African Languages and Societies Commons^™

Zamrock: Negotiating Masculine Urban Identity In Zambia And Music Success In A Postcolonial World, Emeline Avignon

Senior Theses and Projects

This thesis analyzes, through predominately an ethnomusicologist approach and methodology, the lyricism, instrumentation, performance, and album art of the movement of Zamrock in Zambia from 1970 to the mid-1980s. I explore the agency and construction of urban youth masculinity by Zamrock artists in the context of Zambia’s colonial history of the Copperbelt, into its decades after independence. First, I look at the socio-political and economic context of colonized and independent Zambia, and how out of these conditions Zambian rock music was fused and forged. I break down the negotiations and desires of Zamrock artists in their identity construction via their …

A Critical Event Narrative Analysis Of African Women Immigrant Entrepreneurs In The United States: Impacts Before, During, And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Damilola T. Fasinu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This doctoral research presents a qualitative critical event narrative study focused on African Women Immigrant Entrepreneurs (AWIE) in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to explore the unique challenges, coping mechanisms, and resilience strategies of AWIE by examining their experiences before, during, and after the pandemic. The research is driven by three guiding questions: (1) How do AWIE describe their experience before the pandemic? (2) During the pandemic? (3) After the pandemic? This inquiry provides a comprehensive narrative, capturing the challenges and successes experienced in the pre-pandemic environment, documenting the immediate impacts of the pandemic on …

Call For Papers: Special Issue - "Beyond Borders: People, Politics, Conflict, And Recovery In Darfur And Sudan"

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Solidarity In Time Of Armed Conflict. Women’S Patterns Of Solidarity In Internally Displaced Person (Idp) Camps In Darfur, Western Sudan, Mawa Mohamed

The Journal of Social Encounters

This study, a vital part of a Ph.D. thesis, delves into the prolonged armed conflict's impact in Darfur, which has resulted in severe loss of assets and lives, disrupted livelihoods, and food insecurity. Among the most vulnerable are internally displaced women, primary targets of violence due to their caregiving roles and responsibilities. Addressing the gap in existing literature, this research explores the meanings, practices, experiences, and representations of solidarity among women residing in the Abu-Shouk IDP camp. Challenging conventional perceptions, the study highlights women's competencies and strengths, empowering them to develop unique coping strategies within the conflict context. It uncovers …

The Power Of Storytelling: A Case Study Exploring Black Studies Through Nigerian Women Writers, Genesis Flores, Gaetan Jean Louis, Alexa Victor

McNair Scholars Program

No abstract provided.

Contextualizing Feminism Within Igbo History And An Analysis Of The Works Of Ngozi Anyanwu, Chisom Awachie

Theatre Thesis - Written Thesis

Throughout Nigeria’s history, Igbo women have contended with violence from colonial and imperialist forces and misogyny from the Igbo men in their communities. In solidarity with one another, Igbo women have continued to fight back to ensure their voices are heard in politics and access to professional careers. The Nigerian- and Igbo-American playwright Ngozi Anyanwu writes about Igbo women who assert themselves and maintain their agency throughout cultural and interpersonal conflicts, similar to these historical strategies. Anyanwu’s plays The Homecoming Queen, Good Grief, and My Name…is Beatrice feature women dealing with grief, sexual trauma, and access to reproductive healthcare between …

In A State Of Nervous Conditions: Gender Relations In Tsitsi Dangarembga’S Groundbreaking Novel, Evan Garcia

Montserrat Annual Writing Prize

This paper is analysis of Tsitsi Dangarembga's novel Nervous Conditions. It examines the oppressive system of colonial patriarchy in Southern Rhodesia and the suffocating conflicts faced by African women living under the legacy of colonial rule.

Neoliberalism’S Zombies: Ling Ma’S Severance, Covid,And Anti-Asian Racism, Elizabeth Westrick

International ResearchScape Journal

In this paper, I argue that Ling Ma’s 2018 novel, Severance, weaves together Asian American identity, capitalism, and neoliberal ideals into a zombie apocalypse novel that works to critique the systems of global capitalism and the ways in which Asian immigrants are positioned within this system. Through the figure of the zombie who has been infected by a virus the global community refers to as “Shen Fever,” Ma elucidates the dehumanized, pathologized nature of the relationship between race and labor in the United States. I will also argue that these ideas have been realized in the COVID–19 pandemic and the …

"Communication From Afar": The Role Of Subversive Mail Art During The Argentine Dirty War, 1976-1983, Chloe S. Kozal

International ResearchScape Journal

This paper analyzes the role of mail art by Argentine mail artists Edgardo Antonio Vigo and Graciela Gutiérrez Marx in subverting Argentine fascism and censorship during the Argentine Dirty War from 1976 to 1983. La Guerra Sucia, or “the Dirty War,” was a seven-year period of right-wing military dictatorship in Argentina, following a coup on 24 March 1976, against the government of President Isabel Perón. The U.S. coordinated with the junta and the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance, or Triple A, and the dictatorship “disappeared” and tortured thousands of so-called enemies of the state. Meanwhile, American and Argentine artists maintained fluid communications, …

Dolor Y Angustia: Creative Practice And Arts-Based Advocacy And Activism, María G. López Davila

International ResearchScape Journal

This practice to press article discusses how arts-based advocacy and activism can be used to raise awareness about human rights violations. Inspired by the work of my mother, Dr. Morella Davilla, a physician of obstetrics and gynecology in Venezuela, and the arts-based activist work of London-based artist, Aida Silvestri, my arts-based advocacy and activism work, Dolor y Angustia [Pain and Anguish], illustrates the creative process of a visual representation of Female Genital Mutilation, one of the most oppressive and horrific acts enforced upon women and girls.

Quiet Rebellions: An Interview With Gothataone Moeng, Anupama Arora, Sandrine Sanos

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Empathy And Unity In Exit West, Kelsey Madison Dietrich

International ResearchScape Journal

Mohsin Hamid’s contemporary novel, Exit West (2017), proposes a world that allows all people to migrate with relative ease across the globe through instantaneous transportation via magical doors. This stylistic choice to use organically emerging, non-state-sanctioned doors as border walls aims to make migration an accessible option for people of all identities. This notion of accessibility is represented as the primary plotline follows the trajectory of two characters using the doors after their unnamed home country is overtaken by militants. Additionally, several vignettes interspersed throughout the novel depict people with various identities who have been transported through doors and the …

The Mexican Revolution: An Uneven Path, Tre Johnson

International ResearchScape Journal

This study analyzes the peasant and anarchist movement as foundational to La Revolución [the Mexican Revolution] and the revolutionary processes that lead to and followed La Revolución. The study makes the case that unique nature of La Revolución deserves far more analysis. Informed by the work of historian Eric Hobsbawm, La Revolución was born directly out of the world stage; its contradictions were born out of the developing and colonial world. It was during the period of La Revolución, that the fate of the country was ultimately changed by the likes of those who participated in it. The study asks …

Contents And Editor's Forward, Rachel A. Walsh

International ResearchScape Journal

No abstract provided.

Veterinary Medicine And The Covid-19 Pandemic: An International, Interdisciplinary Study Of A Globalwicked Problem, Daniella Fedak-Lengel

International ResearchScape Journal

Building on field research in Costa Rica and Belize, this study analyzes environmental and endangered animal protection policies, rights, and practices in Central America, and assesses impacts of veterinary science and conservation biology on animal welfare concerns. Informed by the recent surge in awareness regarding the spread of zoonotic diseases, given COVID-19, the study analyzes Manis javanica and the impact of illegal trafficking of this critically endangered animal. The project theorizes if awareness of zoonotic disease transmission, especially during a global pandemic, could be key to reducing sales, legal or illegal, of wild animals in order to mitigate zoonotic infection …

A Photo Documentary: Exploring Queer Identities In Kwazulu-Natal, Nicholas Graves

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Media can be a powerful tool in examining the structures of power that both hinder and advance LGBTQIA+ representation and subsequently, lived experiences. Therefore, being able to understand the varying feelings that everyday South Africans feel towards queer people, will be measured through the media that people consume. For the vast majority of South Africans, this would look like movies, TV soap operas, and discussions that take place on the radio. Understanding the role media plays within the country is vital to understanding the overall progress that has been made.

The media’s ability to reflect lived experiences within gay and …

Full Issue

McNair Research Journal SJSU

No abstract provided.

The Flow Of (Re)Memory In African American And Nubian Egyptian Literature: Morrison, Oddoul, And Mukhtar, Bushra Hashem

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to define the term rememory, which Toni Morrison coins in her novel Beloved, and explore its interplay with water imagery in the novel and in two Nubian short stories, namely Haggag Oddoul’s “The River People” and Yahya Mukhtar’s “The Nile Bride.” The three narratives have core common features: they centralize water bodies as key sites of events, they depend heavily on the retelling of history and mythology, and they are told predominantly from the perspective of women. How do the writers weave rememory, history, and mythology to produce these narratives? Are they attempting to …

Jabaaru Immigré Ak Goor Jaarin: Migration, Marriage, And Emigrants’ Wives In Senegal, Sophia Patterson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research studies the community of women in Senegal whose husbands migrate to other countries for work. I examine how migration has impacted their marriages and their understanding of their roles as wives. I aim to answer the following question: How does migration affect women’s relationships with their husbands, their roles and responsibilities as wives, and their standing in society? To answer this question, I interviewed six women whose husbands work abroad. Before interviewing these women, I will arrange an initial conversation so we can get to know one another. This pre-interview also will allow me to determine other potential …

Factors Driving Changing Community Acceptance Of Gays And Lesbians In Cato Manor, Kwazulu-Natal, Isabella Van Der Weide

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Acceptance of LGBTQ people is an important and encouraging area of social progress. As attitudes change in South Africa and across the world, it is important to understand the drivers of change and how that change is experienced within communities. Using both semi-structured interviews (n=19) and collection of survey data (n=30), this study interrogated the factors that formed and changed views on gay and lesbian people among respondents from a community in Cato Manor, a peri-urban area near Durban, South Africa. About half of all participants reported an opinion change. Interview participants who experienced opinion change most commonly reported the …

‘Could The Subaltern Speak?’ Patriarchy And Gender-Based Violence In Ben Okri’S Dangerous Love, Francis Etsè Awitor

Journal of Gender, Ethnic, and Cross-Cultural Studies

In a patriarchal society, women are, on the most part, the least representative in socio-political and economic spheres. They are frequently considered as second-class citizens, and live in the shadow of their male counterparts. They are portrayed as commodities, objects that satisfy men’s needs while being used as sex toys, cooks, servants, housewives and housemaids. They face various forms of violence and abuse as far as they are seen as sub-humans. In a society trapped in a web of traditional, cultural and religious beliefs, women’s plights and sufferings are often overlooked and ignored. By utilizing a feminist lens, the violation …

Gestational Weight Gain, Level Of Education, And Infant Mortality Among African American Women, George Lee Amanambu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

African American (AA) women in Mississippi have a higher burden of infant mortality, especially those with low income and educational levels, as compared to other regions of the country. However, it is unknown if abnormal gestation weight gain (GWG) is contributing to this increased burden. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the association between GWG (25-35lbs), level of education, income, and infant mortality among AA women with normal prepregnancy body weight who were between 30 to 47 years old in the state of Mississippi from 2016 to 2018. Biopsychosocial and ecosocial models were used as the theoretical foundation to design …

Gestational Weight Gain, Level Of Education, And Infant Mortality Among African American Women, George Lee Amanambu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

African American (AA) women in Mississippi have a higher burden of infant mortality, especially those with low income and educational levels, as compared to other regions of the country. However, it is unknown if abnormal gestation weight gain (GWG) is contributing to this increased burden. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the association between GWG (25-35lbs), level of education, income, and infant mortality among AA women with normal prepregnancy body weight who were between 30 to 47 years old in the state of Mississippi from 2016 to 2018. Biopsychosocial and ecosocial models were used as the theoretical foundation to design …

Gender Inequality: An Examination Of The Islamic Religious Affiliation And Female Infant Mortality Rates Among Muslim Wives In Nigeria, Jodie Denise Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Muslim-majority countries of low socioeconomic status have higher rates of poor health and infant mortality. Among the six regions of Nigeria, Islamic religious affiliation is more common in the country’s Northern region. Gender inequality is one of the most critical issues in the Muslim community. Female children are more likely to die because of gender inequality. Previous research has been conducted on gender inequalities and religion; however, researchers have not determined if a relationship exists between Islamic religious affiliation and female infant mortality rates among Muslim wives across the six regions of Nigeria. This study used a quantitative correlational research …

Mothers Leading By Example: Maternal Influence On Female Leadership In Kenya, Catherine Chege

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative research aimed to study the experiences of Kenyan female leaders and explore Kenyan maternal influence in their lived experiences. It examined how maternal influence shapes female leadership in Kenya by embodying relational and transformational leadership qualities and proves that maternal influence makes women congruent with leadership roles. Despite global advances recognizing the principle of women’s political, economic, and social equality, Kenyan women continue to be marginalized in many areas of society, especially in leadership and decision making. Kenyan women also continue to rank very low in their communities’ social hierarchy, yet they play a critical role in their …

Harvesting The Truth About Salt Mining: An Assessment Of The Factors And Demographics That Influence Women To Become Salt Miners, Katwe Uganda, Amelia Simmonds

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional and rudimentary methods of salt mining have been used to harvest salt from Lake Katwe in Uganda for over 400 years. Even though these methods are effective in extracting salt, they are proven to be hazardous to the miners. Though not often acknowledged, the role of women in salt mining operations is significant as they make up half of the workforce in East Africa. Regardless of the health risks associated with the mining sector, the number of women involved in small-scale salt mining increases by the year. The main objective of this study was to gain a better understanding …

Through The Eyes Of Lawyers And Advocates: Navigating The Court System For Women Impacted By Domestic Violence In Morocco, Emily Atieh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

How do Moroccan women impacted by domestic violence navigate criminal legal systems in Morocco? Is the progressive family law present in Morocco due to recent reforms fully implemented in court systems? How can systems be improved to better support women impacted by violence? This study originally sought to answer these questions by surveying lawyers at NGOs in the Rabat area who act as advocates for women impacted by domestic violence. As a result of their expansive knowledge of criminal legal systems and experiences aiding hundreds of women, lawyers are in a unique position to critique the criminal legal system and …

The Hands That Weave Stories, Elanna Hawkins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There is a narrative encoded in carpets of Morocco, and I set out with the initial intention to learn how to “read” them—thinking that a Western sense of language is present from the symbols and patterns in the rug. As I progressed in my research and met the skilled women artisans, I realized that I needed to rethink how a story that doesn’t necessarily require a written format can be told to relate to these cultural totems of Morocco. Through in-person experience and online research, I discovered many designs and backgrounds unique to specific regions and areas. Rugs can tell …

Gendered Conflict Resolution: The Role Of Women In Amani Mashinani’S Peacebuiding Processes In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, Susan Kilonzo, Kennedy Onkware

The Journal of Social Encounters

The role of women in peacebuilding is acknowledged by many stakeholders central in peace work. While this is so, there are still concerns about what we know about women’s involvement in peacebuilding structures established by non-state actors. Drawing from Amani Mashinani (Peace at Grassroots) peacebuilding model initiated by the Catholic Church in Kenya’s North Rift region, we examine the role of women in processes of conflict resolution in Uasin Gishu County. Suggestions to support women’s participation will be discussed.

Negritude Feminisms: Francophone Black Women Writers And Activists In France, Martinique, And Senegal From The 1920s To The 1980s, Korka Sall

Doctoral Dissertations

Negritude Feminisms: Francophone Black Women Writers and Activists in France, Martinique and Senegal from the 1920s to 1980s reframes debates about the participation and conversation of francophone women writers in the Negritude movement. I use the Negritude movement as a model to highlight its capacities and limits. Through an intergenerational analysis of the writings and personal experiences of Paulette Nardal and Suzanne Césaire from Martinique, Annette Mbaye d’Erneville and Aminata Sow Fall from Senegal, my dissertation charts common themes of racial consciousness, gender issues and the colonial problem developed by these women. Nardal, Césaire, Mbaye d’Erneville and Sow Fall played …