Cosmopolitismo e identidade cultural em África: uma reflexão em Kwame Anthony Appiah

Abstract

This work is entitled: Cosmopolitanism and cultural identity in Africa: a reflection on Kwame Anthony Appiah. Its general objective is to reflect on cosmopolitanism and cultural identity in Africa from the perspective of Kwame Anthony Appiah, given the fact that we still live in social problems where there are racial and identity conflicts. In societies where skin colour and cultural belonging serve as elements of social exclusion and discrimination. In addition to this, it is a fact that cultural identities, when racialised or tribalised, encourage violence. So much so that due to identity-cultural intolerance, socio-cultural clashes and conflicts still persist in several places in Africa. The work was based on the bibliographic review method, which allowed the collection of material that addresses the topic in question and, in technical terms, textual hermeneutics was used, which consisted of the interpretation, confrontation and understanding of the bibliography collected. From the analysis and discussion of the bibliographic material consulted, it is understood that colonialism rapidly and radically altered the political and territorial boundaries of the African reality. From a historical point of view, the debate on African identity diversity can be said to have its starting point in pre-colonial Africa, since before colonialism there was no need to discuss an African identity, which does not imply that Africans did not have an identity. Thus, one of the assumptions that contributed to the emergence of this debate is the contact between Africans of different cultures. Given African cultural diversity, where individuals can have contact and coexist with different cultural affiliations, cosmopolitanism appears as an alternative for building a balanced society, less conflictual and, above all, one that is guided by respect for cultural differences. The work shows that nowadays the creation of identities, African in particular, must aim, in addition to local and community needs, also and above all, at interaction with the world, with other cultures and people.(TRADUÇÂO NOSSA)