Ethnology in Africa

Ethnology in Africa

The study of ethnology also deals with the wars and conflicts that have arisen in Africa, among other things, due to the arbitrary drawing of national borders during the colonial era. Ethnology also focuses on African art and culture. In the 15th century, the first Europeans established their trading posts on the coasts of Africa, and Africa became mainly interesting for Europeans as a source of slaves. The colonization of the continent then reached its peak in the 19th and 20th centuries, when almost the entire continent was divided among the European powers within less than 30 years.

Diverse Culture

The colonial era has left deep traces in African culture, but African culture is now finding its own way by combining tradition and modernity.
The decades following decolonization remain difficult to this day, as artificial border demarcations that cause conflicts, the almost exclusive focus of the economy on exports, corruption, underdeveloped infrastructure, climatic problems, and high population growth delay economic success, and many African states are characterized by high poverty.

Linguistic Diversity

Africa has an enormous linguistic diversity. In total, there are well over 2000 African languages, of which about 50 are considered major languages, each spoken by more than one million people.
For almost 5 centuries, Africa was dominated by strong European influence. The changes in today's world not only disrupt European values but also present Africans with the challenge of transferring their culture into their own cultural markets, with which they can present themselves worldwide. The self-image of Africa and its positive perception will depend decisively on this.