Description
This study focuses on deeply embedded political values that are shared by the vast majority of Liberias population. The books conclusions that Liberian politics failed because of civil societys illiberal overemphasis on stability and order at the expense of tolerance, accountability, and adaptability challenge much of conventional scholarship both about Liberia and about Africa in general. In terms of policy, the book suggests that far more attention will need to be paid to local norms and perspectives if strategies linked to democratization and economic rationalization are to succeed. While the overall theoretical concerns of the book are drawn from the fields of political science and history, it contains a large amount of anecdotal material on popular political culture and civil society, from wedding showers, pop songs, disciplinary practices at schools, and folk tales, to the constitution of a village soccer club. Using tools and methodology from anthropology, theology, and folklore, it interprets deep cultural values found in all segments of Liberian society.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.