1st Edition

African Agency in International Politics

Edited By William Brown, Sophie Harman Copyright 2013
    224 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    224 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This book analyses the rapidly increasing role of African states, leaders and other political actors in international politics in the 21st Century.

    In contrast to the conventional approach of studying how external actors impacted on Africa’s international relations, this book seeks to open up a new approach, focusing on the impact of African political actors on international politics. It does this by analysing African agency – the degree to which African political actors have room to manoeuvre within the international system and exert influence internationally, and the uses they make of that room for manoeuvre. Bringing together leading scholars from Africa and Europe to explore the role and conception of African Agency, this book addresses a wide range of issues, from relations with western and non-western donors, Africa’s role in the UN and World Trade Organisation, negotiations over climate change, trade agreements with the European Union, regional diplomatic strategies, the character and extent of African state agency, and agency within corporate social responsibility initiatives.

    African Agency in International Politics will be of interest to scholars and students of Africa’s international relations, African politics, development, geography, diplomacy, trade, the environment, political science and security studies.

    1. African agency in international politics William Brown and Sophie Harman  Part I: Negotiating Internationally  2. Common positions as African agency in international negotiations: an appraisal Siphamandla Zondi  3. African agency in global trade governanceDonna Lee  4. African agency in world trade undermined? The case of bilateral relations with the European Union Stephen Hurt  5. Back to Business? UK Policy and African Agency Tom Cargill  Part II: Agency: New Modes, New Sites  6. Aid dependency as a limitation to national development policy? The case of Rwanda Sven Grimm  7. ‘Image management’ and African agency: Ugandan regional diplomacy and donor relations under Museveni Jonathan Fisher  8. Corporate Social Responsibility as a social development paradigm in Africa’s political economy – its emergence and implications for African Agency Scarlett Cornelissen  Part III: States and Agency  9. State Agency and State Formation in Africa David Williams  10. Elusive Agency: Africa's Persistently Peripheral Role in International Relations Stefan Andreasson  11. From weak state to savvy international player? Rwanda’s multi-level strategy for maximising agency Danielle Beswick

    Biography

    William Brown is Senior Lecturer in Government and Politics at The Open University in Milton Keynes, UK.

    Sophie Harman is Senior Lecturer in International Public Policy at Queen Mary, University of London, UK.

    'All in all, the volume is a valuable addition to the literature on Africa in the international system for its innovative approach to  the question of power through the framework of agency. It is to be recommended for all those interested in the exercise of international power and agency, as well as area specialists.'

    - Meera Sabaratnam, University of London