Generalizations about Africa and its inhabitants
Stereotypes about
Africa ,
Africans , and
African culture are common, especially in the
Western World .
[1]
[2] European imperialism was often justified on paternalistic grounds, casting Africa as less civilised, and Africans as less capable of civilising themselves.
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7] These stereotypes can still be seen in today's
press .
[8]
[9]
History
Europe
Several countries, such as
France and
Portugal , tried to
'civilize' Africa by colonizing it.
[10]
[11]
[12]
Belgian
cartoonist
Hergé depicted Africans as childlike in
Tintin in the Congo .
[13]
[14]
The
Germans falsely credited African accomplishments to a
'Hamitic' race descended from European settlers.
[15] Some
Italians stereotype Africans as
illegal immigrants and
beggars .
[16]
Poles' understanding of Africa is influenced by its
press , which often dwells on
bad or alarming news .
[17]
North America
In the 19th century,
scientific racists such as
Josiah C. Nott and
George Gliddon likened Africans to the non-human
apes . This comparison was used to justify the former's inferior status.
[18]
[19]
[20]
Present
Asia
Japan sees
Africa as a
continent in need of help,
[21]
[22]
[23]
[24] as does
China .
[25]
[26]
[27] In
Chinese internet culture , unlucky or incompetent
video game
players are called 'Africans', a reference to the association of black faces with bad luck.
[28]
United States
In the
United States ,
Africa is seen as primitive and
full of disease .
[29]
[30] Africans are seen as peculiarly vulnerable to
disease .
[31]
[32]
[33] Also, Africa is seen as a sparsely-peopled
jungle full of
wild animals .
[34]
American cinema is blamed for disparaging stereotypes of Africa.
[35]
Australia
Australians often view Africa as primitive and
homogeneous . This view is influenced by
stereotypes of African Americans .
[36]
United Kingdom
Research by the
British Council showed that from the perspective of young Britons, the African continent as a whole, is either idealised or demonised. Decades of images and stories in the news media and by charities highlighting themes including famine, drought, disease, inequality and instability have contributed to a perception of African countries as impoverished, dangerous, and lagging behind the rest of the world socio-economically and in terms of human rights. Factors commonly used to explain these issues included endemic local corruption, the historical and contemporary exploitation of Africa by foreign countries and private interests (including the UK and British companies), and the perceived remoteness and isolation of Africa relative to the rest of the world.
[37]
Themes
Environment
Outsiders may imagine Africa as mostly uninhabited savanna, with many wild animals.
A common stereotype is that much or all of
Africa is an inhospitable
jungle or
desert ,
[38] inhabited only by
wild animals .
[39] Alternatively, many believe that
wild animals are ubiquitous and familiar, like
domestic animals . Although Africa has many
wild animals , among them
big game animals , most Africans see them only in
zoos and
safaris .
[40]
[41]
Poverty
Africa is often considered primitive and impoverished.
[42]
[43] Though
poverty exists in Africa , many countries have fast-growing
economies .
[44]
Many people believe most Africans live "in a
mud house in the middle of nowhere".
[40] Forty-three percent of Africans live in
urban areas ,
[45] slightly below the global average of 55%.
[46]
Technology
Internet usage in Africa (2015) varies greatly from country to country.
In
rich countries , Africans are often seen as having no access to
modern technology .
[40] As of 2013, 80% of Africans had a
mobile phone .
[47]
[48]
Internet use in Africa grew by 20% in 2018, reaching 59% of
North Africa , 51% of
Southern Africa , 39% of
West Africa , and 45% of
East Africa .
[49]
Another common
stereotype is that
Africans , particularly
Nigerians , commit
online fraud .
[50]
[51] The most well-known African scam is the
advance-fee scam , nicknamed the "
Nigerian prince scam".
[52]
Homogeneity
Africa is often mistaken for a single
state .
[39]
[53]
[54] In fact, it is a
continent with
54 states . This mistake can lead people to think all Africans
belong to one ethnic group , or to apply disparaging stereotypes about one group to another.
Outsiders may believe that there is only one
language , called 'African'. Africa in fact contains more than 1,000
languages .
[40]
Swahili is the single most widely spoken indigenous African language.
[55]
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