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Machado, Elaine Roberta Silvestre. "No caminho de Tikorê, um lagarto: cartografias do percurso do cuidado na educação: aprendendo com o povo Dagara e a filosofia ubuntu." Universidade Federal de São Carlos, 2016. https://repositorio.ufscar.br/handle/ufscar/8376.
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This dissertation presents the route of a reasearch performed in two elementary municipal schools in a town near Sorocaba (SP). Here we use the african traditional culture Dagara and the ubuntu philosophy to recreate ancestor experiences of care and enable the enlargement of the notion of humanity developed in the ocidental contemporary education. We understand that taking care is to establish relationships and, as from the civilizing values of african societies, we aim to take care communaly, with nature and spirituality. By the cartography method, we could experience the community caring which aims to interrupt medicalization and pathologization of life, as educators somehow affected compose each child's community. Once in community, we can see the invisible dimmension of care, we admit another way to live time and aim to desconstruct any excludent devices. The care for nature happened in the school's gardening project, where the teenagers could, through their enchantment, experience communion with nature. Knowing experience with nature, drawing attention to details and imagine themselves in a pleasant situation with nature led to enchantment. Care for spirituality was due to the experience of transcendence for appreciation of ancestors. We have reconnected the teenagers to their histories, costumes and knowledge, so the workin the field was valorized and respected in the school's gardening project, as an ancestry element. At a meeting with school inspectors the transcencence experience has contributed to compose their practices' ancestry. While experiencing care in an afro-focused perspective, I have been moving on my blackening process. I have diven in the african culture, in the black culture, to make ancestry my existance's meaning. I have participated in lectures, shows and several cultural workshops so blackness could inhabit my my mode of existence and understanding the world; it has been our way to reverse the whitening phenomenon because of which black people still feel the consequences. In this dissertation we describe how care happens in the traditional african cultures perspective and leaving spoors so it can be que ele possa tried in other contexts, allthough we need to tell that these have been inspiring experiences, but they have not changed those schools, neither education in that town, country, or ocident. Exist in these experiences the bias of provisoriety, the circumstancethat only political fight can confirm and establish. A fight for a humanized education, non-hegemonic and that considers the human dimensions excluded until then, but that african traditional cultures have much to teach.
Esta dissertação apresenta o percurso de uma pesquisa realizada em duas escolas de ensino fundamental da rede municipal de uma cidade próxima a Sorocaba (SP). Nesta pesquisa tomamos as culturas tradicionais africanas vividas pelo povo Dagara e na filosofia ubuntu para recriar experiências ancestrais de cuidado e possibilitar a ampliação da noção de humanidade desenvolvida na educação ocidental contemporânea. Entendemos que cuidar é estabelecer relações e, a partir dos valores civilizatórios das sociedades africanas, buscamos cuidar em comunidade, com a natureza e pela espiritualidade. Pelo método da cartografia, pudemos experimentar o cuidado em comunidade, que procurou interromper processos de medicalização e patologização da vida, na medida em que educadores afetados de alguma forma passaram a compor a comunidade de cada criança. Uma vez em comunidade, reconhecemos a dimensão invisível no cuidado, admitimos outra forma de viver o tempo e procuramos desconstruir artifícios de exclusão. O cuidado com a natureza aconteceu no projeto de horta escolar, onde os adolescentes puderam, pelo encantamento, experimentar a comunhão com a natureza. Conhecer a experiência com a natureza, chamar a atenção para os detalhes e imaginar-se numa situação prazerosa com a natureza propiciaram o encantamento. O cuidado pela espiritualidade se deu pela experiência de transcendência para valorização dos ancestrais. Fomos reconectando os adolescentes com suas histórias, costumes e saberes para que o trabalho no campo fosse valorizado e respeitado no projeto da horta escolar como elemento de ancestralidade. Na reunião com os inspetores, a experiência de transcendência contribuiu para constituir a ancestralidade de suas práticas. Enquanto experimentava o cuidado numa perspectiva afrocentrada, também caminhava em meu processo de enegrecimento. Mergulhei na cultura de matriz africana, na cultura negra, para fazer da ancestralidade, sentido para minha existência. Participei de palestras, espetáculos e oficinas culturais diversas para que a negritude fosse habitando meu modo de existir e de compreender o mundo, buscando reverter o fenômeno de branqueamento pelo qual todo negro e negra ainda sente as consequências. Nesta dissertação estamos narrando como o cuidado, na perspectiva das culturas tradicionais africanas, aconteceu e deixando pistas para que ele possa ser experimentado em outros contextos. Contudo, é preciso dizer que estas experiências foram inspiradoras, mas ainda não transformaram aquelas escolas, nem tampouco a educação daquela cidade ou ainda a educação brasileira ocidental. Existe nestas experiências o viés da provisoriedade, da circunstância que somente a luta política pode confirmar e estabelecer. Luta por uma educação humanizada, contra-hegemônica e que considera dimensões do ser humano excluídas até então, mas que as culturas tradicionais africanas têm muito a ensinar.
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Puckreesamy, Sashika. "Therapist perceptions of narcissism in traditional cultural contexts." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19872.
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Narcissism, often linked to a sense of entitlement and inflated sense of self, is a complex condition that has been studied for approximately a century. It is typically associated with individualistic cultures, which place emphasis on the self. Although much is known about narcissism, there is far less knowledge on narcissism in collectivist cultures. The Xhosa culture is commonly seen as a collectivist culture. No research to date has been conducted on this construct with Xhosa-speaking South Africans. The aim of the study was to explore and describe therapist perceptions of narcissism in traditional cultural contexts. The objectives of the study included an investigation into how narcissism presents in the Xhosa culture, and an exploration of the narcissistic elements that manifest more prominently. A qualitative, exploratory descriptive research design was employed, and snowball sampling was used to identify psychologists from the Nelson Mandela Metropole for inclusion in the study. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, and data was analysed by thematic analysis. The findings of the thematic analysis consisted of six themes, which are thoughts on the Xhosa culture, culture and personality, contemporary Western theory lacking, traits, parenting, and interpersonal and personal difficulties. These themes reflect the participants’ experience, thoughts, and opinions on narcissism in individuals from the Xhosa culture.
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Diame, Maguette. "Traditional Culture and Educational Success in Senegal, West Africa." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11518.
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xi, 112 p.This thesis explores the effects of: 1) traditional values, 2) parental involvement, and 3) poverty on student performance. Instead of regarding tradition and poverty as obstacles, this paper argues that they can play a positive role in improving the educational quality. This thesis draws on interviews in three communities with administrators, teachers, students, parents, and elders. They show that traditional culture plays an important role in ensuring student motivation, but it is not clear which aspects of tradition will be incorporated into the curriculum, and by whom. My work also shows that parental involvement in schools is largely limited to fund-raising, and there is demand for more engagement. Finally, this project reveals that poverty is a double edge sword: it contributes to the school drop-out problem but also can serve as a tremendous source of personal motivation for students who want to help improve the economic condition of their families.
Committee in charge: Dennis Galvan, Chairperson; Stephen Wooten, Member; Kathie Carpenter, Member
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Iyimoga, Christopher Okuba. "Broadcasting and the traditional media in Nigeria." Thesis, University of Leicester, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/34592.
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Bovana, Solomzi Victor. "Cultural villages inherited tradition and "African culture": a case study of Mgwali Cultural Village in the Eastern Cape." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/552.
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A growing number of studies concerning cultural villages have in most instances tended to focus on the cultural village as almost legitimately self-explanatory and have not been particularly concerned with either how a particular history is produced in and through these villages, or with the ways that particular discourses and practices associated with heritage, tourism, community and development intersect in the production of these meanings. As such Mgwali Cultural Village seemed to promise something different in the form of cultural villages. The thesis argues that Mgwali Cultural Village is unique in the history of cultural villages in that it moves away from presenting a cultural village in Africa as tribal and primitive. It does this by opening up spaces for other aspects such as Christianity and resistance politics, story of Tiyo Soga rather than focusing and confining itself only to aspects cultural portraying Africans and traditional. It is imperative that cultural villages ought to be understood within a broader framework and context where its definition and presentation is not trapped into an anthropological paradigm thinking of exploring and discovering something new by tourists which they are not familiar with. However, the thesis also argues that much as Mgwali Cultural Village promised something new from the known through depiction of other aspects, those histories seem to be absent or marginal at the Cultural Village. The only aspects that are fore grounded are traditions and culture thus freezing Mgwali as a village and its people in time as if they have not evolved and its cultures are static and not dynamic. The thesis therefore explores all those contradictions, silences, or absence thereof of other stories and histories.
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Silva, Luciane da 1977. "Trilhas e tramas : percursos insuspeitos dos tecidos industrializados do continente africano : a experiencia da Africa Oriental." [s.n.], 2008. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/279145.
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Orientador: Omar Ribeiro ThomazDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciencias Humanas
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Resumo: Partindo da premissa de que o uso dos tecidos constitui-se em forma complexa de comunicação sócio cultural, esta dissertação intenta, por meio da cultura material, refletida no tema tecidos industrializados, levantar evidências teóricas que nos levem a perceber de que maneira os panos podem revelar processos que implicam na construção de identidades das populações africanas. O entendimento dos simbolismos das formas materiais é fundamental para a interpretação das culturas. A percepção do efeito do mundo material nas interações sociais nos leva a captar evidências e entrelinhas de relações e criações, trazendo à tona formas de pertencimento desencadeadas pelos usos específicos dos objetos. Na intersecção da África com contextos transnacionais os tecidos atuam como articuladores das percepções de gênero, geração, etnicidade, filiação política e nacional. A realidade do uso dos têxteis em África é algo peculiar. No vestuário especificamente, o pano que cobre o corpo é também palavra, portador de mensagens sociais. Ao contextualizarmos os tecidos às organizações sociais específicas e compreendê-los dentro de processos de interação, percebemos formas inusitadas de diálogos e embates com as realidades sócio culturais , provando que a criatividade e a mudança são partes constitutivas da tradição e que a cultura material é capaz de proporcionar a criação e a re-criação de papéis sociais.
Abstract: Taking part from the premise that the use of textiles constitutes a complex means of sociocultural communication, this dissertation intends, by means of the cultural material reflected in the theme of industrialized textiles, to bring to light theoretical evidence that helps us understand the way in which these cloths can reveal the processes implicated in the construction of identity of African populations. Understanding of the symbolism of the material forms is fundamental for the interpretation of culture. The perception of the effect of the material world on social interactions pushes us to collect both evident and subtle aspects of relations and creations bringing up ways of belonging unlocked by the specific uses of the objects. In the intersection of Africa and transnational contexts, textiles act as articulators of perceptions of gender, generation, ethnicity and national and political affiliation. The reality of the use of textiles in Africa is something peculiar. Specifically in terms of attire, the cloth that covers the body is also word, carrier of social messages. In contextualizing textiles within specific social organizations and understanding them as part of processes of interaction, we perceive surprising forms of dialogue and clashes with sociocultural realities, demonstrating that creativity and change are constitutive parts of tradition, and that material culture is capable of affording the creation and recreation of social roles.
Mestrado
Mestre em Antropologia Social
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Nyanungo, Martha. "Tensions and conflicts between formal and traditional sex education in Africa-sub-Sahara." Doctoral thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/23609.
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Esta dissertação visa estudar a influência que a educação sócio-cultural e religiosa exercem na educação sexual formal em escolas no Zimbabwe. Para a investigação, foi levantada a seguinte questão: "A educação sexual formal ministrada em escolas está a ser sublevada pela educação sexual adquirida através de normas socioculturais, religiosas das famílias Africanas?” Entretanto, se a educação sexual não é Afro-centrada e culturalmente relevante a nível do conteúdo, ela não pode ser efetiva e as mulheres jovens continuarão expostas aos maiores desafios sexuais de hoje. Ao responder a esta e outras questões da pesquisa, achámos o método qualitativo o mais apropriado para a recolha de dados culturalmente específicos e contextualmente ricos, pois, é esse o objetivo deste estudo.
Através de entrevistas etnográficas, a intenção foi a de gravar vozes de jovens mulheres Shonas que, representam todo mosaico sócio-étnico do país. Isso permitiu-me obter informações consistentes e coerentes de como a sexualidade é definida e percebida entre os Shonas, e como a referida perceção se entrelaça com a instrução formal religiosa sobre a sexualidade. Outros instrumentos de recolha de informação para o nosso estudo incluíram análise minuciosa de livros escolares e de documentos do Ministério da Educação, Desporto e Cultura do Zimbabwe.
Entre vários resultados curiosos produzidos pela pesquisa, o de maior realce revela que a educação sexual formal ministrada nas escolas no Zimbabwe não incorpora conteúdos suficientemente relevantes para os adolescentes sexualmente ativos. A inadequação baseia-se na abordagem não realista e errônea da abstinência como o método e resolução insuperável para os dilemas da sexualidade. Como desvantagem, a cultura e a religião também são vistas como desafios para a educação sexual efetiva nas escolas. Com base nesses resultados, o nosso estudo conclui com recomendações que devem ser levadas em consideração ao se elaborar um currículo de educação integral mais eficaz e operacional sobre educação sexual; ABSTRACT:
Tensions and conflicts between formal and traditional sex education in Africa sub-Sahara
This dissertation aims to investigate the interplay between the socio-religio-cultural aspects and formal sex education in schools in Zimbabwe. Because young women fall victim to most of the traditional, religio-cultural sexuality adversities, the research focuses on young Shona women. The study interrogates whether the formal sex education being taught in schools faces setbacks from sex education being instructed through African family socio-cultural and religious norms. Qualitative methodology was found to be the most appropriate for the production of culturally specific and contextually rich data that the research is aimed at. Collection of data was achieved through document analysis participant observation and ethnographic interviews.
Of the many intriguing findings of this research, a major finding is that curricula is detached from overarching philosophical worldviews, cultural traditions, and the general actualities of sexually active teenagers. Its inadequacy is based on the unrealistic and erroneous approach to abstinence as the unsurpassable resolution to sexuality dilemmas. The study evidences that the deep-rootedness of some traditional practices, mythologies, and taboos associated with sexuality as well as the tenacity of some forms of traditional modes of sexuality education continue to exert a powerful influence on formal sexuality education in schools. The findings further reveals that the prescriptive and fear-based teaching methods do not foster enough critical thinking to empower students to face sexuality and reproductive health challenges.
This viewpoint continues to play a significant role in shaping attitudes, beliefs, and values in relation to sexuality even in contemporary times. Based on these findings, the study con-cludes with recommendations for designers of sexuality education curricula to consider the convergent and divergent aspects and draw from strengths of the co-existing heritages in order to build an integrated sexuality education pedagogy that is culturally relevant for the young women in Zimbabwe.
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Du, Plooy Frederik Simon. "Perceptions of HIV/AIDS prevention workers in Soshanguve of the role of traditional African beliefs in HIV/AIDS prevention." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2004. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02172005-103325.
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Mbete, Asanda Nodolly. "Evaluating the impact on the girl child through the criminal activities associated with the practice of ukuthwala." University of the Western Cape, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7323.
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Magister Philosophiae - MPhilUkuthwala is an ancient cultural practice that has been exercised in various parts of South Africa, especially in the Eastern Cape. It occurs in different communities and is informed by traditional beliefs. The man’s family devises a plan to bring the girl to their compound without her knowledge. In some instances, this plan is formulated together with the girl’s family, but when the man’s family acts without the prior knowledge of the girl’s family, they are obligated to inform them by means of a letter, or by delegating a family member, that their daughter is not missing. Furthermore, the man’s family will request a day with the girl’s family for lobolo (dowry) negotiations for the girl. The girl’s family will oversee the process of ukuthwala to ensure that all the requirements are met and that there is mutual understanding between the families; however, this is done without the involvement of the girl child (Mjwara, 2014).
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Aarnseth, Erika. "Possible correlation between sustainability, wellbeing and traditional African values : Wellbeing factors among citizens in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, Fakulteten för samhälls- och livsvetenskaper, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-30627.
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Present development path is based on the Western ideas, with focus on market, competition, capitalism and individualism. It has shown to create unsustainable patterns in terms of a growing ecological footprint, decreased wellbeing and growing inequities. This calls for new, alternative development paths. The traditional African values are based on a holistic and humanistic ideology which focuses on health and safety of common citizens; meeting all peoples basic needs, sharing, social connectedness, living in harmony with other species and nature, a healthy environment, to experience satisfaction when your basic needs are met, not wanting more than you need (luxurious cravings), and the concern for health of future generations. In this sense, traditional values are sustainability bearing, and are also suggested to influence human wellbeing in a positive way. This study have explored to what extent sustainability-bearing values from the traditional African lifestyle are considered to be important for the wellbeing of young, black individuals, and analyzed whether the values of means to achieve wellbeing differs or corresponds between people living a traditionally influenced lifestyle and a Western influenced lifestyle. Generally, the respondents found all these values more important for their wellbeing than luxurious consumption. This suggests that values that are sustainability bearing are important for peoples wellbeing, and is thereby important to include in the development debate.Dagens utveckling är baserad på den Västerlänska livsstilen med fokus på marknad, konkurrens, kapitalism och individualism. Detta har visat sig orsaka ohållbara mönster i form av ett allt större ekologiskt fotavtryck, sänkt välbefinnande och växande sociala klyftor, vilket visar behovet av nya, alternativa utvecklings vägar. Traditionella Afrikanska värderingar baseras på en holistisk och humanistisk ideologi där man fokuserar på hälsa och säkerhet för framtida generationer, tillfredsställa allas grundläggande behov, att dela med sig, social samhörighet, att leva i harmoni med andra arter och naturen, en frisk miljö, att uppleva tillfredsställelse när grundbehoven är tillfredsställda, att inte kräva mer än man behöver samt omsorg om hälsan för framtida generationer. På detta sätt är traditionella värderingar hållbarhets skapande och anses även inverka positivt på mänskligt välbefinnande. Denna studie har utforskat I vilken utsträckning hållbarhetsskapande värderingar från den traditionella Afrikanska livsstilen anses viktiga för välbefinnandet hos unga, svarta personer, samt analyserat om det som anses viktigt för människors välbefinnande är likvärdiga eller särskiljer sig, mellan människor som lever en traditionellt influerad livsstil, och de som lever en Västerländskt influerad livsstil. Generellt ansåg respondenterna att dessa värderingar var mer viktiga för deras välbefinnande än lyxkonsumtion. Detta antyder att värderinga som är hållbarhets skapande är viktiga för människors välbefinnande, och de är därmed viktiga att inkludera i utvecklings debatten.
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Pereira, Tamiris Maia Gonçalves. "Cozinhando com os orixás: aspectos simbólicos e identitários na cozinha da Ègbé Mògàjí Ifá, GO." Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, 2015. http://localhost:8080/tede/handle/tede/3342.
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Previous issue date: 2015-03-11This paper aims to examine aspects relating to food production contained within the ritualistic kitchen, traditional yoruba african group, Ègbé Mògàjí Ifá, to understand the meanings contained in the practices and knowledge. The research examined issues relating to identity construction, hinged from the Nigerian religious tradition of worship of deities, brought to the city of Goiânia - Goiás, in 2001. It also sought to understand food production, the rites and the yoruba cosmology, since their meanings and forms of expression are intertwined, permeated by the relationship with the sacred. The results presented contemplated bibliographic data and imagery obtained through participant observation and interviews with the constituent members of the community.
O presente trabalho se propõe a estudar os aspectos referentes à produção alimentar contida no espaço da cozinha ritualística, do tradicional grupo africano yorubá, Ègbé Mògàjí Ifá, para compreensão dos significados contidos nas práticas e saberes. A pesquisa analisou questões relativas à construção identitária, articulada a partir da tradição religiosa nigeriana de culto aos orixás, trazida para a cidade de Goiânia Goiás, no ano 2001. Buscou também compreender a produção alimentar, os ritos e a cosmologia yorubá, uma vez que seus significados e formas de expressão estão imbricados, permeados pela relação com o sagrado. Os resultados apresentados contemplaram dados bibliográficos e imagéticos, obtidos através da observação participante e entrevistas com os membros constituintes da comunidade.
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Holmgren, E. Henry. "Signs and wonders in Africa a biblical perspective in interaction with western missions, African independent churches and African traditional religion, with particular reference to Zambia /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1989. http://www.tren.com.
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Simiyu, Michael Wakhangu. "The concept of repentance in African traditional religion compared with Christianity /." Berlin : Viademica-Verl, 2007. http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=2950229&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm.
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Adjei, Christian. "The implication of the universal priesthood of Christ to African traditional religions." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1988. http://www.tren.com.
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Awuah-Nyamekye, Samuel. "Managing the environmental crisis in Ghana : the role of African traditional religion and culture : a case study of Berekum traditional area." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2013. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5780/.
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This thesis examines the connection between traditional religio-cultural beliefs and practices and environmental problems in Ghana using Berekum Traditional Society as a case study. Its primary aim is to assess the nature and the level of the environmental crisis in Ghana, and to explore the possibility of combing indigenous and modern methods to address the current environmental problems in Ghana. The methodology of this thesis is located within the framework for conducting empirical studies in Religious Studies. The qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data are utilised, and since the scope of the study falls within the field of religion and environment, a brief history of global environmentalism and religion‘s entrance into attempts to address mounting global environmental problems will be provided. It will be argued that the worldview of the Berekum people, which is underpinned by their religious mentality, has played and continues to play a key role in their local ecological practices. The traditional ways through which ecological knowledge have been and are currently imparted to the youth will be examined, together with the effectiveness of these methods within a climate of modernity and the influence of Western education and culture in the area. It will be argued that Berekum people strongly believe that indigenous ways for addressing ecological problems are still relevant, and that their methods for doing so have not been completely lost in its rural communities, or in Ghana as a whole. Although it appears that indigenous religious beliefs and practices seem to be waning, with a greater percentage of the indigenous population in the study area having either converted to Christianity or Islam, I argue that indigenous religious beliefs and practices remain covertly active in the life and thought of the people. Finally, I argue that neither modern (scientific) nor traditional modes of addressing current ecological problems are individually adequate, and therefore that a synergy of the two modes is necessary in order for such problems to be tackled fully. However, I will also argue that certain challenges need to be addressed before this integration can be made possible.
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Macleod, Catriona, and Kevin Durrheim. "Racializing teenage pregnancy : ‘culture’ and ‘tradition’ in the South African scientific literature." Taylor & Francis Group, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007878.
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The signifiers, ‘race’, ‘culture’ or ‘ethnicity’ are utilized in the teenage pregnancy literature (1) to highlight ‘differences’ in adolescent sexual and reproductive behaviour and (2) as explanatory tools. When ‘white’ teenagers are the focus of research, psychological explanations are usually invoked, while for ‘black’ teenagers, explanations are socio-cultural in nature. In this paper, we explore how, through a process of racialization, the psycho-medical literature on teenage pregnancy in South Africa contributes to the entrenchment of ‘race’, ‘culture’ and ‘ethnicity’ as fixed, ‘natural’ signifiers. We utilize Derrida’s notion of différance, together with Phoenix and Woollett’s adaptation – ‘normalized absence/pathologized presence’ – to indicate how ‘black’ people are cast as the Other, the pathologized presence which relies on the normalized absent trace, ‘whiteness’, for definition. We analyse how the notions of ‘tradition’ and ‘culture’ are deployed to sanitize or disguise the underlying racializing project. ‘Black’ is exoticized and rendered strange and thus open to scrutiny, monitoring and intervention. ‘Culture’ and ‘tradition’ appeal to the myth of origin, thus providing pseudo-historical explanations which essentialize and naturalize racialized collectivities.Rhodes University
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Uaene, Isaias. "Church as community a Trinitarian ecclesiology in the context of traditional African social values /." Online full text .pdf document, available to Fuller patrons only, 2002. http://www.tren.com.
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Lewis, Lynn C. "Towards an ethnography of voice in Amerafrican culture : an oral traditional register in four women's narratives /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1999. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9946273.
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Matshidze, Pfarelo Eva. "The role of Makhadzi in traditional leadership among the Venda." Thesis, University of Zululand, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/1327.
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Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts, department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2013.This contribution considers the role of a father’s senior sister (makhadzi) in traditional leadership among the Venda speaking people in the present South Africa. It also considers their place in the new democratic South Africa against the backdrop that the legislations enacted to give effect to traditional leadership did not recognise them explicitly. While reviewing gender based propositions the study demonstrates that even though in most African societies, women are insubordinate to men there exists a special class of women who play critical role in the public sphere and whom the society highly regards. In the case of Venda people these are the makhadzi. It used a qualitative approach to study the role of makhadzi and how people act towards them despite that they are explicitly recognised in the legislations because as an anthropological study, it examines human behaviour with a view to understanding society. Based on primary data collected using participant observation and interviews, the role of makhadzi in society was unearthed. The study found that among the Venda the makhadzi has different roles which are important in traditional leadership and that such women can be traced in other societies in Africa. It establishes that among others, the makhadzi play critical roles in succession, resolution of disputes, regency, initiation of girls and spiritual roles. While some of the cultural practises are repugnant to the notion of justice and morality and would be of dubious legality given the constitution essentialisation of human rights and dignity, the study has shown that the makhadzi has a place and role in the new democratic society.
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Msukwa, Chimwemwe A. P. S. "Traditional African conflict prevention and transformation methods : case studies of Sukwa, Ngoni, Chewa and Yao tribes in Malawi." University of the Western Cape, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4646.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDThis study sought to investigate if there are common cultural elements for preventing and transforming violent conflict in selected patrilineal and matrilineal tribes in Malawi, as well as selected societies from other parts of Africa. The researcher argues that in both patrilineal and matrilineal tribes in Malawi, violent conflict prevention and transformation methods are inherently rooted in elaborate socio-political governance structures. This also applies to other societies in Africa, such as the pre-colonial traditional societies of Rwanda, the Pokot pastoral community in the North Rift of Kenya, the ubuntu societies in South Africa and the Acholi of Northern Uganda. The basic framework for these structures comprise the individuals (men, women and older children), as the primary building blocks, the family component comprising of the nucleus and extended families as secondary building block and traditional leadership component. Within these socio-political governance structures, individuals coexist and are inextricably bound in multi-layered social relationships and networks with others. In these governance structures, a certain level of conflict between individuals or groups is considered normal and desirable, as it brings about vital progressive changes as well as creates the necessary diversity, which makes the community interesting. However, violent conflicts are regarded as undesirable and require intervention. Consequently, the multi-layered social networks have several intrinsic features, which enable the communities to prevent the occurrence of violent conflicts or transform them when they occur, in order to maintain social harmony. The first findings show that each level of the social networks has appropriate mechanisms for dissipating violent conflicts, which go beyond tolerable levels. Secondly, individuals have an obligation to intervene in violent conflicts as part of social and moral roles, duties and commitments, which they have to fulfil. Thirdly, the networks have forums in which selected competent elders from the society facilitate open discussions of violent conflicts and decisions are made by consensus involving as many men and women as possible. In these forums, each individual is valued and dignified. Fourthly, there are deliberate efforts to advance transparency and accountability in the forums where violent conflicts are discussed. However, in general terms, women occupy a subordinate status in both leadership and decision-making processes, though they actively participate in violent conflict interventions and some of them hold leadership positions. In addition, the findings show that the tribes researched have an elaborate process for transforming violent conflicts. This process includes the creation of an environment conducive for discussing violent conflicts, listening to each of the disputants, establishing the truth, exhausting all issues, reconciling the disputants and in case one disputant is not satisfied with the outcomes of the discussions, referring the violent conflict for discussion to another forum. Furthermore, individuals in both patrilineal and matrilineal tribes are governed by moral values including respect, relations, relationships, interdependence, unity, kindness, friendliness, sharing, love, transparency, tolerance, self-restraint, humility, trustworthiness and obedience. These moral values enhance self-restraint, prevent aggressive behaviour, as well as promote and enhance good relationships between individuals in the family and the society as a whole. The researcher argues that the positive cultural factors for prevention and transformation of violent conflict, outlined above, which are inherent in the traditional African socio-political governance system should be deliberately promoted for incorporation into the modern state socio-political governance systems through peace-building and development initiatives as well as democratisation processes. This could be one of the interventions for dealing with violent conflict devastating Africa today.
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De, Beer Esther. "Spicing South Africa: representations of food and culinary traditions in South African contemporary art and literature." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20027.
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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Francoise Vergés comments in her essay Let’s Cook! that “one could write the history of a people, of a country, of a continent by writing the history of its culinary habits” (250 ). Vergés here refers to the extent to which food can be seen to document and record certain events or subjectivities. Exploring a wide range of texts spanning the late 1800s up to the post-apartheid present, this thesis focuses in particular on the ways in which “spice” as commodity, ingredient or symbol is employed to articulate and/or embed creole and diasporic identities within the South African national context. The first chapter maps the depiction of the “Malay” figure within cookery books, focussing on the extent to which it is caught up in the trappings of the picturesque. This visibility is often mediated by the figure’s proximity to food. These depictions are then placed in conversation with the conceptual artist Berni Searle’s photographic and video installations. Searle visually interrogates the stagnant modes of representation that accrue around the figure of the “Malay” and moves toward understandings of how food and food narratives structure cultural identity as complex and mutable. Chapter two shifts focus from the Cape to the ways in which “Indian Cuisine” became significant within the South African context. Here the Indian housewife plays a role in perpetuating a distinctive cultural identity. The three primary texts discussed in this chapter are the popular Indian Delights cookery book authored by the Women’s Cultural Group, Shamim Sarif’s The World Unseen and Imraan Coovadia’s The Wedding. Indian Delights. All illustrate the extent to which the realm of the kitchen, traditionally a female domain, becomes a space from which alternative subjectivities can be made. The kitchen as a place for cultural retention is explored further and to differing degrees in both The Wedding and The World Unseen. Ultimately, indentifying cultural heritage through food enables tracing alternative and intersecting cultural identities that elsewhere, are often left out for neat and new ethnic, cultural or national identities. The thesis will in particular explore the extent to which spices used within creole and/or diasporic culinary practices encode complex affiliations and connections. Tracing the intimacies and the disjunctures becomes productive within the postapartheid present where the vestiges of apartheid’s taxonomical impetus alongside a new multicultural model threaten to erase further the complexities and nuances of everyday life.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In haar artikel Let’s Cook! wys Francoise Vergés daarop dat die geskiedenis van ‘n mens, ‘n land of selfs ‘n kontinent saamgestel sou kon word deur te skryf oor die geskiedenis van hulle kos en eetgewoontes (250).Vergés skep hier ‘n besef van individuele en sosiale identiteit wat deur kos geleenthede vasgevang kan word. Deur bronne vanaf die laat 1800’s tot die postapartheid periode te bestudeer, fokus hierdie navorsing spesifiek op die wyse waarop speserye as kommoditeit, inhoud of simbool gebruik word om die kreoolse en diasporiese identiteite in Suid Afrika te bevestig of te bevraagteken. Die eerste hoofstuk lewer ‘n uiteensetting en beskrywing, soos verkry uit kookboeke, van die stereotypes wat vorm om die Maleise figuur. Daar word konsekwent gefokus op die mate waarin die sigbaarheid van die Maleise identiteit verstrengel word in ‘n bestaande raamwerk van diskoerse. Die Maleise figure word dikwels meer sigbaar in die konteks van kos en eetgewoontes. Berni Searl se fotografiese en video installasies word gebruik om hierdie stereotiepiese visuele kodes te bevraagteken. Searle ontgin die passiewe wyse waarop die Maleise persoon visueel verbeeld word en beklemtoon dan hoe kos en gesprekke oor kos die kulturele identiteit kompleks en dinamies maak. Hoofstuk twee verskuif die klem vanaf die Kaap na die wyse waarop die Indiese kookkuns identiteit kry in die Suid Afrikaanse konteks. Die fokus val hier op die rol van die Indiese huisvrou en haar kombuis in die bevestiging en uitbou van ‘n onderskeibare kulturele identiteit. Die drie kern tekste wat in hierdie hoofstuk bespreek word is die wel bekende en populere Indian Delights kookboek wat saamgestel is deur die Women’s Cultural Group, Shamim Sarif se The World Unseen en Imraan Coovadia se The Wedding. Indian Delights toon verder die mate waarin die kombuis as primere domein van die vrou, ‘n ruimte bied vir die formulering van alternatiewe subjek posisies. Die kombuis bied ook geleentheid vir inherente subversie wat verder en op alternatiewe wyse ontgin word in die bronne The Wedding en The World Unseen. Deur kos te gebruik om kulturele identiteit te verstaan bied ook die geleentheid om kulturele oorvleueling te verstaan al mag sommige groepe beskou word as onafhanklik in hul oorsprong en identiteit. Hierdie navorsing gee spesifiek aandag aan die mate waarin speserye en die gebruik daarvan in kreoolse en diasporiese kookkuns die kompleksiteite, soortgelykhede, verskille en misverstande reflekteer. Dit is veral waardevol om te let op soortgelykhede en verskille gegee dat die apartheidstaksonomie van die verlede en die huidige multikulturele model die rykheid en subtiele nuanseerings van die daaglikse bestaan verder kan erodeer.
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McLendon, Howard A. "Postmodern homiletics and authority in the African American preaching tradition." Online full text .pdf document, available to Fuller patrons only, 1999. http://www.tren.com.
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Sindjalim, Elias Essognimam. "Spiritual direction in West Africa two traditions in dialogue /." Online full text .pdf document, available to Fuller patrons only, 2000. http://www.tren.com.
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Iguisi, Osarumwense V. "Cultural dynamics of African management practice." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/2409.
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This research study looked at the cultural value preferences in Western management practice for African manager and non-manager employees exemplified by Nigerian cement industries. The study specifically focused on management practice of leadership, motivation, recruitment and promotion around which their cultural values, the meaning of their work-world and their coping strategies are structured. From management and culture theory perspectives, managerial practices are affected both by Western factors, such as education, money, challenging tasks, and by traditional factors, such as family, ethnicity, social connections etc. The theoretical bases for this study drew largely from three streams of literature. The first theoretical base for the study relates to traditional African environment of management, especially the cultural perspectives. The second drew largely from the theoretical discourse on culture, management and organisation perspectives. The mainstream schools of management discourse on management theories and models as proposed by Western management theorists represent the third stream. As a methodology, the study used a quantitative questionnaire survey and qualitative open-ended interviews to collect data on the manager and non-manager employees in the organisations. The quantitative questionnaires and open-ended interviews centered national dimensions of cultures and on these Western and traditional factors of: leadership styles, motivation, dedication, satisfaction, ethnicity, family and social connections. The survey confirms that the dimension of national cultures of Nigeria as measured by the work-values and desires of the employees population are somehow different from those obtained by Hofstede’s study for the West African Region. Nigeria is still more collectivistic, although at least Nigeria has become relatively more individualist since Hofstede’s study. Over the years between Hofstede’ IBM study and the present study, there has been no change in the difference in Power Distance. Power Distance is much higher in Nigeria, like elsewhere in Africa, and this is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future. The large Power Distance in Nigeria means that the ideal manager is benevolent paternalistic. On recruitment and promotion, one major point made is that the traditional factors are generally felt by the respondents as influencing employees’ recruitment and promotion more than the modern (intrinsic) factors. The employees however, generally felt that the modern (intrinsic) factors should or ought to have greater influence. Building on the premises that every society is unique and its trajectory is shaped by its unique historical events, cultural norms and values, it can be argued that since the history of Western management concept in Africa is short, Africa then has a unique opportunity to develop its own unique management values based on its unique traditions. However, the increasing globalisation of market economies suggests that management values in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general can hardly be realised without proactively contributing to the Western management concepts in its unique ways. As the intensity of interaction between Western management practices and African traditional values increases, we can anticipate the increase in the importance of a new form of management concepts and practices in various African countries. Based on others and this study, the study proposes a “management heterogeneity” concept that reflects this new and unique perspective. Management heterogeneity perspective endorses the view that the practice of leadership, motivation, recruitment and promotion are developed differently in different cultural societies and organisations. But it adopts a pragmatic position on the mounting social and economic challenges now facing African organisations and argues further that management techniques, skills and behaviours practiced in different cultures and organisations can be brought together in a positive synergistic blend to address the needs of a given society and organisation and improve its ability to deliver effective and relevant values to its actors. It is the ability to judiciously select and combine the Western and traditional values and practices into new practices that fit the managerial requirements of a given group of organisational members that provides management its competitive edge in a culturally dynamic management environment.
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Wanda, Vukani Milton. "Ucwaningo olunzulu ngenkolo yobuKrestu nenkolo yoMdabu (yesiZulu)." Thesis, University of Zululand, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/1197.
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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for B.A. Honours degree in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1997.Zonke izizwe zoMdabu lapha e-Afrika zinenkolo yazo Le nkolo ihambisana nemikhuba ethize. Inkolo yalezi zizwe isemthanjeni yempilo yabantu bakhona kangangoba akulula ukuhlukanisa usikompilo nenkolo yesizwe soMdabu. Imvamisa akekho umqambi walezi nkolo yize bekhona abaqambi bezizwe ezithile. Izizwe ziqiniseka ukuthi 1e nkolo zadatshu1wa nayo nguMdali. NamaZulu nawo anenkolo yawo ayilandelayo, yize-ke isithe ukudungeka idungwa impucuko yaseNtshonalanga ihambisana nenkolo yobuKrestu.
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Krwece, Akhona. "Exploring traditional African beliefs with regard to mental health, health-seeking behaviour, and treatment adherence: A systematic review." University of Western Cape, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/8359.
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Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych)Previous research indicates that mental health conditions contribute to the global burden of disease. Despite these findings, issues surrounding mental health are still plagued with ignorance and stigma. In recent years’ mental health has taken priority and is increasingly being recognized as an important public health and development issue. Research has found that belief systems play a crucial role in the conceptualisation of mental health and health-seeking behaviour. The exploration of these belief systems gives valuable insight on issues related to health-seeking and treatment adherence behaviours. This study looks specifically at traditional African beliefs and perceptions of mental health. The motivation of this study is to explore how these beliefs and perceptions impact on health-seeking and treatment adherence behaviours. The study poses the following research question: What current literature exists on traditional African beliefs and perceptions about mental health? To achieve this, the study employs a systematic review methodology to assess the methodological rigour of literature on traditional African belief systems. A systematic search in eleven databases was conducted to find relevant literature published between the years 2008 and 2019 with only qualitative research studies.
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KATENDE, VIOLA. "DEAD END : The European Movement and Disappearance of Local Traditional African Clothing Designs, Styles, and Cultural Meaning. An Exchange of Cultural Identity." Thesis, Högskolan i Borås, Institutionen Textilhögskolan, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-17997.
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This thesis aims at showcasing the movement of African cultural meaning from Africa to Europe by Europeans in their involvement in the African slave trade as well as the colonization of Africa, which was the imprisonment of the African cultural expression as well as a limitation of its development and further production. The thesis also addresses one of the reason for the global circulation of the European culture, which is the search and achievement of absolute power and control over the minds of its conquests in order to become a dominant culture. Note, however that the act of becoming a dominant culture stem from the European cultural persuasion of the dominance of its culture by its self and not a reflection of epistemological and ontological superiority. Note also that in claiming to be a dominant culture, the European culture is in reality only in control of its conquests, which are cultures whose nature is to its full knowledge, and whose meaning it distributes upon will and purpose. Therefore, the movement of African cultural values, norms and beliefs to Europe and the Euro‐Atlantic world, implies that the ideas from which the European fashion system´s inspiration is founded, are in essence not only European derived. This conclusion is based on a critical analysis of the nature of the European culture and its authentic self, a self that produces European culture.Program: Textilt management, fashion management
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Mostert, Andre. "Developing a systematic model for the capturing and use of African oral poetry: the Bongani Sitole experience." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002154.
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Oral traditions and oral literature have long contributed to human communication. The advent of arguably the most important technology, the written word, altered human ability to create and develop. However, this development for all its potential and scope created one of the most insidious dichotomies. As the written word developed so too the oral word became devalued and pushed to the fringes of societal development. One of the unfortunate outcomes has been a focus on the nomenclatures associated with orality and oral tradition, which although of importance, has skewed where the focus could and should have been located, namely, how to support and maintain the oral word and its innate value to human society in the face of what has become rampant technological developments. It is now ironic that technology is creating a fecund environment for a rebirth of orality. The study aims to mobilize technauriture as a paradigm in order to further embed orality and oral traditions to coherently embrace this changing technological environment. The central tenet of the study is that in order to enhance the status of orality the innate value embodied in indigenous knowledge systems must be recognized. Using the work of Bongani Sitole, an oral poet, as a backdrop the study will demonstrate a basic model that can act as a foundation for the effective integration of orality into contemporary structures. This is based on work that I published in the Journal of African Contemporary Studies (2009). Given the obvious multi-disciplinary nature of the material the work covers a wide cross section of the debate, from questions of epistemology and knowledge in general in terms of oral traditions, through the consciousness and technical landscapes, via the experience with Sitole’s material to issues of copyright and ownership. This work has also been submitted for publication together with my supervisor as a co-author. The study intends to consolidate the technauriture debate and lay a solid foundation to support further study.
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Wanjema, Richard Wachira. "INTERACTIVE MEDIA and CULTURAL HERITAGE: Interpreting Oral Culture in a Digital Environment." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1343405232.
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Ellestad, Ethan K. "Working Towards the Sustainability of New Orleans’ African American Indigenous Cultural Traditions." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2012. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1514.
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New Orleans indigenous cultural traditions such as Mardi Gras Indians, Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs and second line parades were born out of the disenfranchisement of the African American community. Though the practices have existed for over a century and provide social benefits, they have faced hostility from the police department, indifference from elected officials and city planners, as well as economic exploitation, denying them the ability to thrive. With a restructuring of public policy and outside assistance, these cultural traditions will be able to help revitalize the economically depressed areas where they continue to be practiced.
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Walser, Robert Young. "Musical difference and cultural identity : an African musical tradition in English classrooms." Thesis, SOAS, University of London, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.251739.
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Hanzi, Roselyn. "Sexual abuse and exploitation of the girl child through cultural practices in Zimbabwe: a human rights perspective." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/1214.
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"In Zimbabwe the sexual abuse and exploitation of the girl child remains high. Recently the state has acknowledged the problem of sexual abuse and exploitation of the girl child and has indicated the willingness to step up campaigns against it. This campaign, however, targets school children in primary and secondary schools. There has also been an increase of sexual abuse of children in schools by the teachers and other staff members. The family as an institution has facilitated child abuse and exploitation in Zimbabwe through cultural practices and customs as a survival tactic. Some commentators have directly linked the revival of these cultural practices to the economic crisis that has resulted in food shortages around the country. These traditional practices include the marriages of the child to older men in exchange for food or money known as kuzvarira, kuripa ngozi, or pledging a girl into marriage and virginity testing. Some of the practices are, however, not directly linked to the prevailing economic crisis, but are just practiced as a tradition like chiramu. These practices have become more common amongst the Shona, the largest tribe constituting at least 76% of the population, and predominantly patriarchal. Theorists of patriarchy have directed their attention to the subordinate status of women and found their explanation in the male need to dominate the female. Although Zimbabwe as a state has shown a commitment to protecting children against sexual abuse by enactment of laws criminalising involvement of the girl child in prostitution, incest and rape of girls, little has been done to ensure that forced and early marriages of the girl child are curtailed. Virginity testing is not criminalised and is also currently being practised in rural parts of the country on a wide scale. ... Chapter one introduces the problem of child sexual abuse and exploitation of the girl child as a universal problem and gives a structure of the study. Chapter two discusses the concept of a child, sexual abuse and exploitation as a human rights problem. It analyses the protection of children under international human rights law. Chapter three gives a broad overview of the relationship between culture and children's rights. The role of the family will also be discussed as articulated in the human rights instruments. Chapter four highlights and discusses the cultural practices that result in sexual abuse and exploitation of the girl child in Zimbabwe. The legal framework protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation and the shortcomings will be highlighted. The impact of such sexual abuse and exploitation on the overall development of the child will also be discussed. Chapter five makes recommendations by looking at the developments from other countries on the rights of the girl child and cultural practises that result in sexual abuse." -- Introduction.Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2006.
Prepared under the supervision of Dr. B. Twinomugisha, Faculty of Law, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html
Centre for Human Rights
LLM
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Ogunnaike, Oludamini. "Sufism and Ifa: Ways of Knowing in Two West African Intellectual Traditions." Thesis, Harvard University, 2015. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:23845406.
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This dissertation examines and compares the epistemologies of two of the most popular West African intellectual traditions: Tijani Sufism and Ifa. Employing theories native to the traditions themselves and contemporary oral and textual sources, I examine how these traditions answer the questions: What is knowledge? How is it acquired? And How is it verified? Or more simply, “What do you know?,” “How did you come to know it?,” and “How do you know that you know?” After analyzing each tradition separately, and on its own terms, I compare them to each other and to certain contemporary, Western theories.
Despite having relatively limited historical contact, I conclude that the epistemologies of both traditions are based on forms of self-knowledge in which the knowing subject and known object are one. As a result, ritual practices that transform the knowing subject are key to cultivating these modes of knowledge. Therefore I argue that like the philosophical traditions of Greek antiquity, the intellectual or philosophical dimensions of Tijani Sufism and Ifa must be understood and should be studied as a part of a larger project of ritual self-transformation designed to cultivate an ideal mode of being, or way of life, which is also an ideal mode of knowing. I further assert that both traditions offer distinct and compelling perspectives on, and approaches to, metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, psychology, and ritual practice, which I suggest and begin to develop through comparison.African and African American Studies
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Yen, Jeffery. "Healing at the margins: discourses of culture and illness in psychiatrists', psychologists' and indigenous healers' talk about collaboration." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002600.
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This dissertation explores discourses about culture and illness in the talk of mental health professionals and indigenous healers. It represents an attempt to situate the issue of indigenous healing in South Africa within a particular strand of critical discourse analytic research. In the context of current deliberations on the value, or otherwise, of indigenous healing in a changing health and specifically mental health system, the talk of both mental health practitioners and indigenous healers as they conceptualise “disorder”, and discuss possibilities for collaboration, is chosen as a specific focus for this study. Disputes over what constitutes “disorder” both within mental health, and between mental health and indigenous healing are an important site in which the negotiation of power relations between mental health professionals and indigenous healers is played out. The results of this study suggest that despite the construction of cogent commendations for the inclusion of indigenous healing in mental health, it remains largely marginalised within talk about mental health practice. While this study reproduces to some extent the marginalisation of indigenous healing discourse, it also examines some of the discursive practices and methodological difficulties implicated in its marginalisation. However, in the context of “cultural pride strategies” associated with talk about an African Renaissance, indigenous healing may also function as a site of assertion of African power and resistance in its construction as an essentially African enterprise. At the same time, it may achieve disciplinary effects consonant with cultural pride strategies, in constructing afflictions in terms of neglect of, or disloyalty to cultural tradition. These results are discussed in terms of the methodological difficulties associated with interviewing and discourse analysis of translated texts, which contributes to difficulties with articulating indigenous healing discourse in a way that challenges the dominant psychiatric discourses implicated in its marginalisation within mental health. It concludes with recommendations for future research which addresses indigenous healing discourse in its own terms, and examines its operation as a disciplinary apparatus in South African society.
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Muraya, Phyllis Njjoki. "Issues of African traditional cultural beliefs and practices and psycho-spiritual health in a Christian setting." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2013. http://arro.anglia.ac.uk/312303/.
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Are there vestiges or elements of African traditional cultural beliefs and practices that affect the psychological and spiritual well-being of African Christian students in Tangaza University College (TUC)? If there are, how best can pastoral carers work with the affected students to help them deal with the issues and regain congruence? These questions, arising out of our practice in the Student Life Ministry in TUC, are the puzzles I set out this study to try to resolve. Our experience was that some of the students were presenting issues in counselling and spiritual direction emanating from unresolved conflict between their African backgrounds and the Christian faith. Observation was that the issues did not surface easily and when they did the carers were not sure how best to help the clients. I thus felt a need to find out what cultural issues affect the students, how the issues manifest in their lives and how best the pastoral care team could work with those affected to help the issues surface and be resolved. This is an original research designed as an inductive case study and to collect data, a multi-dimensional approach including focus discussion groups with students and members of the SLM, depth interviews with SLM members, selection of some vignettes of counselling and spiritual direction and practitioner observation - were used. The main finding is that there indeed are elements of African beliefs and practices that impinge on the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of some of the African Christian students in TUC. However, not all the students experience such dissonance as some have developed a synthesis between their two world views. Those who have not are embarrassed about and reticent in disclosing the issues thus the need for the pastoral carers to help them to integrate their traditional culture with their Christian faith. Clinical experience has shown that by combining two counselling models – the Rogerian Person-centred and Albert Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, underpinned in a dialogical, theological paradigm, counsellors and spiritual guides can help the affected students not only to talk about the issues but also to work through them to re-gain equilibrium and enjoy greater fullness of life.
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Park, Jinho. "The saints of African Independent Churches in Namibia : empirical research from Korean missionary perpective." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/46160.
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The history of African Independent Churches (AICs) in Southern Africa goes back
for more than a hundred years. They have proliferated geographically and
demographically in Africa more than the mainline churches could ever have
imagined. They have grown to be as widespread and as influential as the African
mainline churches. The reason for this growth is that the AICs are the churches of
African indigenous people. They are launched by Africans from a background of
an African traditional and cultural frame of reference. The most significant reason
is that the founders of these churches are not Westerners, but Africans. Western
missionaries find it difficult to understand the AICs from their perspective. Thus the
Western churches describe the AICs as sectarian, separatist, syncretist, nativitist,
and so on. Nevertheless, some scholars are attempting to view the AICs in
positive ways.
The fact that these two different churches have never acknowledged each other as
true churches is a big challenge for Christian missions in Namibia. Each group has
been viewing and judging the other party through suspicious eyes from their own
perspective, each driving the other to block the channel of reconciliation before the
presence of God. With the aim of solving this problem, this thesis attempts to
answer the following questions about the AICs in Namibia:
• What are the reasons that the AICs in Namibia have been seceded from
mission churches?
• What are the activities in civil society in which the AICs in Namibia are
currently involved?
• Do the AICs engage in any activities which go against the Word of God?
• What causes other churches to be suspicious of the AICs?
• What level of enculturation is inherent to the AICs in Namibia? In other
words, what is the relationship between the liturgies of the AIC and African
traditional religion and African culture?
• What makes the AICs in Namibia regard themselves as a church?
Would it be possible for the AICs and the mainline churches in Namibia to
cooperate in Christian missionary work?
• What is a possible Korean missionary perspective on this particular
situation?
This will be dealt throughout this thesis from a Korean missionary missional
perspective.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
tm2015
Science of Religion and Missiology
PhD
Unrestricted
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Shange, Nombulelo Tholithemba. "Shembe religion's integration of African traditional religion and Christianity : a sociological case study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011819.
Full textAbstract:
The Shembe Church's integration of African Traditional Religion and Christianity has been met by many challenges. This merger has been rejected by both African traditionalists and Christians. The Shembe Church has been met by intolerance even though the movement in some ways creates multiculturalism between different people and cultures. This thesis documents the Shembe Church's ideas and practices; it discusses how the Shembe Church combines two ideologies that appear to be at odds with each other. In looking at Shembe ideas and practices, the thesis discusses African religion-inspired rituals like ukusina, ancestral honouring, animal sacrificing and virgin testing. The thesis also discusses the heavy Christian influence within the Shembe Church; this is done by looking at the Shembe Church's use of The Bible and Moses' Laws which play a crucial role in the Church. The challenges the Shembe Church faces are another main theme of the thesis. The thesis looks at cases of intolerance and human rights violations experienced by Shembe members. This is done in part by looking at the living conditions at eBuhleni, located at Inanda, KZN. The thesis also analyses individual Shembe member's experiences and discusses how some members of the Shembe church experience the acceptance of the Shembe religion in South African society. This thesis concludes by trying to make a distinction between intolerance and controversy. I try to highlight the idea that what many Shembe followers see as discrimination and intolerance towards them is sometimes a difference in opinion from other cultural groups. Sometimes these differences are not geared towards criticising other religious groups or perpetuating intolerance.
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Hawkins, Alfonso W. "The musical tradition as an affirmation of cultural identity in African American autobiography /." The Ohio State University, 1993. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487841975355795.
Full text
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Chisala, Sarai Eunice. "Protecting traditional healing practices in Malawi : are there lessons to be learnt from South Africa?" Diss., University of Pretoria, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/1142.
Full textAbstract:
"The aim of this paper is to highlight the human rights dimension in the protection of traditional healing practices (THP) in Malawi. At first glance there might not seem to be considerable human rights issues involved. However, the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic entails that traditional health practitioners have a crucial role to play in ensuring the right to health. Furthermore, THP represent an important component of the cultural tapestry of Malawian life. It is this combined cultural and health import that prompts this study. ... This paper explores the relationship between THP and the progressive realisation of the right to health. An investigation is made of the extent to which suppression of THP impacts the right to health in an attempt to discern whether there is a need to regulate and protect these practices. There is some tension between THP, as a cultural right, and the right to health given that THP have the potential to infringe peoples' right to health. However, there is also an intersection between the two rights since health is integrally related to culture and to cultural practices. A person's place in their culture is an essential part of their self-identity, so that if a culture is at risk, that person's psychological and emotional health is also at risk. Consequently this paper will consider the meaning, content and role of the right to culture (is it a collective or individual right?) and whether THP are part of culture, deserving protection as such. ... This paper is divided into five chapters. The introductory chapter provides an overview of the objectives of the study and a definition of THP. The chapter also discusses the research methodology employed in the paper and reviews the main literary works consulted by the author. To establish that THP form an aspect of culture, it is necessary to examine the qualities of THP and compare those to the qualities of recognised forms of culture. The second chapter comprises of an investigation of the legal provisions relating to culture and the various concepts of culture in human rights law. An attempt is then made to place THP within the context of the right to culture. The relationship between THP and the right to health is discussed in the third chapter. In this study it is suggested that the core minimum content of the right to health includes the right to an accessible and acceptable primary health source, and that this implies a right to access THP. The chapter attempts to show that non-regulation impedes THP thus violating the state's obligation to respect the right to health. In the fourth chapter there is an evaluation of the South African Traditional Health Practitioners Act of 2004 (the TH Act). Essentially, the law in Malawi defines and licenses the 'practice of medicine' in terms that entrench the medical profession and that exclude all other forms of healing as the 'unauthorised' practice of medicine, a crime. This chapter considers whether the South African legislation is a model for the inclusion of THP. More specifically, whether the development of THP as a form of culture is captured by the TH Act and whether Malawi can draw guidance from this legislation. The fifth and final chapter concludes the paper. The chapter reverts to the original research questions, the concepts propounded in the paper and the various conclusions drawn to establish whether the original problems presented have been resolved. This concluding chapter also contains recommendations to the Government of Malawi ensuing from the study." -- Introduction.Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2005.
Prepared under the supervision of Prof. Nii Ashie Kotey at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana
http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html
Centre for Human Rights
LLM
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Lori, Jody Rae. "Cultural Childbirth Practices, Beliefs and Traditions in Liberia." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/193885.
Full textAbstract:
Over 500,000 maternal deaths occur globally each year. Over half of these deaths take place in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to understand the sociopolitical and cultural context of childbirth in Liberia including practices, beliefs and traditions that influence maternal health, illness and death. The concepts of vulnerability, human rights related to reproductive health, gender-based violence and war trauma within the theoretical perspectives of global feminism provide the framework for this study. Critical ethnography was used to study 10 cases of severe maternal morbidity and eight cases of maternal mortality. Data collection included participant observation, field notes and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 54 women, family members and community members. Three major themes derived from the data were Secrecy Surrounding Pregnancy and Childbirth; Power and Authority; and Distrust of the Healthcare System. The interpretive theory, Behind the House, generated from data analysis provides an effective way of understanding the larger social and cultural context of childbirth and childbirth related practices, beliefs and traditions in Liberia. It defines the complexity and challenges women in Liberia face in their reproductive health. This interpretive theory moves beyond the biomedical understanding of birth by contextualizing childbirth as a social as well as a biological process. This study provides a starting point for more relevant, sensitive and culturally congruent public health programs and policies to address maternal morbidity and mortality in this population.
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Koen, Vicki. "African female adolescents' experience of parent-adolescent relationships and the influence thereof on their well-being / Vicki Koen." Thesis, North-West University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/4867.
Full textAbstract:
Adolescence is a phase that includes substantial physical, social and psychological
changes (Department of Health, 1999) and is considered to be a psychologically turbulent
and emotional period in a person’s life (Strong, De Vault, Satad & Yarber, 2001) that can
also have an influence o n parent–child relationships. The purpose of this stud y is to
specifically focus on parent– adolescent relationships of African female adolescents as
research and literature is limited regarding African female adolescent s’ experience of
parent–adolescent relationships and the dynamics involve d. Little is known of how
African female adolescents experience the relationship they have with their parents and
what their needs are regarding these relationshi.p s The objectives of this studya re to
explore and describe African female adolescents’ experience of parent–adolescent
relationships, and to explore aspects of African female adolescents’ relationships with
their parents that may influence t heir sense of well–being. Thirty and thirty–two African
female adolescents participated voluntarily in graphic family sculpting and focus group
interviews respectively. Six focus group interviews at Randfontein High School,
Gauteng, provided rich data on African female adolescents’ experience of parentadolescent
relationships and aspects of the relationships that influence their sense of wellbeing.
The findings suggest that the majority of the participants experience a more
positive relationship with their mothesr than with their fathesr, and that positive and
negative aspects in their relationships with their parents is perceived to influence their
well–being. The importance of communication was a very prominent theme in the focus
group discussions. With regard to graphic family sculpting, the findings also suggest that
the mothers have a more prominent and positive role and participants experience their
fathers as less involved.Thesis (M.A. (Research Psyvhology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.
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Knispel, Martin. "Die Begegnung von Christentum und Tradition in Ghana am Beispiel der Presbyterianischen Kirche und der Volksgruppe der Akan /." Online full text .pdf document, available to Fuller patrons only, 2001. http://www.tren.com.
Full text
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Welborne, Eric Scott. "Tales of Thiès performance and morality in oral tradition among the Wolof of Senegal /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1999. http://www.tren.com.
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Shiflett, Lisa R. "West African Food Traditions in Virginia Foodways: A Historical Analysis of Origins and Survivals." [Johnson City, Tenn. : East Tennessee State University], 2004. http://etd-submit.etsu.edu/etd/theses/available/etd-0719104-105438/unrestricted/ShifletL080904f.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.)--East Tennessee State University, 2004.Title from electronic submission form. ETSU ETD database URN: etd-0719104-105438 Includes bibliographical references. Also available via Internet at the UMI web site.
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Hassim, Junaid. "Critically questioning an African perspective on psychopathology : a systematic literature review." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/25597.
Full textAbstract:
This study aimed to collate and analyse academic literature with regards to possible African perspectives on psychological distress. The purpose of conducting the literature review was to explore thirty years of critical arguments supporting and refuting an African perspective on psychopathology. Literature (e.g. Bhugra&Bhui, 1997) appeared to suggest that some of the relatively recent views regarding psychopathology fail to adequately address psychological distress as it presents in Africa. A systematic literature review was selected as the methodology for this study, and the specific method of the review was research synthesis (Gough, 2004; Popay, 2005). Reviewed literature was sourced between the years 1980 and 2010. The theoretical point of departure was integrative theory, thus falling within the postpostmodern framework. As such, literature regarding psychological theory formed a substantial part of the research, including literature relating to psychodynamic theory, cognitive-behavioural theory, postmodernism, phenomenology, existentialism, critical theory, and systemic patterning (Becvar&Becvar, 1996). These theories formed part of the analysis, thereby allowing contextual analysis as the interpretive method. The review’s themes highlighted the following outcomes: current psychiatric nosology employed a universalistic approach to diagnosis and intervention, thus limiting cultural conceptions of mental illness; holistic intervention requires the inclusion of traditional epistemological tenets; collaboration between modern practitioners and traditional healers would probably better meet the patient’s needs; and that culture-fit assessment and treatment often indicated improved prognosis. The outcomes evidenced the operation of an African perspective on psychopathology. In fact, much of the reviewed literature also suggested culture-contextual perspectives on psychopathology. Furthermore, the way in which lack of cultural coherence appears to exist between patients and some clinicians suggested that diagnostic flaws may be a relatively frequent occurrence. Potential benefits of the investigation include increased awareness that culture-related conceptualisation be further explored in the clinical field; that future researchers use the current review as a foundational reference for primary investigations; that contemporary clinical classificatory systems be reviewed in terms of cultural applicability; and that clinicians reconsider the diagnostic process in terms of culture-fit manifestations of psychopathology.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Psychology
unrestricted
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Alexander, Jamie Kim. "Stories from forest, river and mountain : exploring children's cultural environmental narratives and their role in the transmission of cultural connection to and protection of biodiversity." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015267.
Full textAbstract:
Preservationist conservation created a legacy of national parks and protected areas that were surrounded by local people dispossessed of their land and denied the rights to use the resources they had previously relied upon. Although conservation is now shifting towards a more participatory approach, research gaps still exist in determining the meaning of 'the environment' and the role of local means of conservation in rural communities in South Africa. This study focused on children's cultural environmental narratives from two rural villages in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Children from grades 4, 7 and 10 were involved in the study, and adult family members, local experts and village elders were included in the study to allow for comparison between children's and adult's narratives and to realise what Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) was being passed on. This thesis considers children's use of the environment for play and their sense of place as key methods in ascertaining children's environmental narratives and perceptions. At both field sites, local experts and community elders possessed a wealth of cultural environmental narratives, but these narratives were not necessarily being passed on. Changing household structures and other socio-economic factors influence cultural environmental practices, which in turn have an impact on the cultural environmental narratives being passed down. In many cases, parents' safety fears strongly impacted upon children's access to the environment, resulting in gendered environmental knowledge. The study compared differing vegetation types and degrees of environmental access. The differing environments produced similar cultural environmental narratives, leading to new understandings in community environment relationships. Children living near the state administered forest had significantly less environmental knowledge, bringing about questions of sustainable bio-cultural diversity in the future. The recognition of cultural environmental values is especially important in the rural areas of South Africa, where unemployment and increased poverty levels have led to greater dependence on natural resources for social, economic and cultural purposes. It is proposed that local cultural environmental narratives and landscape perceptions be included into community conservation and environmental education policies and programmes to provide local solutions to the problem of biodiversity conservation in local contexts.
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Nyuyki, Peter Siysi. "A missional approach to the traditional social associations of the NSO’ people of Cameroon." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59094.
Full textAbstract:
This research deals with Christian missions and African cultures. It focuses on the
traditional social associations of the Nso’ people of Cameroon. The main problem
the research addresses is that missionaries who came to Nso’ mostly imposed their
culture on the Nso’ and by extension Africa in the name of Christianity. What this
research refers to as traditional social associations is what the missionaries
prejudicially termed secret societies. The research argues that these traditional
social associations are not secret societies. They are rather custodians and
preservers of Nso’ culture. Their activities are largely social, and revolve around
eating and drinking.
The research compares the case of Nso’ with missionary endeavours in North Africa:
Egypt, Axum and Nubia and in Sub-Saharan Africa. In all these areas, the following
commonalities are found: insufficient interest in the indigenous languages,
syncretism, the tendency of mission to always link with colonialism and to despise
the African worldview. In all these areas, the result was conflict between mission and
indigenous culture, and conflict within the traditional cultures.
In order to appropriately engage contexts in Africa that have traditional social
associations like Nso’, the researcher proposes the use of an integrated missional
approach. By integrated missional approach the researcher means a perspective
that takes theology, anthropology, sociology and culture seriously when carrying out
the mission of God (missio Dei). The researcher presents an integrated missional
approach that is constructed in the light of contextualisation. This approach is based
on Niebuhr’s typology that is described in his book Christ and culture and as
analysed by Kraft in his Anthropology for Christian witness.
The following sociological theories: functionalism, conflict theory, phenomenology
and social identity theory are used to discuss how certain realities operate in human
communities.
Using content analysis as his predominant methodological approach to the data
collected, the researcher concludes that culture has been, is, and will continue to be
the main vehicle for mission. Hence, the traditional social associations of the Nso’
people, which form the core culture of Nso’ need to be seen as an opportunity for
evangelisation. The research shows that the missionary era in Nso’ in particular and
Africa in general has ended and that the era in which the local church is finding its
own identity is underway.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Methodist Church Britain
Science of Religion and Missiology
PhD
Unrestricted
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Ntwasa, Bayanda. "Traditional leadership and the use of cultural laws in land administration: implications for rural women's land rights in a transforming South Africa." Thesis, University of Fort Hare, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10353/134.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation critically examines how traditional leaders use cultural laws to allocate land to women and to allow women to participate in land administration in communal areas. Given the government's commitment to gender equity in all spheres of life as stipulated in Section 9 (3) of the South African Constitution (Act 108 of 1996), the dissertation examines whether related legislation and policy (such as CLARA and TLGFA) alone can guarantee equitable access to land for women and their participation in land administration structures in communal areas where patriarchy dominates. In essence, the study interrogates whether state intervention through formalizing laws that govern land matters do achieve gender equity while cultural laws still exist in communal areas. Based on the view that land in communal areas is held by the state and administered by traditional leaders who have historically discriminated against women, the dissertation employs a case study method to examine whether cultural laws are exercised when women apply for a piece of land at the three levels of traditional authority viz: village, sub-village and traditional council levels in the Matolweni village of the Nqadu Tribal Authority. Although women are often the de facto rights holders in rural areas as a result of male migration to urban areas, findings seem to indicate that it is difficult and/or sometimes impossible to translate paper laws into practice while cultural laws are still operating. For effective transformation to occur, the study recommends that unless a strong women's rural movement emerges, coupled with a socialist feminist position that advocates for a radical transformation of rural society to defeat the patriarchal norms and standards, traditional leaders will continue to discriminate against women in land issues.
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Daya, Yusuf. "Intellectual property rights and the protection of traditional knowledge in Western Cape agriculture." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49992.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study analyses the extent to which the current intellectual property system is suited to the protection of traditional knowledge in the Western Cape. Employing a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates economic and legal theory as well as legal philosophy, this study argues that although advances in the fields of biotechnology has brought with it the need for greater intellectual property rights protection, the protection of traditional knowledge has largely been ignored. Traditional ethnobotanical knowledge holds immense economic value for both commercial entities seeking to develop products based on traditional knowledge as well as for the communities that possess such knowledge. Protecting traditional knowledge is necessary to ensure that the communities contributing their knowledge are recognized and compensated for such contributions. In order for a system to provide adequate protection for traditional knowledge it has to be consistent with and suited to the needs of traditional knowledge holders. This study therefore evaluates the prevailing system of knowledge protection as embodied in the intellectual property rights regime as a means of protecting traditional knowledge. The analysis reveals that the dominant justification for the existence ofIPRs is based on utilitarian considerations that promote IPRs as a necessary incentive encouraging innovative activity. This utilitarian justification also provides the basis for an economic justification for the existence of IPRs that suggests that the conferring of exclusive rights (in the form of IPRs) to innovators ensure that such innovators are able to recover their research costs and realize profits from their inventions. The IPR system as it exists is underpinned by these considerations and embedded in principles of individualism and private property. The WTO reinforces and promotes this approach to intellectual property in the TRIPs agreement by recognizing intellectual property as a 'trade related' issue. The inclusion of IPRs as a 'trade related' issue in the multilateral framework of the WTO reflects the interests of multinational corporations and developed nations who rely extensively on these mechanisms to maintain their power and wealth in an increasingly knowledge driven global economy. The exclusion of traditional knowledge within the TRIPs, coupled with the desire to extend patents to cover life forms is also indicative of this bias inherent in the system. South African intellectual property legislation is then applied to the traditional knowledge of an indigenous medicinal plant to test whether IPRs are able to provide adequate protection to traditional knowledge. In this regard it is found that patent protection, which could potentially provide the greatest form of protection for traditional knowledge is. not suited to the needs of traditional knowledge holders. Problems of identifying owners, determining inventors and novelty, time limited rights and costs all limits the potential of patents as a tool for protecting traditional knowledge. Similar constraints limit the potential of other categories of IPRs to provide protection for traditional knowledge. However, it was found that IPRs do provide a certain measure of defensive protection. The study therefore concludes that the IPR system as it exists, both in the international trade environment as well as at the national level, fails to adequately address the threat of appropriation and the concerns of traditional knowledge holders. Amending the IPR system and/or developing sui generis systems of protection are therefore necessary to ensure that the knowledge of communities are protected and such communities are able to benefit from the exploitation oftheir knowledge and resources.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om vas te stel in hoe 'n mate die huidige sisteem vir die beskerming van intellektuele eiendom geskik is vir die beskerming van tradisionele kennis in die Wes-Kaap. 'n Multidissiplinêre benadering, wat uit elemente van ekonomiese- en regsteorie sowel as regsfilosofie haal, is gevolg om te wys dat die beskerming van tradisionele kennis grootliks geïgnoreer is, alhoewel nuwe deurbrake in biotegnologie die behoefte skep vir groter bekerming van intellektuele eiendom. Tradisionele etnobotaniese kennis het geweldige ekonomiese waarde vir beide die kommersiële entiteite wat produkte uit sodanige kennis wil produseer sowel as vir tradisionele gemeenskappe aan wie die kennis behoort. Dus, indien sulke gemeenskappe voordeel wil trek uit hierdie kennis, is dit nodig dat hul bydraes erken moet word, en dat hulle daarvoor vergoed moet word. Sulke beskerming sal net doeltreffend wees indien dit aangepas is by die behoeftes van hierdie gemeenskappe. Dus word die huidige sisteem vir die beskerming van tradisionele kennis geevalueer in hierdie studie. Die ondersoek wys dat die sisteem vir die beskerming van intellektuele eiendom berus op die teoretiese basis van nutsmaksimering, waar die hoofdoel te vinde is in die bydrae wat dit kan maak tot ekonomiese welvaart deur middel van innovasie. In hierdie opsig word beskerming van intellektuele eiendom beskou as 'n manier waardeur die innoveerder sy navorsings- en ontwikkelingskostes kan delg en wins kan maak. Hierdie benadering word onderskryf deur die WTO in die TRIPS Ooreenkoms. In hierdie opsig word die belange van veral die ryk lande en die multinasionale maatskappye bevorder, 'n sleutelvoordeel in 'n wêreld waar kennis gepaardgaan met mag in die mark. Hierdie verskynsel word versterk deur die uitsluiting van tradisionele kennis van die TRIPS Ooreenkoms en die behoefte daaraan om patentregte uit te brei. Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing oor intellektuele eiendom word vervolgens toegepas op die geval van tradisionele kennis oor 'n inheemse medisinale plant om te toets of intellektuele eiendomsreg genoegsame beskerming aan tradisionele kennis bied. Daar is gevind dat patentregte, wat potensieël die grootste mate van beskerming sou kon bied, nie gepas is in die geval van houers van tradisionele kennis nie. Probleme wat voorkom sluit in die identifisering van eienaars, innoveerders en innoverings, die tydsbeperking op regte, asook kosteoorwegings. Ander vorms van beskerming is aan soortgelyke kritiek onderhewig, alhoewel bevind is dat intellektuele eiendomsreg wel 'n mate van defensiewe beskerming bied. Die gevolgtrekking word dus gemaak dat die huidige vorms van beskerming vir intellektuele eiendomsreg, beide internasionaal sowel as in Suid-Afrika, nie die belange van die houers van tradisionele kennis beskerm nie. Dit is dus nodig om die huidige vorms aan te spreek, of om sui generis beskerming te ontwikkel om hiervoor te sorg.
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Bounang, Mfoungué Cornelia. "Le mariage africain, entre tradition et modernité : étude socio-anthropologique du couple et du mariage dans la culture gabonaise." Phd thesis, Université Paul Valéry - Montpellier III, 2012. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00735563.
Full textAbstract:
Au Gabon, le mariage est une institution qui permet l'union de deux personnes et de deux familles. Sur le plan juridique, seul le mariage civil a une valeur légale. Mais le mariage traditionnel encore appelé mariage coutumier reste une étape importante durant laquelle se déroule la cérémonie de la dot. Cette étude traite de la manière dont les gabonais se représentent le couple et le mariage. Notre approche théorique et nos champs d'investigation portent sur l'évolution socio-culturelle de cette institution et sur la relation que les jeunes gabonais établissent entre la culture, leurs comportements et leurs actions sociales. L'intérêt ici est de comprendre les influences qu'exerce le modèle de vie occidental en matière de moeurs et de style de vie par le biais de l'urbanisation, de la scolarisation et des médias. Notre problématique qui se décline en plusieurs questions a pour principal objectif de décrire le modèle de couple et le type de mariage auxquels aspirent ces jeunes. Le travail de terrain réalisé au Gabon et en France nous a permis d'établir une typologie des conduites et des discours recueillis. Les principaux thèmes abordés sont : la polygamie, la dot, le choix du partenaire, le couple mixte, le sida, l'homosexualité et les rapports de séduction. Avec leurs mots, ils posent un regard sur la culture gabonaise et française et nous livrent un discours partagé entre tradition et modernité. Ce travail permet donc une nouvelle approche des rapports de couple et du mariage dans une société gabonaise en plein évolution.