The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy

Boni Assié

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15

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The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy

Boni Assié^*

Published in Social Sciences (Volume 14, Issue 5)

Received: 3 June 2025 Accepted: 13 August 2025 Published: 22 October 2025

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Abstract

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.

Published in	Social Sciences (Volume 14, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15
Page(s)	511-524
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cultural Policy, Sub-Regional Integration, Elitist Heritage, Education, Black African Culture, Alienation

References

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APA Style

Assié, B. (2025). The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy. Social Sciences, 14(5), 511-524. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15

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ACS Style

Assié, B. The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy. Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(5), 511-524. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15

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AMA Style

Assié B. The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy. Soc Sci. 2025;14(5):511-524. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15,
  author = {Boni Assié},
  title = {The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy
},
  journal = {Social Sciences},
  volume = {14},
  number = {5},
  pages = {511-524},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20251405.15},
  abstract = {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.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy

AU  - Boni Assié
Y1  - 2025/10/22
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15
T2  - Social Sciences
JF  - Social Sciences
JO  - Social Sciences
SP  - 511
EP  - 524
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-988X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15
AB  - 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.

VL  - 14
IS  - 5
ER  -

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Author Information

Boni Assié

Department of Arts, Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

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http://orcid.org/0009-0001-7146-5468

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APA Style

Assié, B. (2025). The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy. Social Sciences, 14(5), 511-524. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15

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ACS Style

Assié, B. The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy. Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(5), 511-524. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15

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AMA Style

Assié B. The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy. Soc Sci. 2025;14(5):511-524. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15,
  author = {Boni Assié},
  title = {The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy
},
  journal = {Social Sciences},
  volume = {14},
  number = {5},
  pages = {511-524},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20251405.15},
  abstract = {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.
},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Cognitive Slumber of Ivorian Cultural Policy

AU  - Boni Assié
Y1  - 2025/10/22
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15
T2  - Social Sciences
JF  - Social Sciences
JO  - Social Sciences
SP  - 511
EP  - 524
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-988X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20251405.15
AB  - 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.

VL  - 14
IS  - 5
ER  -

Copy | Download