397/china-and-india-in-africa-implications-of-new-private-sector-actors-on-bribe-paying-incidence By Sankalp Gowda - This paper seeks to address one of the most common critiques of Asian firms doing business in Africa: that low levels of corporate governance and poor managerial practices have undermined anti-corruption efforts throughout the continent. The paper first details and analyzes the managerial practices of Indian and Chinese firms to distinguish what factors might make these firms more likely to pay bribes. Next, it uses data from the 2006-2014 World Bank Enterprise Surveys to empirically test the claim that the presence of Indian and Chinese firms has increased bribe-paying incidence in African countries... Mon, 25 Apr 2016 08:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1397/china-and-india-in-africa-implications-of-new-private-sector-actors-on-bribe-paying-incidence http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1376/the-resource-curse-in-nigeria-comparing-the-security-of-offshore-and-onshore-oil-production By Mary L. Kleinpeter - Developing states with large natural resource industries have an inclination to become over-reliant on one source of capital, causing other industries to fail, promoting corruption, and stimulating crime. Nigeria is one such case, as their booming oil industry has lead to the creation of new militant groups who target petroleum production sites to either loot oil, kidnap for ransom, or damage infrastructure. In the past decade, major international drilling companies such as Royal Dutch Shell have begun to focus their drilling operations offshore in the Niger Delta in result of the increasing attacks... Wed, 09 Mar 2016 01:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1376/the-resource-curse-in-nigeria-comparing-the-security-of-offshore-and-onshore-oil-production http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1577/effects-of-cultural-factors-on-aids-epidemics-in-sub-saharan-african-countries-from-2005-2010 By Lee Walter - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has ravaged sub-Saharan Africa in the decades since its first recorded case. The disease has reached epidemic levels in many regions, with millions of new cases diagnosed each year. This paper examines the effects of several variables on the infection rates of AIDS in six African countries across six years and tests the hypothesis that widespread misconceptions surrounding AIDS, e.g. the misconceptions that AIDS can be cured by intercourse with a virgin and that AIDS can only be transmitted among homosexuals, affects AIDS rates more than other variables... Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1577/effects-of-cultural-factors-on-aids-epidemics-in-sub-saharan-african-countries-from-2005-2010 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1361/do-african-american-female-stereotypes-still-exist-in-television-a-descriptive-character-analysis-of-olivia-pope By Kendall King. - Pope was chosen for this study because she is leading the "progressive shift in the representation of Black female characters in mainstream television" (Mask, 2015, p. 8). Unlike most African-American women seen today on television, the character played by Washington is both dark-skinned and beautiful, while also romantically and sexually desirable (Everett, 2015, p. 37). Pope differs from other strong African-American television characters, such as Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show, who portrayed another prominent African-American television character, and was a lawyer, a mother, and was equated... Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1361/do-african-american-female-stereotypes-still-exist-in-television-a-descriptive-character-analysis-of-olivia-pope http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1300/the-dead-bodies-of-the-west-african-ebola-epidemic-understanding-the-importance-of-traditional-burial-practices By Jamie J. Shah - Images from the Ebola epidemic in West Africa (top left to bottom right) A burial team lowers the body of an Ebola victim into a grave in a safe and dignified process in Monrovia, Liberia; health workers prepare to remove the body of a suspected Ebola victim from his home in Liberia while (next photo) family members hold a small Christian ceremony outside; health workers disinfect one another after carrying an Ebola victim in Conakry, Guinea (all preceeding photos: UNMEER/Martine Perret [license:ND2]); a 10-year old boy, suspected to be sick with Ebola after his mother and younger brother... Mon, 09 Nov 2015 10:06 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1300/the-dead-bodies-of-the-west-african-ebola-epidemic-understanding-the-importance-of-traditional-burial-practices http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1250/how-ralph-ellisons-invisible-man-retold-the-story-of-the-black-american-experience-for-the-cultural-mainstream By Luke D. Mahoney - People love a good story. A good story can be intriguingly informative, a good story can well up deep emotions and a good story can carry culture, history and tradition. It was through storytelling that many ancient cultures preserved and passed down their understanding of the world, their rites and their rituals. It was, and still is, through stories that children become familiar with cultural and societal norms and mores. Stories are important to people, are one of the most important forms of verbal and written communication. People learn about each other through storytelling, solve problems... Mon, 26 Oct 2015 08:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1250/how-ralph-ellisons-invisible-man-retold-the-story-of-the-black-american-experience-for-the-cultural-mainstream http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1216/transitional-justice-and-religion-an-examination-of-faith-based-actors-in-kenyan-civil-society By Maddie Powell - First, the paper examines civil society’s response to post-election violence that occured in 2007-2008, with a key focus on the response of faith-based actors. In this instance, the International Criminal Court indicted Kenyatta, Ruto, and others for their involvement in the violence. The formation of a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission also followed the incident.  Second, the paper turns to the very recent case of the Kenyan government offering amnesty to Shabaab militants after the brutal Garissa University College attack in April 2015. This section of the paper focuses... Wed, 14 Oct 2015 11:03 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1216/transitional-justice-and-religion-an-examination-of-faith-based-actors-in-kenyan-civil-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1087/sociolinguistic-bias-in-ap-style-how-news-media-deny-african-american-vernacular-english-realities By Andrew B. Keefe - In Media Representations and the Global Imagination, Orgad (2012) addresses the division between content and interpretative analyses of media representations in critical theory research (36). This paper attempts a marriage of structural and cultural methods, both highlighting the bias embedded within Associated Press (AP) style and employing critical discourse analysis of journalistic productions. I argue that U.S. news media that follow AP style prioritize the realities of Standard American English (SAE) speakers; this sociolinguistic bias complements symbiotic relationships between news media... Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:48 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1087/sociolinguistic-bias-in-ap-style-how-news-media-deny-african-american-vernacular-english-realities http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1055/from-retribution-to-restoration-in-sierra-leone-fambul-toks-drive-to-heal-post-civil-communities By Pratik Raghu - Between 1991 and 2002, the small West African coastal state of Sierra Leone was rocked by a brutal civil war, which killed, injured, displaced, and traumatized millions of men, women, and children. In the aftermath of the conflict, local political elites combined with intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations to establish the international-domestic Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC); they hoped that these hybrid bodies would respectively bring the war’s chief perpetrators to justice and address victims’ needs while creating... Tue, 14 Jul 2015 04:28 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1055/from-retribution-to-restoration-in-sierra-leone-fambul-toks-drive-to-heal-post-civil-communities http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1016/mob-violence-against-women-in-algeria-a-historical-case-analysis By Renee S. Grozelle - Violence against women has recently become well recognized as a violation of human rights that holds worldwide significance. Unfortunately, violence against women outside of North America has gone largely unnoticed among the academic community and the media. Algerian citizens have seen this failure to acknowledge violent incidents targeting women as a simplistic representation of underlying problems facing Algerian women in local communities. This paper applies Marshall and Stockes’ (1981) Schematic Presentation of Political Contingencies in an effort to identify historical and cultural... Fri, 20 Mar 2015 03:36 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1016/mob-violence-against-women-in-algeria-a-historical-case-analysis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1001/the-double-victory-campaign-and-the-black-press-a-conservative-approach-to-victory-at-home-and-abroad By Haley D. O'Shaughnessy - During World War II, the black press and several prominent black leaders called for a “Double V” victory against fascism abroad and against Jim Crow at home. With such a slogan, many historians regarded this campaign as the groundwork for the black revolts that characterized the civil rights movement. While there is ample evidence that the readers of the black press were receptive to a more militant approach, black newspapers themselves undertook a conservative effort to channel black militancy into nationalistic ends. By seeking government concessions rather than supporting militant... Wed, 18 Feb 2015 11:29 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1001/the-double-victory-campaign-and-the-black-press-a-conservative-approach-to-victory-at-home-and-abroad