Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

In 1998 I conducted a series of interviews with Zimbabweans who recounted, often using English, their memories of Albert Sumbo-Ncube. From these I have selected and transcribed five interviews with ZIPRA ex-combatants in which they tell the story, as they remember and elaborate on their memories, of Sumbo's escape from Rhodesian police custody at the Victoria Falls in 1977 during the Zimbabwean liberation struggle. The interviews represent Sumbo as a hero and reveal the folk hero creation process at work. This hero figure was created by people who needed an effective figure of oppositional propaganda and who did not have access to the technology and resources of the Rhodesian government. Their narratives were communicated orally and they fused material found in the Rhodesian government-controlled newspapers with an amaNdebele oral tradition. I shall draw on Hobsbawm's (1972) notions of the social bandit and Robens's (1989) study of the folk hero creation amongst post-slavery African-Americans in order to understand the ZIPRA guerrillas' hero creation. The Sumbo folk hero creation served to promote an ideal self for the Zimbabwean guerrillas and their recruits. Sumbo's daring and his ability successfully to defy authority evoked admiration amongst the guerrillas in the 1970s, and in 1998 revives for them the idealism of the struggle. In Zimbabwe the 'hero' has become a contested category, because of the government's will to control the historical representation of the liberation struggle by promoting an official history with official categories of heroes. Working with Barber's notion of popular African arts (1987 and 1997), I argue that a folk hero can be redefined as a 'popular hero' when created by a proletariat and expressed by means of a popular art form. The interviewees use a specific form, the oral historical narrative, to preserve and transmit the Sumbo hero figure. I argue that though this oral historical narrative is less fixed in form and occasion than praise poetry, songs and genealogies, it nevertheless possesses identifiable and recurrent characteristics and I have established a number of criteria for identifying oral historical narrative as a genre. In order to avoid taking a generalised and essentialising approach to the notion of 'African culture', I have drawn on theory that is as specific as possible to the understanding of oral historical narratives within the context of siNdebele speakers in Zimbabwe. I have drawn on research published by Hofmeyr (1993) and Scheub (1975) because they focused on Nguni-speaking societies. Their research is further supported by my own research conducted in the rural area of Tsholotsho in Zimbabwe. The analysis of the oral historical narrative genre used by the interviewees demonstrates that significant formal and performance skills occur in this type of narrative which takes place within apparently informal conversations. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

This dissertation is an attempt to draw a connecting link between Marcel Jousse's theory of MIMISM as found in his book The Oral Style and the symbols used when celebrating four of the sacraments celebrating in the Roman Catholic Church. These symbols are water used in the sacrament of baptism, the bread and the wine as used in the celebration of the Eucharist, and the oil which is used in the sacraments of Confirmation and the Anointing of the Sick. Jousse was the first anthropologist to discover that all action or gestes as he called it, is constantly being replayed and re-enacted by man. The second chapter in this thesis will give a comprehensive summary of this theory of MIMISM. Since man is constantly attempting to get closer to God whom he falls short of when he sins, this practice of the sacraments is a means of getting man back in touch with God and the symbols used in this procedure is what actually makes it real. After a chapter on symbolism and the role that symbols play in the celebration of sacraments, the next chapter deals with the rites, rituals and religion in society. It is the symbols together with the rights, that in effect bridge the relationship between God and man. The final chapter then looks into the symbols themselves, which are oil, water and the Eucharist and fits the entire subject into perspective. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 1994.

This study attempts to discuss the transmission of oral tradition in religious and domestic contexts among the Indian Tamil Hindu people of South Africa. In chapter one, the focus of this study, as well as some reasons for choosing the Tamil group are discussed. The focus of this essay is to highlight the transmission of oral tradition in communities that have been physically separated from the original homes of those particular communities. Thereafter, in chapter two, examples of surviving domestic rituals are analysed. Life cycle rituals and calendrical rituals that are performed in the home are discussed with examples. Examples of surviving public rituals are considered in chapter three. An account of the rituals that are performed in the temple [either calendrical or of a personal nature] is given. In chapter four Tamil Hindu mythology which has survived in this country is given consideration. Lord Siva, in particular, is discussed to a greater extent. An overview of how some of the tradition has survived concludes this essay. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Natal, Durban. 1993.

The dissertation focuses on preaching in the context of selected African indigenous churches. The aim of the study was to explore sermon texts as a genre of oral communication. The gathering of data was guided by the hypothesis that the sermons that are preached in the African indigenous churches are composed orally and communicated orally. Three church groups were identified for the purposes of this study. Although the intention, at the planning stage of the study, was to study a mixture of Ethiopian, Zionist and Messianic-type churches, practical considerations and also because of socio-political factors, the study was limited to church groups of the Zionist and Messianic types. The research was carried out through the method of participant observation of services of worship, extended interviews with church leaders, preachers and congregants and also through the use of audio cassette recordings during nine months of field work in Edendale in Pietermaritzburg, Port Durnford near Mtunzimi and Ndabayakhe near Empangeni. A central finding of the study is that in the African indigenous churches a sermon is prepared and has a form (structure). The structure of the sermon is that of an oral text. The oral texture of the sermon is influenced by the following contexts: an oral tradition; the Bible which is a written source with a repertoire of texts' church tradition which is orally transmitted; and the life setting and experience of the congregants. It was also found that the sermon text is presented as a 'performance' involving both the preacher and a live, active, close audience. The study concludes that the communication of the sermon is influenced by the structural form of the sermon text, the ability of the preacher to use literary products and visual resources, and also by the participation of the audience. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1992.

This study contains a variety of oral traditional formulae found in various places in KwaZulu-Natal which are used in the imbeleko ceremony and these formulae are analyzed in their traditional form and in a number of new formulations. The imbeleko ceremony is a celebration to introduce and welcome a newborn child, but occasionally even an adult newcomer may be introduced to both the living and the ancestral spirits. A full description of the imbeleko ceremony, the reasons for performing it, the procedures followed, an analysis and comparison of mnemotechnics used in the formulae and finally the application of orality-literacy theories to the rites and the text are provided. Variations observed in my research in the manner in which this rite is celebrated from family to family are pointed out. Zulus regard it as a must to perform the imbeleko ceremony for every child in the family. The reasons for this ceremony vary from (a) thanksgiving ceremony, (b) the official introduction of the child to ancestors, (c) the rite performed late to protect the child from misfortunes, (d) and to provide an opportunity for naming the child. There is also the imbeleko ceremony that may be performed in the life of the child when there are indicators that there is a need for it to be done i.e. when there is illness that seems incurable, and psychological crisis which occur even though the imbeleko had been performed. There is also a type of imbeleko ceremony for the first child that combines the child's maternal and paternal families. This dissertation concludes by comparing and contrasting the imbeleko and the Christian baptism. It is possible changes have taken place in the imbeleko ceremony as a result of external influences of the western Christian life. (NB This dissertation is accompanied by a video) / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Natal, 1996.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2007 / Pacific Islands Studies

Souvent considéré comme une pure littérature ludique et enfantine, le conte ne relève pas seulement d'une pratique culturelle ancrée dans les arts et modes de vie, mais d'une modalité pédagogique émanant de la dialectique de l'oralité. Bien plus, il semble occuper une place primordiale dans le contexte socio-culturel africain/camerounais et ce, malgré le développement et l'expansion de la « société de l'écriture ». Mais au vu des difficultés auxquelles seraient confrontés certains acteurs de l’éducation (enseignants, conteurs, élèves) à transmettre cet art de la parole, ne serait-il pas temps de découvrir la manière et la pédagogie avec lesquelles le conte peut permettre aux élèves de déployer des compétences orales? Comment initier les apprenants à une pratique artistique du conte qui différencie l'action de lire à celle de conter oralement? Partant de différents niveaux de médiation, les pistes de ce travail explorent l'approche pédagogique de l'oralité et proposent des activités langagières dans trois collèges au Cameroun. Nos résultats (dé)montrent qu’à défaut de perpétuer et de renforcer la culture de l'oralité, le conte oral développe et contribue à la valorisation des compétences narratives chez les apprenants. La visée de la présente étude est, d’une part d’intégrer le conte comme un moyen propice au langage et un vecteur d'identité interculturelle, et d’autre part de renouveler les approches et perspectives, tant dans l'enseignement de l’oral que dans l’ingénierie pédagogique. / Often considered as a linguistic and narrative process reserved to children, tale's approach can not be overlooked in Cameroonian socio-cutural and anthropological context. Even though, nowadays, there is an evident development and the expasion of a rampant writing culture. In fact, in oral tradition, tale occupies an essential place in the learning process. But, then, how, and with what specific pedagogy, the tale can be hepful for pupils in their curriculum as far as learning is concerned ? Since, each tale is mainly given orally, how can it be proposed to learners who are of a different cultural background, namely, a writing culture ? In this work, taking into consideration didactic approach of educational actors, our main purpose is to establish that the pedagogic dimension of tale does not rely only on its artistic relevance but has a primordial role in oral tradition. Consequently our results first of all show that trough this cultural chanel, that is, tale, is an efficient instrument for a reliable communication in oral tradition; tale is a bridge in cultural transmission. Secondly, by using tale's approach, learners are better equiped in their narrative skills. Therefore, the present work puts accross the importance of tales in oral tradition speciffically and in a writing culture as well. Indeed tale is a valuable pedadogic agent. As our research work try to show, tale can no longer be considered as a pure playful and childish literature, but an indispensable vector of intercultural identity in Cameroonian context. Taking into account various levels of mediation, the present work proposes concrete linguistic activities, not from the tales gathered in various textbooks of the official schools' curricula, but from a new directory which may enable eventual users to explore the didactic approach yet to be discovered in tale's wisdom.

Submitted by Marcio Guedes Correa (marcioguedesc@gmail.com) on 2018-08-10T00:21:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MARCIO GUEDES CORREA - TESE.pdf: 1593574 bytes, checksum: 4d741e74ae4888d65c905115ea7788bc (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Laura Mariane de Andrade null (laura.andrade@ia.unesp.br) on 2018-08-10T19:32:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 correa_mg_dr_ia.pdf: 1593574 bytes, checksum: 4d741e74ae4888d65c905115ea7788bc (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T19:32:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 correa_mg_dr_ia.pdf: 1593574 bytes, checksum: 4d741e74ae4888d65c905115ea7788bc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-07-27 / Esta pesquisa bibliográfica tem como objeto de análise o termo “gênero musical”, considerando-se a multiplicidade de função e significado com que ele é empregado nos diferentes repertórios e a dificuldade em conceituá-lo de forma unívoca. Para cumprirmos com esses objetivos, realizamos um levantamento bibliográfico com o intuito de identificar e descrever o conceito de gênero musical em suas diversas e multifacetadas abordagens, além de verificar a sua evolução no contexto histórico-musical. Foram coletados 33 artigos de revistas científicas de diversas áreas de conhecimento. Com este levantamento, percebemos que fatores históricos, culturais, estéticos e sociais interferem na sua classificação. Também ficou patente a inexistência de gêneros puros, tanto no repertório erudito como no popular e na música de tradição oral. Verificamos que em determinadas áreas de conhecimento o seu sentido estético não é prioritário, em função de uma política mercantil de vendagem e distribuição da produção musical. Concluímos que os gêneros musicais são voláteis em sua essência e têm sido empregados de forma diferenciada e multifacetada. Avaliar os seus múltiplos usos e o destino que eles obtêm nas diversas áreas de conhecimentos pareceu-nos uma tarefa necessária. De certo modo, a pesquisa aqui realizada ampliará as reflexões acerca das diferentes necessidades que conduzem às classificações musicais. Serviram de fundamentação teórica para esta investigação os textos de G. Denizeau, J. Zamacois, F. Fabbri, entre outros. A pesquisa contempla quatro capítulos descrevendo a maneira como gênero é avaliado no repertório da música erudita, popular e de tradição oral. / This bibliographic research aims to analyze the term "musical genre", considering the multiplicity of function and meaning with which it is used in different repertoires and the difficulty in conceptualizing it in a univocal way. In order to fulfill these objectives, we carried out a bibliographical survey with the purpose of identifying and describing the concept of musical genre in its various and multifaceted approaches, as well as verifying its evolution in the historical - musical context. A total of 33 articles were collected from scientific journals of different areas of knowledge. With this survey, we perceive that historical, cultural, aesthetic and social factors interfere in its classification. It also became clear that there are no pure genres, both in the popular and classical repertoire and in oral tradition. We also find out that in certain areas of knowledge, the aesthetic sense is not a priority due to a commercial policy of selling and distributing the musical production. We conclude that musical genres are volatile in their essence and have been used in a differentiated and multifaceted way. Assessing their multiple uses and the purpose they gain in the various areas of knowledge seemed to us to be a necessary task. In a way, the research carried out here will amplify the reflections on the different needs that lead to musical classification. The texts of G. Denizeau, J. Zamacois, F. Fabbri, and others were the theoretical basis for this research. The research contemplates four chapters describing the way in which genre is evaluated in the repertoire of classical music, popular and oral tradition.

O objetivo geral desta tese consiste em transformar a narrativa inédita de tradição oral “A filha do diabo”, recolhida em Luzerna, no oeste de Santa Catarina, em um texto literário para o público leitor infanto-juvenil. Para alcançar tal objetivo, propõe-se descrever o relato de pesquisa e o diário de campo, bem como transcrever a narrativa inédita de tradição oral “A filha do diabo”, analisar a narrativa transcrita “A filha do diabo”, definir um conjunto de pressupostos aplicáveis ao processo de reinterpretação de uma narrativa de tradição oral para literatura infanto-juvenil e reinterpretar a narrativa analisada “A filha do diabo” para um texto literário destinado ao público infanto-juvenil que se intitulará A Dita-Cuja. / This paper intends to change the brand new narrative of oral tradition “The Devil’s Daughter” (Luzerna, Western Santa Catarina) into a literary work for juveniles. In order to achieve this objective, it is proposed to describe the research report and the field diary as well as transcribing this narrative and analysing the transcribed version of it. Moreover, it is suggested to set a group of presuppositions, which are applicable to the process of reinterpretation of a narrative of oral tradition focusing it on juvenile literature, and reinterpret the analysed narrative “The Devil’s Daughter” by making it a literary text for juveniles named “The Un-referable”.