African knowledges and sciences: Exploring the ways of knowing of Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Despite obvious differences between the regions and ethnic groups on the African continent, one can identify common elements in the way African people see themselves (cultural universalis), the way they know and organize themselves: their religions, worldviews, relationships to nature, notion of time, artistic expressions, leadership, and ethnic organizations. In contemporary Africa, traditional knowledge and values still are an important driving force in the decision-making and development activities of the people. Understanding this knowledge and the way it is organized, as well as assessing its strengths and weaknesses may be an important step in building African science. This chapter is a preliminary effort to come to grips with the way knowing is conducted in Africa. (author's abstract)