As people become ever more aware of the world around them, they gain the ability to form opinions on the political and economic issues of the day. They learn about the large-scale systems in which their villages and neighborhoods are embedded and begin to comprehend the manifold ways in which their lives are affected by decisions made by distant powerholders. In an effort to exercise agency in these larger arenas they sometimes try to get political leaders and economic markets to respond to their needs. In this chapter, we explore various aspects of cognitive awareness because we expect that an individual's education, media exposure, information, interest, and personal efficacy will have important effects on the expression of public opinion.

Once disparaged as a dark continent, Africa came late to the Western Enlightenment. Until recent years, opportunities for formal education have been scarce and, after independence, the quality of expanding school systems has been undercut by economic crisis. Given the large geographical size of African countries and the weak capacity of central institutions, large numbers of Africans remain beyond the reach of world markets and administrative authorities. Many peasants understandably prefer to avoid capture by extractive markets and repressive states. Nor does active agency come easily in patron-client cultures because ordinary individuals usually lack the educational standing, level of knowledge, and personal self-confidence to engage power holders on an equal footing.