Liberia : the violence of democracy / Mary H. Moran.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Moran, Mary H., 1957-

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania. Press.

Series:

Ethnography of political violence

The ethnography of political violence

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democracy.

Political violence.

Liberia--History--Civil War, 1989-1996.

Liberia.

History.

Liberia--History--Civil War, 1999-2003.

Political violence--Liberia.

Democracy--Liberia.

Liberia--Politics and government--1980-.

Politics and government.

Genre:

Electronic books.

History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (190 pages) : illustrations, map.

Other Title:

Penn Press e-books.

Place of Publication:

Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, [2006]

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

This book argues that democracy is not a foreign import into Africa, but that essential aspects of what we in the West consider democratic values are part of the indigenous African traditions of legitimacy and political process. In the case of Liberia, these democratic traditions include institutionalized checks and balances operating at the local level that allow for the voices of structural subordinates (women and younger men) to be heard and be effective in making claims. Mary H. Moran argues that the violence and state collapse that have beset Liberia and the surrounding region in the past two decades cannot be attributed to ancient tribal hatreds or neopatrimonial leaders who are simply a modern version of traditional chiefs. Rather, democracy and violence are intersecting themes in Liberian history that have manifested themselves in numerous contexts over the years."--Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction: Liberia, violence, and democracy

The case for indigenous democracy

Contested histories

Civilization and the Liberian nation

The promise and terror of elections

The lock on the outhouse door: discourses of development

The crisis of youth and the promise of the future

Conclusion: A wedding and a funeral.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 165-178) and index.

Electronic reproduction. [S.l.] : HathiTrust Digital Library, 2010.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Moran, Mary H., 1957- Liberia.

ISBN:

9780812202847

0812202848

OCLC:

607374103

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.