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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until August 04, 2029

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Kaunda and Humanism: Spaces Between Idealism and Reality in Zambia, 1964–1980

Mooney, Katherine
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1721315130639559

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, History.
Zambia's journey under the leadership of Kenneth Kaunda from 1964 to 1980 exemplifies the choices and challenges faced by many postcolonial states, as he endeavored to shape the nation through his philosophy, which he called Humanism. Humanism was ambiguous, broad, and changeable. It was a multi-purpose tool used to support the United National Independence Party’s (UNIP’s) aims of political supremacy as well as Kaunda’s personal aims, which were rooted in his upbringing, personal experiences, and personality. At its root, it was meant to be an ideology focused on the betterment of Zambians, which made it compelling. In practice, Zambians used it to their own advantage, shaping it or rejecting it as they saw fit, and Kaunda used it to suppress his rivals and critics. The growing gap between Kaunda's vision and its reception by Zambians fostered an environment where his authoritarianism flourished, as his attempts to realize these ambitious dreams led to increasingly repressive measures. Humanism, therefore, connected international and domestic conversations around Zambian state-building, innovation, and suppression. The chapters in this dissertation collectively provide a comprehensive overview of Kaunda's Humanism and its multifaceted impacts on Zambia. Chapter 2 explores the development of Humanism through Kaunda’s writings, revealing how his philosophies on religion, morality, violence, multiracialism, Pan-Africanism, and apartheid changed to support his needs. Chapter 3 shows how international image-building involved both encouraging well-established colonial tropes, such as Humanism’s romanticization of precolonial Zambia, and constant damage control by surveilling international news coverage regarding the new nation. Chapter 4 explores how Kaunda attempted to implement Humanism into Zambian foreign policy and the tension between economic pragmatism and his moral commitments in multilateral organizations, the Third World, and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). It also shows how Humanism’s lack of support at home undermined its success abroad. Chapter 5 emphasizes the importance of the competition between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) for diplomatic recognition in Zambia. It argues that the TAZARA Railway project was a successful, and surprisingly lasting, symbol of Sino-Zambian relations. Finally, Chapter 6 examines the dissonances between Kaunda's Humanism and the cosmopolitanism of Zambian rock music, illustrating how Zamrock offered an alternative cultural identity for youth populations. Together, these chapters paint a detailed picture of how Humanism influenced Zambia’s postcolonial journey, reflecting both its achievements and contradictions.
Joseph Parrott (Advisor)
Michael Ralph (Committee Member)
Thomas McDow (Committee Member)
Sarah Van Beurden (Committee Member)
339 p.
African History; African Studies
Zambia; Postcolonial; African independence; Kenneth Kaunda; Zamrock; Taiwan; safari tourism; UNIP; African diplomacy; post independence; Rhodesia; Cold War

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mooney, K. (2024). Kaunda and Humanism: Spaces Between Idealism and Reality in Zambia, 1964–1980 [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1721315130639559

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mooney, Katherine. Kaunda and Humanism: Spaces Between Idealism and Reality in Zambia, 1964–1980. 2024. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1721315130639559.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mooney, Katherine. "Kaunda and Humanism: Spaces Between Idealism and Reality in Zambia, 1964–1980." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1721315130639559

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.