The Kimchi Matters: Global Business and Local Politics in a Crisis-Driven World
Shop for it:
(added from 1 site)
Description:
This book does a good job of presenting a summary overview of the subject matter to beginners. Because the broad scope of this work involves string together information from many fields; I can see how errors will be made in areas...
See more »
This book does a good job of presenting a summary overview of the subject matter to beginners. Because the broad scope of this work involves string together information from many fields; I can see how errors will be made in areas that are not the authors realms of specialization - but nontheless; I want to note a few of these errors; mostly about the analysis of situations in Africa: 1. The author erroneously injects the Tribal context into his analysis. Why are Indonesia's peoples Ethnic Groups but the Yoruba's are a Tribe? Are these terms synonymous or is something else at work here? The Yorubas number 40Million - the Hausas even number more than that - they have the Oyo, Benin Empires etc the Sokoto Caliphate etc to their credits. What is the idea of Tribe meant to imply? 2. The carving up of Africa with disastrous results was not inadvertent. The "divide and rule" policy was mentioned - it was implemented deliberately - how then can its results be inadvertent? 3. Again; the authors erroneously uses the Tribal context to refer to the Wabenzi or the Beento. Neither are Tribes! Anymore than one would refer to Upper Class socialites in the UK as a Tribe. Again - why do authors persist in conextualizing Africa in a tribal concept that has no foundations nor usefulness? Again - what is the subtle implication behind this usage? 4. The Authors state that the British built Urban centers in Nigeria. This is false. Lagos, annexed by the British was already founded as a coastal trading community long before the British arrived - Lagos does not experience any development until the Oil Boom of the 70's - there are hardly any significant acrhitectural edifices in Lagos today that were built by the colonial administration - Indeed; the colonialists decided not to stay in Lagos because of the climate and administered it from Freetown Instead. Furthermore; by the 18th century, Ibadan, the capital of the Old Oyo empire was already the largest city in subsaharan Africa - this was not the work of the British; neither was the Urban Center of Kano - Today; Nigeria has about 150 cities with populations of over 100,000 - neither of them was founded by the British and development has always been inevitable tied to Oil and a local Government presence. In fact; the British didnt lay the foundations of anything - rather; they annexed and stringed exisiting entities together - something that the authors also note. The idea that people flocked to Urban centers established by the British is faulty. The migration to Lagos started in the 70's because of Oil. Other cities continued their normal pace of population growth - Ibadan today still has a population of over 1.5 Million people - in 1890 it had a population of about 200,000. 5. The idea that Shell was somehow drawn involuntarily into Nigerian Oil politics is ridiculous. Shell was implicated not only in the Murder of Saro Wiwa but in the burning down of several other villages and the murder of thousands of people. This was active; not Passive participation. 6. Kimchi Matters is a good book. I understand that Zonis et al analyse from a particular perspective; but I was especially sensitive to some assertions made because they represent a slight misrepresentation of the kimchi at work in Nigeria/Africa. In the conclusion; Zonis et al sound like apologists for colonialism - what simplistic way (as they assert) represents the orthodox view of the effects of colonialism? Is a 50% reduction of the population of the Congo simplistic in its effects till day vis-a-vis other imperialist factors? Do rich countries continue to oppress poor countries? Well - if Racism still exists in the U.S - if people (according to a recent study) are 50% less likely to get a job just because their names sound "black" - then who are we to contend that such attitudes do not project on the realm of the International? If the countries of the West do not curb oppression and police brutality within their own borders - then what makes Zonis et al think that the same attitudes do not project unto the International realm? For sure
See less »
Highlights:
List Price: $25.95 | Price: $17.65 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details | You Save: $8.30 (32%)
Tags:
Buy itamazon.com
Added by 1 people