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| African Sociological Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | African Sociological Association |
| Abbreviation | ASA |
| Type | Learned society |
| Founded | 197? |
| Headquarters | Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg |
| Region served | Africa |
| Membership | Scholars, students, practitioners |
| Leader title | President |
African Sociological Association The African Sociological Association is a pan-African learned society that brings together scholars from across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt and other African countries to advance sociological knowledge. It convenes researchers affiliated with institutions such as University of Lagos, University of Nairobi, University of Cape Town, University of Ghana, and Cairo University and engages with international bodies including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the African Union, the Economic Commission for Africa, the International Sociological Association and the World Bank.
The association emerged amid postcolonial debates involving figures linked to Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela, Haile Selassie, and scholars connected to Makerere University, Ibadan University, Fourah Bay College and University College London networks. Early conferences attracted contributors who had trained at London School of Economics, Harvard University, École Normale Supérieure, and University of Paris. The organization's formative years intersected with regional initiatives such as the Organisation of African Unity and policy discussions at the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization.
Governance structures mirror practices from professional bodies like the American Sociological Association, the British Sociological Association, and the German Sociological Association. Leadership roles have been occupied by academics affiliated with Stellenbosch University, University of Ibadan, University of Nairobi, University of Dar es Salaam, and Université Cheikh Anta Diop. The executive council liaises with regional commissions including the African Development Bank, the New Partnership for Africa's Development, and national ministries tied to institutions such as Ministry of Higher Education (Egypt), Ministry of Education (Kenya), and Ministry of Science and Technology (South Africa).
Members include professors from University of Cape Town, researchers at Institute for Development Studies (UK), doctoral candidates from University of Toronto, and policy analysts from Centre de Recherches pour le Développement International. National chapters operate in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt, coordinating with regional nodes like the Economic Community of West African States and the East African Community. Partnerships exist with centers such as African Institute for Development Policy, Institute of Development Studies (Nigeria), and think tanks linked to Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Brookings Institution.
The association organizes annual conferences hosted in cities such as Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra, Kigali, and Dakar, featuring panels on topics historically tied to events like the Rwandan Genocide, the South African transition, and migration flows through the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It holds workshops with partners including United Nations Development Programme, United Nations University, African Development Bank, International Organization for Migration, and regional universities such as Makerere University and University of Ibadan. Thematic symposia have invited comparisons with case studies from Brazil, India, China, United Kingdom, United States, and France.
The association publishes proceedings, monographs, and journals that feature contributors associated with publishing houses like Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Routledge, Africa World Press, and Zed Books. Research outputs draw on fieldwork in locales including Lagos, Kampala, Johannesburg, Cairo, Dakar, and Addis Ababa, and engage with topics addressed in reports by United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, African Union, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International. Collaborative research projects have involved institutions such as Institute of Development Studies (UK), Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, CNRS, and University of Chicago.
The association recognizes scholarship through awards named after prominent African intellectuals and linked to legacies of figures like Frantz Fanon, Amílcar Cabral, Ali Mazrui, Chinua Achebe, Aminata Sow Fall, Wole Soyinka, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Patrice Lumumba, and Leopold Senghor. Prize recipients have held affiliations with Princeton University, Harvard University, University of Cape Town, Makerere University, Université Mohammed V, and University of Ibadan. The association's honors are acknowledged at ceremonies alongside partners such as African Union Commission, UNESCO, and major regional universities.
The association has influenced curricula at University of Ibadan, University of Ghana, University of Cape Town, University of Lagos, and University of Nairobi and contributed to policy dialogues at African Union, ECOWAS, SADC, UNDP, and the World Bank. Criticisms include debates over language divides between Arabic-speaking world, Francophone Africa, and Anglophone Africa institutions, tensions between metropolitan universities like University of Oxford and regional centers such as University of Dar es Salaam, and concerns about resource disparities highlighted by collaborations with International Monetary Fund and multinational funders including Ford Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Scholars have debated the association's orientation in forums referencing intellectual traditions from Negritude, Pan-Africanism, and comparative studies drawing on Postcolonialism critiques by authors trained at Sorbonne Nouvelle and Columbia University.
Category:Learned societies