Paper short abstract:

A constellation of parochial nationalism, religion, race, cultural conservatism, and ethnicity continue to define human engagements. Phobic mobilisers take advantage of economic vulnerabilities, social dynamics and alternative forms of identities in the African context to sustain social phobia.

Paper long abstract:

Nyamnjoh focuses on the zero-sum game that Africa is reduced to whenever it engages with the West. As a proposition, he calls upon the human race to embrace the attitude of incompleteness as a precondition to conviviality. Despite this appeal, identity politics—a constellation of parochial nationalism, religion, race, cultural conservatism, and ethnicity—continue to define human engagements. Phobic mobilisers take advantage of economic vulnerabilities, social dynamics and alternative forms of identities in the African context, like homosexuality and single parenthood, to sustain social phobia. Focusing on intra-African engagements, I argue that these fears notwithstanding, rapid globalisation has resulted in unavoidable cosmopolitanism. Therefore, the ‘Other’ must continue to live within ‘us. In equal measure, he has to be engaged through a prism of dread and suspicion, continuously. Using Fanon’s ([1963]2008) concept of phobia and Ramadan and Shantz’ (2016) phobic construction models, I interrogate how different forms of phobia play out in the Kenyan digital space. I conceptualise Facebook and Twitter space of selected Kenyans as sites reflective of phobia and/or Afrophobia. I take the interactive comment sections as platforms for constructing and mediating metanarratives of phobia. Mainly, I analyse how Facebook and Twitter posts and their interactive comment sections speak to fears of identity vulnerabilities and how their call to consciousness materialises in grandstanding that fuel and sustain social phobia. I aver that this is the Africa of today and tomorrow.