4 - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) and Africa: New Projected Developmental Paradigms
Corresponding Author(s) : Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo
Africa Development,
Vol. 40 No. 3 (2015): Africa Development: Special Issue on Transforming Global Relations for a Just World
Abstract
This article reflects on the dynamics of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) states’ political economy and its implications for Africa’s continuous effort to search for new developmental paradigms. The core questions addressed in the article are: What are the BRICS states specifically proposing to the existing world order and the global south in the areas of paradigms of economic and social development and systems of governance? What do these countries have in common? Can this commonality be instrumentalised and converted in favour of African progress? What is the ideological foundation of their solidarity? Within the pragmatism and ideology related to this solidarity, are the BRICS states proposing new development schemes to replace the failed old, top-down, anarchical, market-based, linear, and one-size-fits-all model of social and economic development? Based on the dynamics of the BRICS grouping and the movements of its members, it is argued that the emerging markets and economies in the Global South, regardless of the ideological contradictions and internal structural political weaknesses among its members, implies that the business-as-usual approach in the practices of the institutions of international political economy and world politics is no longer the only pragmatic way of conducting business. To have a significant impact in Africa, BRICS’s activities should be shaped and guided by the bottom-up perspectives. BRICS strongly calls for shifts of paradigms in the realm of the world power and for qualitative state intervention in the management of the invisible hand of Adam Smith.
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- Adler, Emanuel, 1997, ‘Seizing the Middle Ground. Constructivism in World Politics’, European Journal of International Relations 3 (3): 319-363.
- Adler, Emanuel, 2002, ‘Constructivism in International Relations’, in Walter Carls-naes, Beth Simmons and Thomas Risse, eds, Handbook of International Relations, edited by London et al: Sage.
- Agbu, Osita, 2010, ‘Africa and the Emerging Global South’, in Korwa G Adar, Monica K. Juma, Katabaro N. Miti, eds, The State of Africa 2010/11: Parameters and Legacies of Governance and Issue Areas, Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa and London: African Book Collective.
- Atherton, Mark, 2012, ‘The New World of Order’, The Times (London), 20 March.
- Beausang-Hunter, Francesca, A., 2013, Globalization and the BRICs: Why the BRICs Will Not Rule the World For Long, New York City: Palgrave Macmillan, or Kindle Edition.
- Bracht, Carolina, 2012, Plans for the BRICS Delhi Summit: March 29, Unpublished document.
- Das Gupta Jyotiringdra, 1995, ‘India: Democratic Becoming and Developmental Transition’, in Larry Diamond, Juan J. Linz and Seymour Martin Lipset, eds, Politics in Developing Countries: Comparing Experiences with Democracy (Second Edition), Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
- Dwyer, Tom, 2011, ‘Relations between the BRICS: A Reflection from Brazilian Sociological Viewpoint’, Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 4.
- Jain, Subhash C., ed., 2006, Emerging Economies and the Transformation of International Business: Brazil, Russia, India, China, Edward Elgar Publishing, Northampton, Ma: Inc. William Pratt House.
- Jenkins, Rob, 2005, ‘Civil Society: Active or Passive India’, in Peter Burnell and Vicky Randall, Politics in the Developing World, New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Fearon, James and Alexander, Wendt, 2002, ‘Rationalism v. Constructivism: A Skeptical View’, in Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse and Beth Simmons, Handbook of International Relations, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
- Gwynne, Robert N. and Cristóbal Kay, 2004, Latin America: Transformed Globalization and Modernity, New York and London: Oxford University Press.
- Kornegay, Francis A. Jr and Narnia Bohler-Muller, eds, Laying the BRICS of a New Global Order: From Yekaterinburg 2009 to eEthekwini 2013, Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa.
- Lamounier, Bolivar, 1995, “Brazi: Inequality Against Democracy,” In Larry Diamond, Juan J. Linz, and Martin Lipset, eds, Politics of Developing Countries: Comparing Experiences with Democracy, Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
- Lumumba-Kasongo, Tukumbi, 2011, ‘China-Africa Relations: A Neo-Imperialism or a Neo-Colonialism? A Reflection’, African and Asian Studies, Vol. 10 No. 2-3.
- Lumumba-Kasongo, Tukumbi, 2010, ‘Africa and Its Traditional Partners’, in Korwa G Adar, Monica K. Juma, Katabaro N. Miti, eds, The State of Africa 2010/11: Parameters and Legacies of Governance and Issue Areas, Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa and London: African Book Collective.
- Lumumba-Kasongo, Tukumbi, 2005, Who and What Govern in the World of the States: A Comparative Study of Constitutions, Citizenry, Power, and Ideology in Contemporary Politics, Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America.
- MacKenzie, Leslie, 2011, Nations of the World: Political, Economic, and Business Handbook, New York, Amenia: Grey House Publishing.
- NDTV Correspondent, 2012, ‘BRICS Delhi 2012: Your 10 Facts Cheatsheet’, Updated: March 29: 12:28 IST.Noury, Valerie, 2011, ‘What BRICS members Means to Africa?’, African Business, June.
- Silva, Luis Inacio Lula da, The BRICs Come of Global Age, Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
- Schrire, Robert A., 2005, ‘Fragmentation or Nation-Building? South Africa’, in Peter Burnell and Vicky Randall, Politics in the Developing World, New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Wallerstein, Immanuel, 1984, The World Politics of the World Economy: The States, The Movements and The Civilizations, New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Wendt, Alexander, 1992, ‘Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics’, International Organization, 46(2): 391-425.
- World Bank, 2011, Global Development Horizons: Multipolarity the New Global Economy. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
- www.itamaraty.gov.br/temas-mais-infomacoes/saiba-mais-bric/documentos-emitidos-pelos-chefes-de-estado-e-de/sanya-declaration-iiibrics-summit/view quoted by Tom Dwyer, ‘Relations between the BRICS: A Reflection from a Brazilian Sociological Viewpoint’, Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol., No. 4, 2011.
References
Adler, Emanuel, 1997, ‘Seizing the Middle Ground. Constructivism in World Politics’, European Journal of International Relations 3 (3): 319-363.
Adler, Emanuel, 2002, ‘Constructivism in International Relations’, in Walter Carls-naes, Beth Simmons and Thomas Risse, eds, Handbook of International Relations, edited by London et al: Sage.
Agbu, Osita, 2010, ‘Africa and the Emerging Global South’, in Korwa G Adar, Monica K. Juma, Katabaro N. Miti, eds, The State of Africa 2010/11: Parameters and Legacies of Governance and Issue Areas, Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa and London: African Book Collective.
Atherton, Mark, 2012, ‘The New World of Order’, The Times (London), 20 March.
Beausang-Hunter, Francesca, A., 2013, Globalization and the BRICs: Why the BRICs Will Not Rule the World For Long, New York City: Palgrave Macmillan, or Kindle Edition.
Bracht, Carolina, 2012, Plans for the BRICS Delhi Summit: March 29, Unpublished document.
Das Gupta Jyotiringdra, 1995, ‘India: Democratic Becoming and Developmental Transition’, in Larry Diamond, Juan J. Linz and Seymour Martin Lipset, eds, Politics in Developing Countries: Comparing Experiences with Democracy (Second Edition), Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Dwyer, Tom, 2011, ‘Relations between the BRICS: A Reflection from Brazilian Sociological Viewpoint’, Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol. 4.
Jain, Subhash C., ed., 2006, Emerging Economies and the Transformation of International Business: Brazil, Russia, India, China, Edward Elgar Publishing, Northampton, Ma: Inc. William Pratt House.
Jenkins, Rob, 2005, ‘Civil Society: Active or Passive India’, in Peter Burnell and Vicky Randall, Politics in the Developing World, New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fearon, James and Alexander, Wendt, 2002, ‘Rationalism v. Constructivism: A Skeptical View’, in Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse and Beth Simmons, Handbook of International Relations, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Gwynne, Robert N. and Cristóbal Kay, 2004, Latin America: Transformed Globalization and Modernity, New York and London: Oxford University Press.
Kornegay, Francis A. Jr and Narnia Bohler-Muller, eds, Laying the BRICS of a New Global Order: From Yekaterinburg 2009 to eEthekwini 2013, Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa.
Lamounier, Bolivar, 1995, “Brazi: Inequality Against Democracy,” In Larry Diamond, Juan J. Linz, and Martin Lipset, eds, Politics of Developing Countries: Comparing Experiences with Democracy, Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
Lumumba-Kasongo, Tukumbi, 2011, ‘China-Africa Relations: A Neo-Imperialism or a Neo-Colonialism? A Reflection’, African and Asian Studies, Vol. 10 No. 2-3.
Lumumba-Kasongo, Tukumbi, 2010, ‘Africa and Its Traditional Partners’, in Korwa G Adar, Monica K. Juma, Katabaro N. Miti, eds, The State of Africa 2010/11: Parameters and Legacies of Governance and Issue Areas, Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa and London: African Book Collective.
Lumumba-Kasongo, Tukumbi, 2005, Who and What Govern in the World of the States: A Comparative Study of Constitutions, Citizenry, Power, and Ideology in Contemporary Politics, Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America.
MacKenzie, Leslie, 2011, Nations of the World: Political, Economic, and Business Handbook, New York, Amenia: Grey House Publishing.
NDTV Correspondent, 2012, ‘BRICS Delhi 2012: Your 10 Facts Cheatsheet’, Updated: March 29: 12:28 IST.Noury, Valerie, 2011, ‘What BRICS members Means to Africa?’, African Business, June.
Silva, Luis Inacio Lula da, The BRICs Come of Global Age, Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Schrire, Robert A., 2005, ‘Fragmentation or Nation-Building? South Africa’, in Peter Burnell and Vicky Randall, Politics in the Developing World, New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wallerstein, Immanuel, 1984, The World Politics of the World Economy: The States, The Movements and The Civilizations, New York: Cambridge University Press.
Wendt, Alexander, 1992, ‘Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics’, International Organization, 46(2): 391-425.
World Bank, 2011, Global Development Horizons: Multipolarity the New Global Economy. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
www.itamaraty.gov.br/temas-mais-infomacoes/saiba-mais-bric/documentos-emitidos-pelos-chefes-de-estado-e-de/sanya-declaration-iiibrics-summit/view quoted by Tom Dwyer, ‘Relations between the BRICS: A Reflection from a Brazilian Sociological Viewpoint’, Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol., No. 4, 2011.