The Effect of Western Civilization and Culture in Africa
Afro Asian Journal of Social Sciences
Volume 1, No. 1 Quarter I V 2010
ISSN 2229 – 5313
THE EFFECTS OF WESTERN CIVILISATION AND CULTURE ON AFRICA
Dare Arowolo
(Lecturer, Dept. of Political Science & Public Administration, Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria)
ABSTRACT
The central argument of this paper stems from the submission that colo nialism, slave trade and missionary are the platform upon which Western civilisation and culture thrive and are sustained. While insisting that Western civilisation and culture has precariously contaminated the traditional values o f
Africa, the paper contends that Africa had established, well before the advent of colonialism, a pattern of home-grown political systems, governance process and generally acceptable institutional rule-making arrangement, such that there was progression in the pace of civilisatio n of Africa and self-styled tempo of technological development. The paper further submits that the dynamism and significance of Africa on the global continuum tends to support the argument that Africa would have evolved and sustained level of development and civilisation without the retrogressive contact with imperial forces. The paper adopted descriptive analytic model to drive home its points and relies on neoliberalism, liberal democracy, colonialism and missionary to prove the effects of Western civilisation and culture on Africa. It concludes by putting forth viable options as a panacea for Africa to come out of its cultural logjam.
Keywords: Colonialism, Culture, Development, Governance, Liberal Democracy, Missionary,
Neoliberalism, Political System, Western Civilisation
INTRODUCTION
For a start, I argue that colonialism, slave trade and missionaries are the bastion of Western civilisation and culture in Africa. This is correct to the extent that colonialism serves as a vehicle of implantation of cultural imperialism in Africa. Colonialism, perceived in this context, is an imposition o f foreign rule over indigenous
Volume 1, No. 1 Quarter I V 2010
ISSN 2229 – 5313
THE EFFECTS OF WESTERN CIVILISATION AND CULTURE ON AFRICA
Dare Arowolo
(Lecturer, Dept. of Political Science & Public Administration, Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria)
ABSTRACT
The central argument of this paper stems from the submission that colo nialism, slave trade and missionary are the platform upon which Western civilisation and culture thrive and are sustained. While insisting that Western civilisation and culture has precariously contaminated the traditional values o f
Africa, the paper contends that Africa had established, well before the advent of colonialism, a pattern of home-grown political systems, governance process and generally acceptable institutional rule-making arrangement, such that there was progression in the pace of civilisatio n of Africa and self-styled tempo of technological development. The paper further submits that the dynamism and significance of Africa on the global continuum tends to support the argument that Africa would have evolved and sustained level of development and civilisation without the retrogressive contact with imperial forces. The paper adopted descriptive analytic model to drive home its points and relies on neoliberalism, liberal democracy, colonialism and missionary to prove the effects of Western civilisation and culture on Africa. It concludes by putting forth viable options as a panacea for Africa to come out of its cultural logjam.
Keywords: Colonialism, Culture, Development, Governance, Liberal Democracy, Missionary,
Neoliberalism, Political System, Western Civilisation
INTRODUCTION
For a start, I argue that colonialism, slave trade and missionaries are the bastion of Western civilisation and culture in Africa. This is correct to the extent that colonialism serves as a vehicle of implantation of cultural imperialism in Africa. Colonialism, perceived in this context, is an imposition o f foreign rule over indigenous
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