African Languages and Societies Commons^™

Re-Evaluating Peacebuilding In The Democratic Republic Of Congo: A Case Study In Dongo, Wilita Sanguma

Master's Theses

Re-evaluating Peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A case study in Dongo

The Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo) is a country rich with natural resources centered in the heart of Africa. Since the colonial era, the country has seen more bloodshed than peace and development. From 1996 to 2003, Congo experienced the worst conflict since World War II, with over six million people dead. Despite having the largest United Nations peacekeeping troops present; Congo continues to be plagued by violence. This research thesis argues that the international community failed to promote a lasting peace in Congo because the international …

Understanding Africa’S China Policy: A Test Of Dependency Theory And A Study Of African Motivations In Increasing Engagement With China, Nkemjika E. Kalu

Department of Political Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

African states are increasingly engaging with China--politically, socially and economically--especially through the machinations of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). This dissertation asserts that Africans are willing partners of the Chinese, motivated by their state-centric belief that engagement with China is in their national interest. This assertion contradicts the assumption of most literature to date that appears to borrow from the logic of dependency theory and presents African nations as pawns, subject to the demands of a dominant and exploitative China, who is benefiting at Africa’s expense. Economic trends from the decade before the launch of the FOCAC and the …

Unity In The Black Community, Cecilia Uhlezipi Shamis Dzingira

Black Issues Conference

Dzingira, Cecilia

Black Issues Conference 2012

Unity in the Black Community

Abstract

Background: As an African American student who attends a pre-dominantly White Institution, I’ve found that the importance of unity is much more greater than we allow it to appear; by “We” I am referring to the African-American population that rests within the University’s community. When a new student is admitted into the University, it is not difficult that not only is there segregation between all races of students, but also within the different races lays a much deeper separation. Because of these issues that rise within communities …

Village Literacy: Adult Education In Northeastern Kenya, Jodi Heidorn

Senior Honors Theses

The underdevelopment of effective adult literacy programs in Northern Kenya is a problem that must be addressed to meet the needs of a changing generation of nomadic pastoralists. Existing programs must be reevaluated in order to increase their efficiency and incorporate the unique aspects of local cultures into their design. This paper explores the broadening definition of literacy and discusses how there are in fact multiple literacies in any given culture. Next, it examines the history of education in Kenya and the barriers that may be unique to adult literacy programs in Northern Kenya. Also, it examines how changes in …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Self-Directed Learning In Senegal, West Africa And Its Implications For Human Resource Development, Andrew Babyak

Business Educator Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of self-directed learning by SME leaders in Senegal, West Africa, and then to identify some of the human resource development (HRD) implications. This qualitative study collected data through two sets of interviews. First, eight leaders who were either the owner or manager of SMEs in Senegal were interviewed through questions that focused on the four factors that Confessore (1992) identified as necessary for autonomous learning: (a) desire, (b) resourcefulness, (c) initiative, and (d) persistence. Results were then discussed while incorporating the importance of understanding some of the basic elements …

Book Review: Fragile States, Lohar Brock, Hans-Henrik Holm, Georg Sorensen, Michael Stohl, Hakim Mohandas Amani Williams

Africana Studies Faculty Publications

In an era when good governance features prominently on the global development agenda, there seems to be a corollary spotlight on state fragility. In this book - a quick read that covers much ground - the authors wade into the conceptual waters of state fragility with the following aims: (i) sketching more clearly its conceptual parameters, including its core characteristics; (ii) dissecting its connection to violent conflict; (iii) analyzing the role that international society has played in relation to fragile statehood; and (iv) laying out two proposals for tackling its intractability. These analyses are conducted through the prism of three …

Economic Growth Without Structural Transformation: The Case Of Ethiopia, Paul Dorosh, Emily Schmidt, Admasu Shiferaw

Arts & Sciences Articles

Ethiopia is a highly agrarian economy, with a long history of substantial food insecurity. In recent years, however, the economy has seen substantial economic transformation, largely in the form of increased agricultural productivity and significant improvements in road infrastructure. But while these investments have contributed to impressive poverty reduction in recent years, structural transformation has been inhibited by the relatively slow development of an industrial sector, and modest rates of urbanization. Future development strategies will therefore need to search for the right balance between pro-poor investments in agriculture and rural development, and potentially more transformative investments in urban infrastructure and …

Contextualizing Concerns & Empowerment: Somali Urban Refugee Women In Nairobi, Mie-Na Lee Srein

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Tense-Op Syntagm: Unity To Nc Word Order, Evidence From Bulom, South Atlantic, George Tucker Childs

Applied Linguistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Provides the outline of a paper that examines Proto-Niger-Congo features; the classification of Atlantic languages; The VP in Bulom and Atlantic, TNS-OP; A contact explanation: S-AUX-O-V-X from Mande; Other explanations, internal to Bullom, internal to Atlantic, and elsewhere; and comparison to (speculations as to) reconstructed Niger-Congo.

Visions Of Egypt And Roman Palestine: A Dialectical Relationship Between History And Homoletical Midrash, Rivka Ulmer

Rivka Ulmer

No abstract provided.

Visions Of Egypt In Midrash: Pharaoh’S Birthday And The Nile Festival, Rivka Ulmer

Rivka Ulmer

No abstract provided.

The Boundaries Of The Rabbinic Genre Midrash, Rivka Ulmer

Rivka Ulmer

No abstract provided.

Egyptian Magic And The Osiris Myth In Midrash, Rivka Ulmer

Rivka Ulmer

No abstract provided.

Visions Of Egypt In Midrash: The Nile As The Landscape Of The Other, Rivka Ulmer

Rivka Ulmer

No abstract provided.

"This Was A Man!": A Memorial Tribute To Felix Emeka Okeke-Ezigbo (October 14, 1944-June 25, 2012), Chukwuma Azuonye

Africana Studies Faculty Publication Series

A memorial tribute to one of the leading members of the the Biafran war generation of Nsukka poets. Dr. Felix Emeka Okeke-Ezigbo, October 14, 1944 to June 25, 2012.

The Afro-Brazilian Speech Of Calunga: Historical, Sociolinguistic, And Linguistic Considerations, Steven Byrd

Society, Culture and Languages Faculty Publications

Calunga is an Afro-Brazilian speech spoken primarily in and around Patrocínio, Minas Gerais, a rural town located in the western region of the state known as the Triângulo Mineiro. In the early 21st century, this Afro-Brazilian speech exists in a moribund state. The present article is an attempt to provide a basic overview regarding some of the historical, sociolinguistic, and linguistic considerations of this Afro-Brazilian speech community, and how it fits into the larger picture of the African legacy in Brazil in terms of language and culture.

A Phenomenological Study Of Motivations, Experiences And Reflections As Related To Teacher Training And Development In Tanzania, Melinda Ingiaimo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In third world countries where education often takes a back seat to survival, teachers struggle to prepare themselves to shape the destiny and future of the upcoming generation. This study examined the phenomena of Tanzanian teacher preparation with special emphasis on the motivating factors, common experiences and reflections of participants concerning their preparation process for teaching in a government funded school. This study inquired into the immediate teaching environment and the ongoing teacher development processes. Fifteen Tanzanian teachers were purposefully chosen for this study and data was gathered utilizing a semi-structured interview, a survey and a focus group. The teacher …

This Was A Man: A Memorial Tribute To Felix Emeka Okeke-Ezigbo, Chukwuma Azuonye

Chukwuma Azuonye

A memorial tribute to one of the leading members of the the Biafran war generation of Nsukka poets. Dr. Felix Emeka Okeke-Ezigbo, October 14, 1944 to June 25, 2012.

A Commentary On Business And Knowledge Opportunities For Africa’S Rise, Uzoechi Nwagbara

Dr Uzoechi Nwagbara

Fareed Zakaria’s insightful and fascinating book, The Post-American World (2008) deals with the gradual demise of America’s power and global dominance and the consequent rise of marginal or regional powers, which include Africa. Zakaria’s hypothesis about the ‘‘post- American world’’ resides principally in America’s weakening domestic and international prowess associated with her fighting prolonged wars in recent time, dwindling manufacturing scale, weakening domestic economy and the rise of Asian Tigers as well as China. This postulation also deals with the gradual manifestation of periphery countries’ potential or ability to lead the global economy with their natural endowments, rapid wave of …

Fabricating Unease: Intertextuality, The Nation And Intellectual Leadership Crisis In No Longer At Ease, Uzoechi Nwagbara

Dr Uzoechi Nwagbara

The subject matter of the nation is a usual staple on the menu of postcolonial Nigerian fiction. In this sense, the repertoire of Chinua Achebe’s art echoes an incurable preoccupation with Nigeria’s postcolonial condition as a nation. Also, this paper explores the centrality of intertextuality in the production of Achebe’s fiction, primarily his political novel about crisis plaguing intellectual leadership, No Longer at Ease (1960). Intellectual leadership deals with championing the espousal of intellectual development for societal alchemy; it also deals with mental or intellectual engagement capable of raising awareness as well as educating people about societal issues for change. …

From The Ground Up: The Historical Roots Of Umuganda In Rwandan Economic And Political Development, Sarah Bates

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Umuganda, the ritual of communal labor practiced in Rwanda since pre-colonial kingdoms, has a long and varied history of implementation. Once an integral part of the patron-client relationship, umuganda originated as the exchange of cattle for feudal protection; currently, it is a system of mandatory labor being utilized for post-genocide political and economic development. Umuganda has been championed by both past and present presidential administrations as the foundational centerpiece of progress, yet it also served as an instrumental tool in mass participation during the genocide. This paper will focus on the historical roots and transformation of umuganda in order to …

The Hegemony Of English In South African Education, Kelsey E. Figone

Scripps Senior Theses

The South African Constitution recognizes 11 official languages and protects an individual’s right to use their mother-tongue freely. Despite this recognition, the majority of South African schools use English as the language of learning and teaching (LOLT). Learning in English is a struggle for many students who speak indigenous African languages, rather than English, as a mother-tongue, and the educational system is failing its students. This perpetuates inequality between different South African communities in a way that has roots in the divisions of South Africa’s past. An examination of the power of language and South Africa’s experience with colonialism and …

La Sociolinguistique Postcoloniale En Amérique Hispanophone Et En Afrique Francophone : Un Drame Linguistique En Deux Actes, Eva Valenti

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis analyzes the sociolinguistic situations in postcolonial Latin America and francophone North Africa (the Maghreb) through a comparative lens. Specifically, it examines the ways in which Spain and France’s differing colonial agendas and language ideologies affected the relationships between colonizer and colonized, and, by extension, the role that Spanish and French play(ed) in these regions after decolonization. Finally, it explores how Spain and France’s contemporary discourses frame colonial participation in the two languages’ development, and the psychological effects these ideologies have had on the formerly colonized.

They Bleed But They Don’T Die: Towards A Theoretical Canon On Ga-Adangbe Gender Studies, Harry N. K. Odamtten

History

Contemporary African women are often cast as existing below the glass ceiling. African women who are perceived as having overcome this glass threshold are therefore seen and celebrated as exceptional. Against this background, this essay offers conceptual tools with which to examine the lives of historical and contemporary women in Ga traditional society of Ghana, living beyond the glass ceiling. Drawing a distinction between the role of women in the modern nation-state and traditional societies, this study asserts that unlike the situation in modern governance, structures and practices of Ga traditional societies have enabled Ga women to live beyond the …

Progression Of Aesthetic: A Study Of Beads And Adornment In Contemporary Krobo Society, Jordan Ashe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

1. Methodology: To gain insight into the role of bead heritage and adornment in Krobo, I spent 18 days in Krobo-Nyaso, learning how to make recycled glass beads called giga, and observing the use of beads in daily life and ceremonious occasions. I observed one wedding ceremony and parts of a Dipo ceremony, though I was unable to attend a naming ceremony or funeral. To gain insight into contemporary bead culture, I interviewed Krobos of all ages, occupations, and social ranks, including one bead vendor, two bead makers, two chiefs, one priest, and four Krobo women. I also sought …

The Life Of A Child: Learning, Imitating, And Interacting Among Children In The Northern And Ashanti Regions, Annie Alexander

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the time of independent study, I split my time between the Northern and Ashanti Regions. I lived in a village by the name of Gumo outside of Tamale and in the Ashanti Region; I stayed in Benim located near Ashanti Mampong. While my home was in each respective village, I traveled to surrounding areas to expand the scope of my research and provide conclusive evidence. I spent my time among the children observing, learning, and recording their interactions. Living in the village gave me the chance to experience the daily lives and actions of the children. Using participant and …

The Interaction Of Wolof And French In Dakarois Families: A Specific Look At Ouakam Households, Ashlee Sang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to show the unique multilingual situation in Dakar, which manifests itself most frequently with a mixture of Wolof and French use. By using the neighborhood of Ouakam as an indicator of Dakar as a whole, one can see the immense impact of both Wolof and French in family settings. More importantly, the interaction of Wolof and French in Ouakam households is used as a lens to show the social impact language has on families in Dakar.

Steel Pan's Heart, Chioma Viola Ozuzu

Senior Theses and Projects

Even though mostly Afro-Trinidadians play pan, the Steel Pan instills national identity and pride because Pan has become internationally popular and the proliferation of so many steel drum events before carnival, including Panorama-the world largest Steel Pan competition.The purpose of this paper looks the hybridization and Creolization of the music culture of the nation, in regards to the major ethnic groups, especially Indo-Trinidadian.

Sacrée Et Inviolable: The Hiv+ Mother In Ivoirian Health Policy, Amber Alaniz

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

« La personne humaine est sacrée (2)… Le domicile est inviolable. Les atteintes ou restrictions ne peuvent y être apportées que par la loi. (4) La famille constitue la cellule de base de la société. L'État assure sa protection. (5)» Constitution of La Côte d’Ivoire, Articles 2,4,5[1]

The Ivoirian national constitution, authored and enacted in July of 2000, while expressing a devotion to democratic thought (Preamble) and to the sovereignty of the individual (Article 2), also acknowledges the primacy of the Ivoirian family and collective identity as the basis of society and advances a moral duty on the part …

An Inconvenient Image Of Nigeria’S Environment – A Commentary On Peter Maass’S Crude World: The Violent Twilight Of Oil (2009)., Uzoechi Nwagbara

Dr Uzoechi Nwagbara

The American industrialist and oil dealer Paul J. Getty’s statement that ‘‘the meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights’’ reverberates with the message of Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil (2009). In this masterfully written and provocative piece on the blessings and curses of oil, global oil politics and mineral-induced conflicts as well as socio-economic disequilibrium following oil exploration, Peter Maass, brings once more to light the contradictions inherent in oil deposits. In the words of the Venezuelan oil minister, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, oil is ‘‘the devil’s excrement’’, a metonymy for gold, which is the …