Africans themselves speak of a `politics of the belly' -- an expression that refers not only to the necessities of survival but also to a complex array of cultural representations, notably those of the `invisible' world of sorcery. The `politics of the belly' attests to a distinctively African trajectory of power that we need to understand as part of a long-term historical development.
While acknowledging the insights of Western social scientists from Weber to Foucault, Bayart never loses sight of the realities of African politics and social life and he is careful to allow African voices -- from the `small boy' in the street to the `big men' in the presidential palaces -- to speak for themselves.
This new edition of Bayart's classic book includes a new introduction on Africa in the world today.
This book has established itself as an indispensable text on the state and politics in Africa. It also provides a nuanced reading of what we have come to call `development' and opens the way for a more general reflection on the invention of politics in African and Asian societies.
* Exam copies only available to lecturers for whom the book may be suitable as a course text.
Please note: Sales representation and distribution for Polity titles is provided by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
"A masterpiece in Africanist literature."
Corruption and Reform
"Every now and then, something comes along which changes the way in which we think about our subject. Such a book is Jean-Francois Bayart's The State in Africa."
African Affairs
"This book should be read by all those (whether scholars or not) who are seriously concerned with understanding post-colonial African politics. Here, at last, is a book which goes beyond facile generalizations and intellectual or cultural prejudice, which respects rather than demeans Africa. The State in Africa is without doubt one of the most challenging books on contemporary Africa to have appeared in the last few years."
International Affairs
Notice
Preface to the second English edition (2009)
Preface to the first English edition (1993)
Preface to the original French edition (1989)
Introduction
Part One: The Genesis of the State
Part Two: Scenarios in the Pursuit of Hegemony
Part Three: Political Action
Conclusion: Of Terroirs and Men
Notes Index
