Intervention and Transnationalism in Africa

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As the idea of globalization emerges as a key concept in social sciences in the twenty-first century, understanding how external forces and phenomena shape the politics of nation-states and communities is imperative. This 2001 volume calls attention to 'transboundary formations' - intersections of cross-border, national and local forces that produce, destroy or transform local order and political authority, significantly impacting on ordinary people's lives. It analyzes the intervention of external forces in political life, both deepening and broadening the concept of international 'intervention' and the complex contexts within which it unfolds. While transboundary formations can emerge anywhere, they have a particular salience in sub-Saharan Africa where the limits to state power make them especially pervasive and consequential. Including conceptual contributions and theoretically-informed case studies, the volume considers global-local connections, taking a fresh perspective on contemporary Africa's political constraints and possibilities, with important implications for other parts of the world.