Theme: History and Memory: Epistemological Reinterpretation of Africa's Past in a Post-Colonial Context
Editors:
João Pedro Lourenço (Instituto Superior de Ciências da Educação de
Luanda), Maria da Conceição Neto (Universidade Agostinho Neto)
The
extraordinary advances in historiography on Africa and in Africa in the
60s and 70s of the twentieth century, running parallel to the
contestation and end of colonial empires, were not accompanied by an
equivalent pace of transformation in the teaching of history in African
countries, in terms of theories, methods and organization of content to
be transmitted. After several decades, the distance remains between the
"decolonizing" effort in historiography, with some success, and the way
history is taught to young Africans, still reflecting a Eurocentric
vision of the history of humankind, whether in periodization or in
selection of the most relevant themes. In general, the history of Africa
continues to be studied in a fragmented way, with little emphasis on
its connections with world history, in which it only appears fully
integrated with (as a result of) European expansion and subsequent
colonization. Despite the now classic reference to the continent as the
"cradle of humankind", there are still narratives that do not take into
account the temporal depth of African history, its ancient relationships
with other spaces and the diversity of historical situations before,
during and after European colonial exploitation. Inadequate and
Eurocentric periodizations also prevail, whether for world history (the
already much criticized division of the four "Ages") or for the history
of Africa (a "pre-colonial period" for millennia of history). UNESCO's
commendable efforts were important but insufficient to overcome Africa´s
external dependence (mostly from former colonizing countries) in terms
of the production of didactic content and means of teaching history,
from basic to university level.
It is important to better
understand what is happening in different African countries, at the
level of the Academy but also in other spaces where social memory and
history confront each other, and how political, ideological, economic
and linguistic factors interfere in those situations. In the case of the
former Portuguese colonies, which will soon celebrate 50 years of
independence, there are additional factors, such as the later end of
colonial rule and the delay in historiography about Africa that occurred
until recent decades, both in Portugal and in Brazil. Despite current
progress, most of the bibliography essential for the study of world
history, and of the African continent in particular, is not available in
Portuguese.
This special issue of Práticas da História is
interested in receiving contributions, referring to colonial and
post-colonial African contexts, that explore, question and/or reflect on
aspects such as:
- The (im)possibility of epistemological
autonomy of African Universities: debates and concerns around History
Courses, Curricula and Programs.
- The relationship between
historical discourse validated by scientific institutions and other
forms of social and collective memory, generally ignored in educational
institutions, despite their social importance.
- The way in which
memory, history and contemporary policies of African national states
intersect in spaces of debate and knowledge production, on the continent
and beyond.
- The penetration and impact on the historiography of
digital humanities - and the possibilities and difficulties, in the
African context, of articulating the teaching of History with the world
of digital information.
- The place and contribution of
historiography and the teaching of History in the construction of memory
in Africa, considering the multiple relationships between the
constructions of historiographical discourses, public spaces and the
public sphere.
- Policies for the construction of archives, public
libraries and other infrastructures, as well as the constitution,
dissemination and access of funds and collections, a condition for
democratic processes in the construction of public memories.
- The
relationships between African historiography and Africanist
historiography - networks, internationalism, issues of power, publishing
markets and their impacts.
- The construction and teaching of
"national histories" in the face of the risk of teleological and
anachronistic interpretations, projecting current borders into the past.
-
The use of the past (known, imagined, manipulated) by different social
actors (political parties, unions, churches, groups and social
movements, individuals and collectives of citizens or others) as a place
of confrontation, contradiction and legitimation.
Proposals (maximum 500 words) must be sent by 31 July to praticashistoria@gmail.com,
accompanied by a short biographical note from the author(s). Your
acceptance or refusal will be communicated by 10 September. Articles
from accepted proposals must be submitted by 15 December. Contributions
are accepted in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French.
