Epistemology in the Study of China-Africa Relations
45 Pages Posted: 27 Dec 2017
Date Written: December 18, 2017
Abstract
This article is intended to provide a constructivist epistemological analysis in the academic studies of China-Africa relations by analyzing background factors of the scholars involved. I analyzed over 55 academic papers authored by up to 84 scholars, including their background profiles, administering a 16-question binary test that inquires specifically four aspects as follows: 1) identity, 2) educational backgrounds, 3) teaching experiences, and; 4) non-teaching career-related experiences. After conducting the analysis, I found out that there are three different schools of thought within the academic stream, namely: 1) positive, 2) negative, and; 3) inconclusive. Here, I found that there is a substantial degree of correlation between the scholars’ backgrounds and their conceptions about China-Africa relations. This article is intended as a preliminary study for further constructivist epistemological analysis in the near future.
Keywords: Constructivism, epistemology, China-Africa relations
JEL Classification: Y90
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation