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Opeoluwa Opeyemi Aluko, University of the Free State, South AfricaDesireé Pearl Larey, University of the Free State, South Africa
Abstract
The processes of social and cultural integration resulting from colonialism has significantly reshaped Africa’s identity since it involved the forced adoption of foreign languages, values, and institutions. Contemporary African societies still confront the consequences of these interruptions which perpetuate conflict over identity formation. This research seeks to analyse the impact of the legacies of colonization on African identities, and how the processes of identity formation pattern stability and change within the postcolonial context. Stuart Hall’s cultural identity theory and Paul Gilroy’s concept of the Black Atlantic offer the lenses for analysing identity as a fluid and dynamic construct shaped by diverse historical, cultural, and transnational factors. This study is a literature review, and it analyses six key scholarly works on identity formation in postcolonial Africa. Thematic analysis has been applied to organise the findings into three main themes which are: The enduring impact of colonialism on the construction of African identity, Cultural and identity reclamation activism, and the role of migration and globalization on contemporary African identities. The findings indicate that colonialism fundamentally constructed the African identity by marginalising indigenous cultures and replacing them with Eurocentric cultures. Nevertheless, African cultures have also resisted these identities through cultural amnesia, memory, and decentralised defiance.
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Conference: PCAH2025Stream: Ethnicity
This paper is part of the PCAH2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Aluko O., & Larey D. (2025) Post-colonialism and Identity in Africa: The Lingering Impact of Colonial Languages ISSN: 2758-0970 The Paris Conference on Arts & Humanities 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 167-185) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2758-0970.2025.15
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2758-0970.2025.15
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