AFRICAN STUDIEScontinues to be—significant struggle around these
questions, since what is at risk here was (is) the
control and validation of knowledge in the society.
The black studies movement paved the way for
further interest in African studies. The publication
of Alex Haley’s Roots, a volume which traced his
family lineage back to Gambia, West Africa, fol-
lowed by a popular television miniseries, was a
signal moment in the development of black Ameri-
cans’ interest in Africa. In addition, many African
Americans celebrate Kwaanza, a holiday founded
upon principles of the African harvest, as another
conscious link with their cultural roots. Ironically,
the growing interest of black Americans in their
cultural roots in Africa helped to fuel a resurgence
of ethnic pride and the search for roots among
other racial groups in this country. Interestingly,
in contemporary universities, the field of African-
American studies tends to be dominated by Afri-
can Americans, while African-studies programs
tend to be dominated by European Americans.
CONCLUSIONAfrican studies is a woefully underdeveloped area
of institutionalized research in the field of sociolo-
gy. Researchers need to mount aggressive pro-
grams determined to ‘‘ask new questions and to
question old answers.’’ For this research to be
successful, it must be located in broader context,
recognizing the unique historical, economic, so-
cial, cultural, political, and academic relationships
that determine reality for Africans on the conti-
nent and throughout the diaspora. In each of these
areas, relationships are generally structured
hierarchically, with African worldviews, values, in-
stitutional forms, methodologies, and concerns
being considered subordinate to those of Europe-
ans or whites. Such distorted structural relations
lead inevitably to distortions in research and con-
clusions. The irony is that clear understanding of
African people and institutions will help pave the
way to better understanding Whites and European
heritage, institutions, and experiences.
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