The politics of custom: chiefship, capital, and the state in contemporary Africa

How are we to explain the resurgence of customary chiefs in contemporary Africa?

Rather than disappearing with the tide of modernity, as many expected, indigenous sovereigns are instead a rising force, often wielding substantial power and legitimacy despite major changes in the workings of the global political economy in the post-Cold War era-changes in which they are themselves deeply implicated.

This volume, edited by John L. Comaroff and Jean Comaroff, explores the reasons behind the increasingly assertive politics of custom in many corners of Africa.