Re-thinking Development in Africa

Komla Tsey

Description

In this thought provoking book, Komla Tsey argues that if governments, NGOs, development donor agencies and researchers are serious about development in Africa, they need to get down to ground level, both metaphorically and literally. They must search deep into Africa�s own rich oral traditions by creating space and opportunity for ordinary Africans, whose voices have so far been conspicuously absent in the development discourse, to tell and share their own stories of development. Story-sharing as research methodology acts as a mirror, reflecting the participants� self-evaluation of where they have come from, where they are now, and how to proceed into the future. They are strategies that can empower and enable individuals and communities of people to be agents of their own change which, in Tsey's view, is what development is all about.

Sujets

• African Studies

Informations

• Publié par: Langaa RPCIG
• Date de parution: 03 octobre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789956726523
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

RETHINKING DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA A O H A  B, R G KOMLA TSEY

Re-thinking Development in Africa: an Oral History Approach from Botoku, Rural Ghana Komla Tsey

Langaa Research & Publishing CIG Mankon, Bamenda

Publisher: LangaaRPCIG Langaa Research & Publishing Common Initiative Group P.O. Box 902 Mankon Bamenda North West Region Cameroon [e-mail] www.langaa-rpcig.net Distributed in and outside N. America by African Books Collective [e-mail] www.africanbookcollective.com ISBN: 9956-726-50-8 ©Komla Tsey 2011

DISCLAIMER All views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Langaa RPCIG.

About the Author Komla Tsey is a research professor of education for social sustainability at James Cook University’s Cairns Institute in Australia. Komla has a broad research and teaching interest in the reasons why some people are healthy and others not, or what has been called the social determinants of health. He is also interested in the types of government policies and local community actions, and social and cultural values and expectations that can enable individuals, families and broader communities of people to achieve health and well-being. Komla was born and educated in Ghana. After earning a BA honours degree from the University of Ghana in 1980, Komla studied for a PhD in Social Science (Economic History) at Glasgow University, Scotland, where his thesis examined the social, economic and health consequences of British colonial railway investments in Ghana. He returned to the University of Ghana where he lectured and developed partnerships with his rural communities as a participant observer, researching long-term development projects aimed at improving the availability and access to facilities such as schools, health services and water and sanitation. Since the 1990’s, Komla has been living in Australia researching and learning about health and well- being, mainly with Aboriginal organizations and communities. He continues to undertake longitudinal studies of community development projects in Ghana. Komla has written more than 100 academic journal articles and research reports on a wide range of topics including: community development; traditional medicine; mental health; sex, alcohol and violence; needs analysis and resource allocation; education and health; participatory action research; empowerment; social and emotional well-being; and evaluation research. His forthcoming book, From Head Loading to the Iron Horse, tells the story of the unequal social and economic consequences of British colonial railway building in tropical Africa with particular focus on the Gold Coast, modern Ghana.

Intended Audience This book is intended for NGOs and other international development agencies; government policy–makers; academic researchers and students of development studies; and local community development leaders. Most importantly, this book deliberately uses simple story telling approaches aimed at the lay person or general reader, both African and non-African, interested in understanding development in Africa.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to the people of Bokoku in appreciation of the high value they have always placed on education and to my parents in particular for sacrificing the little they had in order to support my education.