African Youth in Contemporary Literature and Popular Culture: Identity Quest

Vivian Yenika-Agbaw, Lindah Mhando

Routledge, Jan 21, 2014 - Social Science - 256 pages

This book explores how African youth are depicted in contemporary literature and popular culture, and discusses the different ways by which they attempt to construct personal and cultural identities through popular culture and social media outlets. The contributors approach the subject from an interdisciplinary perspective, looking at images in children’s and adolescent literature from Africa, and the African diaspora, from Nollywood and Hollywood movies, from popular magazines, and from youth cultures encountered directly through field experiences. The findings reveal that there are many stereotypes about Africa, African youth and black cultures, and that African youth are aware of these. Since they juggle multiple identities shaped by their ethnicities, race and religion, it is often a challenge for them to define themselves. As they also share a global youth culture that transcends these cultural markers, some take advantage of media outlets to voice their concerns and participate in political struggles. Others simply use these to promote their personal interests. Contributors ponder the challenges involved in constructing unique identities, offering ideas on how African youth are doing so successfully or not in different parts of the continent and the African diaspora, and thus offer new possibilities for youth studies.

Contents

• Cultural Identity in Literature Media and Imagined Spaces: 1
• 2 Gender Bending and Identity Construction in Jellouns The Sand Child: 17
• 3 Childhood Creative Spaces as Survival Spaces in Sade Adenirans Imagine This: 35
• A Critique on the Tradition of Testing: 53
• African American Children as Culture Bearers in JazzInfused Childrens Literature: 63
• 6 African American Boys Responses to Illustrations and Text Involving Black Inmates and Gangsters in Multicultural Childrens Literature: 76
• African Child Soldiers and InnerCity African American Teen Gangsters in Adolescent Literature: 95
• Consider Morality in African Diaspora Nonfiction Picture Books: 114
• 9 The Exotic Mysterious and Darkest Africa: 131
• African Knowledge Systems as Windows to Understanding African Childhood in a United States Social Studies Classroom: 148
• A Sociolinguistic Revolution from Below: 164
• 12 How African Youth Control Their Identities Through Social Media: 184
• 13 Social Media and North African Arab Spring Youth Identity: 194
• 14 Nollywood Whispers as a Beacon of Hope for Youths: 213
• African Youth Cultures and Globalization: 229
• Contributors: 247
• Index: 251

About the author

Vivian Yenika-Agbaw is associate professor at Penn State University, University Park, where she teaches children’s/adolescent literature.

Lindah Mhando is currently a visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of African and African American Studies at Duke University, where she teaches feminism, migration/immigration and citizenship.

Bibliographic information

• Title: African Youth in Contemporary Literature and Popular Culture: Identity Quest; Routledge African Studies
• Editors: Vivian Yenika-Agbaw, Lindah Mhando
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Routledge, 2014
• ISBN: 1134623933, 9781134623938
• Length: 256 pages
• Subjects: Social Science / Black Studies (Global); Social Science / Children's Studies; Social Science / Popular Culture