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Research on Africa’s History and Development—A Review

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An Economic History of Development in sub-Saharan Africa

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Economic History ((PEHS))

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Abstract

Over the years we have seen many different approaches—both methodological and theoretical—to analyze and understand Africa’s history. As we would expect in a vibrant academic community, there has been many scholarly disputes and debates. In this chapter, Hillbom and Green summarise general trends in the professional history writing of Africa’s past from the early twentieth century onwards. They show that while the study of the continent’s past has progressed, it would be wrong to see this as a linear process. The discipline has consistently developed as a reaction to the work of previous generations of scholars, but also positioned itself in relation to dominant political thinking both within and outside the African continent.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Ki-Zerbo, ed. (1990) Methodology and African pre-history, Berkeley: James Currey, p. 12.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Ellen Hillbom

  2. Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Erik Green

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  1. Ellen Hillbom
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  2. Erik Green
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Correspondence to Ellen Hillbom .

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Hillbom, E., Green, E. (2019). Research on Africa’s History and Development—A Review. In: An Economic History of Development in sub-Saharan Africa . Palgrave Studies in Economic History. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14008-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14008-3_2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-14007-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-14008-3

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