This collective book, written by African academics, raises the issue of the adaptation of African economies and societies to the technological, economic and social changes of the contemporary world. They question the place that the African continent could – or should – occupy in relation to Western countries, Europe, China and other countries of the global south. The authors strive to ease the tension that has existed for more than half a century between the legacy of post-colonial traditions and the post-modern imperatives based on innovation, individualism and freedoms. They define modernity as “a historical construct aimed at freeing the individual from social and cultural constraints” and they question the ability of African populations to adapt to technical and social progress, through coordinated collective actions and institutional and structural reforms. They consider it imperative to think of “active African modernity” not as an imitation of Western models, but as a plural construction, combining science and conscience, specific to the realities of the continent. To answer their questions, the authors apply a mainly ethnomethodological approach, combining theoretical analyses and practical observations.
Several chapters deserve careful reading. Mbembe conceives of “post-traditional modernity” as characterised by a loosening of social practices and a reconfiguration of space-time, a differentiation of social spheres and a better institutional reflexivity, according to a perspective opened by the British sociologist Gidden. W-A. Beyi and S-D. O. Ilboudo reflect on the appropriation of AI technologies, which constitutes one of the main technological, economic and ethical challenges for African countries. B. Yampa and N.C. Tiemtoré show the massive adherence of populations to digital currencies for practical uses. S. J. Ouédraogo is interested in the difficulty of transmitting knowledge about new technologies. He strives to “rethink the epistemology of science in Africa, considering African cultures as strategies for well-being”. K. Wiebke notes an opposition between the ethnological and anthropological approaches adopted in “African Studies“, while W. Keim notes the paradoxical dimensions in social science between the North and the South of Africa. N. Kokouvi-Edem and A. Kouméalo question the practices of collective action in Africa and, in particular, the management of environmentally friendly development projects.
The work therefore reflects the expectations of the African elite and youth faced with a promising but uncertain future.
Jean-Jacques Pluchart