INNOVATION AND CHANGING SOCIETY IN THE OLDEST CONTINENT OF AFRICA: SOCIOLOGY OF AFRICAN PEOPLE

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 20 Sayı: 1, 32 - 68

Arif Akbaş

Öz

Africa has been a major colonial geography for centuries, being the second largest and most populous continent in the world. This article will discuss the innovation and changing social structure of Africa, the oldest continent, and the sociology of the peoples living here within the framework of an interpretive approach. In “The Damned of the Earth,” Frantz Fanon mentions that “countries on the path to decolonization are crippled by the future of African countries, the call to create, create new people.” Furthermore, according to the author's definition, an African, an ancient colonial, a Third World person, ‘Europe’, he adds, has gained such a crazy and reckless momentum that it is heading towards the abyss; we would do well to stay away from it. Additionally, as a sociological determination, Fanon states, “In the current conditions of Africa and the world, these independent and poor peoples are reaching social consciousness by taking steps that are rapidly gaining momentum.” In these new conditions, Americans are taking their role as the boss of international capitalism very seriously. They advise European countries to make colonial countries independent in a friendly manner at first. At the second stage, they do not hesitate to show their respect and then their support for the principle of “Africa Belongs to Africans” first. However, even if these definitions seem liberating, colonization policies are still continuing from the bottom up in Africa. Africa is divided into regions belonging to political definitions such as North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and South Africa, comprising a total of 54 countries. The geography and sociology of each of these countries are different. African sociology can also be studied in terms of east-west comparisons. This article examines the basic elements that make up the social fabric of Africa and traces the social changes from the past to the present. The methodology of historical sociology is based on sociological data to understand the origins of social structures on the continent. In this context, the findings contained in the article cover in detail the changes of tribal communities in various parts of Africa, their transition to sedentary lifestyles, and the social transformations that occur with the development of agriculture. Additionally, the perspective offered by the method of historical sociology also reveals the effects of important historical events such as the slave trade, colonialism, and independence struggles of Africa on the social structure. In this way, the article provides a broad perspective based on the deep knowledge from the past to understand the sociological evolution of Africa.

Anahtar Kelimeler

African sociology, African history, Colonization policies, Africa's changing social structure, Colonialism and independence struggles, Post-colonial Africa

Proje Numarası

-

EN ESKİ KITA AFRİKA’DA YENİLİK VE DEĞİŞEN TOPLUM: AFRİKA HALKLARININ SOSYOLOJİSİ

Öz

Afrika, yüzyıllarca büyük bir sömürge coğrafyası olmuştur. Dünyanın ikinci en büyük ve kalabalık kıtasıdır. Bu makalede en eski kıta olan Afrika’nın yenilik ve değişen toplum yapısı ile burada yaşayan halkların sosyolojisi yorumlayıcı bir yaklaşım çerçevesinde ele alınacaktır. Frantz Fanon, “Yeryüzünün Lanetlileri”nde “sömürgesizleştirme yolundaki ülkelere, yeni insan yaratma, oluşturma çağrısı Afrika ülkelerinin geleceği tarafından sakatlandığı” konusundan bahsetmektedir. Yine yazarın tespitince; “bir Afrikalı, eskinin sömürgesi bir Üçüncü Dünya insanı ‘Avrupa’ diye ekliyor, öyle delice ve pervasız bir ivme kazandı ki uçuruma doğru gidiyor, ondan uzak durmakla iyi yapmış oluruz.” Yine sosyolojik bir tesbit olarak Fanon; “Afrika’nın ve dünyanın bugünkü koşullarında, bağımsız ve yoksul olan bu halkları hızla ivme kazanan adımlar atarak toplumsal bilince erişmektedir,” diye belirtmektedir. Bu yeni koşullarda Amerikalılar uluslararası kapitalizmin patronu olma rolünü çok ciddiye alıyorlar. Avrupa ülkelerine sömürge ülkeleri bağımsızlaştırmalarının başta dostça bir tavırla öğütlüyorlar. İkinci aşamada “Afrika Afrikalılarındır” ilkesine önce saygılarını, sonra desteklerini göstermekte tereddüt etmezler. Ancak bu özgürleştirici gibi gözüken tanımlamalar olsa bile Afrika’da yine sömürgeleştirme politikaları alttan alta devam etmektedir. Afrika: Kuzey Afrika, Batı Afrika, Orta Afrika, Doğu Afrika ve Güney Afrika gibi siyasi tanımlamalara ait bölgelere ayrılmıştır. Afrika’da toplam 54 ülke bulunmaktadır. Bu ülkelerin her birinin coğrafyası ve sosyolojisi farklıdır. Afrika sosyolojisi doğu-batı karşılaştırmaları açısından da incelenebilir. Bu makale, Afrika’nın sosyal dokusunu oluşturan temel unsurları incelemekte ve geçmişten günümüze sosyal değişimlerin izini sürmektedir. Tarihsel sosyoloji metodolojisi, kıtadaki toplumsal yapıların kökenlerini anlamak için sosyolojik verilere dayanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, makalede yer alan bulgular, Afrika’nın çeşitli bölgelerindeki kabile topluluklarının değişimini, yerleşik yaşam biçimlerine geçişlerini ve tarımın gelişimiyle birlikte ortaya çıkan toplumsal dönüşümleri detaylı bir şekilde ele almaktadır. Ayrıca, tarihsel sosyoloji metodunun sunduğu perspektif, Afrika’nın köle ticareti, sömürgecilik ve bağımsızlık mücadeleleri gibi önemli tarihsel olayların toplumsal yapı üzerindeki etkilerini de gözler önüne sermektedir. Bu şekilde, makale, Afrika’nın sosyolojik değişimini anlamak için geçmişten gelen derin bilgi birikimine dayanarak geniş bir bakış açısı sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Afrika sosyolojisi, Afrika tarihi, Sömürgeleştirme politikaları, Afrika'nın değişen toplum yapısı, Sömürgecilik ve Bağımsızlık mücadeleleri, Sömürge sonrası Afrika

Etik Beyan

Araştırma makalesi olduğu için etik beyan gerekmemektedir.

Destekleyen Kurum

-

Proje Numarası

-

Teşekkür

-

Kaynakça

• Abbas, A. I., Wakılı, S. G., & Rajı, R. B. (2023). The Impacts of Boko Haram Insurgency on Educational Infrastructure and Facilities in North-East Nigeria. Global Journal of Arts Humanity and Social Sciences ISSN: 2583-2034. 217-225.
• Akiwowo, A. A. (1964). The Sociology of Nigerian Tribalism?. Phylon (1960-), 25(2), 155-163. APD. (2007). “Africa Population Dynamics”. https://overpopulation.org adresinden 02.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Ashcroft, B. (2008). Globalism, postcolonialism, and African Studies. A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 511-520.
• Bacon, K. H. (2004). Hiding death in Darfur: why the press was so late. Columbia Journalism Review, 43(3), 9-11.
• Beinart, W. (2000). African history and environmental history. African Affairs, 99(395), 269-302.
• Bély, Lucien (2001). The History of France. Editions Jean-paul Gisserot.
• Berman, B. J., & Tettey, W. J. (2001). African states, bureaucratic culture and computer fixes. Public Administration and Development: The International Journal of Management Research and Practice, 21(1), 1-13.
• Blommaert, J. (2007). Linguistic diversity: Africa. Handbook of language and communication: Diversity and change, 9, 123-149.
• Brantlinger, Patrick (1985). “Victorians and Africans: The Genealogy of the Myth of the Dark Continent”. Critical Inquiry. 12 (1). 166-203.
• Brenzinger, M. (2009). Language diversity and poverty in Africa. Language and poverty, 141, 37.
• Chidester, D. (2003). Religion education in South Africa: Teaching and learning about religion, religions, and religious diversity. British Journal of Religious Education, 25(4), 261-278.
• Claar, S., & Nölke, A. (2013). Deep integration in North–South relations: Compatibility issues between the EU and South Africa. Review of African Political Economy, 40(136), 274-289.
• Daniel, Silander & Oskar, Malmgren. (2022). South Africa’s Democracy at the Crossroads. London.
• Dunham, H. W., & Lutfiyya, A. (1971). Sociology in Egypt. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 6(2), 118.
• Fleming, H. C. (1976). Sociology, ethnology, and history in Ethiopia.
• Frynas, J. G. (2004). The oil boom in Equatorial Guinea. African Affairs, 103(413), 527-546.
• Gayapersad, A., Embleton, L., Shah, P., Kiptui, R., Ayuku, D., & Braitstein, P. (2020). Using a sociological conceptualization of stigma to explore the social processes of stigma and discrimination of children in street situations in western Kenya. Child abuse & neglect, 104803.
• GDP. (Constant 2015 US$) – Sub-Saharan Africa, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD?end=2014&locations=ZG&start=2000 adresinden 04.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Gendron, S., & Vuorinen, M. (2012). Exploiting the Hutu/ Tutsi divide: The relationship between extremist propaganda and genocide in Rwanda. Enemy images in war propaganda, 89-106.
• Gikandi, S. (2006). Preface: Modernism in the World. Modernism/ modernity, 13(3), 419-424.
• Guengant, J. P., & May, J. F. (2013). African demography. Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, 5(3), 215-267.
• Hackett, R. I. (2000). Religious freedom and religious conflict in Africa. The pew program on relıgıon and the news medıa the leonard e. greenberg center for the study of relıgıon ın publıc lıfe trınıty college hartford, connectıcut, 102-114.
• Hare, A. P., & Savage, M. (1979). Sociology of South Africa. Annual Review of Sociology, 5(1), 329-350.
• Hartmann, J. (1983). Development policy-making in Tanzania 1962-1982: a critique of sociological interpretations (Doctoral dissertation, University of Hull).
• Heyneman, S. P. (1976). Influences on academic achievement: A comparison of results from Uganda and more industrialized societies. Sociology of education, 200-211.
• Ibrahim, S. E. (1997). Cross-eyed sociology in Egypt and the Arab world. Contemporary Sociology, 26(5), 547-551.
• Idang, G. E. (2015). African culture and values. Phronimon, 16(2), 97-111.
• Jarring, G. (1978). Evliya Çelebi ve Pire’deki Mermer Aslan. Belleten, 42(168), 775-780.
• Jenny, Aker & Isaac, Mbiti. (2021). “Mobile Phones and Economic Development in Africa”. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1693963 adresinden 05.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Joffe, J. (2014). The state vs. Nelson Mandela: the trial that changed South Africa. Simon and Schuster.
• Kasumba, S. (2013). A new dimension to neo‐institutional sociology: Some evidence from the adoption of new budgetary practices in local governments in Uganda. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 4(1), 122-143.
• Kloos, H. (1990). Health aspects of resettlement in Ethiopia. Social Science & Medicine, 30(6), 643-656.
• Korsten, T., & English, B. (2018). The Historical Sociology of the Algerian Exception. Academia online edu. 1-13.
• Koyame, M., & Clark, J. F. (2002). The economic impact of the Congo War. In The African stakes of the Congo war. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US. 201-223.
• Lazarus, N. (2012). Modernism and African literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Lever, H. (1981). Sociology of South Africa: supplementary comments. Annual Review of Sociology, 7(1), 249-262.
• Loosemore, Jo. (2008). Sailing against slavery. https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2007/03/20/abolition_navy_feature.shtml adresinden 01.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Lovejoy, Paul E. (2000). Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa. Cambridge University Press.
• Magubane, B. (1999). African sociology: towards a critical perspective: the collected essays of Bernard Makhosezwe Magubane. Africa World Press.
• Makinda, S. M., & Okumu, F. W. (2007). The African Union: challenges of globalization, security, and governance. Routledge.
• Nettle, D. (1996). Language diversity in West Africa: An ecological approach. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 15(4), 403-438.
• Nyeko, B. (1997). Exile politics and resistance to dictatorship: the Ugandan anti-Amin organizations in Zambia, 1972–79. African Affairs, 96(382), 95-108.
• Oluwole, Victor. (12 September 2021). “A comprehensive list of all the English-speaking countries in Africa”. Business Insider Africa. https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/a-comprehensive-list-of-all-the-english-speaking-countries-in-africa/hdp1610 adresinden 06.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Onyishi, Augustine; Solomon, Ogbonna (2019). “The African Continental Free Trade Zone (AFCFTZ): Economic Tsunami Or Development Opportunities In Sub-Sahara Africa”. Journal of Development and Administrative Studies. (1): 133–149.
• Osamba, J. O. (2000). The sociology of insecurity: cattle rustling and banditry in North-Western Kenya. African Journal on Conflict Resolution, 1(2), 11-37.
• Palabıyık, M. S. (2012). Ottoman travelers’ perceptions of Africa in the Late Ottoman Empire (1860-1922): A discussion of civilization, colonialism and race. New Perspectives on Turkey, 46, 187-212.
• Politzer, Malia. (2014). “China and Africa: Stronger Economic Ties Mean More Migration” Migration Information Source. (August 2008). https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/migration-information-source adresinden 04.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Ramazan, Ata. (2014). Medeniyetlerin Ruhu ve Osmanlı Medeniyeti. Fırat Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 19(2), 85-102
• Rayner, Gordon. (2011). “Is your mobile phone helping fund war in Congo?”. The Daily Telegraph.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/democraticrepublicofcongo/8792068/Is-your-mobile-phone-helping-fund-war-in-Congo.html adresinden 03.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Reuster-Jahn, U., & Kießling, R. (2006). Lugha ya mitaani in Tanzania-the poetics and sociology of a young urban style of speaking. Swahili Forum.
• Rohwer, S., Butler, L. K., Froehlich, D. R., Greenberg, R., & Marra, P. P. (2005). Ecology and demography of east–west differences in molt scheduling of Neotropical migrant passerines. Birds of Two Worlds: The Ecology and Evolution of Migration (R. Greenberg and PP Marra, Eds.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 87-105.
• Sado-Imodagbe, M. A. (2020). Model for re-strategısıng nıgerıan-afrıcan human and materıal resource development:‘nıgerıanness-afrıcanness ın nıgerıan-afrıcan cıtızens (nanacs). Defining Strategic and United People of Africa (UPA) for a Better Future.
• Said, A. (2021). A sociology of counter‐revolution in Egypt. Sociology Compass, 15(9), e12916. 1-13.
• Sawant, A. B. (1998). Ethnic conflict in Sudan in historical perspective. International Studies, 35(3), 343-363.
• Schraeder, P. J. (1992). The Horn of Africa: US foreign policy in an altered Cold War environment. Middle East Journal, 46(4), 571-593.
• Shillington, Kevin. (2005). History of Africa. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Simon, Julian L. (1995) State of Humanity, Blackwell Publishing.
• Southall, Roger & Melber, Henning. (2009). A New Scramble For Africa?: Imperialism, Investment and Development. University of KwaZulu-Natal Press.
• Süreya, Cemal. (2019). Üvercinka. İstanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları.
• Taylor, C. C. (2020). Sacrifice as terror: The Rwandan genocide of 1994. Routledge.
• The Language Gulper. (2017). “Khoisan Languages”. http://www.languagesgulper.com/eng/Khoisan.html adresinden 04.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• UNESCO. (2005). “Africa”. http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-.html adresinden 03.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Union, A. (2001). The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Abuja: African Union.
• United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2013).” Past and future population of Africa”. https://www6.geohive.com/ adresinden 02.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2022). “World Population Prospects 2022”. https://population.un.org adresinden 03.12.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.
• Van der Bracht, K., Flaam, H., Vlassenroot, K., & Van de Putte, B. (2017). Conflict and insecurity: A sociological perspective on perceptions of insecurity in conflict-affected Democratic Republic of Congo. Current Sociology, 65(3), 336-355.
• Wesseh, Jr. P. K., & Lin, B. (2016). Can African countries efficiently build their economies on renewable energy?. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 54, 161-173.
• Wilson, M. (1971). Religion and the transformation of society: A study in social change in Africa (Vol. 15). Cambridge university press.
• Wolff, Ekkehard. (2019). Linguistic features and typologies in languages commonly referred to as ‘Nilo-Saharan’. Cambridge University Press. 326-381.
• Wood, J. R. T. (2012). A Matter of Weeks Rather Than Months: The Impasse Between Harold Wilson and Ian Smith Sanctions, Aborted Settlements and War 1965-1969. Trafford Publishing.
• Zurlo, Gina A. (2020). “African Christianity”. https://www.gordonconwell.edu/blog/african-christianity adresinden 30.11.2023 tarihinde erişilmiştir.