Call for papers: African capitalismsalumni, “Future Africa” (11.-14 Juni, Bayreuth)

Call for papers: African capitalisms /(Thomas Bierschenk, Mainz)/

Panel no. 31 at the Conference of the African Studies Association of Germany/VAD, 11.-14 Juni, Bayreuth “Future Africa”; */http://www.vad-ev.de/bayreuth2014/callforpapers//*

For some time the concept of capitalism has experienced a remarkable renaissance as well in public debate as in the social sciences. With respect to Africa, however, the term of capitalism is mostly used in the sense of a non-relationship or of an external, usually negatively connoted, force. As usual, investors and businessmen are well ahead of academics in this respect: for them the « African lions » constitute one of the last frontiers of capitalism. In contrast, in African Studies, capitalist actors such as entrepreneurs or institutions such as banks and stock markets are under-researched, and the question of indigenous African capitalisms seems to have been settled, in the negative sense, since the end of the Kenya debate.

However, the concept of capitalism cannot be reduced to economic actors and economic institutions alone. Capitalisms are also cultural forms which, as we know since Max Weber, correspond to a certain « spirit ». Religious orientations (such as in Pentecostalism or in Islam) have been studied from this perspective. One might also ask whether the new spirit of network capitalism à la Boltanski, based on mobility, disponibility, creativity, pluri-competence and virtuosity in the use of new media corresponds perhaps particularly well with local cultural practices in Africa.

The panel will thus try to explore the historical and social conditions of capitalism in Africa in the 21st Century will be performed. Historical as well as contemporary perspectives, empirical as well as and conceptual ones, from all fields of African studies are solicited. Contributions which connect economic to cultural developments are particularly welcome. Other possible keywords are: the movement of African goods (such as cotton) and people in global capitalism; rentier capitalism; African middle classes; capitalist consumer culture without capitalist production relations; neoliberalism; etc. The panel sees itself primarily as an exploratory exercise which aims to find out whether the concept of capitalism can be a structuring perspective in today’s African Studies.

Papers (in English, French or German) are welcome until the 17th of November 2013. Please send your abstracts to biersche@uni-mainz.de <mailto:biersche@uni-mainz.de> and to the conference organizers under vad.bayreuth2014@gmail.com.
Afrikanische Kapitalismen