The Royal Palace of Dahomey, which stands in varied states of decay and restoration in Abomey, Benin, has been subject to change and manipulation throughout its history (c. 1645-present). This dissertation focuses on its transformations during the French colonial and post-colonial periods and investigates how the palace functions as a site for religious ceremonies, a center for political struggle, and a symbol of non-European identity. It documents what physical transformations the palace complex underwent in relation to its changing roles, explores the ethics of external political forces, and investigates what influence the palace and royal history have had on contemporary identity and domestic architecture.

Texte extrait de: Dissertazione per il dottorato--Facoltà di scienze sociali--Pontificia università gregoriana, 2006. / Bibliogr. p. 53-70.

The objective of this research is double: <p>1) to study the factors associated with the problems of quality with drinking water on the physicochemical and biological level in the municipality of Abomey-Calavi in Benin ;<p>2)to study its relationships with public health. <p>The goal is to bring on one hand, the tools of improvement to the quality of water and public health in this commune. In addition, to contribute to the reduction of the rate of morbidity and mortality generated by the diseases related to drinking water contamination in this locality<p><p>Methods:<p>For the purpase of this study, we made a preliminary investigation in the municipality (households 55898 and almost all the households have the traditional wells). In the same way the information provided by the National Society of Water in Benin gave the indications on the level koverage of drinkable water conveyance of the commune. This study carried out within a general logical framework of the durable development based on an DPSIR analysis in the municipality of Abomey-Calavi of the Atlantic district in Benin made it possible to provide information on the main sources of contamination of the drinking water. We also carried out a random sampling of 110 wells and 110 households by taking account into the geographical distribution of the households in the commune. We selected 60 taps and 60 households by random sampling for those using water drink distributed by the national Society of Water in Benin. In each zone or district, three households consuming either well water or tap water were drawn randomly. A retrospective study on the number of cases of the hydrous diseases and other symptoms of hydrous diseases was carried out by consultation of medical registers of the commune from 2007 to 2009. Cases of diarrhoeas used as basic variable of health were compared with the other cases of hydrous diseases available in the files. <p><p>Results:<p>The results show that: the most al the well water taken in the households has temperatures beyond the recommendation of the World Health Organization (25 °C) and 98.2 % have a pH below the normal which is 6.5 to 8.5. We note a strong mercury and cadmium, complete iron, aluminum, nitrate nitrite pollution of the sampled wells (n=110) which is respectively 32.73%, 11.82%,10%, 43.64%, 6.36% and 14.55%. The results of the bacteriological analysis of water revealed that the totality of the wells is contaminated. The germs identified during the analysis of the well water are: Escherichia coli, fecal streptococcus species, bacterial salmonella ,Shigella ,Clostridium perfringens, staphylococcus species,<p> Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Most frequent among these germs are: Escherichia coli (100%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (97.27%), bacterial salmonella and Shigella (96,36%) with regard to the coliformes and enterobacteries. As for the cocci with Gram (+) they are staphylococcus species (97.27%) and the fecal streptococcus (88.18%). It is useful to stress that all the wells are strongly contaminated by Clostridium perfringens (95.45%).<p> The differences between the respective prevalence of parasitic coprology, uroculture, diarrhoeas, pains abdominal and saddles bloody for exposed (45.4%, 71.8%, 76.4% and 59.1%) :those who consume the water of wells not exposed (8.3%, 1.7%,13.3%, 16.7): those who consume tap water, are statistically significant (p<0.001). For diarrhoeas according to the characteristics of the people reached of hydrous diseases and other symptoms of hydrous diseases we have: <p>•\ / Doctorat en Sciences de la santé publique / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Face à la forte croissance démographique et spatiale de la ville d'Abomey-Calavi, l'augmentation qualitative et quantitative des déchets solides ménagers, la pratique de plus en plus généralisée du remblai des bas fonds par les déchets solides ménagers, l'inexistence des décharges intermédiaires et finales autorisées et, la fragilité de la nappe phréatique de par sa faible profondeur, il est impérieux que les actions idoines soient entreprises en vue d'une gestion efficace et pérenne des DSM de cette ville. L'objectif de cette étude a été, donc, de proposer une filière efficace et pérenne de gestion des déchets solides ménagers de la ville d'Abomey-Calavi afin de contribuer à la réduction des flux de ses déchets.La connaissance du gisement des déchets solides ménagers, dans son approche sociologique et qualitative en termes de composition étant la première étape dans la mise en oeuvre efficace d'une filière de gestion des déchets. Une enquête sociologique a été faite auprès de 200 personnes, actrices à différents niveaux de la gestion des DSM de la ville d'Abomey-Calavi. De même, le présent travail a, d'une part procédé à une caractérisation des déchets solides ménagers en fonction du standing et de la saison, d'autre part étudié l'impact des déchets solides ménagers sur les eaux des puits situés sur les bas fonds et, enfin s'en est suivi des essais de fabrication de compost en fonction des différents constituants. Nos résultats ont révélé qu'indépendamment du standing de vie, les quantités de déchets solides ménagers produits sont plus élevées les week-ends et particulièrement, le dimanche où elles sont le double des quantités produites les autres jours de la semaine. / Considering the, (i) high population and spatial growth of the Abomey-Calavi city (Benin), (ii) qualitative and quantitative increase of the household solid waste in the town of Abomey - Calavi, (iii) a more and more generalized practice of embankment of wet zones by household solid waste (HSW), (iv) non-existence of municipal landfills and, (v) fragility of the groundwater due to its weak depth, it's necessary that appropriate actions are achieved with the aim of an effective and long-term management of the household solid waste. The aim of this study was to propose an effective and long-term plan of management of Abomey-Calavi HSW. Knowledge of household-solid-waste quality and sociological point of view are the first step in an effective implementation of waste management spinneret. A sociological investigation was made with 200 persons, dealing on various levels with solid wastes in the Abomey-Calavi city. Also, the present study has, on one hand, characterized HSW according to standing of life and season, on the other hand, has investigated the impact of the HSW on waters of wells located in waste-impacted zones and, finally carried out tests of composting taking in account various compositions. Our results revealed that whatever the standing of life, the production of household solid wastes is more important during weekends and specially, on Sundays: twice more larger than those produced the other days of the week. About 0.89 kg of HSW per capita is produced on average every day. The management of HSW in Abomey - Calavi city, which can be termed pre-collection-based, is felt as bad by 80 % of HSW-careers and 50 % of the town council investigated employees.