Development, Cultural Forces, and Women's Achievements in Africa*

Abstract

Based on the premise that cultural forces are at work in positively determining and sustaining the development process, this paper seeks to delineate the nature, dynamics and modalities of these forces and in so doing interrogate the tendency in development studies to dismiss culture as either a neutral factor or an impediment to the development process. The paper argues that the nonrecogni‐tion and dismissal of cultural forces as positive elements in development limit proper and meaningful articulations of project design in the same way that disciplinary limitations in the definition and articulation of notions such as “development,”“achievement,” and “progress” preempt proper and full accounting of African women's achievements. In grounding its arguments, the paper draws from the insightful elaboration of the behavioral aspect of cultural forces as contained in research on the economic psychology of African ethnic groups but goes further to focus on the structural and institutionalized aspects in the form of indigenous women's associations. Ultimately, by focusing attention on the cultural imperatives that guarantee successes in the development enterprise, the paper argues for a reimagining of social change (in theory and practice) not so much in terms of introducing and establishing new paradigms and structures but in terms of the intelligent refashioning of old structures to respond to new ideas and chart new directions. Although the paper focuses on African women and programs in Africa, the fundamental argument that undergirds it has a wider and more global application and relevance.

Nego‐Feminism: Theorizing, Practicing, and Pruning Africa’s Way

“…Propelled by humanistic considerations, philanthropic organizations and development agencies, well intentioned for the most part, dehumanize in their attempt to humanize. As I have argued elsewhere (Nnaemeka 1997), culture should not be dismissed as a negative or neutral factor in development; rather, attempts should be made to find out in what ways culture is a positive force that can serve development well. As Aung San Suu Kyi forcefully argues, man should not be an economic tool for development: "When economics is regarded as the most important key to every lock of every door it is only natural that the worth of man should come to be decided largely, even wholly, by his effectiveness as an economic tool.…”

Negofeminismo: Teorizar, Praticar e Abrir o Caminho da África

“…Impulsionados por considerações humanistas, as organizações filantrópicas e as agências de desenvolvimento, bem-intencionadas em sua maioria, desumanizam sua tentativa de humanizar. Como argumentei em outro lugar (Nnaemeka, 1997), a cultura não deve ser descartada como um fator negativo ou neutro no desenvolvimento; em vez disso, devem ser feitas tentativas para descobrir de que maneiras a cultura é uma força positiva que pode servir bem ao desenvolvimento. Como Aung San Suu Kyi (1995) ISSN: 1807 -8214 Revista Ártemis, vol.…”

In Pursuit of Feminist Accountability: Disempowering “Feelings of Fraudulence” Through Praxis and Resistance

“…The poor status of women and families around the world and threats to livelihoods everywhere are urgent matters that need our attention. As I labored for days on this response, I thought often of this quote by scholar Obioma Nnaemeka (): “The majority of African women are not hung up on ‘articulating their feminism’; they just do it” (p. 5). In other words, we must find strategies to effectively work within the tension of intellectualizing realities while actively changing them.…”