African Languages and Societies Commons^™

The Effect Of Past Institutional Structures On Current Economic Development Levels: The Former French African Colonies, Ana May Jerolamon

Senior Honors Projects

By the early 1960’s, most of the French colonies in Africa had gained independence. Since then, these former colonies have reached economic development levels that vary widely by country. This project will argue that while most of these countries were official colonies for less than one hundred years, the institutions that were created during the colonial period still have an effect on the current economic development of such countries. Since political institutions become intertwined with the culture and structure of a country,

they are extremely hard to modify; therefore, we can expect to find the presence of institutions that are …

Maasai Dictionary, Charles Richmond

Archives & Reprint Series (imprint)

This dictionary of English-to-Maa (the language of Maasai peoples of Kenya and Tanzania) was written and compiled by Charles Richmond. It is one of the earliest Maasai dictionaries. The dictionary was developed from 1935 until 1951 while Charles lived in the back country of Kenya colony, East Africa as a subject of the King of England. His stay there began as a Captain in the King’s African Rifles, in which position he fought alongside tribal chiefs in northern Kenya and Ethiopia against the Italian dictator, Mussolini during WWII. Subsequent to his military service, he returned to England to study theology …

Senegal's Language Problem: A Discourse Of Disparity, Monica Naida

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to assess the deficiencies of the Senegalese education system and to evaluate improvements to the system so that it works for the Senegalese, instead of against them. My research is mostly concerned with the process in which the French language is taught in schools. I explain these deficiencies in the education system through elucidation of the discourse used by the French colonizer, politicians, non-governmental organizations, teachers, and parents. My approach to this research includes an extensive literature review as well as my own personal observations during a faculty-led research trip to Dakar, Senegal during …

In Search Of Askia Mohammed, Joe Wilson

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

This is my MA thesis. I contextualized the Songhay oral history concerning king Askia Mohammed. I placed the folk lore in cultural and historical context to illustrate that the Epic of Askia Mohammed is a complex work of mythology that communicates difficult and complicated information in easily understandable "picture stories." These stories are not at all factual and often distort the historical narrative, but they do so in order that the audience is entertained, cultural norms are reinforced, and the historical account is preserved in a culturally approved framework.

Latinos And Afro-Latino Legacy In The United States: History, Culture, And Issues Of Identity, Refugio I. Rochin

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Introduction

Since my first visit to the campus in 1992, I have looked forward to this event. Tuskegee University is a world famous campus with many firsts in science and higher education. And it gives me great pleasure to speak about Latinos and Afro-Latinos.

My presentation has three objectives: first, to address the historical origins, and challenges facing U.S. Latinos; second, to expand on the national interest in U.S. Latinos and the surfacing issues of our relations with African-Americans, and, third, to advocate coalition building and suggest ways of working together.

I wish to begin by citing a few caveats …

Trauma And Recovery In Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: An Analysis Of Trauma And Its Effects On The Family, Shelby Logan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Trauma in Northern Uganda stems from the atrocities that occurred during the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict. Because of this, thousands of victims were left traumatized by their experiences with disparities in aid to help them with their trauma. Utilizing the rural and urban areas in Kitgum and Gulu Municipality, this research seeks to understand how trauma presents itself in the Northern Uganda region and how it is defined by the population who treat it. This includes a list of disorders resulting from trauma and their symptoms. In addition, the efforts towards trauma healing and recovery are analyzed, including the different …

Maarifa, Spring 2016, African And African American Studies

African and African American Studies Newsletter

This sixteen page newsletter created by the Wright State University African and African American Studies Program documents program updates, alumni news, faculty and student spotlights, course schedules, upcoming events, scholarship opportunities, and more.

A Borrowed Language, Yvonne Osei

Graduate School of Art Theses

Art has the potency of mediation: bridging human differences, questioning voids in historical trajectories, negotiating spaces of relevance, and most importantly, being signifiers that embody the absent. I speak in a borrowed language, a multilingual visual tongue, inspired by a culmination of Western and African Art modes of practices to create charged platforms for multicultural communication.

My art presents visual portals that allow for intercultural and interracial mingling as issues of colorism, present-day colonialism, gender inequality and the politics of dress are foregrounded for collective deliberation. The essence of the work is often activated and brought to its full potential …

Protecting The Right To Life Of The Internally Displaced: An Examination Of Encampment And Its Effects On The Communities In Unyama And Koro Sub-Counties In Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Ashley Alessandra

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the period of encampment in Northern Uganda, as related to the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict, and the effects that encampment has had on communities in Gulu District through present day. The objectives of this study include; to examine the process of displacement, to analyze whether displaced persons were accorded the right to security during the encampment period, to analyze the effects that encampment has had on communities during the return period, through present day, and to examine the ways in which various actors have attempted to address such effects. This analysis is conducted through a human rights …

Accessibility And Quality Of Education For Refugees: A Case Study Of Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Meital Kupfer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Education is a tool critical for a good future and success in an individual’s life. Without education, opportunities are lost. For vulnerable populations, including refugees, education is often not an indivisible right; living in a foreign country fleeing violence and persecution creates a difficult situation for learning. In Uganda, where there are over 600,000 refugees, hundreds of thousands of children are disregarded in the quality of their education. Kyangwali Refugee Settlement is one of ten Ugandan refugee settlements in Hoima district, housing over 40,000 Congolese and Sudanese refugees.

This research combined a practicum with Action Africa Help – Uganda, as …

“The Languages Of Other People”: The Experiences Of Tutors, Administrators, And Students In A South African Multilingual Writing Center, Nicole Bailey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This ethnography, conducted at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, conveys the experiences of tutors, students, and administrators in a multilingual writing lab. As the number of both multilingual and international students in American universities increases, more writing centers in the United States have begun to explore the idea of multilingual tutoring. This study offers implications for establishing American multilingual writing centers based on data that emerged from observations and interviews conducted at Stellenbosch. Several themes emerged from the data that have important implications for American centers. First, there must be a clear understanding of what defines a multilingual writing center. …

Ebusua Fie, Dahlia Roberts Nduom

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the Fanti of Ghana.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

Growing up in the Caribbean and currently living in Ghana, I‘ve been interested in the conversation surrounding the development and definition of both a Caribbean‘ style and African‘ style and the cultural, social, political and historical issues that surround this. The competition seemed like a perfect avenue to continue to investigate these interests.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

Trying to study and investigate the traditional …

Sakhile, Nicole Nomsa Moyo

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the culture of the Ndebele and Zulu of South Africa.

Why do you believe African homeowners will be interested in building a home such as the one you have submitted today?

Homeownership and identity are strongly linked. The Sakhile house design embraces and celebrates the present and the past. It is affordable and gives opportunity for growth. The house provides functions that make it sustainable and requires a minimal cost to maintain as the architecture serves and provides from the environment to the family. The house gives the owner independence as the walls act as a …

The Mudina, Kseniya Mamaeva

ATL

Honorable Mention

Symbiosis of African traditional design and modern technology.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

I am a student, and so for me it was the opportunity to experiment. The process of creating this project was part of my training. I was interested in exploring the culture of African countries and the peoples of Africa, the nature Africa.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

The most difficult part in the development of my prototype was to create home elements, …

Umoja, Mark Gomina

ATL

Honorable Mention

Promoting a synthesis of African design.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

It was challenging sorting out the so many research materials gathered from diverse sources, yet it was most interesting and fulfilling to find they all corroborated Umoja‘s values of unity, proportion and functionality.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

I was inspired by CPDI‘s laudable initiative towards the development of sustainable/successful African Neighborhoods and communities coupled with my passion for promoting African indigenous Art and Architecture …

The Mask, Marina Ryleeva

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the symbolism of the African Mask.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

The ancient culture of the ethnic groups of Africa. Bright stylized art. Nature. People and indigenous cultures. African masks.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

Tracing the history of tribal masks, hard to find good material. Implementing the idea to style.

Why do you believe African homeowners will be interested in building a home such as the one you have submitted today?

I think …

Jali, Miracle David-Adjah, Bismark Achodo

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the music of Africa.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

We are interested in creating an African built environment that will intrigue and attract the world at large.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

It was interesting to find out that Africans are deeply connected. In search of land, indigenous people migrated and exchanged aspects of culture. One challenge was that African cultural heritage is not extensively documented. And although we as Africans can get information …

The Gojo, Kalkidan Tesfaye, Filimon Teshome, Hundaol Girma

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the Sidama of Ethiopia.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

We believe that Africa is the most diverse continent in the world, and with all the different cultures, architecture can be practiced with much more creative expression than the rest of the world.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

African spaces are the reflection of nature, and so it was interesting to design something that is in a direct connection with nature.

Why do you believe …

Amai, Gratio Ray, Kevin Yamaputra, Cynthia Javanny

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the people and culture of Zimbabwe.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

We are interested to involving ourselves to design prototype of modern architecture of Africa by research on the cultural and philosophical approach.

Why do you believe African home-owners will be interested in building a home such as the one you have submitted today?

We offer a compact living with a flexible space to hold a social activities and emphasizing a sustainability system in water usage.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during …

Noktecture, Ojile Ameh Godswill

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the Nok terracotta.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

I am of the opinion that original African culture has not been fully portrayed especially in our Architecture, at least that is the reason we still run helter-skelter using / adopting Roman classical forms of cornices (concrete fascia), entablatures in a bit to coining ours. I believe if we could only make move to look inwards; there is richness in African originality that if harnessed would yield unfathomable impact. CPDI Africa is a platform we have craved …

The Mena, Julia Mauser, Girum Solomon, Minasie Terefe

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the art of the Konso people of Ethiopia.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

Our Africa is a continent with unparalleled cultural richness and stories to be told. However, what we are witnessing today is only the smallest fraction of the vast potential we have got. So much resource just sitting by, time moving fast and we seem to be stuck in the present while the whole world speeding pass by us. Instead of laying back and complaining we took it upon ourselves to do something …

Desert Wave, Omelchenko Alisa, Ksenia Bilyk

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the vernacular architecture of Northern Nigeria.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

The most unexpected thing was the huge variety of African architectural typology and forms. Just like any other culture typical for certain area it has its recognizable features, but having examined it deeply we cognized its diversity.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

We have always been captivated by Africa’s ancient history and its authentic design, multifaceted culture and the ability to observe it …

Northern Pafta, Gebrekidan G. Debre

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the culture of the Konso people of Ethiopia.

What inspired you to enter this competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

For the past three years I was working on research called Ethioplugin Add-on Library at my campus (EiABC). There the objective, was digitalizing the heritages of Ethiopia such as furniture and fixtures, patterns and textures, construction details, so that they will be accessible by the professionals like interior designers, architects electronically. This made me familiar with working on cultural elements and extracting designed product out of them. I was excited (about the competition) …

Shebaxumite, Liuel Hizikias Ketema

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the Axumite people of Ethiopia.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

The evolution of African architecture has almost come to a standstill due to western influence. The potential of construction materials used in African designs have a far greater utility in their specific climates or natural conditions as opposed to western materials. It‘s easy to say my inspiration came from my deep passion to explore the potential of African construction materials for what they are truly worth.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during …

Tata, Tan Boon Chiou

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the vernacular architecture of the Benin people.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

The culturally rich and diverse nature of the African continent has always fascinated me. The long history of construction skills and know-how displayed by different ethnic groups that reflect the harmonious symphony with the various landscapes and terrains have and would continue to exert the potentials to inspire the architecture of the next generations. For example, the use of fractal geometries, which is native to various tribes of the continent, serves an important …

K'Jong, Nakimuli Thatcher, Lawrence Okoth, Brian Murungi

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the Karamojong people of Northern Uganda.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

Studio Manyatta was created with this very vision in mind. As a team of young designers from various design disciplines, and inspired by the Karamojong one of Africa's most intriguing cultures, we set out to explore what kind of environments Africa would have created with minimal influence from the colonization era. This competition was a chance to carry out his goal on a larger platform.

Why do you believe African homeowners will be interested …

The Ije, Izuchukwu M. Amadi

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the pyramids of Egypt.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

The need to promote and create an indigenous African architectural language using our local materials, methods and also to express the rich heritage of the African people both in design and life style.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

The most challenging point of my research was how to use recycled pet bottle for the facade cladding in another innovative way, having used it for my …

Afar Sidama, Amanuale Brook

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the Afar and Sidama people of Ethiopia.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

I am interested in vernacular African architecture especially from my home region, Eastern Africa. Its obvious Vernacular architecture is dear to me. How the people have evolved from historical and diverse socio-cultural, climatic conditions and civilizations. Our built environment is a good way to appreciate our progress.

What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype?

My research into how people survive in the most uninhabitable …

Assita, Jun Yanagimuro, Hayashi Yoichiro, Ignacio Darras

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the culture of the Burkina Faso.

Why do you believe African homeowners will be interested in building a home such as the one you have submitted today?

In our design, as mentioned before, we focused in one main aspect: giving new perspectives around their existing ways of constructing. We believe to have got in contact with very main aspects of their construction that needed a change and many others that didn´t so, at least for now, we gave priority to the ones we think they should be changed/improved for a better quality of living, of their …

The Irele, Adeyemi Akande

ATL

Honorable Mention

Inspired by the art and architecture of the Yoruba and Hamer people.

What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa?

I have been tremendously overtaken by the desire to explore a modern cultural identity and outlook for contemporary Africa. A visual identity that MUST stem out of the continent‘s deepest philosophy and interpretation of self. So to find the CPDI competition was a perfect platform for me to finally begin to articulate all the ideas I have been brewing for some time. The CPDI‘s ideology perfectly mirrored my most profound …