African Political Systems Revisited: Changing Perspectives on Statehood and Power

Published by Berghahn Books 2022

African Political Systems Revisited

Changing Perspectives on Statehood and Power

Edited by: Aleksandar Bošković and Günther Schlee

Volume 26 in the series Integration and Conflict Studies

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781800734739

Overview
Contents

About this book

Reexamining a classical work of social anthropology, African Political Systems (1940), edited by Fortes and Evans-Pritchard, this book looks at the colonial and academic context from which the work arose, as well as its reception and its subject matter, and looks at how the work can help with analysis of current politics in Africa. This book critically reflects upon the history of anthropology. It also contributes to a political anthropology which is aware of its antecedents, self-reflexive as a discipline, conscious of pitfalls and biases, and able to locate itself in its academic, social and political environment.

Author / Editor information

Aleksandar Bošković is Senior Research Scientist at the Institute of Archaeology in Belgrade. His books include William Robertson Smith (Berghahn Books, 2021), Mesoamerican Religions and Archaeology (Archaeopress, 2017) and Other People’s Anthropologies (Berghahn Books, 2008, editor).

Günther Schlee is one of the Founding Directors of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle, Germany. Prior to this appointment he was until 1999 Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Bielefeld. His main publications include Identities on the Move: Clanship and Pastoralism in Northern Kenya (Manchester University Press, 1989) and How Enemies Are Made: Towards a Theory of Ethnic and Religious Conflict (Berghahn Books, 2008).

Aleksandar Bošković is Senior Research Scientist at the Institute of Archaeology in Belgrade. His books include William Robertson Smith (Berghahn Books, 2021), Mesoamerican Religions and Archaeology (Archaeopress, 2017) and Other People’s Anthropologies (Berghahn Books, 2008, editor).

Reviews

“The book is a high quality discussion by a group of established and upcoming anthropologists of the impact and value of a classical and foundational text in social anthropology … The result is a strong contribution to social anthropology with new theoretical and comparative insights.” • C.S. van der Waal, Stellenbosch University

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
List of Illustrations Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Foreword Adam Kuper Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Chapter 1. The Right Book at the Right Time: Early Reactions and Continuing Debates Aleksandar Bošković Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Chapter 2. African Political Systems and Political Anthropology Herbert S. Lewis Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	15
Chapter 3. Complementary Segmentary Opposition, Early Kingship and the Looming State: Bridging the Dichotomy of African Political Systems Simon Simonse Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	47
Chapter 4. The Shilluk Reth: Early King or Head of State? An Inter-Nilotic Exploration Simon Simonse Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	79
Chapter 5. A New Approach to the Political Anthropology of Africa: From African Political Systems and Tribes without Rulers via The Early State Petr Skalník Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	102
Chapter 6. Retaliation, Mediation and Punishment in Ankole: Revisiting the Chapter by Oberg Günther Schlee Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	122
Chapter 7. Beyond ‘African Political Systems’? The Relevance of Patrilineal Descent in Moments of Crisis in Northern Somalia Markus V. Hoehne Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	139
Chapter 8. Some Notes on the Tuareg (Kinin) of Northern Darfur, Sudan Munzoul Assal Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	163
Chapter 9. The Nkandla Controversy: Insights from African Political Systems Robin Palmer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	180
Chapter 10. Rethinking Tswana Kingships and Their Incorporation in Modern Botswana State Formation Ørnulf Gulbrandsen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	206
Afterword Bilinda Straight Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	241
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	247

Language: English
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 278
Keywords: Political and Economic Anthropology; Colonial History; Development Studies

eBook

Published: April 8, 2022
ISBN: 9781800734739