This volume investigates the multifaceted social, political, and economic transformations occurring across Eastern Africa during the twentieth century. Edited by W. Arens, the text compiles research presented at the 9th International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences. It utilizes ethnographic case studies and historical analysis to examine how colonial legacies, urbanization, and shifting cultural identities shaped the region's development throughout the century.

Scholars and anthropologists frequently cite this collection as a significant archival record of mid-century ethnographic research in the region. The text is recognized for its academic rigor and provides a foundational look at the anthropological methodologies applied to East African studies during the 1970s.