Beyond Westernization: Culture and the Question of Development in Africa

Abstract

The question of development is not yet settled in Africa. Though there are numerous approaches and theories on this issue yet the cultural dimension is not properly explored. Explicitly, globalization and modernization contain a lot, but not the final answer to the question of development. Modernization does not mean total neglect of indigenous knowledge. Besides, westernization is not modernization but one of the key factors to facilitate it. This paper examines the necessity of culture in the development of Africa. In line with this, the views of some Japanese scholars and Africans are carefully evaluated.