Ethnicity in Ghana: The Limits of Invention [Hardcover]

Carola Lentz (Editor), Paul Nugent (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312224052 | ISBN-13: 978-0312224059 | Publication Date: July 7, 2000

These essays address the neglected theme of ethnicity in Ghanaian history, society, and politics. The essays qualify the notion that ethnicity was purely a colonial "invention" by demonstrating the ways in which the boundaries of "we-groups" have mutated from pre-colonial times onwards. The collection also considers the particular manner in which the national question is posed today in terms of language policy and conflicts over land and chieftaincy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In sum, the case studies in this collection, by exploring the limits as well as the varieties of political and cultural creativity in Ghana, illuminate the ways in which ethnic expression relates to older idioms of collective identity. Students of ethnic assertiveness elsewhere in Africa would indeed profit from reading these explorations. International Journal of African Historical Studies

About the Author

Carola Lentz is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Frankfurt, Germany.

Paul Nugent is Senior Lecturer in African history at the University of Edinburgh.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (July 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312224052
• ISBN-13: 978-0312224059
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,205,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.