- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Postcolonial African migration to the West is not only a spatial movement in search of material and physical security but also an expression of the mimetic desire for being by imitating the West or "whitening" oneself against the background of the dehumanizing historical legacies of slavery, colonialism, and Western dominance. It is a flight from oneself, from perceived inadequacies. To migrate to the West is an expression of the desire for being, not through detachment from the "fascinating" West but rather through adoration and imitation of its lifestyle, beauty ideals, and soft and hard power, and by living in the West. The model (the West) builds ubiquitous anti-migrant physical and virtual fences, which the imitator tries to overcome. The more the model re-strengthens these fences, the more the imitator tries to scale them. The anti-migrant fences are the meeting point of the model's perceived superiority, admirability, and desirability on the one hand, and on the other hand the imitator's inferiority complex and inner tension between the paradoxical desire for detachment from the model and its passionate imitation at the same time. This book argues that African migration to the West will continue even in the absence of poverty, conflicts, and climate change because it is also about the mimetic desire for being.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Front Matter
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Challenges in Determining Migration Causes: Policies and Theories
- 3. The Economic Dimension of the Postcolonial African Migration to the West
- 4. The Political Dimension of the Postcolonial African Migration to the West
- 5. The Postcolonial African Migration to the West as a Desire for Liberation
- 6. The Postcolonial African Migration to the West as a Desire for Recognition
- 7. The Postcolonial African Migration to the West as a Desire for Being
- 8. The Postcolonial Migration from Africa to the West as the Desire for Equality and Negation of Difference
- 9. Summary and Conclusion
- Back Matter