The difference that ‘capitalism’ makes: on the merits and limits of critical political economy in African Studies

SUMMARY

The goal of this Briefing is to weigh in carefully on the respective merits and limits of critical political economy perspectives in African Studies (and beyond) and to make a case for ontological and theoretical modesty. Rather than taking African capitalist societies for granted, we should unpick how particular social entities are being made.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Eric Otieno, Julian Stenmanns, Andrew Coulson and Mara Linden for their useful comments on earlier versions of this Briefing as well as ROAPE’s Leo Zeilig and Jörg Wiegratz for their general support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Note on contributor

Stefan Ouma holds a PhD in Economic Geography from Goethe University Frankfurt and an MA in African Development Studies from the University of Bayreuth. He is interested in the praxis of global economic connections, particularly in the realm of agro-commodity chains, global logistics, and agri-focused financial investments. His research combines interests in global political economy with the ambition to explore these macro issues in the minutiae of everyday economic life.

ORCID

Stefan Ouma http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3180-1754