National Identity in Africa: Peace, Democracy, and Everyday National Narratives

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Dominika Koter (Associate Professor of Political Science, Associate Professor of Political Science, Colgate University)

National Identity in Africa

Name: National Identity in Africa
Price: 215.95 AUD
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ISBN: 9780198978862

Peace, Democracy, and Everyday National Narratives

Dominika Koter (Associate Professor of Political Science, Associate Professor of Political Science, Colgate University)

$215.95

Hardback

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English

Oxford University Press
18 June 2026

Political structures: democracy; Public opinion & polls

Series: Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relations

National identity in sub-Saharan Africa is often portrayed as underdeveloped and less important than ethnic identity. Yet, recent empirical evidence from across the continent shows that national identity is more robust than many predicted. Existing theories do not fully account for this as they do not provide an exhaustive list of sources of national identification. National Identity in Africa: Peace, Democracy, and Everyday National Narratives helps explain what drives national belonging in African states. It presents an additional pathway for national identification to emerge. It argues that divergent political developments between countries DL distinct political outcomes that are highly visible to the population, such as peace, conflict, or democracy DL make citizens draw inferences about national characters, providing the basis for national imaginings. Based on over 400 original interviews with ordinary people across different regions of Ghana and Botswana to study the content of national identity, this study reveals the striking salience of political developments vis-à-vis other ingredients of nation-building such as state programs and cultural commonalities. Koter also shows that once political conditions become the core of national identity, a palpable deterioration in them will negatively affect national identification. Benin and Botswana DL two cases of successful democracies that sustained democratic backsliding in recent years DL demonstrate the negative effect of democratic erosion on national identity. The book further examines the generalizability of the impact of political developments both in and outside of Africa. Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relations is a series for scholars and students working on African politics and International Relations and related disciplines. Volumes concentrate on contemporary developments in African political science, political economy, and International Relations, such as electoral politics, democratization, decentralization, gender and political representation, the political impact of natural resources, the dynamics and consequences of conflict, comparative political thought, and the nature of the continent> 's engagement with the East and West. Comparative and mixed methods work is particularly encouraged. Case studies are welcomed but should demonstrate the broader theoretical and empirical implications of the study and its wider relevance to contemporary debates. The focus of the series is on sub-Saharan Africa, although proposals that explain how the region engages with North Africa and other parts of the world are of interest. Series Editors: Nic Cheeseman (University of Birmingham), Peace Medie (University of Bristol), and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira (Sciences Po, Paris).

By: Dominika Koter (Associate Professor of Political Science Associate Professor of Political Science Colgate University)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 241mm, Width: 162mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 491g
ISBN: 9780198978862
ISBN 10: 0198978863
Series: Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relations
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 18 June 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Dominika Koter is Associate Professor of Political Science at Colgate University. She received her PhD in Political Science from Yale University. She is the author of Beyond Ethnic Politics in Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2016). Her work has also appeared in journals such as World Politics, African Affairs, National and Ethnic Politics and Journal of Modern African Studies. She received the Gregory Luebbert Award for Best Article in Comparative Politics and the African Politics Conference Groups' award for best article published on African politics in 2013.