Paper Summary:

This paper claims that the study of the historical evolution of states such as Ghana, Mali and Songhai is essential for understanding the differences in the cultural and social approaches. It explains that the African-American culture and the identity and sense of belonging of a shared system of values has been the result and the reaction to the violent contact the Africans were forced to have with their western oppressors.

From the Paper:

"Despite this however, inside the territory that is nowadays defined by the African borders, different and distinct civilizations were emerging, each with it specificities, but at the same time they were manifesting themselves inside similar general guidelines. This is why, it can be said that the African culture was in fact one which developed in a rather secluded atmosphere, without the pressure or influences of other cultures. This can be explained by the fact that the European notion of geography in particular revolved around certain concepts such as terra nullius which reduced all non western world to the Christian project "which perceived itself in both its textuality and significance as the most perfect expression of human culture" (Middleton,1997, p. 18)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Curtin, Ph. (1989). African history. London, New York: Longman.
• Middleton, J., J. F. Ajayl (1997). Encyclopedia of Africa : South of the Sahara
• New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1997.
• Middleton, J., A. Rassam. (1991-1996). Africa and the Middle East. In Encyclopedia of world cultures. New York: G. K. Hall.

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