Overview

The Evolution of the Jola Ethnic Group traces how globalization, imperial formations, religious movements, and postcolonial state‑making have reshaped Jola/Diola communities in Foni and Casamance across Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea‑Bissau. Combining international relations, comparative politics, and political anthropology, the book links ritual life (initiation, masquerade, music), agrarian economies, migration, and gender to conflict dynamics, authoritarian rule, elections, and human rights. It situates Jola history within the rise of regional empires, the trans‑Atlantic slave trade and resulting depopulation, and French and British colonial policies that imposed borders and reconfigured local institutions. The study reconstructs egalitarian, acephalous forms of authority; examines responses to Christian missions and Islamic jihad; and explains how many Jola selectively integrate new religious practices with longstanding traditions. It offers a sustained account of the Casamance rebellion and its humanitarian consequences, and traces the emergence of Jola actors in national politics in Senegal and The Gambia. A dedicated chapter analyzes the 2016 Gambian presidential election using original survey evidence and multinomial logistic regression to weigh economic evaluations, ethnicity, and human‑rights concerns in voter choice. With a glossary and an ethics note on consent and permissions, the volume provides a source‑rich, teaching‑ready contribution for scholars and graduate students in international studies, African politics, political anthropology, and the study of religion.

Full Product Details

Author:   Alieu B. Sanneh
Publisher:   Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Imprint:   Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN:  

9783032193612

ISBN 10:   3032193613
Pages:   169
Publication Date:   08 May 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available  
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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Circumcision in the Jola Society, Futampaf (rite of passage).- Chapter 3: The Traditional Beliefs of Witchcraft in the Jola Society.- Chapter 4: The Rise and fall of three Major Empires in West Africa.- Chapter 5: Colonialism by the British and French in Senegal and Gambia.- Chapter 6: The Christian Missionary Activities in the Foni and Greater Area of Senegal and the Gambian Region.- Chapter 7: Nationalism and the Attainment of Independence in the First Republic of the Gambia.- Chapter 8: Was Jammeh’s Rise to Power in the Gambia a Benefit or a Curse to the Jola Ethnic Group?.- Chapter 9: The Rebellion and the Ongoing Conflict in the Senegalese Territory of the Casamance Region.- Chapter 10: Idealism and Pan-Africanism, the foundation of the PASTEF Political Party in Senegal.- Chapter 11: Evolution and the Changing Nature of the Jola Society from Isolation to National Politics.

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Author Information

Alieu B. Sanneh is Assistant Professor of Politics at Central Methodist University. His research explores elections, human rights, and political change in West Africa, including studies of regime change in The Gambia and debates around female circumcision (FGM). He holds an MA and PhD from the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

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