1 - The ‘Failure of the State’ of Cameroon: Between Sociopolitical Critique and Critical Social Science
Corresponding Author(s) : Emmanuel Yenshu Vubo
Africa Development,
Vol. 39 No. 4 (2014): Africa Development
Abstract
Some discourses on the state of Cameroon have for some time been replete with critiques that oscillate between the political, the popular and the scientific. All are interwoven to produce a consensual mix between science, common sense and ideological statements. For the most part forecasting disaster, these discourses derive their sources from the mission reports of Bretton Woods institutions, powerful NGOs, opposition parties and intellectuals. Taking the talk on corruption and the management of public affairs (emblematic issues with which the country has been tagged) as a case in point, the article argues that the confusion between social categories of perception and scientific postures obscures the debate on this country by way of borrowings, intrusions and interferences. An exercise in the sociology of knowledge, the study examines the place of social knowledge in intellectual stand points and explores the conditions of social scientific statements.
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- Ake, C., 1979, Social Science as Imperialism: The Theory of Political Development, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press.
- Bayart, J.F., 1978, ‘The birth of the Ahidjo Regime’, in Richard Joseph (ed.) Gaullist Africa: Cameroon under Ahmadou Ahidjo, Enugu Fourth Dimension Publishers.
- Bourdieu, P., 1987, Choses dites, Paris : Les Editions de Minuit.
- Bourdieu, P., 1994, Raisons Pratiques : Sur la théorie de l’Action, Paris: Editions du Seuil.
- Bourdieu, P., 1998, ‘The Essence of Neoliberalism’, Le Monde, décembre 1998. Bourdieu, P.,[1984] 2000, Questions de Sociologie, Paris : Editions de Minuit. Bourdieu, P. et L. Wacquant, 2000, ‘La nouvelle vulgate planétaire’, Le Monde diplomatique, May, 2000, pp. 6-7.
- Corm, G., 1993, Le nouveau Désordre économique mondial : Aux Racines des Echecs du Développement, Paris: Editions la Découverte.
- Elias, N., 1978, What is Sociology ? London: Hutchinson.
- Elias, N., 1987, Involvement and Detachment. Oxford : Blackwell.
- Eyinga, A., 1984, Introduction à la Politique camerounaise, Paris: l’Harmattan. Fogui, J.–P., 1990, L’Intégration politique au Cameroun : Une analyse centre - périphérie. Paris : Librairie générale de Droit et de Jurisprudence.
- Friedman, J., 2007, ‘Cosmopolitan Elites, Organic Intellectuals and the Re- configuration of the State’ in Kouvouama Abel, Abdoulaye Guèye, Anne Piriou et Anne-Catherine Wagner (ed.), Figures croisées d’intellectuels : Trajectoires, modes d’action, productions, Paris, Kharthala, pp. 431-454. Gabriel, J.M., ‘Cameroon’s Neopatrimonial Dilemma’, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2, 1999, pp. 173-196.
- Gardinier, D.E., 1963, Cameroon: United Nations Challenge to French Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Gardinier, D.E. (ed.), 1997, Political Reform in Francophone Africa. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, pp. 162-181.
- Gosovic, B. ‘Global Intellectual Hegemony and the international development agenda’, International Social Science Journal, Vol. 166, 2000, pp. 447-456.
- Joseph, R. (ed.), 1977, Radical Nationalism in Cameroon: Social origins of the UPC Rebellion, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Joseph, R. (ed.), 1978, Gaullist Africa: Cameroon under Ahmadou Ahidjo, Enugu Fourth Dimension Publishers.
- Kazancigil, A., 1998, ‘Governance and Science: Market-like Modes of Managing Society and Producing Knowledge’, International Social Science Journal, No. 155, 1998, pp. 69-79.
- Levine, V.T., 1964, The Cameroons from Mandate to Independence, Berkeley-Los Angeles: University of California Press.
- Mbembe, A., 1992, ‘Provisional Notes on the Post-Colony’, Africa, Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 3-37.
- Mbembe, Achille, 1993, ‘Crise de légitimité, restauration autoritaire et déliquescence de l’Etat’ in P. Geschiere and P. Konings (eds.), Itinéraire d’Accumulation au Cameroun, Paris: Karthala, pp. 345-374.
- Mbembe, Achille, 2001, On the Postcolony, Berkley: University of California Press. Merton, Robert K., 1973, The Sociology of Science, Chicago: Chicago University Press.
- Mestrum, Francine, 2002, ‘La lutte contre la pauvreté : utilité d’un discours dans un nouvel ordre mondial’ in Samir Amin et François Houtart. Mondialisation et Résistances : Etat de Luttes, Paris, Budapest, Torino : L’Harmattan. Mongo, Beti, 2003, Main basse sur le Cameroun. Autopsie d’une Colonisation, Paris : La Découverte.
- Mongo, Beti, 1986, Lettres ouverte aux camerounais ou la deuxième mort de Ruben Um Nyobé, Rouen: Editions des Peuples Noirs.
- Mongo, Beti, 1993, La France contre l’Afrique, retour au Cameroun, Paris: La Découverte.
- Ngayap, Pierre Flambeau, 1983, Cameroun : qui gouverne ? De Ahidjo à Biya, l’héritage et l’enjeu, Paris : Editions l’Harmattan.
- Nnoli, Okwudiba, 2003, ‘Globalisation and African Political Science’, African Journal of Political Science, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2003, pp. 11-32.
- Pagden, A., 1998, ‘The genesis of ‘governance’ and Enlightenment conceptions of the cosmopolitan order’, International Social Science Journal, No. 155, 1998, pp. 7-15.
- Shihata, I., 1991, The World Bank in a Changing World. Selected Articles, Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff.
- Takougang, Joseph, ‘Cameroon: Biya and Incremental Ieform’ in Clark, John F. and David E. Gardnier. (ed.) 1997. Political Reform in Francophone Africa. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, pp. 162-181.
- Takougang, J. and M., Krieger, 1998, African State and Society in the 1990s, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
References
Ake, C., 1979, Social Science as Imperialism: The Theory of Political Development, Ibadan: Ibadan University Press.
Bayart, J.F., 1978, ‘The birth of the Ahidjo Regime’, in Richard Joseph (ed.) Gaullist Africa: Cameroon under Ahmadou Ahidjo, Enugu Fourth Dimension Publishers.
Bourdieu, P., 1987, Choses dites, Paris : Les Editions de Minuit.
Bourdieu, P., 1994, Raisons Pratiques : Sur la théorie de l’Action, Paris: Editions du Seuil.
Bourdieu, P., 1998, ‘The Essence of Neoliberalism’, Le Monde, décembre 1998. Bourdieu, P.,[1984] 2000, Questions de Sociologie, Paris : Editions de Minuit. Bourdieu, P. et L. Wacquant, 2000, ‘La nouvelle vulgate planétaire’, Le Monde diplomatique, May, 2000, pp. 6-7.
Corm, G., 1993, Le nouveau Désordre économique mondial : Aux Racines des Echecs du Développement, Paris: Editions la Découverte.
Elias, N., 1978, What is Sociology ? London: Hutchinson.
Elias, N., 1987, Involvement and Detachment. Oxford : Blackwell.
Eyinga, A., 1984, Introduction à la Politique camerounaise, Paris: l’Harmattan. Fogui, J.–P., 1990, L’Intégration politique au Cameroun : Une analyse centre - périphérie. Paris : Librairie générale de Droit et de Jurisprudence.
Friedman, J., 2007, ‘Cosmopolitan Elites, Organic Intellectuals and the Re- configuration of the State’ in Kouvouama Abel, Abdoulaye Guèye, Anne Piriou et Anne-Catherine Wagner (ed.), Figures croisées d’intellectuels : Trajectoires, modes d’action, productions, Paris, Kharthala, pp. 431-454. Gabriel, J.M., ‘Cameroon’s Neopatrimonial Dilemma’, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2, 1999, pp. 173-196.
Gardinier, D.E., 1963, Cameroon: United Nations Challenge to French Policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gardinier, D.E. (ed.), 1997, Political Reform in Francophone Africa. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, pp. 162-181.
Gosovic, B. ‘Global Intellectual Hegemony and the international development agenda’, International Social Science Journal, Vol. 166, 2000, pp. 447-456.
Joseph, R. (ed.), 1977, Radical Nationalism in Cameroon: Social origins of the UPC Rebellion, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Joseph, R. (ed.), 1978, Gaullist Africa: Cameroon under Ahmadou Ahidjo, Enugu Fourth Dimension Publishers.
Kazancigil, A., 1998, ‘Governance and Science: Market-like Modes of Managing Society and Producing Knowledge’, International Social Science Journal, No. 155, 1998, pp. 69-79.
Levine, V.T., 1964, The Cameroons from Mandate to Independence, Berkeley-Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Mbembe, A., 1992, ‘Provisional Notes on the Post-Colony’, Africa, Vol. 62, No. 1, pp. 3-37.
Mbembe, Achille, 1993, ‘Crise de légitimité, restauration autoritaire et déliquescence de l’Etat’ in P. Geschiere and P. Konings (eds.), Itinéraire d’Accumulation au Cameroun, Paris: Karthala, pp. 345-374.
Mbembe, Achille, 2001, On the Postcolony, Berkley: University of California Press. Merton, Robert K., 1973, The Sociology of Science, Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Mestrum, Francine, 2002, ‘La lutte contre la pauvreté : utilité d’un discours dans un nouvel ordre mondial’ in Samir Amin et François Houtart. Mondialisation et Résistances : Etat de Luttes, Paris, Budapest, Torino : L’Harmattan. Mongo, Beti, 2003, Main basse sur le Cameroun. Autopsie d’une Colonisation, Paris : La Découverte.
Mongo, Beti, 1986, Lettres ouverte aux camerounais ou la deuxième mort de Ruben Um Nyobé, Rouen: Editions des Peuples Noirs.
Mongo, Beti, 1993, La France contre l’Afrique, retour au Cameroun, Paris: La Découverte.
Ngayap, Pierre Flambeau, 1983, Cameroun : qui gouverne ? De Ahidjo à Biya, l’héritage et l’enjeu, Paris : Editions l’Harmattan.
Nnoli, Okwudiba, 2003, ‘Globalisation and African Political Science’, African Journal of Political Science, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2003, pp. 11-32.
Pagden, A., 1998, ‘The genesis of ‘governance’ and Enlightenment conceptions of the cosmopolitan order’, International Social Science Journal, No. 155, 1998, pp. 7-15.
Shihata, I., 1991, The World Bank in a Changing World. Selected Articles, Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff.
Takougang, Joseph, ‘Cameroon: Biya and Incremental Ieform’ in Clark, John F. and David E. Gardnier. (ed.) 1997. Political Reform in Francophone Africa. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, pp. 162-181.
Takougang, J. and M., Krieger, 1998, African State and Society in the 1990s, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.