Author: Yaw Ofosu-Asare
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031717546
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
African Design Futures
Author: Yaw Ofosu-Asare
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031717546
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031717546
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 267
Book Description
The Black Experience in Design
Author: Anne H. Berry
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1621537862
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 264
Book Description
The Black Experience in Design spotlights teaching practices, research, stories, and conversations from a Black/African diasporic lens. Excluded from traditional design history and educational canons that heavily favor European modernist influences, the work and experiences of Black designers have been systematically overlooked in the profession for decades. However, given the national focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the aftermath of the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, educators, practitioners, and students now have the opportunity—as well as the social and political momentum—to make long-term, systemic changes in design education, research, and practice, reclaiming the contributions of Black designers in the process. The Black Experience in Design, an anthology centering a range of perspectives, spotlights teaching practices, research, stories, and conversations from a Black/African diasporic lens. Through the voices represented, this text exemplifies the inherently collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of design, providing access to ideas and topics for a variety of audiences, meeting people as they are and wherever they are in their knowledge about design. Ultimately, The Black Experience in Design serves as both inspiration and a catalyst for the next generation of creative minds tasked with imagining, shaping, and designing our future.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1621537862
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 264
Book Description
The Black Experience in Design spotlights teaching practices, research, stories, and conversations from a Black/African diasporic lens. Excluded from traditional design history and educational canons that heavily favor European modernist influences, the work and experiences of Black designers have been systematically overlooked in the profession for decades. However, given the national focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the aftermath of the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, educators, practitioners, and students now have the opportunity—as well as the social and political momentum—to make long-term, systemic changes in design education, research, and practice, reclaiming the contributions of Black designers in the process. The Black Experience in Design, an anthology centering a range of perspectives, spotlights teaching practices, research, stories, and conversations from a Black/African diasporic lens. Through the voices represented, this text exemplifies the inherently collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of design, providing access to ideas and topics for a variety of audiences, meeting people as they are and wherever they are in their knowledge about design. Ultimately, The Black Experience in Design serves as both inspiration and a catalyst for the next generation of creative minds tasked with imagining, shaping, and designing our future.
Design and Futures
Author: Cher Potter
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781709990083
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"As Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon famously observed: ''Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.'' Designers and futurists, it turns out, have a great deal in common. This mutual recognition is reaching critical mass as each comes to appreciate how their respective traditions have much to offer to making urgent change in the world, and even more so, together." - From the Editors'' Introduction Design and Futures is a landmark collection of essays, manifestos and peer-reviewed articles, edited by Stuart Candy (Carnegie Mellon University) and Cher Potter (Victoria and Albert Museum), documenting ''design futures'' discourse and practice around the world. Originally appearing in back-to-back issues of the open access Journal of Futures Studies (Tamkang University Press, Taiwan), the present compilation preserves the original formatting while unifying all 30 pieces between covers for the first time. Topics range from worldbuilding and curriculum design to temporality and decolonisation, as well as new methods and processes that build on over a decade of experiential futures, speculative design and related practices. Design and Futures will be an essential reference for anyone working or studying in either field. Contributors * Danah ABDULLA (Brunel University, UK) * Ahmed ANSARI (Carnegie Mellon University, USA) * Paola ANTONELLI (Museum of Modern Art, USA) * Tina AUER (Time''s Up, Austria) * James AUGER (Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal) * Nik BAERTEN (Pantopicon, Belgium) * Ralph BORLAND (Independent Artist and Curator, South Africa) * Tim BOYKETT (Time''s Up, Austria) * Anne BURDICK (Art Center College of Design, USA; University of Technology Sydney, Australia) * Stuart CANDY (Carnegie Mellon University, USA) * Ece CANLI (Independent Scholar, Portugal) * Kuo-Hua CHEN (Tamkang University, Taiwan) * David DELGADO (NASA JPL, USA) * Alida DRAUDT (Strategic Foresight Partners LLC, USA) * Jake DUNAGAN (Institute for the Future, USA) * Tony FRY (University of Tasmania, Australia) * Nik GAFFNEY (FoAM, Belgium) * JJ HADLEY (Slalom, USA) * Julian HANNA (Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal) * Dan HILL (Vinnova, Sweden) * Jeanne HOFFMAN (Tamkang University, Taiwan) * Ryan HOGAN (Mozilla, USA) * Jamer HUNT (The New School, USA) * Anab JAIN (Superflux, UK; University of Applied Arts, Austria) * Mahmoud KESHAVARZ (Uppsala University, Sweden) * Matthew KIEM (Independent Scholar, Australia) * Lucy KIMBELL (University of the Arts London, UK) * Kelly KORNET (Kalypso, Canada) * Maja KUZMANOVIC (FoAM, Belgium) * Ramia MAZÉ (Aalto University, Finland) * Alex MCDOWELL (University of Southern California, USA) * Timothy MORTON (Rice University, USA) * Mugendi K. M''RITHAA (Independent Designer-Researcher, Kenya) * Leticia MURRAY (Gensler, USA) * Pedro OLIVEIRA (Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Germany) * Stefanie A. OLLENBURG (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany) * DK OSSEO-ASARE (Pennsylvania State University, USA) * Karla PANIAGUA (CENTRO Advanced Design Institute, Mexico) * Cher POTTER (University of the Arts London; Victoria and Albert Museum, UK) * Luiza PRADO (MeetFactory, Czech Republic) * Aaron ROSA (Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Germany) * Tristan SCHULTZ (Griffith University, Australia) * Gregory STOCK (Firefly, USA) * John A. SWEENEY (Narxoz University, Kazakhstan) * Maya VAN LEEMPUT (Erasmus University College, Belgium) * Julia Rose WEST (Ancestry, USA) * Lizzie YARINA (MIT Urban Risk Lab, USA) * Liam YOUNG (SCI-Arc, USA) * Leah ZAIDI (Independent Scholar, Canada)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781709990083
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"As Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon famously observed: ''Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.'' Designers and futurists, it turns out, have a great deal in common. This mutual recognition is reaching critical mass as each comes to appreciate how their respective traditions have much to offer to making urgent change in the world, and even more so, together." - From the Editors'' Introduction Design and Futures is a landmark collection of essays, manifestos and peer-reviewed articles, edited by Stuart Candy (Carnegie Mellon University) and Cher Potter (Victoria and Albert Museum), documenting ''design futures'' discourse and practice around the world. Originally appearing in back-to-back issues of the open access Journal of Futures Studies (Tamkang University Press, Taiwan), the present compilation preserves the original formatting while unifying all 30 pieces between covers for the first time. Topics range from worldbuilding and curriculum design to temporality and decolonisation, as well as new methods and processes that build on over a decade of experiential futures, speculative design and related practices. Design and Futures will be an essential reference for anyone working or studying in either field. Contributors * Danah ABDULLA (Brunel University, UK) * Ahmed ANSARI (Carnegie Mellon University, USA) * Paola ANTONELLI (Museum of Modern Art, USA) * Tina AUER (Time''s Up, Austria) * James AUGER (Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal) * Nik BAERTEN (Pantopicon, Belgium) * Ralph BORLAND (Independent Artist and Curator, South Africa) * Tim BOYKETT (Time''s Up, Austria) * Anne BURDICK (Art Center College of Design, USA; University of Technology Sydney, Australia) * Stuart CANDY (Carnegie Mellon University, USA) * Ece CANLI (Independent Scholar, Portugal) * Kuo-Hua CHEN (Tamkang University, Taiwan) * David DELGADO (NASA JPL, USA) * Alida DRAUDT (Strategic Foresight Partners LLC, USA) * Jake DUNAGAN (Institute for the Future, USA) * Tony FRY (University of Tasmania, Australia) * Nik GAFFNEY (FoAM, Belgium) * JJ HADLEY (Slalom, USA) * Julian HANNA (Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute, Portugal) * Dan HILL (Vinnova, Sweden) * Jeanne HOFFMAN (Tamkang University, Taiwan) * Ryan HOGAN (Mozilla, USA) * Jamer HUNT (The New School, USA) * Anab JAIN (Superflux, UK; University of Applied Arts, Austria) * Mahmoud KESHAVARZ (Uppsala University, Sweden) * Matthew KIEM (Independent Scholar, Australia) * Lucy KIMBELL (University of the Arts London, UK) * Kelly KORNET (Kalypso, Canada) * Maja KUZMANOVIC (FoAM, Belgium) * Ramia MAZÉ (Aalto University, Finland) * Alex MCDOWELL (University of Southern California, USA) * Timothy MORTON (Rice University, USA) * Mugendi K. M''RITHAA (Independent Designer-Researcher, Kenya) * Leticia MURRAY (Gensler, USA) * Pedro OLIVEIRA (Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Germany) * Stefanie A. OLLENBURG (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany) * DK OSSEO-ASARE (Pennsylvania State University, USA) * Karla PANIAGUA (CENTRO Advanced Design Institute, Mexico) * Cher POTTER (University of the Arts London; Victoria and Albert Museum, UK) * Luiza PRADO (MeetFactory, Czech Republic) * Aaron ROSA (Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Germany) * Tristan SCHULTZ (Griffith University, Australia) * Gregory STOCK (Firefly, USA) * John A. SWEENEY (Narxoz University, Kazakhstan) * Maya VAN LEEMPUT (Erasmus University College, Belgium) * Julia Rose WEST (Ancestry, USA) * Lizzie YARINA (MIT Urban Risk Lab, USA) * Liam YOUNG (SCI-Arc, USA) * Leah ZAIDI (Independent Scholar, Canada)
Afropolis
Author: Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum
Publisher: Jacana Media
ISBN: 1431403253
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
Metropolises often evoke images of flashy high-rise buildings, permanent background noise, backed-up cars and people moving quickly in all directions in their masses. New York, Tokyo, London, Sao Paulo. But what about Cairo?
Publisher: Jacana Media
ISBN: 1431403253
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
Metropolises often evoke images of flashy high-rise buildings, permanent background noise, backed-up cars and people moving quickly in all directions in their masses. New York, Tokyo, London, Sao Paulo. But what about Cairo?
African Modernism
Author: Manuel Herz
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783038602941
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 640
Book Description
A new edition of the most comprehensive survey of modern architecture in Africa to date. When the first edition of African Modernism was published in 2015, it was received with international praise and has been sought after constantly ever since it went out of print in 2018. Marking Park Books' 10th anniversary, this landmark book becomes available again in a new edition. In the 1950s and 1960s, most African countries gained independence from their respective colonial power. Architecture became one of the principal means by which the newly formed countries expressed their national identity. African Modernism investigates the close relationship between architecture and nation-building in Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, and Zambia. It features one hundred buildings with brief descriptive texts, images, site plans, and selected floor plans and sections. The vast majority of images were newly taken by Iwan Baan and Alexia Webster for the book's first edition. Their photographs document the buildings in their present state. Each country is portrayed in an introductory text and a timeline of historic events. Further essays on postcolonial Africa and specific aspects and topics, also illustrated with images and documents, round out this outstanding volume.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783038602941
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 640
Book Description
A new edition of the most comprehensive survey of modern architecture in Africa to date. When the first edition of African Modernism was published in 2015, it was received with international praise and has been sought after constantly ever since it went out of print in 2018. Marking Park Books' 10th anniversary, this landmark book becomes available again in a new edition. In the 1950s and 1960s, most African countries gained independence from their respective colonial power. Architecture became one of the principal means by which the newly formed countries expressed their national identity. African Modernism investigates the close relationship between architecture and nation-building in Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, and Zambia. It features one hundred buildings with brief descriptive texts, images, site plans, and selected floor plans and sections. The vast majority of images were newly taken by Iwan Baan and Alexia Webster for the book's first edition. Their photographs document the buildings in their present state. Each country is portrayed in an introductory text and a timeline of historic events. Further essays on postcolonial Africa and specific aspects and topics, also illustrated with images and documents, round out this outstanding volume.
An Anthology of Blackness
Author: Terresa Moses
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026237725X
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
An adventurous collection that examines how the design field has consistently failed to attract and support Black professionals—and how to create an anti-racist, pro-Black design industry instead. An Anthology of Blackness examines the intersection of Black identity and practice, probing why the design field has failed to attract Black professionals, how Eurocentric hegemony impacts Black professionals, and how Black designers can create an anti-racist design industry. Contributing authors and creators demonstrate how to develop a pro-Black design practice of inclusivity, including Black representation in designed media, anti-racist pedagogy, and radical self-care. Through autoethnography, lived experience, scholarship, and applied research, these contributors share proven methods for creating an anti-racist and inclusive design practice. The contributions in An Anthology of Blackness include essays, opinion pieces, case studies, and visual narratives. Many contributors write from an intersectional perspective on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and ability. Each section of the book expands on community-driven concerns about the state of the design industry, design pedagogy, and design activism. Ultimately, this articulated intersection of Black identity and Black design practice reveals the power of resistance, community, and solidarity—and the hope for a more equitable future. With a foreword written by design luminary Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall, An Anthology of Blackness is a pioneering contribution to the literature of social justice. Contributors Kprecia Ambers, Jazmine Beatty, Anne H. Berry, John Brown VI, Nichole Burroughs, Antionette D. Carroll, Jillian M. Harris, Asher Kolieboi, Terrence Moline, Tracey L. Moore, Lesley-Ann Noel, Pierce Otlhogile-Gordon, Jules Porter, Stacey Robinson, Melanie Walby, Jacinda N. Walker, Kelly Walters, Jennifer White-Johnson, Maya Aduba Williams, S. Alfonso Williams
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 026237725X
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
An adventurous collection that examines how the design field has consistently failed to attract and support Black professionals—and how to create an anti-racist, pro-Black design industry instead. An Anthology of Blackness examines the intersection of Black identity and practice, probing why the design field has failed to attract Black professionals, how Eurocentric hegemony impacts Black professionals, and how Black designers can create an anti-racist design industry. Contributing authors and creators demonstrate how to develop a pro-Black design practice of inclusivity, including Black representation in designed media, anti-racist pedagogy, and radical self-care. Through autoethnography, lived experience, scholarship, and applied research, these contributors share proven methods for creating an anti-racist and inclusive design practice. The contributions in An Anthology of Blackness include essays, opinion pieces, case studies, and visual narratives. Many contributors write from an intersectional perspective on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and ability. Each section of the book expands on community-driven concerns about the state of the design industry, design pedagogy, and design activism. Ultimately, this articulated intersection of Black identity and Black design practice reveals the power of resistance, community, and solidarity—and the hope for a more equitable future. With a foreword written by design luminary Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall, An Anthology of Blackness is a pioneering contribution to the literature of social justice. Contributors Kprecia Ambers, Jazmine Beatty, Anne H. Berry, John Brown VI, Nichole Burroughs, Antionette D. Carroll, Jillian M. Harris, Asher Kolieboi, Terrence Moline, Tracey L. Moore, Lesley-Ann Noel, Pierce Otlhogile-Gordon, Jules Porter, Stacey Robinson, Melanie Walby, Jacinda N. Walker, Kelly Walters, Jennifer White-Johnson, Maya Aduba Williams, S. Alfonso Williams
Transforming the Future
Author: Riel Miller
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351047981
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Book Description
People are using the future to search for better ways to achieve sustainability, inclusiveness, prosperity, well-being and peace. In addition, the way the future is understood and used is changing in almost all domains, from social science to daily life. This book presents the results of significant research undertaken by UNESCO with a number of partners to detect and define the theory and practice of anticipation around the world today. It uses the concept of ‘Futures Literacy’ as a tool to define the understanding of anticipatory systems and processes – also known as the Discipline of Anticipation. This innovative title explores: • new topics such as Futures Literacy and the Discipline of Anticipation; • the evidence collected from over 30 Futures Literacy Laboratories and presented in 14 full case studies; • the need and opportunity for significant innovation in human decision-making systems. This book will be of great interest to scholars, researchers, policy-makers and students, as well as activists working on sustainability issues and innovation, future studies and anticipation studies. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781351047999, has been made available under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) license.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351047981
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 348
Book Description
People are using the future to search for better ways to achieve sustainability, inclusiveness, prosperity, well-being and peace. In addition, the way the future is understood and used is changing in almost all domains, from social science to daily life. This book presents the results of significant research undertaken by UNESCO with a number of partners to detect and define the theory and practice of anticipation around the world today. It uses the concept of ‘Futures Literacy’ as a tool to define the understanding of anticipatory systems and processes – also known as the Discipline of Anticipation. This innovative title explores: • new topics such as Futures Literacy and the Discipline of Anticipation; • the evidence collected from over 30 Futures Literacy Laboratories and presented in 14 full case studies; • the need and opportunity for significant innovation in human decision-making systems. This book will be of great interest to scholars, researchers, policy-makers and students, as well as activists working on sustainability issues and innovation, future studies and anticipation studies. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781351047999, has been made available under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) license.
Decolonising Design in Africa
Author: Yaw Ofosu-Asare
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040114873
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 329
Book Description
Decolonising Design in Africa offers a groundbreaking exploration of design education in Africa through a decolonial lens. By examining the colonial legacies that have shaped design education in Africa, it foregrounds the problematic ways that current pedagogical approaches primarily reflect western values and priorities. This book advocates for integrating Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and philosophies into contemporary African design education. It spans a wide geographical and temporal range, from historical analyses of colonial influences to envisioning decolonised African design futures. It delves into diverse aspects including spirituality in design, cultural symbolism, sustainable practices, and the ethical dimensions of decolonising design. Pioneering in its interdisciplinary approach, the book weaves together theoretical discussions, methodological innovations like storytelling, and practical strategies for curriculum reform. It presents inspiring case studies of designers and educators who are actively decolonising their practices. Decolonising Design in Africa is a vital resource for design educators, students, practitioners, and policymakers, not just in Africa but worldwide. It makes a compelling case for reimagining design education in a more inclusive, contextually relevant and socially conscious way. The book's ultimate aim is to cultivate a new generation of designers equipped to address the complex challenges of a decolonising world.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040114873
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 329
Book Description
Decolonising Design in Africa offers a groundbreaking exploration of design education in Africa through a decolonial lens. By examining the colonial legacies that have shaped design education in Africa, it foregrounds the problematic ways that current pedagogical approaches primarily reflect western values and priorities. This book advocates for integrating Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and philosophies into contemporary African design education. It spans a wide geographical and temporal range, from historical analyses of colonial influences to envisioning decolonised African design futures. It delves into diverse aspects including spirituality in design, cultural symbolism, sustainable practices, and the ethical dimensions of decolonising design. Pioneering in its interdisciplinary approach, the book weaves together theoretical discussions, methodological innovations like storytelling, and practical strategies for curriculum reform. It presents inspiring case studies of designers and educators who are actively decolonising their practices. Decolonising Design in Africa is a vital resource for design educators, students, practitioners, and policymakers, not just in Africa but worldwide. It makes a compelling case for reimagining design education in a more inclusive, contextually relevant and socially conscious way. The book's ultimate aim is to cultivate a new generation of designers equipped to address the complex challenges of a decolonising world.
Transforming the future
Author: Miller, Riel
Publisher: UNESCO Publishing
ISBN: 9231002686
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 301
Book Description
People are using the future to search for better ways to achieve sustainability, inclusiveness, prosperity, well-being and peace. In addition, the way the future is understood and used is changing in almost all domains, from social science to daily life. This book presents the results of significant research undertaken by UNESCO with a number of partners to detect and define the theory and practice of anticipation around the world today. It uses the concept of 'Futures Literacy' as a tool to define the understanding of anticipatory systems and processes - also known as the Discipline of Anticipation. This innovative title explores: " new topics such as Futures Literacy and the Discipline of Anticipation; " the evidence collected from over 30 Futures Literacy Laboratories and presented in 14 full case studies; " the need and opportunity for significant innovation in human decision-making systems. This book will be of great interest to scholars, researchers, policy-makers and students, as well as activists working on sustainability issues and innovation, future studies and anticipation studies.
Publisher: UNESCO Publishing
ISBN: 9231002686
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 301
Book Description
People are using the future to search for better ways to achieve sustainability, inclusiveness, prosperity, well-being and peace. In addition, the way the future is understood and used is changing in almost all domains, from social science to daily life. This book presents the results of significant research undertaken by UNESCO with a number of partners to detect and define the theory and practice of anticipation around the world today. It uses the concept of 'Futures Literacy' as a tool to define the understanding of anticipatory systems and processes - also known as the Discipline of Anticipation. This innovative title explores: " new topics such as Futures Literacy and the Discipline of Anticipation; " the evidence collected from over 30 Futures Literacy Laboratories and presented in 14 full case studies; " the need and opportunity for significant innovation in human decision-making systems. This book will be of great interest to scholars, researchers, policy-makers and students, as well as activists working on sustainability issues and innovation, future studies and anticipation studies.
African Futures
Author: Brian Goldstone
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022640241X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 274
Book Description
Civil wars, corporate exploitation, AIDS, and Ebola—but also democracy, burgeoning cities, and unprecedented communication and mobility: the future of Africa has never been more uncertain. Indeed, that future is one of the most complex issues in contemporary anthropology, as evidenced by the incredible wealth of ideas offered in this landmark volume. A consortium comprised of some of the most important scholars of Africa today, this book surveys an intellectual landscape of opposed perspectives in order to think within the contradictions that characterize this central question: Where is Africa headed? The experts in this book address Africa’s future as it is embedded within various social and cultural forms emerging on the continent today: the reconfiguration of the urban, the efflorescence of signs and wonders and gospels of prosperity, the assorted techniques of legality and illegality, lotteries and Ponzi schemes, apocalyptic visions, a yearning for exile, and many other phenomena. Bringing together social, political, religious, and economic viewpoints, the book reveals not one but multiple prospects for the future of Africa. In doing so, it offers a pathbreaking model of pluralistic and open-ended thinking and a powerful tool for addressing the vexing uncertainties that underlie so many futures around the world.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022640241X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 274
Book Description
Civil wars, corporate exploitation, AIDS, and Ebola—but also democracy, burgeoning cities, and unprecedented communication and mobility: the future of Africa has never been more uncertain. Indeed, that future is one of the most complex issues in contemporary anthropology, as evidenced by the incredible wealth of ideas offered in this landmark volume. A consortium comprised of some of the most important scholars of Africa today, this book surveys an intellectual landscape of opposed perspectives in order to think within the contradictions that characterize this central question: Where is Africa headed? The experts in this book address Africa’s future as it is embedded within various social and cultural forms emerging on the continent today: the reconfiguration of the urban, the efflorescence of signs and wonders and gospels of prosperity, the assorted techniques of legality and illegality, lotteries and Ponzi schemes, apocalyptic visions, a yearning for exile, and many other phenomena. Bringing together social, political, religious, and economic viewpoints, the book reveals not one but multiple prospects for the future of Africa. In doing so, it offers a pathbreaking model of pluralistic and open-ended thinking and a powerful tool for addressing the vexing uncertainties that underlie so many futures around the world.