Unpacking the complexities of corruption — Daniel Agbiboa

In Pursuit of Development

The conventional wisdom is that corruption is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has a significant impact on societies and individuals around the world. And most people would agree that corruption is bad. It can undermine the rule of law, erode public trust, and distort economic development. But there are those who argue that to truly address corruption, we must rethink our understanding of what it is and how it operates. This may include adopting a dialectical approach that pays attention to the practical and social life of corruption, and the strategies of the various actors involved. What is crucial in this context is how we can best unpack the complicated web of social norms, value acceptances, power relations, negotiations, and social networks that animates local discourse and practices of corruption.

Daniel Agbiboa is an assistant professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. In his recent book – They Eat Our Sweat: Transport Labor, Corruption, and Everyday Survival in Urban Nigeria – he explores how transport workers encounter and respond to the situation defined by extortion and violence in which they ply their trade. Twitter: @DanielAgbiboa

Key highlights:

• Introduction - 00:52
• What the literature on corruption overlooks - 03:52
• The language of corruption in African countries - 08:03
• Why efforts to curb corruption often fail - 20:23
• The road transport sector in Nigeria- 28:54
• Rethinking anti-corruption policy - 46:20

Host:

Professor Dan Banik (Twitter: @danbanik @GlobalDevPod)

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https://globaldevpod.substack.com/
https://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com/

Host

Dan Banik (@danbanik @GlobalDevPod)

Apple Spotify YouTube

Subscribe:

https://in-pursuit-of-development.simplecast.com

https://globaldevpod.substack.com/