African Social Studies: A Radical Reader, is an essential and wide-ranging collection of essays by some of the world's finest social scientists, known and lesser-known. This impressive collection covers issues such as the legacy of colonialism, imperialism, problems in the field of African Studies, national liberation movements, and more. No student of Africa should be without this volume.

Written by 25 African educators from 15 African nations that make up the African Social Studies Programme (ASSP), a Pan-African organization headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, this document is designed to supplement the sparse material on Africa available in the K-12 curriculum and textbooks in the United States, and these 11 lessons encourage U.S. middle schools to explore, appreciate, and become aware of African culture. The topics of the lessons include: (1) diverse lifestyles; (2) cross-cultural understanding; (3) Ghanaian culture; (4) marriage customs in Liberia, Malawi, and Uganda; (5) Yoruba infant naming ceremonies; (6) cuisine and etiquette in Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia; (7) Swazi culture; (8) family life in Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia; (9) education in Lesotho; (10) youth employment opportunities in Nigeria; and (11) African perspectives of the United States. Each lesson includes a preview, learning objectives, required resources, teaching procedures, and student activities and exercises. Handouts, drawings, a select bibliography, and lists of U.S. African studies centers, organizations, and publishers are also included. (DJC)

Jan Beek’s book explores everyday police work in an African country and analyses how police officers, despite prevailing stereotypes about failed states and African police, produce stateness. Drawing on highly readable ethnographic descriptions, the book shows that Ghanaian police practices often involve the exchange of money (bribes), the use of violence and the influence of politicians. However, such informal practices allow police officers to deal with the inconsistent necessities and the social context of their work. Ultimately, Ghanaian police officers are also inspired by a bureaucratic ethos and their practices are guided by it. Stateness, the book argues, is a quality of organizations, gradually emerging out of such everyday encounters. Producing Stateness allows a close look at the realities of police work in Africa and provides surprising insights into the rationalities of policing and state bureaucracies everywhere.