I have a question/observation that is mostly addressed to /u/khosikulu and /u/profrhodes. Though if other post-colonial scholars feel moved to answer, I am all ears.

In conversations with Ghanaians that I have met, they have strongly positive attitudes toward Kwame Nkrumah, both from those old enough to remember him, and people born in the 1980s. Similarly, when talking to a Tanzanian, he had very positive, nostalgic feelings towards Nyerere.

Can/should these popular memories be seen as a sort of "big man history" for the independence generation of leaders?

Western histories try to have a more nuanced treatment of these Two figures, noting failings of specific policies. Is Ghanaian and Tanzanian academic scholarship in line with this? Do historians from African countries have different attitudes and perspectives than the common man's view?

Grad student question: I recently wrote a paper utilizing sociological theories to reframe a certain event, and I really enjoyed the process. However, this led me to question what would be possible advantages/disadvantages are an application of interdisciplanary theories to the historical past. Is it possible to successfully integrate interdisciplinary theories within the discipline, or does this fundamentally change the scope of the discipline? If so, in what ways? edit spelling/clarification.