The Methodological Challenges of Researching Postcolonial African Histories

Within the field of African history, scholars have just begun to historicize Africa’s postcolonial era, roughly marked by the independence of Ghana in 1957 to the present. This new endeavor presents significant methodological challenges, since African states have not always had the means nor the political will to maintain state archives. This scenario has prompted scholars to ask whether a history of postcolonial Africa needs to explore alternative archives located outside of official state institutions, such as non-government agencies, popular culture productions, and orality.
Stephan Miescher will lead a discussion about these issues in the context of the African Studies RFG’s 2009-10 theme of “Performance, Orality, and the Postcolonial State.”

Sponsored by the IHC’s African Studies RFG.

hm 1/20/10