9 - Archie Mafeje and the Pursuit of Endogeny: Against Alterity and Extroversion
Corresponding Author(s) : Jimi O. Adesina
Africa Development,
Vol. 33 No. 4 (2008): Africa Development: Special Issue Public Sector Reforms in Africa
Abstract
Professor Archibald Monwabisi Mafeje passed away on 28 March 2007. The meaning of Archie Mafeje, for three generations of African scholars and social scientists, is profound and about diverse encounters. For some it was personal; for others it was through his works, and for most in the community the encounter via scholarly works became personal and intimate. The meaning of Mafeje for generations of African scholars is found in his uncompromising aversion to the ‘epistemology of alterity’ – the ‘othering’ of Africa and Africans – and the ad- vancement of scholarship grounded in the centring of African ontological expe- riences. It is in this aversion to alterity and pursuit of endogeneity that we locate Mafeje’s lasting legacy for new generations of African intellectuals. This paper, which is personal and intellectual, involves a close and critical engagement with these aspects of Mafeje’s scholarships.
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- Adesina, J. O., 1988, Oil, State-Capital and Labour: Work Relations in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
- Adesina, J. O., 2005, “Realising the Vision: The Discursive and Institutional Challenges of Becoming an African University”, African Sociological Review, 9(1):23-39.
- Adesina, J. O., 2006, “Sociology, Endogeneity, and the Challenge of Transformation: an inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University, Wednesday 16 August 2006”, African Sociological Review, 10(2):133-150.
- Adesogan, K., 1987, Illumination, Wisdom and Development through Chemistry: Inaugural Lecture, Ibadan: University of Ibadan.
- Amadiume, I., 1987, Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender and Sex in an African Society, London, Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Zed Books.
- Appiah, A., 1992, In My Father’s House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture, London: Methuen.
- Cabral, A., 1979, Unity and Struggle: Speeches and Writings, New York: Monthly Review Press.
- Chang, H., 2008, Bad Samaritans : The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism, New York: Bloomsbury.
- Chimhundu, H., 1992, “Early Missionaries and the Ethnolinguistic Factor during the ‘Invention of Tribalism’ in Zimbabwe”, The Journal of African History, 33(1):87-109.
- Epstein, A. L., 1958, Politics in an Urban African Community. Manchester: Manchester University Press/Rhodes-Livingstone Institute.
- Firth, R., 1972, “The Sceptical Anthropologist? Social Anthropology and Marxist Views on Society”, Proceedings of the British Academy, LVIII
- Gates, H. L., 1988, The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of Afro-American Literary Criticism, New York: Oxford University Press.
- Hountondji, P., 1990, “Recherche et extraversion: éléments pour une sociologie de la science dans les pays de la périphérie”, Africa Development, XV(3/4):149-158. Hountondji, P. J., 1997, Endogenous Knowledge: Research Trails, Dakar, Senegal: Codesria.
- Laville, R., 1998, “A Critical Review of ‘Anthropology and Independent Africans: Suicide or End of an Era?’ by Archie Mafeje”, African Sociological Review, 2(1):44-50.
- Mafeje, A., 1963, “A Chief Visits Town”, Journal of Local Administration Overseas, 2:88-99.
- Mafeje, A., 1967, “The Role of the Bard in a Contemporary African Community.” Journal of African Languages, 6(3):193-223.
- Mafeje, A., 1971, “The Ideology of ‘Tribalism’,” The Journal of Modern African Studies, 9(2):253-261.
- Mafeje, A., 1976, “The Problem of Anthropology in Historical Perspective: An Inquiry into the Growth of the Social Sciences”, Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne Des Études Africaines, 10(2):307-333.
- Mafeje, A., 1978, Science, Ideology and Development: Three Essays on Development Theory, Uppsala: Scandinavian Institute of African Studies.
- Mafeje, A., 1981, “On the Articulation of Modes of Production: Review Article”, Journal of Southern African Studies, 8(1):123-138.
- Mafeje, A., 1991, The Theory and Ethnography of African Social Formations: The Case of the Interlacustrine Kingdoms, London: Codesria.
- Mafeje, A., 1996, “A Commentary on Anthropology and Africa”, CODESRIA Bulletin, (2):6-13.
- Mafeje, A., 1997a, “The Anthropology and Ethnophilosophy of African Literature”, Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, (17):6-21.
- Mafeje, A., 1997b, “Who are the Makers and Objects of Anthropology? A Critical Comment on SallyFalk Moore’s Anthropology and Africa”, African Sociological Review, 1(1):1-15.
- Mafeje, A., 1998, “Anthropology and Independent Africans: Suicide or End of an Era?”, African Sociological Review, 2(1):1-43.
- Mafeje,A., 2000, “Africanity:ACombative Ontology”, CODESRIA Bulletin, (1):66-71. Mafeje, A., 2001, “Africanity: A Commentary by Way of Conclusion”, CODESRIA Bulletin, (3 & 4):14-16.
- Mafeje, A. and Nabudere, D. W., 2001, African Social Scientists Reflections, Nairobi: Heinrich Böll Foundation.
- Magubane, B., 1971, “A Critical Look at Indices Used in the Study of Social Change in Colonial Africa”, Current Anthropology, 12(4/5):419-445.
- Magubane, B., 2000, African Sociology: Towards a Critical Perspective: The Selected Essays of Bernard Makhosezwe Magubane, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
- Mitchell, J. C., 1956, The Kalela Dance: Aspects of Social Relationships among Urban Africans in Northern Rhodesia, Manchester: Rhodes-Livingstone Institute/Manchester University Press.
- Moore, S. F., 1994, Anthropology and Africa: Changing Perspectives on a Changing Scene, Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia.
- Moore, S. F., 1996, “Concerning Archie Mafeje’s Reinvention of Anthropology and Africa”, CODESRIA Bulletin, (3):20-23.
- Moore, S. F., 1998, “Archie Mafeje’s Prescriptions for the Academic Future”, African Sociological Review, 2(1):50-57.
- Nkwi, P. N., 1998, “The Status of Anthropology in Post-independent Africa: Some Reflections on Archie Mafeje’s Perceptions”, African Sociological Review, 2(1):57-66.
- Ntarangwi, M., Mills, D. and Babiker, M. H. M. (eds.), 2006, African Anthropologies: History, Critique and Practice, London: Zed Books.
- Nzegwu, N., 2005, “Questions of Identity and Inheritance: A Critical Review of Kwame Anthony Appiah’s In My Father’s House”, In O. Oyèwùmí (ed.), African Gender Studies: A Reader (pp. 355-379), New York, N.Y.: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Onoge, O. F., 1977, “Revolutionary Imperatives in African sociology”, In P. C. W. Gutkind, & P. Waterman (eds.), African Social Studies: A Radical Reader (pp. 32-43), London: Heinemann.
- Oyewùmí, O., 1997, The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
- Prah, K. K., 1998, Beyond the Color Line: Pan-Africanist Disputations, Selected Sketches, Letters, Papers and Reviews, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
- Taiwo, O., 1995, “Appropriating Africa: An Essay on New Africanist Schools”, Issue: A Journal of Opinion, XXXIII(1):39-45.
- Vilakazi, A. L., 1965, “Toward a Sociology of Africa: A Comment”, Social Forces, 44(1):113-115.
- Wilson, M. and Mafeje, A., 1963, Langa: A Study of Social Groups in an African Township, Cape Town, New York: Oxford University Press.
- Wolpe, H., 1980, The Articulation of Modes of Production: Essays From Economy and Society, London, Boston: Routledge & K. Paul.
References
Adesina, J. O., 1988, Oil, State-Capital and Labour: Work Relations in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
Adesina, J. O., 2005, “Realising the Vision: The Discursive and Institutional Challenges of Becoming an African University”, African Sociological Review, 9(1):23-39.
Adesina, J. O., 2006, “Sociology, Endogeneity, and the Challenge of Transformation: an inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University, Wednesday 16 August 2006”, African Sociological Review, 10(2):133-150.
Adesogan, K., 1987, Illumination, Wisdom and Development through Chemistry: Inaugural Lecture, Ibadan: University of Ibadan.
Amadiume, I., 1987, Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender and Sex in an African Society, London, Atlantic Highlands, N.J.: Zed Books.
Appiah, A., 1992, In My Father’s House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture, London: Methuen.
Cabral, A., 1979, Unity and Struggle: Speeches and Writings, New York: Monthly Review Press.
Chang, H., 2008, Bad Samaritans : The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism, New York: Bloomsbury.
Chimhundu, H., 1992, “Early Missionaries and the Ethnolinguistic Factor during the ‘Invention of Tribalism’ in Zimbabwe”, The Journal of African History, 33(1):87-109.
Epstein, A. L., 1958, Politics in an Urban African Community. Manchester: Manchester University Press/Rhodes-Livingstone Institute.
Firth, R., 1972, “The Sceptical Anthropologist? Social Anthropology and Marxist Views on Society”, Proceedings of the British Academy, LVIII
Gates, H. L., 1988, The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of Afro-American Literary Criticism, New York: Oxford University Press.
Hountondji, P., 1990, “Recherche et extraversion: éléments pour une sociologie de la science dans les pays de la périphérie”, Africa Development, XV(3/4):149-158. Hountondji, P. J., 1997, Endogenous Knowledge: Research Trails, Dakar, Senegal: Codesria.
Laville, R., 1998, “A Critical Review of ‘Anthropology and Independent Africans: Suicide or End of an Era?’ by Archie Mafeje”, African Sociological Review, 2(1):44-50.
Mafeje, A., 1963, “A Chief Visits Town”, Journal of Local Administration Overseas, 2:88-99.
Mafeje, A., 1967, “The Role of the Bard in a Contemporary African Community.” Journal of African Languages, 6(3):193-223.
Mafeje, A., 1971, “The Ideology of ‘Tribalism’,” The Journal of Modern African Studies, 9(2):253-261.
Mafeje, A., 1976, “The Problem of Anthropology in Historical Perspective: An Inquiry into the Growth of the Social Sciences”, Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne Des Études Africaines, 10(2):307-333.
Mafeje, A., 1978, Science, Ideology and Development: Three Essays on Development Theory, Uppsala: Scandinavian Institute of African Studies.
Mafeje, A., 1981, “On the Articulation of Modes of Production: Review Article”, Journal of Southern African Studies, 8(1):123-138.
Mafeje, A., 1991, The Theory and Ethnography of African Social Formations: The Case of the Interlacustrine Kingdoms, London: Codesria.
Mafeje, A., 1996, “A Commentary on Anthropology and Africa”, CODESRIA Bulletin, (2):6-13.
Mafeje, A., 1997a, “The Anthropology and Ethnophilosophy of African Literature”, Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, (17):6-21.
Mafeje, A., 1997b, “Who are the Makers and Objects of Anthropology? A Critical Comment on SallyFalk Moore’s Anthropology and Africa”, African Sociological Review, 1(1):1-15.
Mafeje, A., 1998, “Anthropology and Independent Africans: Suicide or End of an Era?”, African Sociological Review, 2(1):1-43.
Mafeje,A., 2000, “Africanity:ACombative Ontology”, CODESRIA Bulletin, (1):66-71. Mafeje, A., 2001, “Africanity: A Commentary by Way of Conclusion”, CODESRIA Bulletin, (3 & 4):14-16.
Mafeje, A. and Nabudere, D. W., 2001, African Social Scientists Reflections, Nairobi: Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Magubane, B., 1971, “A Critical Look at Indices Used in the Study of Social Change in Colonial Africa”, Current Anthropology, 12(4/5):419-445.
Magubane, B., 2000, African Sociology: Towards a Critical Perspective: The Selected Essays of Bernard Makhosezwe Magubane, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
Mitchell, J. C., 1956, The Kalela Dance: Aspects of Social Relationships among Urban Africans in Northern Rhodesia, Manchester: Rhodes-Livingstone Institute/Manchester University Press.
Moore, S. F., 1994, Anthropology and Africa: Changing Perspectives on a Changing Scene, Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia.
Moore, S. F., 1996, “Concerning Archie Mafeje’s Reinvention of Anthropology and Africa”, CODESRIA Bulletin, (3):20-23.
Moore, S. F., 1998, “Archie Mafeje’s Prescriptions for the Academic Future”, African Sociological Review, 2(1):50-57.
Nkwi, P. N., 1998, “The Status of Anthropology in Post-independent Africa: Some Reflections on Archie Mafeje’s Perceptions”, African Sociological Review, 2(1):57-66.
Ntarangwi, M., Mills, D. and Babiker, M. H. M. (eds.), 2006, African Anthropologies: History, Critique and Practice, London: Zed Books.
Nzegwu, N., 2005, “Questions of Identity and Inheritance: A Critical Review of Kwame Anthony Appiah’s In My Father’s House”, In O. Oyèwùmí (ed.), African Gender Studies: A Reader (pp. 355-379), New York, N.Y.: Palgrave Macmillan.
Onoge, O. F., 1977, “Revolutionary Imperatives in African sociology”, In P. C. W. Gutkind, & P. Waterman (eds.), African Social Studies: A Radical Reader (pp. 32-43), London: Heinemann.
Oyewùmí, O., 1997, The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Prah, K. K., 1998, Beyond the Color Line: Pan-Africanist Disputations, Selected Sketches, Letters, Papers and Reviews, Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
Taiwo, O., 1995, “Appropriating Africa: An Essay on New Africanist Schools”, Issue: A Journal of Opinion, XXXIII(1):39-45.
Vilakazi, A. L., 1965, “Toward a Sociology of Africa: A Comment”, Social Forces, 44(1):113-115.
Wilson, M. and Mafeje, A., 1963, Langa: A Study of Social Groups in an African Township, Cape Town, New York: Oxford University Press.
Wolpe, H., 1980, The Articulation of Modes of Production: Essays From Economy and Society, London, Boston: Routledge & K. Paul.