Economics has an Africa Problem

This blogpost discusses the bias the Economics discipline has towards Africa. It points out how important conferences on issues regarding Africa take place in Western countries at the expense of those based in Africa. In addition to this, he also shows how positions of influence, like editorial board members of journals, when it comes to studies centering on Africa are occupied by individuals based in the West. He argues that this dynamic reflects the view that Africa is not capable of being an active participant in discussions that shape its future.

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Comment from our editors:

This short blog piece does an amazing job in pointing out the western-centric nature of academia even when the discussions and engagement revolve around the global south. The author aptly brings forward examples of how the marginalization of Africa is in the distribution of positions of influence while also showing the inadequacies of the arguments of those who structure such biases. It is an excellent engagement that has been built into a full-fledged article. See: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03085147.2021.1841933?journalCode=reso20

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