The Ford Foundation's interest in African Studies dates from the early 1950's and its commitment to foreign area studies following World War II and the onset of the Cold War. Responding to the need to increase the national capacity to understand other parts of the world, the Foundation supported graduate fellowships for training and field research, in Africa among other regions; contributing to building centers of African Studies at a number of universities throughout the United States; and provided support to key organizations serving the field, notably the African Studies Association and the Joint Committee on African Studies of the Social Science Research Council and the American Council of Learned Societies. In an effort to assist in diversifying the field, through the decade of the 1970's, the Foundation funded the Middle East and Africa Field Research Program for Afro-Americans.
Though general support for area studies has been substantially reduced since the late 1970's, the Foundation maintains several field offices on the African continent, and its interest in Africa remains strong. In recent years, Foundation staff have watched with growing concern the increasing marginalization of Africa in the policy community and among the wider public. The parallel concern relates to the health of African Studies within the academic community, particularly in light of cuts in federal funding. As one way to address these concerns, last year the Foundation asked Jane Guyer, Director of the Program of African Studies and Professor of Anthropology at Northwestern University, to assess the present state of the African Studies enterprise in the U.S., the problems it faces, and its prospects for the future. The quality of the report, together with the numerous requests the Foundation has received for it, persuaded us that it should be made more widely available. The Foundation is pleased to join with the African Studies Association in publishing Professor Guyer's report.
Alison R. Bernstein, Director, Education and Culture Program
Sheila Biddle, Program Officer, Education and Culture Program
Timothy Bork, Director, Africa and Middle
East Programs
Jane I. Guyer, Copyright 1996