Mistaking Africa: Curiosities and Inventions of the American Mind

By: Curtis Keim

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: For manyAmericans the mention of Africa immediately conjures up images of safaris,ferocious animals, strangely dressed "tribesmen," and impenetrable jungles.Although the occasional newspaper headline mentions authoritarian rule,corruption, genocide, devastating illnesses, or civil war in Africa, thecollective American consciousness still carries strong mental images of Africathat are reflected in advertising, movies, amusement parks, cartoons, and manyother corners of society. Few think to question these perceptions or how theycame to be so deeply lodged in American minds. Mistaking Africa looks at the historical evolution of this mind-setand examines the role that popular media plays in its creation. The authorsaddress the most prevalent myths and preconceptions and demonstrate how theseprevent a true understanding of the enormously diverse peoples and cultures ofAfrica.Updatedthroughout, the fourth edition covers the entire continent (North andsub-Saharan Africa) and provides new analysis of topics such as social mediaand the Internet, the Ebola crisis, celebrity aid, and the Arab Spring. Mistaking Africa is an important bookfor African studies courses and for anyone interested in unraveling Americanmisperceptions about the continent.