The Analysis of Social Change Based on Observations in Central Africa [Paperback]

This book describes the impact of European civilization upon traditional African societies and considers the fundamental relations between the various structural changes that accompanied it.This book describes field work undertaken in Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia which studied the impact of European civilization upon traditional African societies and considers the fundamental relations between the various structural changes that accompanied it. Despite rapid political changes in East and Central Africa since 1944, the study is still relevant as a pioneering study of social change.This book describes field work undertaken in Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia which studied the impact of European civilization upon traditional African societies and considers the fundamental relations between the various structural changes that accompanied it. Despite rapid political changes in East and Central Africa since 1944, the study is still relevant as a pioneering study of social change.Monica Wilson and the late Godfrey Wilson wrote this book as a result of field work in Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia, where they were able to observe the impact of European civilization upon traditional African societies and the structural changes that accompanied it. These effects are described here and studied in order to see what fundamental relations may be discovered between the various changes observed. General theories of the movement of civilization can thus be tested against the particular instance of this part of Africa since 1944, the study is still of importance as a pioneering study of social change.1. Central African society: a problem for analysis; 2. Scale; 3. Social Elements; 4. Primitive and civilised society; 5. Equilibrium and disequilibrium; 6. Practical implications; Index.