Development of Thought in Pan Africanism
Co-edited by Boatamo Mosupyoe, director of Pan African Studies
(Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 2007, $67.19)
While America continues its struggles with the aftermath of slavery, South African women are overcoming the influences of a patriarchal society and sociologists debate whether Western-style democracy can be grafted onto African governments.
The impact and issues of people of African descent are explored over a wide range of topics in Pan African Studies professor Boatamo Mosupyoe’s new book, co-edited by Mogobe B. Ramose, professor and head of the philosophy department at the University of South Africa.
Among the issues are the efforts of South African women to promote the concept of non-sexism within a patriarchal society that crossed color lines. While more than 300 years of influence by patriarchal institutions are not changed overnight, women are making advances and are well represented in the country’s parliament, says Mosupyoe.
America’s unwillingness to face the impact of slavery influenced South Africa’s approach to the future when Apartheid ended, says Mosupyoe. “In South Africa we faced our equivalent of slavery through truth and reconciliation,” she says.
South Africa’s example could also be used to illustrate another issue studied in Mosupyoe’s book—whether African governments can adapt to democracy. A replica of Western-style democracy may not work for everyone, but its core tenets can be used as a template, she says. “You have to take things and adapt them to different situations.”
The book includes work by two other Sacramento State faculty members— Otis Scott, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, and Rita Cameron Wedding, chair of Women’s Studies.
» Back to contents
Charles Postel, professor of history
(Oxford University Press, 2007, $35)
What is popular politically is not always understood. Such is the case with one of America’s most pivotal political groups: the original U.S. populist movement of the 1890s, which could influence some of today’s current political issues. “Debates about the meaning of populism are reflected in today’s current political climate,” history professor Charles Postel says. “Strikingly absent from these debates, however, is a clear understanding of what populism represented in America’s past. A better understanding of populism could influence debates over national healthcare, for example.”
Postel details the work of leaders and followers of the People’s Party. Although backed by millions of Americans from rich to poor, the party failed to overcome the institutional obstacles of the two-party system.
In his book, he outlines how populism grew out of the minds of modern thinkers. At the end of the 19th century, technological innovation, corporate power and globalization not only threatened their livelihood, the movement also stimulated ideas of an alternative modern society. But it was not—contrary to the long-held view— made up of simple-minded, traditional folk. “Yes, they were dirt farmers and mechanics,” Postel says. “But they were also dynamic and fascinating people.”
Postel says populism is re-emerging in America’s heartland, and gaining steam since Sen. John Edwards began positioning himself as the economic populist candidate, and following Virginia Sen. Jim Webb’s populist-inspired response to President Bush’s State of the Union Address in January.
For his book he researched the works of book authors and newspaper editors as well as letters and journals written by farmers and city workers.
Populists featured include wealthy financiers like affluent Georgia farmer Tom Watson and San Francisco urban activist Anna Fader Haskell, who organized unemployed workers in Golden Gate Park.
» Back to contents
Robin Fisher, professor of music (The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2006, $45)
Sometimes, the journey can be just as interesting as the destination. Music professor Robin Fisher found this to be the case when she studied the personal writings of prolific American composer John Duke.“I was able to go through Duke’s papers and memorabilia that he donated to the Smith College archives, where I did my undergraduate work,” Fisher says. “I happened upon folders containing Duke’s writing about music from his student days in 1917 to his death in 1984.”
Duke was a major composer—more than any other American composer— of art song, a form of music set to poetry for a solo singer and piano. Duke composed more than 250 art songs between 1923-80, yet his contribution to the music world went largely unrecognized outside of scholars in the discipline.
His writings range from formal essays, lectures and newspaper articles to informal diaries and journals. Duke wrote extensively about his creative journey—specifically, the process of setting poetry to melody and the hundreds of poems he and his wife would pore over to find the most suitable to set to his music.
The book also explores Duke’s personal side. “Duke purposefully chose to live a quiet, unassuming life as a New England music professor,” Fisher says. “His stance was courageous, as he decided to work apart from the influence of the esoteric, the avant-garde thriving in New York.” While Duke’s musical counterparts wrote pieces the average concertgoer found difficult to understand, Duke worked to cultivate a musical “language” accessible to every listener.
“Duke built his compositional style on familiar music traditions, while striving to express the complexities of the 20th century in his works,” Fisher says. “His writings are of significant relevance to the musical history of the past century.”
» Back to contents