Marcia C. Schenck, "Remembering African Labor Migration to the Second World: Socialist Mobilities between Angola, Mozambique, and East Germany" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022)

Marcia C. Schenck, "Remembering African Labor Migration to the Second World: Socialist Mobilities between Angola, Mozambique, and East Germany" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022)

Author: Marshall Poe October 5, 2025 Duration: 45:23
This open access book is about Mozambicans and Angolans who migrated in state-sponsored schemes to East Germany in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. They went to work and to be trained as a vanguard labor force for the intended African industrial revolutions. While they were there, they contributed their labor power to the East German economy. This book draws on more than 260 life history interviews and uncovers complex and contradictory experiences and transnational encounters. What emerges is a series of dualities that exist side by side in the memories of the former migrants: the state and the individual, work and consumption, integration and exclusion, loss and gain, and the past in the past and the past in the present and future. By uncovering these dualities, the book explores the lives of African migrants moving between the Third and Second worlds. Devoted to the memories of worker-trainees, this transnational study comes at a time when historians are uncovering the many varied, complicated, and important connections within the global socialist world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

Dive into the complex and vibrant realities of the African continent through its latest scholarship. New Books in African Studies, part of the broader New Books Network founded by Marshall Poe, offers a space where authors and academics engage in substantive, accessible conversations about their newest work. Each episode pairs a researcher with a knowledgeable host for a deep exploration of a recently published book, moving beyond simple summaries to unpack the arguments, the research journeys, and the contemporary relevance of these studies. You’ll encounter discussions that span history, politics, social movements, artistic expression, and the intricate dynamics of culture and place, reflecting the podcast’s wide-ranging scope. This channel transforms dense academic writing into lively dialogue, making cutting-edge thought available to anyone curious about Africa’s past and its pressing present. Tuning in provides a direct line to the scholars shaping the field, offering listeners a chance to grapple with fresh perspectives and nuanced analyses. It’s an intellectual resource that respects the listener’s intelligence, fostering a deeper understanding of a region too often simplified. For anyone with an interest in scholarly discourse, global affairs, or simply learning from experts in genuine conversation, this podcast serves as an invaluable and consistently engaging audio library.
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