ENGLISH STUDIES IN AFRICA
Scope & Guideline
Celebrating Six Decades of African Literary Scholarship
Introduction
Aims and Scopes
- Mobility and Transport in Literature:
This core area examines how mobility—through various forms of transport—shapes narratives and identities in African literature, highlighting the socio-political implications and personal experiences of characters. - Postcolonial Perspectives:
The journal emphasizes postcolonial themes, exploring how colonial legacies affect contemporary identities, narratives, and literary expressions across African societies. - Ecocriticism and Environmental Narratives:
Contributions often reflect on ecological concerns within African literatures, analyzing the relationship between humans and their environments, particularly in the context of postcolonial identities. - Cultural and Racial Politics:
The journal addresses the complexities of race, identity, and cultural politics in African literature, focusing on how these themes are represented and contested within various narratives. - Interdisciplinary Approaches:
The journal encourages interdisciplinary methodologies, integrating insights from cultural studies, sociology, and history to enrich literary analysis. - Focus on Contemporary Issues:
Recent publications reflect on current socio-political issues, such as the impacts of COVID-19 and the dynamics of urban life, showing the journal's commitment to relevance in contemporary discourse.
Trending and Emerging
- Exploration of Mobility and Urban Life:
A significant trend is the focus on mobility, particularly public transport and urban experiences, as a lens to understand identity and socio-political dynamics in African contexts. - Hydropolitics and Environmental Issues:
Emerging themes around hydropolitics and water narratives indicate a growing interest in environmental issues and their representation in literature, reflecting broader global concerns. - Intersection of Literature and Social Change:
Recent works increasingly link literature to social movements and transformations, addressing how narrative can influence and reflect societal changes, particularly in postcolonial settings. - Interdisciplinary Narratives:
There is a rise in interdisciplinary approaches that blend literature with other fields such as sociology, politics, and environmental studies, enriching the analysis of texts. - Contemporary Responses to Global Events:
The impact of global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is increasingly reflected in literary analyses, indicating a responsiveness to current events and their cultural implications.
Declining or Waning
- Traditional Literary Canon:
Analysis of classical authors and texts, particularly those outside the immediate African context, is becoming less frequent, indicating a shift towards more localized and contemporary voices. - Historical Narratives without Contemporary Relevance:
There seems to be a decline in the exploration of purely historical narratives that do not connect to current socio-political contexts or issues, suggesting a move towards literature that engages with present-day challenges. - Generalized Postcolonial Theory:
While postcolonial themes remain relevant, the application of broad theoretical frameworks without specific African contexts is decreasing, as scholars increasingly seek nuanced, localized analyses. - Focus on Non-Literary Genres:
There is a noticeable decline in the examination of non-literary genres such as oral traditions or folklore, which were once more prominent in the journal's discourse.
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