Special issue: Africa’s spaces of exclusion

The five papers in this special issue represent a broad sampling of Africa’s spaces of exclusion. They were part of two sessions on ‘Africa’s Spaces of Exclusion’ at the meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2009. Focusing on specific case studies in different regions of the African continent, the articles use a variety of perspectives toward exclusion, from theoretical to empirical to technological, and a multiplicity of methodological approaches. Whether the subject is Asian investment in Zambia, xenophobia in South Africa, women porters’ activities in Ghana, the fate of periurban communities in Kenya, or fear among expatriates in Tanzania, the articles illustrate ways by which exclusion manifests itself in everyday African life. The papers consider exclusion beyond its production. In particular, the authors seek to explain its persistence, the possibilities to move toward inclusion, especially with new policies, and efforts to sustainably negotiate spaces of exclusion. Contents: Introduction to special issue: Africa’s Spaces of Exclusion (Sarah L. Smiley and Francis T. Koti) – Locating xenophobia: debate, discourse, and everyday experience in Cape Town, South Africa (Belinda Dodson) – Exclusionary space in Dar es Salaam: fear and difference in expatriate communities (Sarah L. Smiley) – Urban poverty, livelihood, and gender: perceptions and experiences of porters in Accra, Ghana (Muriel Adjubi Yeboah) – Confronting sociospatial exclusion on the fringe of Africa’s cities using participatory GIS: lessons from Athi River Town, Kenya (Francis T. Koti) – Inclusive or exclusive globalization? Zambia’s economy and Asian investment (Pdraig Carmody and Godfrey Hampwaye). [ASC Leiden abstract]