Postcolonialism, the politics of ethnic and religious identity, and the role of women in African society and politics have become important, and often connected, foci in African studies. Here, fifteen chapters explore these themes in tandem. With essays that span the continent, this volume showcases the political histories, challenges, and promise of contemporary Africa.

Written in honor of Crawford Young, a foundational figure in the study of African politics, the essays reflect the breadth and intellectual legacy of this towering scholar and illustrate the vast impact Young had, and continues to have, on the field. The book’s themes build from his seminal publications, and the essays were written by leading scholars who were trained by Young.

Scott Straus, professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley, is a founding editor of the University of Wisconsin Press’s Critical Human Rights series. His books include Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership, and Genocide in Modern Africa.

Aili Mari Tripp, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is a founding editor of the University of Wisconsin Press’s Women and Gender in Africa series. Her books include Women and Power in Postconflict Africa. 

Acknowledgments

Prologue
Linda Thomas-Greenfield
 
Introduction: The Legacies of Crawford Young 
Scott Straus and Aili Mari Tripp
 
Part I. The Colonial and Postcolonial State in Africa 
 
1 State Development in Contemporary Africa
William Reno
 
2 Third-Wave Democracy and the State in Sub-Saharan Africa
John W. Harbeson 
 
3 The Colonial Legacy of Policing as State Building
Kaden Paulson-Smith 
 
Part II. Rethinking the Politics of Identity
 
4 Rethinking the Politics of Identity
Rachel Betty Riedl 
 
5 Sectarian Identity Formation and the Future of the African Postcolonial State: Lessons from Nigeria
Dauda Abubakar                                                      
 
6 The Politics of Identity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: The Enduring Power of Crawford Young’s Analysis and Its Limits
Timothy Longman 
 
7 Ethnicity, Interests, and Class in Tanzania: Constructing Explanations
Joel Samoff 
 
8 State Construction, Ethnicity, and Social Status: The Bifurcated Trajectories of Haalpulaaren in the Mauritania–Senegal Borderland
Cédric Jourde
 
9 Crawford Young’s Cultural Politics Analytic Paradigm Applied to Ukraine-Russia
Joshua B. Forrest 
 
Part II. Women, Gender, and Politics 
 
10 Women Do Everything except Politics: Gender Quota in a Postconflict Society
Ladan Affi


11 Territorial Nationalism, Cultural Pluralism, and Women’s Peace Mobilization in Cameroon
Melinda J. Adams 
 
12 “Who Will Open the Door?” Women in Parliament and Cabinet in Ghana
Gretchen Bauer and Akosua K. Darkwah
 
Afterword
Edmond J. Keller

Contributors
Index