The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy

Slavery and colonisation have left lasting scars on Africa. Yet, in total denial, Trump and Sarkozy, two Western presidents, have made derogatory remarks about the continent. What can be said about the rapid economic growth of the United States and Europe, the cultural heritage of the African continent scattered throughout the world, and anti-black racism in Arabic-speaking countries? However, playing the victim is not constructive, because since independence, Africa, particularly Côte d’Ivoire, has remained in a deep “cognitive slumber” when it comes to public cultural policies. Beyond superficial activity, these policies, built on disjointed logic, have continued to be mobilised without really being thought of as a lever for social, economic and political development. They reflect a cultural governance that is more reactive than structuring and forward-looking, incapable of anchoring culture in a sustainable vision of the state. It is therefore logical to look to history for the causes of this inertia, while also examining the heritage-related behaviour of those in power, coupled with the wait-and-see attitude of the population. To understand this relaxation, which is not inevitable, in order to move away from a policy of urgency, this text takes a multidisciplinary approach combining cultural history, sociology of public policy, and analysis of institutional narratives. This approach avoids a strictly national impasse by placing the Ivorian case within a broader dynamic reflecting a sub-regional trend.