Abstract
As the capitalist firm has assumed more power in global affairs, the concept and practice of development have shifted from its colonial dependency on the nation-state to the firm. The resulting paradigm calls for development strategies that provide the multinational corporation with access into heretofore inaccessible markets, especially in Africa. In this paper, I examine this new concept of development within the context of its colonial heritage and attendant racism. I conclude that this new approach harbors colonial ideologies related to visions of African inferiority that have found residence in development practice. This suggests a perpetual cycle of dependence of the poor nations on the rich, a situation that does not portend well for the next generation of Africans. Looking into the future, I note the need for a truly post-colonial African development concept that would build bridges across races to facilitate the well-being of all, including the marginalized. Such development would avoid all colonial inclinations and seek total emancipation from racism and other colonial ills.
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Further Reading
Davis, J. F. (2018). Selling whiteness?—A critical review of the literature on marketing and racism. Journal Marketing Management, 34(1–2).
Easterly, W. (2016). The economics of international development: Foreign aid versus freedom for the world’s poor. London, UK: Institute of Economic Affairs.
Kothari, U. (2006). Critiquing ‘race’ and racism in development discourse and practice. Progress in Development Studies, 6(1), 1–7.
Wilson, K. (2012). Race, racism and development: Interrogating history, discourse and practice. London: Zed Books.
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Bonsu, S.K. (2019). Development by Markets: An Essay on the Continuities of Colonial Development and Racism in Africa. In: Johnson, G., Thomas, K., Harrison, A., Grier, S. (eds) Race in the Marketplace. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11711-5_16
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