Critical African Studies

Scope & Guideline

Challenging Perspectives, Shaping Futures

Introduction

Delve into the academic richness of Critical African Studies with our guidelines, detailing its aims and scope. Our resource identifies emerging and trending topics paving the way for new academic progress. We also provide insights into declining or waning topics, helping you stay informed about changing research landscapes. Evaluate highly cited topics and recent publications within these guidelines to align your work with influential scholarly trends.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN2168-1392
PublisherTAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 2015 to 2024
AbbreviationCRIT AFR STUD / Crit. Afr. Stud.
Frequency3 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address2-4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OR14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

Critical African Studies aims to provide a platform for interdisciplinary research that critically examines the dynamics of African societies, cultures, and politics. The journal emphasizes the importance of decolonization, social justice, and the representation of marginal voices within African contexts.
  1. Interdisciplinary Research:
    The journal publishes research that spans various disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, political science, and cultural studies, fostering a comprehensive understanding of African issues.
  2. Decolonization and Critical Theory:
    A core focus is on decolonizing knowledge and practices, critically analyzing colonial legacies and their ongoing impact on contemporary African societies.
  3. Cultural and Political Critique:
    The journal encourages critical examinations of cultural practices, political regimes, and social movements in Africa, often highlighting resistance and subversion.
  4. Gender and Intersectionality Studies:
    There is a consistent emphasis on gender issues and intersectionality, exploring how various identities intersect within African contexts, and how this influences power dynamics.
  5. Global and Local Interconnections:
    Research often explores the interconnectedness of local African contexts with global phenomena, including migration, trade, and cultural exchanges.
  6. Social Justice and Activism:
    The journal promotes scholarship that advocates for social justice, examining the role of activism and grassroots movements in effecting change within African societies.
Recent publications in Critical African Studies highlight emerging themes that resonate with current socio-political contexts and the evolving landscape of African scholarship. These trends reflect a growing interest in nuanced, critical, and intersectional approaches to understanding African realities.
  1. Decolonial Health Practices:
    Emerging research focuses on indigenous health practices and their relevance in global health discourses, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting alternative approaches to health and healing.
  2. Humor and Satire as Resistance:
    There is an increasing exploration of humor and satire as forms of political resistance and social critique within African contexts, reflecting the role of cultural expression in challenging state power and societal norms.
  3. Migration and Mobility Studies:
    Recent works emphasize African migration experiences and their implications, exploring issues of identity, agency, and transnational connections, thus addressing the complexities of migration in an increasingly globalized world.
  4. Moral Economies and Social Justice:
    A trend towards examining moral economies in various contexts, such as sex work and informal markets, reflects a growing interest in the ethical dimensions of economic practices and their impacts on marginalized communities.
  5. Youth Culture and Activism:
    There is a notable increase in research focused on the cultural politics of African youth, particularly how they engage with contemporary issues through popular culture, activism, and social media.
  6. Environmental and Land Rights:
    Emerging themes include the intersection of environmental issues and land rights, particularly in relation to indigenous knowledge and practices, reflecting a broader discourse on sustainability and justice in Africa.

Declining or Waning

While Critical African Studies continues to engage with a broad range of themes, certain areas have seen a decrease in focus over recent years. This shift may reflect changing research priorities or the evolving landscape of African studies.
  1. Traditional Economic Development Models:
    There has been a noticeable decline in papers focusing on conventional economic development models, as the journal increasingly prioritizes critical and alternative economic frameworks, such as moral economies and grassroots development.
  2. Colonial History Narratives:
    Research specifically centered on historical colonial narratives has waned, suggesting a shift towards contemporary issues and the implications of colonial legacies rather than a focus solely on historical accounts.
  3. Static Cultural Representations:
    Themes that portray static or monolithic representations of African cultures are less prevalent, indicating a move towards more dynamic and fluid understandings of culture that account for change and agency.
  4. Solely Western Theoretical Frameworks:
    There is a diminishing trend in the application of exclusively Western theoretical frameworks without consideration of indigenous perspectives, as the journal increasingly values local epistemologies.
  5. Overly Generalized African Studies:
    The journal appears to be moving away from broad, generalized studies of Africa, favoring more specific, context-driven research that addresses particular issues within individual countries or communities.

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