ABSTRACT
The postcolonial history of African states has been marked by conflict, turmoil and stagnation. State leaders have been unable to extricate themselves from powerful domestic and international interest groups. State control over the society has diminished despite increasing repressive and extractive tendencies. Incorporation and disengagement denote societal responses to state actions which lead to a perceived change in the field of opportunities of given groups or individuals. Incorporation may manifest itself in population migration from rural to urban areas and from remote regions to economic and communication centers. Traditional structures and authorities are incorporated into the state; traditional chiefs and leaders become state agents and their status is preserved and even enhanced by being made part of the state symbol. State reactions to incorporation and disengagement vary widely, ranging from encouragement to policy adjustments, repression and even reconciliation to a palpable decline in state control over the society.
