Towards a critical realist perspective on African conflicts

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Towards a critical realist perspective on African conflicts
Author:	Yirenkyi-Boateng, S.
Year:	2016
Periodical:	International Journal of African Renaissance Studies (ISSN 1753-7274)
Volume:	11
Issue:	1
Pages:	103-122
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Africa
Subjects:	ethnic conflicts political conflicts philosophy
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1080/18186874.2016.1212476
Abstract:	With various attempts being made to address religious, ethnic and political conflicts in Africa, one question which continues to feature in public discourses concerns the contributions which the African academic community could make towards the understanding and resolution of conflict. This article demonstrates that ontological issues need to be critical in any attempts at effectively analysing conflicts. The merit of the critical realist philosophy of Roy Bhaskar, with its ontological concerns, is presented as an important analytical and resolution model which the African academic community can fall back on, to look for effective solutions to conflict on the continent. The thrust in this article is that the properties of the critical realist approach to social research make it practically adequate for analysing conflicts. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]