Beyond the Political Spider

Kwesi Yankah

Description

Beyond the Political Spider: Critical Issues in African Humanities by Kwesi Yankah is the first title in the newly established African Humanities Association (AHA) publication series.

By integrating his own biography into a critique of the global politics of knowledge production, Yankah, through a collection of essays, interrogates critical issues confronting the Humanities that spawn intellectual hegemonies and muffle African voices. Using the example of Ghana, he brings under scrutiny, amongst others, endemic issues of academic freedom, gender inequities, the unequal global academic order, and linguistic imperialism in language policies in governance.

In the face of these challenges, the author deftly navigates the complex terrain of indigenous knowledge and language in the context of democratic politics, demonstrating that agency can be liberatory when emphasising indigenous knowledge, especially expressed through the idiom of local languages and symbols, including Ananse, the protean spider, folk hero in Ghana and most parts of the pan-African world.

Prologue 

SECTION 1: DEFINING MOMENTS 

Chapter 1: Rising with the African Humanities 

Chapter 2: Science speaks, the Humanities answer 

Chapter 3: Arts and the African identity 

SECTION 2: TOWARDS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE 

Chapter 4: The quest for a new world academic order 

Chapter 5: The drumbeat of academic freedom 

Chapter 6: Towards gender parity in higher education 

SECTION 3: LANGUAGE IN GOVERNANCE 

Chapter 7: Language and the dilemma in public policy 

Chapter 8: Kwame Nkrumah's Verandah Boys 

Chapter 9: Language, education, and electoral choices 

SECTION 4: RHETORIC AND SOCIAL POWER 

Chapter 10: Proverbs, presidents and the politics of expediency 

Chapter 11: The making and breaking of Kwame Nkrumah 

Chapter 12: Tweaa: Meaning and the social power of little words 

Chapter 13: The folktale as a political transcript 

SECTION 5: OUTSTANDING HUMANISTS 

Chapter 14: J. H. Kwabena Nketia: 1921-2019 

Chapter 15: Efua Sutherland: 1924-1996 

Chapter 16: Agya Koo Nimo 

Epilogue 

Index

Sujets

• African Studies
• Ethnic Studies
• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Traditional knowledge
• International studies
• Knowledge economy
• Region
• Social sciences
• Regional

Informations

• Publié par: NISC (Pty) Ltd
• Date de parution: 28 octobre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781920033811
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 22 Mo

Extrait

Dedication To the next generation of scholars in African Humanities

About te Serîes he Arîcan Humanîtîes Serîes covers topîcs în Arîcan îstorîes, anguages, îteratures, pîosopîes, poîtîcs and cutures and îs întended to speak to scoars în Arîca as we as în oter word areas. ïts core goa îs to oreground te best researc on te contînent. he rîgorous revîew process o submîtted manuscrîpts, edîtorîa vettîng and, were warranted, învovement o a manuscrîpt mentor to work wît te autor on teîr wrîtîng, assures tat te best quaîty materîa îs pubîsed. he estabîsment o te Arîcan Humanîtîes Assocîatîon în Abuja în 2020 as aowed te Serîes to expand în scope and autorsîp beyond te orîgîna Ive partîcîpatîng countrîes o te Arîcan Humanîtîes Program (Gana, Nîgerîa, Sout Arîca, Tanzanîa and Uganda), to încude te entîre contînent. ïn addîtîon, te Arîcan Humanîtîes Serîes as broadened îts coverage o topîcs and autorsîp to capture te work o scoars engaged în Arîcan Humanîtîes researc gobay. he expanded scope encompasses two categorîes, eac under îts own împrînt: Relectîons: A orum or Arîcan scoars as we as tose în te dîaspora to pubîs work on te state o te umanîtîes on te contînent. ït wî encourage especîay senîor scoars to relect on teîr own experîences o past and current Humanîtîes scoarsîp. Cuttîng Edge: An outet or înnovatîve Humanîtîes work wîc unsettes te boundarîes o knowedge în ways wîc make us tînk anew about te abîdîng socîa probems across te contînent.

he Arîcan Humanîtîes Serîes îs produced în coaboratîon wît NïSC (Pty) Ltd, estabîsed pubîsers o academîc work on te contînent, and îs wîdey accessîbe în prînt and onîne ormats rom oca and înternatîona saes outets and aggregators o book content.

Serîes edîtors: Adîgun Agbaje & Fred Hendrîcks

Afrîcan Humanîtîes Serîes Edîtorîa Board members as at September 2021

Afrîcan Humanîtîes Serîes edîtors: Proessor Adîgun Agbaje, Unîversîty o ïbadan, Nîgerîa Proessor Emerîtus Fred Hendrîcks, Rodes Unîversîty, Sout Arîca

Consutant: Proessor Emerîtus Sandra Barnes, Unîversîty o Pennsyvanîa, USA (Antropoogy)

Board Members: 1 Proessor Akosua Adomako Ampoo, ïnstîtute o Arîcan Studîes, Gana (Gender Studîes & Advocacy) (Vîce Presîdent, Arîcan Studîes Assocîatîon o Arîca) 2 Proessor KoI Anyîdoo, Unîversîty o Gana, Gana (Arîcan Studîes & Lîterature) (Dîrector, Codesrîa Arîcan Humanîtîes ïnstîtute Program) 3 Proessor ïbraîm Beo-Kano, Bayero Unîversîty, Nîgerîa (Dept o Engîs and Frenc Studîes) 4 Proessor Satî Fwatsak, Unîversîty o Jos, Nîgerîa (Dept o Hîstory & ïnternatîona Studîes) 5 Proessor Patrîcîa Hayes, Unîversîty o te Western Cape, Sout Arîca (Arîcan Hîstory, Gender Studîes and Vîsuaîty) (SARCï Caîr în Vîsua Hîstory and heory) 6 Assocîate Proessor Wîred Laju, Coege o Humanîtîes & Socîa Scîences, Makerere Unîversîty, Uganda (Dept o Pîosopy) 7 Proessor Yusuu Lawî, Unîversîty o Dar-es-Saaam, Tanzanîa (Dept o Hîstory) 8 Proessor Bertram Mapunda, Unîversîty o Dar es Saaam, Tanzanîa (Dept o Arcaeoogy & Herîtage Studîes) 9 Proessor ïnnocent Pîkîrayî, Unîversîty o Pretorîa, Sout Arîca (Caîr & Head, Dept o Antropoogy & Arcaeoogy) 10 Proessor Josepat Rugemaîra, Unîversîty o Dar-es-Saaam, Tanzanîa (Dept o Foreîgn Languages & Lînguîstîcs) 11 Proessor ïdayat Boa Udegbe, Unîversîty o ïbadan, Nîgerîa (Dept o Psycoogy)

Published in the African Humanities Series

Domînîca Dîpîo,Gender terraîns în Arîcan cînema, 2014 Ayo Adeduntan,Wat te orest tod me: Yoruba unter, cuture and narratîve perormance,2014 Sue E. Egya,Natîon, power and dîssîdence în tîrd-generatîon Nîgerîan poetry în Engîs, 2014 ïrîkîdzayî Manase,Wîte narratîves: he depîctîon o post-2000 and învasîons în Zîmbabwe, 2016 Pasca Mungwînî,ïndîgenous Sona Pîosopy: Reconstructîve însîgts, 2017 Syvîa Bruînders,Paradîng Respectabîîty: he Cutura and Mora Aestetîcs o te Crîstmas Bands Movement în te Western Cape, Sout Arîca, 2017 Mîcae Andîndîîe,he Angopone îterary-înguîstîc contînuum: Engîs and îndîgenous anguages în Arîcan îterary dîscourse, 2018 Jeremîa Arowosegbe,Caude E Ake: he makîng o an organîc înteectua, 2018 Romanus Abo,Language and te constructîon o mutîpe îdentîtîes în te Nîgerîan nove, 2018 Bernard Matoîno,Consensus as Democracy în Arîca, 2018 Babajîde Ooajuo,Unsared ïdentîty: Postumous paternîty în a contemporary Yoruba communîty, 2018 De-Vaera NYM Botcway,Boxîng îs no cakewak! Azuma ‘Rîng Proessor’ Neson în te socîa îstory o Ganaîan boxîng,2019 Dîna Lîgaga,Women, vîsîbîîty and moraîty în Kenyan popuar medîa,2020 Okaka Opîo Dokotum,Hoywood and Arîca: Recycîng te ‘Dark Contînent’ Myt, 1908–2020, 2020 Moee Motsamaî,Arîcan Personood and Appîed Etîcs,2020

BEYOND THE POLITICAL SPIDER Critical Issues in African Humanities

KWESI YANKAH

Pubîsed în Sout Arîca on bea o te Arîcan Humanîtîes Assocîatîon by NïSC (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 377, Makanda, 6140, Sout Arîca www.nîsc.co.za

Fîrst edîtîon, Irst împressîon 2021 Pubîcatîon © Arîcan Humanîtîes Assocîatîon 2021 Text © Kwesî Yanka 2021

A rîgts reserved. No part o tîs pubîcatîon may be reproduced or transmîtted în any orm or by any means, eectronîc or mecanîca, încudîng potocopyîng, recordîng, or any înormatîon storage or retrîeva system, wîtout prîor permîssîon în wrîtîng rom te pubîser.

ïSBN: 978-1-920033-80-4 (prînt) ïSBN: 978-1-920033-81-1 (PDF) ïSBN: 978-1-920033-82-8 (ePub)

Project manager: Peter Lague ïndexer: Tanya Barben Cover desîgn: Advanced Desîgn Group Cover potograps: ©Lînda Huges Potograpy/Sutterstock

Acknowedgements Data în Capter 2: Unîversîty o Gana, Oice o Researc, ïnnovatîon and Deveopment, and Pubîc Afaîrs Dîrectorate; potos pages 51–60: Jubîee House, Accra; potos Capter 5: Unîversîty o Gana, Pubîc Afaîrs Dîrectorate; Capters 7, 8 and 9: repubîsed courtesy o Gana Academy o Arts and Scîences; potos Capter 8: ïnormatîon Servîces Dept, Accra; poto Capter 16: Erîc Obeng- Amoako Edmonds

he autor and te pubîser ave made every efort to obtaîn permîssîon or and acknowedge te use o copyrîgt materîa. Soud an înadvertent înrîngement o copyrîgt ave occurred, pease contact te pubîser and we wî rectîy omîssîons or errors în any subsequent reprînt or edîtîon.

C

o

n

Foreword Lîst of abbrevîatîons and acronyms

P ROLOGUE

t

e

n

SECTION 1: DEFINING MOMENTS

C HAPTER 1

C HAPTER 2

C HAPTER 3

t

s

Rîsîng wît te Afrîcan Humanîtîes

Scîence speaks, te Humanîtîes answer

Arts and te Afrîcan îdentîty

SECTION 2: TOWARDS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE C HAPTER 4 he quest for a new word academîc order

C HAPTER 5

C HAPTER 6

he drumbeat of academîc freedom

Towards gender parîty în îger educatîon

SECTION 3: LANGUAGE IN GOVERNANCE C HAPTER 7 Language and te dîemma în pubîc poîcy

C HAPTER 8

C HAPTER 9

Kwame Nkruma’s Veranda Boys

Language, educatîon, and eectora coîces

SECTION 4: RHETORIC AND SOCIAL POWER C HAPTER presîdents and te poîtîcs of10 Proverbs, expedîency

C HAPTER 11 he makîng and breakîng of Kwame Nkruma

îx xîî

1

7

8

25

41

63 64

91

121

145 146

170

199

222

223

238

vii

viii

C HAPTER 12Tweaa: Meanîng and te socîa power of îtte words

C HAPTER 13 he foktae as a poîtîca transcrîpt

SECTION 5: OUTSTANDING HUMANISTS C HAPTER 14 J. H. Kwabena Nketîa: 1921–2019

C HAPTER 15 Efua Suterand: 1924–1996

C HAPTER Koo Nîmo16 Agya

E PILOGUE

I NDEX

256

268

288 289

297

306

312

316

FOREWORD

ïn tîs tîmey book, Kwesî Yanka învîtes îs readers to relect on a cocktaî o crîtîca îssues o concern în te umanîtîes în Arîca. Presentîng îke an unîntended înteectua bîograpy, tîs book covers a range o îssues and presents personaîtîes wît wom te autor as ad persona engagements as a student, researcer/scoar, a unîversîty admînîstrator, a poîcymaker and a poîtîcîan. he weat o knowedge e sares în tîs book, more tan anytîng ese, presents îm as an astute scoar o many parts. Kwesî Yanka, în easy îngo, aced wît reasonabe doses o umor, makes scoary sense o eatures o îs îndîgenous Akan anguage and cuture. More tan tat, e adroîty connects tese oca observatîons wît natîona, regîona, contînenta and goba standards and appenîngs, reatîng, comparîng and contrastîng îndîgenous knowedge systems wît western receîved norms and practîces. As a ormîdabe Arîcan înguîst, Kwesî Yanka eucîdates te power o words as used by te most poweru persons în socîety, suc as Presîdents, to consoîdate teîr grîp on power, and te east poweru în socîety to vent teîr dîsdaîn and rustratîon o sufocatîng eadersîp. he use o words bot to consoîdate power and caenge te poweru în modern poîtîcs îs paraeed wît suc use o anguage în Arîcan tradîtîona governance systems. Weter you are în a posîtîon o autorîty or not, te power o te spoken word îs avaîabe to you as a veîce to advance your cause. Kwesî Yanka învîtes us to apprecîate te roe o te spoken word în governance and poîtîcs, careuy outînîng ow Gana’s carîsmatîc Irst Presîdent, Osagyeo Dr Kwame Nkruma made use o te power o te spoken word to enance îs pubîc persona as a eader. Readers are made to apprecîate te înexpedîency o not speakîng a oca anguage în eectîve poîtîcs and te admîratîon tat te genera popuace as or mutîîngua Ganaîan poîtîcîans suc as J. J. Rawîngs, Kwesî Botcway and J. H. Mensa. And teîr eves o luency does not even matter – tey just ave to try! No doubt mutîînguaîsm îs a resource or poîtîca capîta. Representatîve o Arîca’s strong ora tradîtîon, Kwesî Yanka draws attentîon to te overooked înteectua vaue o ora tradîtîon and te vaue o îndîgenous înteectuas suc as Agya Koo Nîmo and Nana Kwame Ampadu – outstandîng Ganaîan musîcîans o te twentîet century, rom wose musîc exudes sound Arîcan pîosopy. he mutî-dîmensîona aspect o communîcatîon în te Arîcan context îs demonstrated troug textîe tak – skîuy exempîIed by Arîcan abrîcs (kente and wax prînt) adorned by te Ganaîan Presîdent, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuo- Addo, în îs pubîc appearances. More sîgnîIcanty, te reader îs treated to te

ix