Contrary to widely held assumptions, the concept of development and practices such as development aid were the products neither of the Cold War nor of post-war decolonisation. Instead, they can be regarded as one of the major legacies of European colonialism.
The continent that was (and still is) at the center of this historically new type of social and economic engineering was Africa. The essays within this book investigate the concepts and related practices of development in British, French and Portuguese colonial Africa during the twentieth century, particularly from the end of World War I to decolonisation (1918-c.1970). During these decades, development became the central organising concept underpinning the relationship between metropolitan Europe and colonial Africa, altering the mindsets of both Europeans and Africans, and framing an increasing number of interactions between them.
Combining historiographical accounts with analyses from social science and cultural studies perspectives, the book investigates a carefully selected range of economic, social and political contexts, from agriculture to mass media. With its focus on the conceptual side of development and its broad geographical scope, the book offers new and uncommon perspectives. An extensive introduction contextualises the individual chapters and makes the book an up-to-date point of entry into the subject of colonial development, not only for a specialist readership, but also for students of history, development and postcolonial studies.
Written by scholars from Africa, Europe and North America, the book is a uniquely international dialogue on this vital chapter of twentieth-century transnational history.
