IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/rse/wpaper/v17y2019i1p57-64.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Management of ethnocultural diversity in Africa: challenges and socio-economic consequences

Author

Listed:
  • Dieu Ne Dort Talla Fokam

    (Dschang School of Economics and Management, University of Dschang, Cameroon)

  • Paul Ningaye

    (Dschang School of Economics and Management, University of Dschang, Cameroon)

  • Fourier Prevost Fotso Koyeu

Abstract

This paper analyzes the challenges and socio-economic consequences of managing ethnocultural diversity in Africa. Results show that the challenges of managing ethnocultural diversity in Africa are primarily historical and political. The economic implications of managing ethnocultural diversity are positive when government policies are participatory and inclusive. However, when the management of diversity leads to identitarian closure, the consequences are negative and range from popular uprisings to conflicts. As a recommendation, the governments of African countries should study the nature of their diversity and develop inclusive and equitable public policies that take into account the interests of all identity groups. Respect for the Constitution and democratic rules is also an asset for effective management of ethnocultural diversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Dieu Ne Dort Talla Fokam & Paul Ningaye & Fourier Prevost Fotso Koyeu, 2019. "Management of ethnocultural diversity in Africa: challenges and socio-economic consequences," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 17(1), pages 57-64, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:rse:wpaper:v:17:y:2019:i:1:p:57-64
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://reaser.eu/RePec/rse/wpaper/REASER17_07Fokam_P57-64.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. William Easterly & Ross Levine, 1997. "Africa's Growth Tragedy: Policies and Ethnic Divisions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(4), pages 1203-1250.
    2. Laitin, David D., 1994. "The Tower of Babel as a Coordination Game: Political Linguistics in Ghana," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 88(3), pages 622-634, September.
    3. Gianmarco I.P. Ottaviano & Giovanni Peri, 2021. "The economic value of cultural diversity: evidence from US cities," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Firms and Workers in a Globalized World Larger Markets, Tougher Competition, chapter 7, pages 187-222, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    4. Ager, Philipp & Brückner, Markus, 2013. "Cultural diversity and economic growth: Evidence from the US during the age of mass migration," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 76-97.
    5. Collier, Paul & Hoeffler, Anke, 1998. "On Economic Causes of Civil War," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 50(4), pages 563-573, October.
    6. Barron, Patrick & Kaiser, Kai & Pradhan, Menno, 2009. "Understanding Variations in Local Conflict: Evidence and Implications from Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 698-713, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ozbugday, Fatih Cemil, 2019. "Kültür ve Ekonomik Başarı [Culture and Economic Success]," MPRA Paper 96734, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Meghamrita Chakraborty, 2023. "Linking Migration, Diversity and Regional Development in India," Journal of Development Policy and Practice, , vol. 8(1), pages 55-72, January.
    3. Alberto Alesina & Johann Harnoss & Hillel Rapoport, 2016. "Birthplace diversity and economic prosperity," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 101-138, June.
    4. Victor Ginsburgh & Shlomo Weber, 2020. "The Economics of Language," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 58(2), pages 348-404, June.
    5. Alberto Alesina & Eliana La Ferrara, 2003. "Ethnic Diversity and Economic Performance," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 2028, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    6. Scott L. Fulford & Ivan Petkov & Fabio Schiantarelli, 2020. "Does it matter where you came from? Ancestry composition and economic performance of US counties, 1850–2010," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 341-380, September.
    7. Thomas Kemeny & Abigail Cooke, 2018. "Spillovers from immigrant diversity in cities," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 18(1), pages 213-245.
    8. Zhu, Junbing & Grigoriadis, Theocharis, 2020. "Chinese dialects, revolutionary war & economic performance," Discussion Papers 2020/7, Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics.
    9. Jennifer Oetzel & Chang Hoon Oh, 2019. "Melting pot or tribe? Country-level ethnic diversity and its effect on subsidiaries," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 2(1), pages 37-61, March.
    10. Thomas Markussen & Kitavi Mbuvi, 2011. "When Does Ethnic Diversity Lead to Violence? Evidence from the 2007 Elections in Kenya," Discussion Papers 11-19, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    11. Claudio Berardino & Dario D’Ingiullo & Donatella Furia & Alfredo Cartone, 2021. "Immigration diversity and regional economic growth," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(3), pages 863-886, October.
    12. Francesco Addesa & Matteo Pazzona & Giambattista Rossi, 2022. "Migrant diversity and team performance in a high‐skilled labour market," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(3), pages 365-384, August.
    13. Zhu, Junbing & Grigoriadis, Theocharis N., 2022. "Chinese dialects, culture & economic performance," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    14. Wang, Wei & Suen, Richard M. H., 2015. "Diversity and Economic Growth in a Model with Progressive Taxation," MPRA Paper 67569, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Jiayue Liu & Ying Hu & Jing Xie & Bo Li, 2022. "Does cultural diversity contribute to the sustainable development of trade? Empirical evidence from 288 Chinese cities," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 432-451, March.
    16. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Von Berlepsch, Viola, 2017. "Does population diversity matter for economic development in the very long-term? Historic migration, diversity and county wealt," CEPR Discussion Papers 12347, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    17. Sjoerd Beugelsdijk & Mariko J. Klasing & Petros Milionis, 2019. "Value Diversity and Regional Economic Development," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(1), pages 153-181, January.
    18. Fabrizio Carmignani, 2015. "The Curse of Being Landlocked: Institutions Rather than Trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(10), pages 1594-1617, October.
    19. Liu, Kai & Yang, Jidong & Zou, Hongwei, 2020. "Cultural heterogeneity, social policy, and economic growth in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    20. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Viola Berlepsch, 2019. "Does Population Diversity Matter for Economic Development in the Very Long Term? Historic Migration, Diversity and County Wealth in the US," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(5), pages 873-911, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ethnic diversity; linguistic diversity; religious diversity; economic development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rse:wpaper:v:17:y:2019:i:1:p:57-64. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Manuela Epure (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/pgsaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.