Sociology

This chapter conceptualizes what Africa is in the field of Sociology, the field that is concerned with the science of the activities and behaviors of human society and group relations. To achieve this, the assessment of the scope and nature of relationships between and among cultures, societies, countries, and continents, both historically and geographically, is required. Considering the broad, dynamic, and complex nature of human relationships, both within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world, it is expected that many conceptualizations will emerge. Nonetheless, dealing with all these conceptualizations in a single chapter is apparently not feasible. Thus, three important conceptualizations that explain what Africa is in the current sociological discourse are examined, and these include (1) Africa as the cradle of humankind and of sociological knowledge, (2) Africa as the source of human capital to the world, and (3) Africa as the home of pluralism and collectivism.