Mistaking Africa: Misconceptions and Inventions

by Curtis Keim, Carolyn Somerville

Overview

For many in the west, the mention of Africa immediately conjures up images of safaris, ferocious animals, sparsely dressed "tribesmen," and impenetrable jungles. Mistaking Africa looks at the historical evolution of this mind-set and examines the role that popular media plays in its creation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367775988
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/28/2021
Edition description:	5th ed.
Pages:	218
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Curtis Keim is Professor Emeritus of History at Moravian College. He is a recipient of the College’s Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and he is coauthor of African Reflections: Art from Northeastern Zaire and coeditor of The Scramble for Art in Central Africa.

Carolyn Somerville is Associate Professor of Political Science at Hunter College, CUNY. She is the author of Drought and Aid in the Sahel and coauthor of Women’s Realities, Women’s Choices.

Table of Contents

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

1 Changing Our Mind About Africa

2 How We Learn

PART TWO: EVOLUTIONISM

3 The Origins of "Darkest Africa"

4 "Our Living Ancestors": Evolutionism and Race Across the Centuries

5 Where Is the Real Africa?

6 We Should Help Them

PART THREE: FURTHER MISPERCEPTIONS

7 Cannibalism: No Accounting for Taste

8 Africans Live in Tribes, Don’t They?

9 Safari: Beyond Our Wildest Dreams

10 Africa in Images

PART FOUR: NEW DIRECTIONS: FROM RACE TO CULTURE

11 Changing Views

12 From Imagination to Dialogue

Appendix: Learning More

Notes

Works Cited