
Our Own Way in This Part of the World
Biography of an African Community, Culture, and Nation
Kwasi Konadu(Author)
Duke University Press
Published on 6. May 2019
Book
Hardback
328 pages
978-1-4780-0416-5 (ISBN)
Description
Kofi D?nk? was a blacksmith and farmer, as well as an important healer, intellectual, spiritual leader, settler of disputes, and custodian of shared values for his Ghanaian community. In Our Own Way in This Part of the World Kwasi Konadu centers D?nk?'s life story and experiences in a communography of D?nk?'s community and nation from the late nineteenth century through the end of the twentieth, which were shaped by historical forces from colonial Ghana's cocoa boom to decolonization and political and religious parochialism. Although D?nk? touched the lives of thousands of citizens and patients, neither he nor they appear in national or international archives covering the region. Yet his memory persists in his intellectual and healing legacy, and the story of his community offers a non-national, decolonized example of social organization structured around spiritual forces that serves as a powerful reminder of the importance for scholars to take their cues from the lived experiences and ideas of the people they study.
Reviews / Votes
"Konadu refers to his work as a 'communography' and offers a portrait of the community of which Kofi D?nk? was a hub. This approach creates a deeply grounded history... [in which] he tries to present the world as D?nk? might have seen it, offering a refreshing perspective. This innovative study is recommended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students." - G. Mann (Choice) "A compelling history of people and their community in twentieth century Ghana. Konadu has gathered an impressive archive, based on which he succeeds to capture societal changes and dynamics in their lived refractions and complexities. ... Konadu makes an important contribution to an everyday and social history of twentieth century Ghana." - Benedikt Pontzen (African Studies Quarterly) "Kwasi Konadu's Our Own Way in This Part of the World...provides us with a powerful model for thinking within and thus beyond the boundaries of the nation-state, viewing the past through the lens of extraordinary individuals and communities. We all have lessons to learn here." - Jennifer Hart (American Historical Review) "By revealing D?nk?'s story, Konadu has accomplished something innovative, a book worth reading for anyone who wants to challenge themselves to rethink the field of African Studies." - Jonathan Roberts (Journal of African History)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
North Carolina
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
51 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
567 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4780-0416-5 (9781478004165)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Kwasi Konadu
Our Own Way in This Part of the World
Biography of an African Community, Culture, and Nation
E-Book
04/2019
1st Edition
De Gruyter
€208.99
Available for download
Person
Kwasi Konadu is John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Chair in Africana and Latin American Studies at Colgate University and the author and editor of several books, including The Ghana Reader: History, Culture, Politics, also published by Duke University Press, and Transatlantic Africa, 1440-1888.
Content
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1. Libation: Matters Connected with Our Culture 17
2. Homelands: In Search of Past Events 44
3. Tools of the Trade: I was a Blacksmith . . . Before I Became [a Healer] 73
4. Medicine, Marriage, and Politics: Assist this State to have Progress 107
5. Independences: Never Mingled Himself in Local Politics 137
6. Anthropologies of Medicine and Africa: When the Whiteman First Came 166
7. Uncertain Moments and Memory: Our Ancestral Spirits, Come and Have Drink 195
Epilogue 228
Notes 239
Bibliography 287
Notes 307
Introduction 1
1. Libation: Matters Connected with Our Culture 17
2. Homelands: In Search of Past Events 44
3. Tools of the Trade: I was a Blacksmith . . . Before I Became [a Healer] 73
4. Medicine, Marriage, and Politics: Assist this State to have Progress 107
5. Independences: Never Mingled Himself in Local Politics 137
6. Anthropologies of Medicine and Africa: When the Whiteman First Came 166
7. Uncertain Moments and Memory: Our Ancestral Spirits, Come and Have Drink 195
Epilogue 228
Notes 239
Bibliography 287
Notes 307