France and the New Imperialism

This book uses critical approaches to international relations (IR) and security to examine French policy in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on military affairs. This enables an incisive and insightful account of the forces shaping Franco-African relationships over an extended period, with an emphasis on continuities of practice despite shifts in discourse. What the book offers is an exploration of the hegemony of a particular social formation connecting France and Africa that is deeply complicit in the predicaments of the latter. The early part of the book lays out the conceptual approach, drawing on the work of a range of critical theorists. This section is competently handled and would be a good primer for advanced undergraduates, graduate students and those new to the field but with a more general interest in Francophonie. This framework is then worked through a succession of empirical chapters in a lively and revealing way, giving the book wider resonance and relevance.

Field (mathematics) · Hegemony · International relations · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Relevance (law) · Social science · Sociology · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · Law