Sub-Saharan Africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization: history, ideational forces and epistemic power

The article analyses the process by which the Sub-Saharan region has become part of the new neoliberal global order. This is analysed with social theories of the international, within an analytical balance between the politico-economic dimensions and the cultural-ideational dimensions. From a world-...

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Main Author: Ángel Manuel AHEDO SANTIESTEBAN
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 2019-02-01
Series:Relaciones Internacionales
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistas.uam.es/relacionesinternacionales/article/view/10059
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author Ángel Manuel AHEDO SANTIESTEBAN
author_facet Ángel Manuel AHEDO SANTIESTEBAN
author_sort Ángel Manuel AHEDO SANTIESTEBAN
collection DOAJ
description The article analyses the process by which the Sub-Saharan region has become part of the new neoliberal global order. This is analysed with social theories of the international, within an analytical balance between the politico-economic dimensions and the cultural-ideational dimensions. From a world-systems perspective focused on hierarchical and hegemonic international relations it is observed how the Sub-Saharan region has continued to be within clear structural dependence relations both socioeconomic and cultural-ideational. From a world society perspective an ambivalent development is depicted in the region, featured with difficulties in constructing nation-states that can be formally internationally homologated, and limited regional integration and empowerment processes. Moreover, the glocal epistemic relations of definitional power are discussed, in relation to global knowledge dynamics and the role of public higher education. There are two main conclusions: a) region’s increasingly formal international homologation in the neoliberal global order has not modified region’s structural economic and political dependence, which is based in a cultural-ideational dependence relative to its epistemic and definitional power; and b) as democratization slowly advances there are actual and potential dynamics of generation of own and alternative epistemes, which could enable possibilities for a glocal contestation to a the hegemonic neoliberal model.
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spelling doaj.art-4f490d5e71ec4a5ebad048e99d982cb52023-01-02T21:37:55ZengUniversidad Autónoma de MadridRelaciones Internacionales1699-39502019-02-0140698710.15366/relacionesinternacionales2019.40.0039256Sub-Saharan Africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization: history, ideational forces and epistemic powerÁngel Manuel AHEDO SANTIESTEBANThe article analyses the process by which the Sub-Saharan region has become part of the new neoliberal global order. This is analysed with social theories of the international, within an analytical balance between the politico-economic dimensions and the cultural-ideational dimensions. From a world-systems perspective focused on hierarchical and hegemonic international relations it is observed how the Sub-Saharan region has continued to be within clear structural dependence relations both socioeconomic and cultural-ideational. From a world society perspective an ambivalent development is depicted in the region, featured with difficulties in constructing nation-states that can be formally internationally homologated, and limited regional integration and empowerment processes. Moreover, the glocal epistemic relations of definitional power are discussed, in relation to global knowledge dynamics and the role of public higher education. There are two main conclusions: a) region’s increasingly formal international homologation in the neoliberal global order has not modified region’s structural economic and political dependence, which is based in a cultural-ideational dependence relative to its epistemic and definitional power; and b) as democratization slowly advances there are actual and potential dynamics of generation of own and alternative epistemes, which could enable possibilities for a glocal contestation to a the hegemonic neoliberal model.https://revistas.uam.es/relacionesinternacionales/article/view/10059sociedad mundosistemas-mundopoder definitoriojerarquías ideacionaleseducación pública superiorworld societyworld-systems analysisdefinitional powerideational hierarchiespublic higher education
spellingShingle Ángel Manuel AHEDO SANTIESTEBAN
Sub-Saharan Africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization: history, ideational forces and epistemic power
Relaciones Internacionales
sociedad mundo
sistemas-mundo
poder definitorio
jerarquías ideacionales
educación pública superior
world society
world-systems analysis
definitional power
ideational hierarchies
public higher education
title Sub-Saharan Africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization: history, ideational forces and epistemic power
title_full Sub-Saharan Africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization: history, ideational forces and epistemic power
title_fullStr Sub-Saharan Africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization: history, ideational forces and epistemic power
title_full_unstemmed Sub-Saharan Africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization: history, ideational forces and epistemic power
title_short Sub-Saharan Africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization: history, ideational forces and epistemic power
title_sort sub saharan africa in the world order of neoliberal globalization history ideational forces and epistemic power
topic sociedad mundo
sistemas-mundo
poder definitorio
jerarquías ideacionales
educación pública superior
world society
world-systems analysis
definitional power
ideational hierarchies
public higher education
url https://revistas.uam.es/relacionesinternacionales/article/view/10059
work_keys_str_mv AT angelmanuelahedosantiesteban subsaharanafricaintheworldorderofneoliberalglobalizationhistoryideationalforcesandepistemicpower