期刊名称：The Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa (JSDA)
电子版ISSN：1520-5509
出版年度：2012
卷号：14
期号：7
出版社：Institute of Sustainable Development in Africa
摘要：The fundamental shrinking of the world occasioned by time-space compression which is consequent upon globalisation has brought about economic and political integration in the world which put African countries in subordinate and victimised positions. This is because globalisation as an integrating social reality has been seized by world political and economic super-powers for ideological reasons to establish their hegemony and control over other world cultures and economies. The question now is how do African countries negotiate themselves within this global dynamics? This essay examines how Africa has fared in the process of globalisation and the way out of the risks and marginalisation involved in it. It is argued that the neo-liberal economic ideology suggested for African countries by global financial institutions and transnational corporations does not motivate development in developing countries. The reason is that it is premature in their development process. Early stages of economic development do not accommodate such economic principles. The history of the economies advanced capitalists countries including the US and Japan reveals that they built their economies by wisely and selectively protecting some of their industries until they were strong enough to compete with foreign companies. It is argued that governments in the Third World in general and Africa in particular are complicit in the global domination and marginalisation of their states and this has led to irresponsible governance which weakened their legitimacy. It is suggested that good governance and better regional cooperation remain the only options to avoiding the global traps and ensuring sustainable development.
