In the Shadow of Good Governance: An Ethnography of Civil Service Reform in Africa

Gerhard Anders

In the Shadow of Good Governance: An Ethnography of Civil Service Reform in Africa

School of Social and Political Science

Research output: Book/Report › Book

Abstract / Description of output

In the Shadow of Good Governance traces the implementation of the good governance agenda in Malawi from the loan documents signed by the representatives of the government and the Bretton Woods institutions to the individual experiences of civil servants who responded in unforeseen ways to the reform measures. Ethnographic evidence gathered in government offices, neighbourhoods and the private homes of civil servants living in Malawi’s urban and peri-urban areas undermines the common perception of a disconnect between state institutions and society in Africa. Instead, the book presents a comprehensive analysis of civil servants’ attempts to negotiate the effects of civil service reform and economic crisis at the turn of the 21st century.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Leiden
Publisher	Brill Academic Publishers
Number of pages	165
ISBN (Electronic)	9789047444121
ISBN (Print)	978-90-04-17982-0
Publication status	Published - 2010

Publication series

Name	Afrika-Studiecentrum Series
Publisher	Brill
Volume	16

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

African Studies
anthropology of law
development anthropology

Access to Document

http://www.brill.nl/shadow-good-governance

1 Finished

Accountability through Informal Norms: Civil Service Reform in Africa from Below
Anders, G.
Learned Societies
1/01/16 → 31/12/17
Project: Research

1 Commissioned report

The importance of practical norms in government health and education services in Malawi
Anders, G. & Chirwa, W. C., Jan 2018, British Academy/ Anti-Corruption Evidence Programme Research Paper. 41 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report

Open Access

African anti-corruption agencies and the problem of independence
Gerhard Anders
26/11/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
Gerhard Anders and Matthew T. Page comment on anti-corruption efforts
Gerhard Anders & Matthew Page
18/09/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Fighting high-level corruption in Africa: Learning from effective law enforcement
Gerhard Anders & Fortunata Songora Makene
16/09/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Project or Organisational News Item

1 Providing oral or written evidence for non-academic board, committee, working group or advisory panel

Analysis of the 2014 elections in Malawi
Gerhard Anders (Advisor)
Jun 2014
Activity: Consultancy types › Providing oral or written evidence for non-academic board, committee, working group or advisory panel

Cite this

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title = "In the Shadow of Good Governance: An Ethnography of Civil Service Reform in Africa",

abstract = "In the Shadow of Good Governance traces the implementation of the good governance agenda in Malawi from the loan documents signed by the representatives of the government and the Bretton Woods institutions to the individual experiences of civil servants who responded in unforeseen ways to the reform measures. Ethnographic evidence gathered in government offices, neighbourhoods and the private homes of civil servants living in Malawi{\textquoteright}s urban and peri-urban areas undermines the common perception of a disconnect between state institutions and society in Africa. Instead, the book presents a comprehensive analysis of civil servants{\textquoteright} attempts to negotiate the effects of civil service reform and economic crisis at the turn of the 21st century.",

keywords = "African Studies, anthropology of law, development anthropology",

author = "Gerhard Anders",

note = "Gerhard Anders (Ph.D. 2005) is lecturer at the Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on the anthropology of emergent regimes of global order in the fields of criminal justice and development. He has published on legal anthropology, international criminal justice, good governance and corruption including the co-edited volume (with M. Nuijten) Corruption and the Secret of Law (Ashgate, 2009).",

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N2 - In the Shadow of Good Governance traces the implementation of the good governance agenda in Malawi from the loan documents signed by the representatives of the government and the Bretton Woods institutions to the individual experiences of civil servants who responded in unforeseen ways to the reform measures. Ethnographic evidence gathered in government offices, neighbourhoods and the private homes of civil servants living in Malawi’s urban and peri-urban areas undermines the common perception of a disconnect between state institutions and society in Africa. Instead, the book presents a comprehensive analysis of civil servants’ attempts to negotiate the effects of civil service reform and economic crisis at the turn of the 21st century.

AB - In the Shadow of Good Governance traces the implementation of the good governance agenda in Malawi from the loan documents signed by the representatives of the government and the Bretton Woods institutions to the individual experiences of civil servants who responded in unforeseen ways to the reform measures. Ethnographic evidence gathered in government offices, neighbourhoods and the private homes of civil servants living in Malawi’s urban and peri-urban areas undermines the common perception of a disconnect between state institutions and society in Africa. Instead, the book presents a comprehensive analysis of civil servants’ attempts to negotiate the effects of civil service reform and economic crisis at the turn of the 21st century.

KW - African Studies

KW - anthropology of law

KW - development anthropology

M3 - Book

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T3 - Afrika-Studiecentrum Series

BT - In the Shadow of Good Governance

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CY - Leiden

ER -

In the Shadow of Good Governance: An Ethnography of Civil Service Reform in Africa

Abstract / Description of output

Publication series

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Accountability through Informal Norms: Civil Service Reform in Africa from Below

Research output

The importance of practical norms in government health and education services in Malawi

Press/Media

African anti-corruption agencies and the problem of independence

Gerhard Anders and Matthew T. Page comment on anti-corruption efforts

Fighting high-level corruption in Africa: Learning from effective law enforcement

Activities

Analysis of the 2014 elections in Malawi

Cite this