Technology, Tradition, and the State in Africa

Technology, Tradition and the State in Africa

The first edition cover of the book.
Author	Jack Goody
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Subject	History of Africa Sociology Anthropology
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Publication date	1971
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	88

Technology, Tradition and the State in Africa is a book studying the indigenous political systems of sub-Saharan Africa written by the British social anthropologist Jack Goody (1919–2015), then a professor at St. John's College, Cambridge University. It was first published in 1971 by Oxford University Press for the International African Institute.

Divided into five chapters, the short book is devoted to Goody's argument that former scholars studying sub-Saharan Africa had made mistakes by comparing its historical development to that in Europe, believing the two to be fundamentally different due to technological differences between the two continents. In particular he criticises the idea that African political systems were ever feudal, believing that such a concept – while applicable to Medieval Europe – was not applicable to pre-colonial Africa.