POLSC-AD 161 | "Reviving the Wild Heart of Africa" and other stereotypes

Uff, this video is heavy. I've taken enough classes about postcolonial representations to know a problematic one. He begins to describe Africa as a "great, primordial continent". He beats his right hand over his chest and proudly claims, "I am an African", as if to inspire oohs and aahs from the crowd. It's hard to judge, because I'm not from the continent, but as the other articles will also touch upon, the idea of a Pan-African identity seems to serve only the interests of foreigners who will waste no time understanding its component parts. For regular Africans, the definition of Pan-Africanism is much like the discourse of "development" that surrounds it: inspirational, but mostly insipid.

- Reviving the Heart of Wild Africa, by Steve Boyes

The contrast between monolithic African humans -- hungry, suffering, foolish -- and complex African animals brought me the most distress. Although African literature deserves more unsensational narratives, for the sake of balancing its more hyperbolic tendencies, some speciesism is at work here. Both humans and animals deserve equal attention. The maltreatment of the former is noteworthy nonetheless:

Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters. They speak (or grunt while tossing their manes proudly) and have names, ambitions and desires. They also have family values: see how lions teach their children? Elephants are caring, and are good feminists or dignified patriarchs. So are gorillas. Never, ever say anything negative about an elephant or a gorilla. Elephants may attack people’s property, destroy their crops, and even kill them. Always take the side of the elephant. Big cats have public-school accents. Hyenas are fair game and have vaguely Middle Eastern accents. Any short Africans who live in the jungle or desert may be portrayed with good humour (unless they are in conflict with an elephant or chimpanzee or gorilla, in which case they are pure evil).

- How to Write about Africa, by Binyavanga Wainana

 I've always been skeptical of Jared Diamond. His geographic deterministic argument always appeared too simple, but I've never actually read Gun, Germs, and Steel. As a first encounter with his writing, I now begin to see the appeal of his arguments. Obviously, Africa's development, or lack thereof, is a much more complex explanation than the fact that local flora and fauna were difficult to domesticate, but it does offer a seductive answer.

Ironically, the long human presence in Africa is probably the reason the continent's species of big animals survive today. African animals co-evolved with humans for millions of years, as human hunting prowess gradually progressed from the rudimentary skills of our early ancestors. That gave the animals time to learn a healthy fear of man, and with it a healthy avoidance of human hunters. In contrast, North and South America and Australia were settled by humans only within the last tens of thousands of years. To the misfortune of the big animals of those continents, the first humans they encountered were already fully modern people, with modern brains and hunting skills. Most of those animals—woolly mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and in Australia marsupials as big as rhinoceroses—disappeared soon after humans arrived. Entire species may have been exterminated before they had time to learn to beware of hunters.

- The Shape of Africa, by Jared Diamond 

You know I love data visualization. Let it speak for itself:

"Because "Europe" is used to describe the European Union and "America" is used as a synonym for the United States, the coverage of Africa can only be compared with that of Asia. See how the Guardian, for instance, uses "Africa" as an all-purpose word to describe anything from Tangiers to Cape Town. Comparing the mentions of the three biggest African economies with the three biggest Asian ones, we see how much less precise reporting of African countries remains." 

- Africa is not a country, Nicolas Kayser-Bril for The Guardian 

ECON-AD 213J | Class 15 Reflection: The future of Cape Town

The Slave Trade helped develop the Carnival musical culture that tourists enjoy around the world. When are we going to stop oppressing each other and start treating each other as equals? 

Our last class concluded with a discussion on what policy prescriptions we can offer Cape Town, after three weeks of intensively studying development and urbanization issues in South Africa. The class has been actively thinking about these issues throughout the course, and so contributions were lively. There was no ambiguity in the fact that the legacy of the apartheid persists in the way the city is organized: Cape Town CBD is located in low-density area mostly inhabited by the wealthy white population, while the majority coloured and black population live in slum areas in the CBD’s outskirts, where flooding is common and diseases rampant. Due to topographical constraints, large government housing subsidies, and simultaneous lack of rent control in informal settlements, the housing market has an inelastic supply that makes the transition into proper living conditions difficult.

Although we do not know what the proper answer is, it is clear that the current status quo cannot stand. If left unchecked, the inequality between white and black populations will continue to widen, which may pressure the latter to take measures outside proper political processes to change the situation. The CBD is a prime location for densification, because of its valuable location both in terms of property value and number of businesses set up there. Ultimately, the local government should construct a long-term plan for this transition into densifying the CBD, by first identifying the most effective ways to migrate people into the city. Buffer zones offer a promising solution. These undeveloped areas originally meant to separate races in neighborhoods can and should be developed into high-rise buildings where middle-income people can migrate. The housing that they depart from, therefore, can be used by low-income households migrating into the city. Concurrent to these urban policies, government should update its bus rapid transit (BRT) to decrease transportation costs for people migrating from Khayelitsha into the CBD, which can cost up to 25% of daily income for these families. 

This class has been phenomenal, I now see cities in a different light, in a way where I know what questions to ask with purpose and direction. I learned that changes do not happen overnight, and it requires thoughtful and engaged action, where every phase is evaluated and reevaluated in its given sociopolitical context. On that note, development projects like Wespark in the north of Cape Town as a solution to its housing problem are nothing but a pipe dream because it attempts to circumvent this process of evaluation when it is an imperative step in sustainable urban policies. We must always pursue what is right, even when the process seems arduous. Even though I may not have all the answers, knowing which direction to inquire is a powerful tool. I am excited to take the course Comparative Politics in Africa with Professor Peter van der Windt in the Spring semester, where I will continue this quest for understanding.

ECON-AD 213J | Class 14 Reflection: RCT and Angry Birds

Today, our class focused on urban theories as it applies to South Africa. It is really fascinating to learn about these topics. I’ve lived in large cities all my life - Manila, Jakarta, New York, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Abu Dhabi - and while I can describe the differences between them, I did not consider its larger macroeconomic implications.

Glaeser’s Triumph of the Cities is our primary reading today, where he argues that cities are mankind’s greatest invention, as the headquarters of the industrialization revolution that brought much of the world’s prosperity today. I agree that cities have been an invaluable part in pulling the world out of subsistence conditions in the way that it conglomerates people, capital and ideas in dense locations that facilitate rapid production and consumption. I am relieved, however, that he does not overstate its benefits and makes sense out of why wide, recreational spaces like parks exist as well. These spaces exist not only to raise property values of nearby houses, but also as insurance against the opposite of the “eyes on the street” effect. If buildings are so high that people do not feel any responsibility for its maintenance, then high-rise buildings may not drive growth. Parks, however, may help people feel a sense of ownership to the location, because the value that parks add to their property is dependent on its safety.

I am interested in the role of parks in cities not only because of the subtle ways that it adds value, but also in how humans are inherently drawn to these places for rest. This interest stems from my enjoyment of parks such as Central Park in New York and Parque de Tres de Febrero in Buenos Aires, and partly due to how the comedy Parks and Recreation glamorizes government work. My friend who works at the Monocle, a magazine about global affairs, business, culture, and design, created a short video documentary about how urban planners are reimagining recreational spaces and integrating it into regular city life. Although the projects the film features appear exciting, I am conscious about the breadth in which these resources are shared, because it appears to cater to only the urban elite. Parks should be the most democratic places in the city, where everyone has equal access and stake in its preservation.

In the second part of class, we watched a video where Angus Deaton placed doubts on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as the panacea in the methodological constraints that development studies frequently face. Afterwards, Prof. Buckley shared with us another short video where he compares RCTs to the popular mobile application “Angry Birds” describing them as a frantic and misguided games of trial and error. On that comparison alone, I would disagree with Deaton. RCTs, as described by Ester Duflo in Poor Economics, have a specific strategy in identifying the parameters of the experiment before evaluating a project. When addressing the problem of teacher absenteeism in India, for example, Duflo did not utilize farfetched ways to try and solve the problem. Instead, she used cameras as a tool to reinforce accountability, and it was effective in improving teacher attendance. What this ultimately produces is concrete evidence of whether a particular strategy is effective or not, and making adjustments accordingly. (On another note, Angry Birds employs the same identification strategies as RCTs. Rather than blindly shooting the birds at farfetched directions, a skilled player should make an educated guess on the angle and force by which to release the birds on the pigs. But I digress.)

Of course, this is not to say that RCT is not without its problems: its three main issues would be the size of its impact, its large time horizons, and sampling errors. RCTs make small adjustments within a specific set of variables, and therefore its impact after the study will not be significant. As with the case of teacher absenteeism, although introducing cameras increases teacher participation, the quality of the education requires further testing. In addition, some treatments require years before its findings can be identified, which means the implementation of its policies may be outdated by the time of its implementation. Habits do not change overnight, and this has to be reflected in long-term trends in data. Therefore, RCTs are limited in the scope of its effectiveness. Moreover, Deaton argues that RCTs have sampling errors because it is selected out of convenience, then randomized. This part confused me, because I don’t think that it causes much of a problem. Say, for example, that an NGO wants to study the impact of a new savings program on a village in India. Therefore, from all the households in the village, the NGO will select half through a randomized program for its treatments and the rest for its baseline. Even though the village was conveniently chosen to begin with, the village itself is precisely the target of the policy intervention. In that sense, Deaton concedes that RCTs, in these and other similar instances, are precisely the type of program that delivers the exact data that policymakers need. Other methods need to be explored, however, if we want to make quicker change.

ECON-AD 213J | Class 13 Reflection: The Big Men

It is our first day back from Cape Town and everyone in the class is reflective about our visit. For the third part of the course, today’s class and the next two classes are focused on learning about how development perspectives have evolved and influenced the African political economy over time. Today, we learned about different development perspectives from Rodrik (second-best thinking may be best), de Soto (property rights are key!), Acemoglu (no, institutions are key!), and Duflo (RCTs adds precision to otherwise alchemic social sciences). These perspectives have challenged the orthodox principles I once held about development. Many platitudes circulate development discourse - “urbanization stimulates growth”, “ethnic conflict stems from ancient hatreds”, “more aid is needed” - and my biggest takeaway is that I have to critically examine each orthodoxy in the context it is said. For example, urbanization may be necessary to stimulate growth, but it is not sufficient; pathological urbanization demonstrates that high urbanization rates can be an indicator of poor rural conditions rather than booming prospects in cities. The best approach, therefore, lies somewhere in the middle of what these experts prescribe.

I am enjoying reading Meredith’s book, my knowledge base regarding African contemporary politics is quickly expanding, and I can contextualize contemporary events better through my daily readings. Chapter 23, The Struggle for Democracy, describes the challenges different countries have faced in order to achieve true democracy, because the departure of colonial administration, like urbanization, is a necessary but insufficient condition for Africa’s economic takeoff. The continent has been plagued with what Meredith calls “Big Man” politics, whereby dictators have exceeded their constitutionally mandated terms and in some cases, amended the constitution itself to support their autocratic reign. The freedom fighters’ intentions in the struggle against these Big Men, however, do not appear perfectly noble, because some of them have quests for power on their own. Thus the legacy of “Big Men Democracy” continues.

It pushes me to inquire about the origins of this behavior. Why do African leaders abuse their power? My intuition tells me that it is another colonial legacy that goes untold: that due to fears of a neocolonial resurgence, either from Europeans or revolutionaries at home, autocrats prefer to hold all the power to themselves. I asked Jayed Oliver, a South African student at the University of the Western Cape, about his opinions on the matter, and he agrees. “First of all, South Africa is a unique case because it is the most developed part of the continent,” he explains, “but we also have the same problems as the rest of sub-Saharan Africa in that we have the same problems of having poor leadership.” Moreover, due to the precolonial tribalism that governed African politics before Bismarck erected artificial state lines, this new generation of leaders continue to fracture internal state politics through preferential treatment based on their tribal origins. Chapter 23 enumerates several examples of these Big Men employing crony capitalism by purchasing loyalty from subordinates, usually members of the same ethnic group as the leader. Countries like Tanzania, for example, have fared better with these issues, through their strong nationalism campaign to establish a national language and distribute public goods irrespective of ethnic origins.

ECON-AD 213J | Class 11-12 Reflection: On top of the world

22!

Perfectly aligned geological sediments while on Chapman's Peak.

Marco's African Palace, where I celebrated my birthday dinner.

Today is my birthday! Ever since the course started, I could not wait for this day, I’m incredibly lucky that I get to be in Cape Town to celebrate my 22nd birthday. Our schedule was packed with more recreational activities, and I was happy that I did not have to plan anything for myself.

Standing atop Table Mountain, a 7th Wonder of the World, felt spectacular. The elevation was so high that I felt that the clouds were within reach. I walked for a bit along its hiking trail, but I was deeply content with lying down on a rock and feeling the sun on my skin. I bought an ice cream and all the melted sugars crept down my fingers as I vigorously tried to keep my eating neat. It is especially during these simple life-affirming moments when I realize that this simple joy should be shared with everyone. The randomness of life’s unfairness to certain groups of people makes it so abundantly clear that it’s our job to leverage our privilege so we can share it. While I was contemplating on these, before I knew it, I napped for what felt like an eternity and my skin became a few shades darker. My mom will not be pleased, but I like the added color.

We had dinner at Marco’s African place, which featured a live band playing marimba music. Its patrons were mostly tourists, and the band played songs recognizable to this audience. It was the third time that a band has played “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” during my one-week stay in Cape Town. Our class knew that it was our last day in the country, and everyone was quiet and pensive. The blaring music also ensured that conversations were limited to perfunctory comments about the heat or the food delay. Nonetheless, when the food came, it was delicious as always and lifted everyone’s spirits. While I was in the middle of chewing my oxtail stew, I hear the band below call my name. “Geo? Where is Geo?” My face turned pale, and I hear Travis whooping and pointing my name. I realize what he has done. I sink slowly into my seat but I realize there is no escape. Soon enough, it felt like the whole restaurant was calling my name and I had no choice but to go downstairs and meet my fate.

The male lead singer invited me on stage while he sang Happy Birthday to me. His voice was perfect, but I felt uncomfortable staring too deeply into his eyes, so I clapped my hands a lot to distract myself. He found that very amusing and asked me to dance instead. This part I enjoyed immensely, because I have been watching his group dance throughout the entire evening itching to join. One of the female dancers coached me through some of the steps, and even if I stumbled through them, I had a fantastic time. My friends on the second floor were all cheering for me, and if I weren’t so tan, my face would have blushed.

Leaving Cape Town felt too soon, like we had just arrived and now we already had to leave. In fact, the van parked in the exact same area where it picked us up a week ago. From my visit, the city has made some key impressions on me. The staggering inequality and legacies of the apartheid shocked me, and even though there are some developments that we should celebrate, there is much more work to be done. I look forward to the next week’s round of lectures, where we revisit development models and see how they can be applied to this week’s experiential journey.

ECON-AD 213J | Class 10 Reflection: Rwanda's urban future... and penguins

A seal resting by the Cape Town wharf.

A student reading in University of Cape Town, where we stayed for the week.

The inner terrace of the UCT Biology building.

Toma Berlanda, Chairman of the Architecture Department in the University of Cape Town, came to our class today to talk about Rwandan urban planning. I learned that Kigali following urban models from Singapore and Denver, while Cape Town is emulating Curitiba’s city planning style. It was difficult to find an immediate connection between Prof. Berlanda’s lecture and the theme of this week’s course, which is South African political economy in the context of the urbanism and development issues we discussed in class. His lecture talked more about the architectural challenges in Rwanda, which focuses on its hilly geography, and his data visualizations were clear and concise. Kigali can therefore be used as a foil against Cape Town urbanism issues, but the similarities are limited precisely because of its different geographies. Nevertheless, Prof. Berlanda spoke eloquently about the topic and is a clear expert on his topic.

After the lecture, Jyothi surprised us as we scrambled back into the bus.

“We’ve had a change of plans,” she begins.

“Are we going to see the penguins?” Myera asks in the back expectedly. Jyothi has a smile on her face and nods.

“We’re going to see the penguins!”

* * *

Visiting Boulder Beach was such a pleasant surprise. I was mentally prepared to continue my academically rigorous schedule (our trip itinerary indicated a 4.5 hour visit to the Khaleyitsha township in the afternoon), but I didn’t complain that we decided to go to see some penguins instead. My suspicion is that this surprise trip has been planned all along. All of the trip supervisors I have asked have denied this. We stopped by a town to buy some souvenirs and board shorts. 

We took plenty of photos throughout the day. Everyone was elated that they had a leisurely Friday afternoon. When we climbed back aboard the bus when the day was over, the driver almost clapped in surprise. “You guys wrote history today. Since the beginning of the year, two people have already been attacked by sharks. One man has already disappeared. I’m glad none of your students had the same fate.” Jyothi’s face went pale. “You should have told us!” she complained, but the drivers smiled and said we wouldn’t have gone in if we knew this. He was correct.

ECON-AD 213J | Class 9 Reflection: Mzansi

Olea sits on a bench on Robben Island.

Robson, Joey, and I on a ferry to Robben Island.

Nmonde's saxophonist, who can play any song by request.

Nmonde was the host of our dinner last night. Her yellow top and head wrap matched the bright smile on her face as she greeted us. “I could have expanded the restaurant to hold 200 guests,” she explains. “But if I did, then I wouldn’t get the chance to personally get to know all of you during this very special evening.” I had the most delicious dinner at Mzansi. I had Malva pudding again, this time with a very bright yellow sauce whose ingredients I did not dare to inquire about.

Unlike yesterday afternoon’s philosophical struggle in the Khayelitsha township, our dinner in Mzansi, thankfully, gave me a chance to engage with the local culture. Ace, Nmonde’s husband, is a hearty fellow who wore a red polo shirt with a Ferrari logo emblazoned on the left breast, a khaki-colorer cap, and a smile that wrinkled the sides of his cheeks into a dimple. At the end of the dinner, he invited all of us to play instruments. He gave me a simple percussion instrument, a bottle filled with dried beans inside, to shake in rhythm with the other dinner guests playing music. Afterwards, we walked back into the restaurant hall to learn some dance moves with him. Arms flung in all directions and hooked onto strangers as we spun in all directions. There’s something special about marimba music that is festive for the sake of festivity. The majority of music that the youth listen to these days are either laced with emotional irony or mindless thumping. The music they played that night was triumphant and unafraid, and apt to come from South Africa considering its difficult history of the apartheid.

Edgar Pieterse’s lecture on African Urban Economies today is my favorite so far. He describes how economic models of development are “terminally broken”, and how all data must be viewed with circumspection. Economists are eager to claim that Africa is soon to mimic the Asian industrial miracles, but the empirics indicate otherwise. This is because the rapid urbanization does not reflect industrializing economies but rather rural populations escaping secular droughts and dropping commodity prices. The agenda, Prof. Pieterse proposes, is access. Access to low-carbon, resource-efficient, socially-inclusive, and spatially-cohesive resources are necessary for the next wave of urbanization.