M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

During the independence era in West Africa (1958–1980) many nations embarked on ambitious programmes aimed at rejuvenating their traditional art forms. These programmes were realised through new cultural policies, with music the prime target of the governments’ campaigns. I contend that in the search for an appropriate voice West African governments focussed on one group of musicians, the Mande griots. It was through their musical compositions that the State communicated ideology and doctrine to the public. I assert that to focus on a specific ethnic group and promote them as cultural ambassadors was a policy that conflicted with the core principles of West Africa’s governments, who upheld a doctrine that promoted nationalism over ethnocentrism. It was a neo-colonialist strategy designed to consolidate the rule of the governing party, a contention which I support through an analysis of the role of griots in West African society and an appraisal of the careers of musicians, musical recordings, and musical styles. This thesis represents a historical account of Mande griots in West Africa with respect to their influence on local and national politics. Part of the aim of this thesis is to create a comprehensive and accurate catalogue of West African musical recordings and groups, the results of which are located in the appendices.

During the independence era in West Africa (1958–1980) many nations embarked on ambitious programmes aimed at rejuvenating their traditional art forms. These programmes were realised through new cultural policies, with music the prime target of the governments’ campaigns. I contend that in the search for an appropriate voice West African governments focussed on one group of musicians, the Mande griots. It was through their musical compositions that the State communicated ideology and doctrine to the public. I assert that to focus on a specific ethnic group and promote them as cultural ambassadors was a policy that conflicted with the core principles of West Africa’s governments, who upheld a doctrine that promoted nationalism over ethnocentrism. It was a neo-colonialist strategy designed to consolidate the rule of the governing party, a contention which I support through an analysis of the role of griots in West African society and an appraisal of the careers of musicians, musical recordings, and musical styles. This thesis represents a historical account of Mande griots in West Africa with respect to their influence on local and national politics. Part of the aim of this thesis is to create a comprehensive and accurate catalogue of West African musical recordings and groups, the results of which are located in the appendices.

Le genre Psychotria est le plus vaste de la famille des Rubiaceae, avec plusieurs centaines d’espèces répandues dans toutes les régions tropicales humides. Les Psychotria sont principalement des arbustes (quelques-uns sont lianescents, herbacés ou arborescents) et entrent souvent pour une part importante dans la composition des sous-bois tropicaux. Certains montrent des adaptations remarquables comme la symbiose bactérienne foliaire ou l’accumulation d’humus. En raison de sa taille et des difficultés d’identifications, ce genre reste mal connu, notamment en Afrique occidentale et centrale où il n’a fait l’objet d’aucun travail d’ensemble depuis les années 1960.<p>Le présent travail a pour objectifs :1) la révision taxonomique du genre Psychotria pour l’Afrique occidentale et centrale; 2) une étude phylogénétique du genre, visant à reconstituer son évolution et améliorer la classification infragénérique ;et 3) une étude biogéographique régionale de ce groupe, afin de définir des centres de diversité et d'endémisme.<p>Notre travail de taxonomie, fondé sur l’examen des spécimens d’herbier et sur des missions de terrain au Cameroun et au Gabon, nous a conduit à reconnaître l’existence de 232 espèces en Afrique occidentale et centrale, ce qui fait de Psychotria le plus vaste genre de plantes dans cette région. Parmi ces espèces, 78 sont nouvelles.<p>Nos travaux phylogénétiques, basés sur l’étude de deux marqueurs nucléaires (ITS et ETS) et quatre chloroplastiques (rps16, trnG, matK et rbcLa), montrent que la classification de Petit (1964, 1966) est largement à revoir. Il apparaît notamment que les deux sous-genres (Psychotria et Tetramerae) reconnus en Afrique, et fondés sur la présence ou l’absence de nodules bactériens foliaires, ne sont pas monophylétiques, certaines espèces ayant secondairement perdu leurs nodules. Nos résultats soutiennent également le rattachement du genre monospécifique Peripeplus à Psychotria.<p>Le genre Psychotria montre une diversité remarquable, associée à un taux d’endémisme élevé, dans le domaine bas-guinéen (Cameroun et Gabon principalement) où plusieurs centres d’endémisme ont été identifiés. Ceux-ci sont localisés non seulement dans les massifs montagneux de l’intérieur, dont la flore particulière est bien connue, mais également dans les régions littorales. L’Afrique de l’ouest, moins diversifiée, montre cependant un fort endémisme localisé principalement dans deux centres, l’un situé au Liberia et dans l’ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire, l’autre vers la frontière Côte d’Ivoire/Ghana. Le bassin du Congo, comparable en diversité à l’Afrique de l’Ouest, est relativement pauvre en endémiques.<p>Ces résultats suggèrent que les forêts du Cameroun et du Gabon auraient relativement bien résisté aux périodes sèches passées, et remettent notamment en question l’hypothèse d’une disparition des forêts littorales du golfe de Guinée au cours du Pleistocène./Psychotria is the largest genus in the Rubiaceae family, with several hundred species in wet tropical areas worldwide. Psychotria spp. are mostly shrubs (a few being lianas, creepers or trees) and are often an important component of the undergrowth in tropical rainforests. Some show remarkable adaptations such as leaf bacterial symbiosis or litter gathering. Due to its size and identification problems, Psychotria remains a little-known genus, especially in West and Central Africa, where no major work has been done on this group since the 1960s.<p>The aims of the present work are: 1) a taxonomic revision of Psychotria in West and Central Africa; 2) a phylogenetic study of the genus, in order to trace its evolution and improve the infrageneric classification; and 3) a regional biogeographic study of the genus, to define centers of diversity and endemism.<p>Our taxonomical work, based on the study of herbarium specimens and field expeditions in Gabon and Cameroon, led us to recognise 232 species of Psychotria in West and Central Africa. Psychotria is therefore the largest plant genus in this area. Among these species, 78 are new.<p>Our phylogenetic work, based on two nuclear markers (ITS and ETS) and four chloroplastic markers (rps16, trnG, matK, rbcLa), shows that Petit’s (1964, 1966) infrageneric classification is in need of revision. In particular, we show that the two subgenera present in Africa (subg. Tetramerae and subg. Psychotria), which are defined by the presence or absence of leaf bacterial nodules, are not monophyletic: a secondary loss of the bacterial nodules has occured in some species. Our results also support the merging of the monospecific genus Peripeplus into Psychotria.<p>The genus Psychotria shows a remarkable diversity and a high level and endemism in the Lower Guinea domain (particularly Cameroon and Gabon) where several centers of endemism are identified. These are located not only in the inland hill ranges, which are well known for their particular flora, but also in littoral areas. West Africa is less diverse but also shows a high level of endemism, which concerns mostly two areas, one in Liberia and western Côte d’Ivoire and the other around the Côte d’Ivoire/Ghana border. The Congo basin, comparable in diversity to West Africa, has relatively few endemic species.<p>These results suggest that the rainforests of Cameroon and Gabon resisted relatively well during historical drier periods. They do not support the hypothesis of a disappearance of the Gulf of Guinea littoral forests during the Pleistocene.<p><p> / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Talks about health literacy, beliefs about health of immigrants from the French speaking countries of West Africa in the USA. How they handle diabetes, navigate the health care system and how they get their information.

The study utilizes regional integration theories like neo-functionalism, intergovernmentalism and new regionalism to analyse the formation, structure and transformation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It examines the role of ECOWAS as a sub-regional economic body and its transformation to a political and security body dealing with sub-regional conflict resolution. Though neo-functionalism is generally analysed in reference to European regional integration, the study attempts to draw some lessons from this theory. Also, new regionalism theory is utilized to examine the transformation of ECOWAS from a mere economic body to a security and political entity. Regionalism in West Africa was initially geared towards mere economic cooperation; however, the emergence of ECOWAS on the scene and its subsequent transformation witnessed several changes towards the path of security cooperation. Despite its involvement with the gigantic political and security related activities, a general evaluation of economic integration in West Africa depicts a low level of progress. The poor state of sub-regional economic integration shows that ECOWAS did not complete its regional economic integration agenda before diverting to other sectors of integration. ECOWAS peacekeeping operations have been the dominant topic in sub-regional conflict resolution in West Africa. However, other forms of conflict resolution, including mediation, negotiation, conciliation and arbitration have been severally utilized. Also, in some of the cases, peacekeeping operations have been deployed only after other peaceful efforts have failed. ECOWAS peacekeeping operations are divergent operations with different forms and mandates. Therefore, they are better analysed under the framework of peacekeeping, peace-enforcement and peace-making theories. ECOWAS peacekeeping operations have been a subject of debate by proponents of the principle of non-interference and those of the responsibility to protect. The expediency of military intervention for humanitarian reasons as well as the prevention of genocide, war crimes and catastrophic loss of lives has questioned the principle of non-interference and validated the principle of responsibility to protect. / Political Sciences / D. Litt. et Phil. (International Politics)

Thesis (MA (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / The West Coast Fossil Park near Langebaanweg in the Western Cape, South Africa, is known for its abundance of marine, freshwater and terrestrial fossils of Mio-Pliocene age. The fossil bearing deposits reflect the complex and varied depositional environments, which were influenced by the change in course of the Berg River and regressions and transgressions of sealevel. The fossil deposits at this site are world-renowned for their species richness and uniqueness and there was a need to gain an in-depth understanding of the events that gave rise to this situation. To understand these complexities, it was necessary to construct a composite model of the pre-history of the West Coast Fossil Park, incorporating topological, geological and palaeontological data. GIS provided the ideal platform to integrate data from such varied sources, using spatial correlation to interpret commonalities. Subsequently, a spatially explicit database of the present-day study area, from Dwarskersbos in the north to just north of Yzerfontein in the south, was constructed. The oldest geological formation, the basement layer, as well as three successive formations was reconstructed on a regional scale using borehole data. Interpolation of point data to regional surfaces was a dual process incorporating expert opinion and purpose-built tools within ESRI’s ArcInfo and ArcMap 8.3. A similar reconstruction at a finer scale was done for the West Coast Fossil Park area using kriging as an interpolation method. These reconstructed geological layers can be used to predict the depth and location of fossil-bearing deposits. There is scope for further study and analysis to compare the accuracy of alternative interpolation methods, and combining it with field-based validation of modelled outputs.

The study utilizes regional integration theories like neo-functionalism, intergovernmentalism and new regionalism to analyse the formation, structure and transformation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It examines the role of ECOWAS as a sub-regional economic body and its transformation to a political and security body dealing with sub-regional conflict resolution. Though neo-functionalism is generally analysed in reference to European regional integration, the study attempts to draw some lessons from this theory. Also, new regionalism theory is utilized to examine the transformation of ECOWAS from a mere economic body to a security and political entity. Regionalism in West Africa was initially geared towards mere economic cooperation; however, the emergence of ECOWAS on the scene and its subsequent transformation witnessed several changes towards the path of security cooperation. Despite its involvement with the gigantic political and security related activities, a general evaluation of economic integration in West Africa depicts a low level of progress. The poor state of sub-regional economic integration shows that ECOWAS did not complete its regional economic integration agenda before diverting to other sectors of integration. ECOWAS peacekeeping operations have been the dominant topic in sub-regional conflict resolution in West Africa. However, other forms of conflict resolution, including mediation, negotiation, conciliation and arbitration have been severally utilized. Also, in some of the cases, peacekeeping operations have been deployed only after other peaceful efforts have failed. ECOWAS peacekeeping operations are divergent operations with different forms and mandates. Therefore, they are better analysed under the framework of peacekeeping, peace-enforcement and peace-making theories. ECOWAS peacekeeping operations have been a subject of debate by proponents of the principle of non-interference and those of the responsibility to protect. The expediency of military intervention for humanitarian reasons as well as the prevention of genocide, war crimes and catastrophic loss of lives has questioned the principle of non-interference and validated the principle of responsibility to protect. / Political Sciences / D. Litt. et Phil. (International Politics)

This thesis provides a moral analysis of micro-regional forces in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, using the framework of the New Regionalism Approach (NRA). It presents an original contribution to the field through the addition of the Ghanaian-Ivoirian case study, as well as a unique application of Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach to the NRA. In an attempt to counter the view that borders in Africa are artificial, arbitrary and the result of colonial imposition, this research employs the Capabilities Approach, providing a narrative of both positive and negative impacts resulting from the opportunity created by borders in West Africa. The way in which the Ghanaian-Ivoirian border is used by individuals in their security strategies in the face of economic deprivation and physical threats represents a positive impact of borders. Conversely, the role of borders in the continued prevalence of human trafficking in West Africa is also questioned in this piece, providing a balanced account of the impact of borders. This research concludes that the Ghanaian-Ivoirian border presents opportunities that can be exploited to both positive and negative ends at the micro-regional level. This interpretation suggests that any complete account of borders in West Africa more broadly ought to employ a moral framework in addition to a multi-levelled scale of analysis.

D’un pays d'émigrants, le Cap-Vert a commencé dans les années 90, en particulier dans la seconde moitié, à recevoir les étrangers, en particulier ceux des pays voisins de la CEDEAO, suite à l'accord de la libre circulation des personnes inscrites dans le Protocole de la libre circulation ratifié par le Cap-Vert. Le pays est devenu un pôle d'attraction de travailleurs étrangers suite à l'essor du tourisme et des activités connexes, notamment la construction civile et les travaux publics, le commerce, l´hôtellerie et la restauration.<p>L´objectif de ce travail vise à analyser la construction des images de l'immigration en provenance de pays membres de la CEDEAO au Cap-Vert, les représentations et les attitudes réciproques à l´égard de ce phénomène et les contextes dans lesquels elles se produisent. L'hypothèse de base est qu´on est dans un pays où les autochtones ont toujours vécu avec des étrangers, pas dans leur pays d´origine, mais dans des nombreuses destinations d'émigration. De même, cette coexistence, que fut la plupart du temps avec les Européens et les Américains blancs, commence à s´établir avec les voisins du continent, non pas dans un pays tiers mais au Cap Vert. Par conséquent, l'objectif est de comprendre les relations entre les groupes sociaux, nationaux et immigrés, à la suite de la fixation et l'insertion des immigrés dans les secteurs socio-économiques nationaux, particulièrement dans le marché du travail, où on trouve un taux de chômage élevé.<p>Cette étude est fondée sur un dialogue avec les théories des migrations internationales et les théories des représentations sociales et qui soutiennent la thèse.<p><p>From a country of emigrants, Cape Verde transformed into a country of immigrants during the 90’s, mainly in the second half of that decade. The country started receiving immigrants especially from the neighbourhood countries of the ECOWAS region, due to the free movement of people subscribed in the Protocol of movement of people ratified by Cape Verde. The country has been a focus of attraction of labour workers following the boom in tourism and related activities, including construction and public works, commerce, hotels, and restaurants services. <p>This work has the main objective to analyse the construction of the images of the people coming from the ECOWAS countries members in Cape Verde, the representations and reciprocal attitudes in relation to this phenomenon and the contexts in which they occur. It is assumed that we are in a country where the local population always interacted with foreigners not in their origins but in the various migratory destinations. Similarly, this coexistence that happened mainly with white Europeans and Americans is happening with the neighbours of the continent. Consequently, it is intended to understand the relationships the social groups, nationals and immigrants establish among them as a result of establishment and insertion in the national socioeconomic sectors, mainly at the labour market, where, along with high unemployment rate, it is, verified a massive inclusion of the ECOWAS foreigners. <p>The current study is based on a dialogue with the international migration theories and the social representation theories that will support the thesis. <p><p><p> / Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished