The Perception of Africa as a Single Entity Essay - 708 Words

Looking at Africa as a single entity has been an issue facing how the world perceives it. When news of Africa hits the stands it is rarely talking about specific places but rather a story about the whole of Africa. Viewing Africa as a single thing has lead most of the world, especially Western cultures, to see it in a generalized way which has led to a negative stereotype of Africa and its people. During the time of European expansion, many in Europe only knew of Africa, though the letters of self-appointed anthropologist and adventurers who described Africa as a dark continent; the people were dark skinned and primitive; they worshiped idols and practiced mysticism. This was evident in the way that British colonist described the†¦show more content†¦They were to the European simple people but useful. The boarders that were created meshed together different tribal groups, all with their own customs that made them distinct from one another. Ignorant to seeing this or pe rhaps just uncaring, the colonists and missionaries then moved toward civilizing the Africans by wiping them clean of their identity and instilling into them a new identity. Their reasoning was to bring the Africans into the modern world and to make them useful. These motives of course were not simply to help the African people but turn them into a labor force. This movement was fueled by the belief that the Africans were in nature primitive people and in need of help. Just like James Ferguson said â€Å"Western societies have found in Africa a radical other for their own constructions of civilization, enlightenment, progress, development, modernity, and, indeed, history† Africa was a place that was seen as a means to judge the standards of western progress and culture (Ferguson 2). This meant that Africa and the people who lived there were reduced to a lower standing on the social ladder. Africa was a testing ground for western nations to test their ability to bring cu lture to the uncultured. Even today most of the world judges their way of life, their culture, and prosperity based on how they compare to a 3rd world country like Africa. TheShow MoreRelatedUnilever N. V Case Study1209 Words   |  5 PagesMiddle East, and Africa. In 2016, Unilever indicated a revenue of EUR52713 million (Unilever, 2017) which represents a drop by 1 percent from 2015. The company’s operating margin was also 14.8 percent in comparison with an operating margin of 14.1 percent in 2015 fiscal year. Currently, the company functions as a dual-listed organization that has two parent firms, Unilever N.V and Unilever PLC. Unilever N.V is registered in England and Wales. These two firms function as a single entity. Unilever in conjunctionRead MoreWhy Are Intra State Conflicts So Difficult? 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