Inaug. Diss.: Rechts- und staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät: Zürich. _ 1976. _ Bibliogr. p. 171-177. Index.

In recent years Zaire has changed from a net exporter to a net importer of maize. Four districts of South Central Zaire were selected to investigate factors which limit the production and the supply of marketed maize grain in Zaire. Farmers in this area were interviewed to collect data on the number of crops planted, the peak periods for agricultural operation, the division of labor within the household and the labor force available for agricultural work. Survey procedures were also used to determine when and where farmers sell maize and who buys marketed maize. The effects on maize production of the policies of the central and regional governments were also investigated. During the sixties and early seventies, national investment policy has heavily favored the urban based manufacturing and mining sectors, undoubtedly contributing to the fact that many Zairians migrated from rural to urban areas. In the absence of a compensating increase in labor productivity, these migrations reduced agricultural output and the quantities of food crops sold, particularly, the quantity of maize delivered to urban markets. At the producer's level, this study indicates that low maize production is a consequence of inadequate storage for seed and consumption maize. The use of seeds of low quality for germination combined with production practices that result in untimely planting, weeding and harvesting contribute to low maize yields. This study also indicates that one of the factors which has contributed to limit the quantity of maize produced is a shortage of labor during peak periods of agricultural operations. Labor shortages exist because of the limited number of household members involved in agricultural work, and because of the division of labor in the household which assigns some agricultural tasks almost exclusively to women. The study also indicates that the effectiveness of the marketing system in providing incentives for maize production has been limited by weak transportation and communication links between production and consumption centers and by efforts of some traders to gain oligopsonistic power in their relations with maize producers in the more isolated areas. This study also indicates that national price policies have negatively affected maize production. Other regional and local policies have served to restrict interregional trade. The policy implications of this study suggest that a number of government programs may be helpful in increasing maize production and the supply of marketable surplus. These may include: (1) government information programs designed to improve maize storage, seed quality and the efficiency of the marketing system;. (2) diffusion of information on the appropriate times for planting, weeding and harvesting maize; (3) further promotion of the technological package developed by Programme National Mais and the provision of inputs and incentives favorable to the adoption of this technology; (4) providing incentives for the promotion of a greater participation of all household members in agricultural production; and (5) some mechanical assistance for plowing such as is now provided by two government supervised production organizations, CAKO and TABAZAIRE. Indications from this study also suggest that a successful implementation of such programs would necissitate some reorganization of the extension service and diverting a larger share of government current and investment expenditures to agriculture. / Graduation date: 1977

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the teaching of English as a foreign language in Zaire in general and Eastern Kasai in particular. For it is evident from personal experience and evidence from examination results that this learning is in general not satisfactory, and particularly poor as far as learners' mastery of oral fluency is concerned. The aim of the thesis is therefore to analyze the learning situation in order to clarify the factors which might be causing this unsatisfactory situation. We take two approaches to this analysis: a theoretical review of the situation and an empirical study of teaching and learning. The thesis thus falls into four parts. In Part One, we describe the learners’ historical and sociolinguistic background and the Zairean educational situation in general and the problems of teaching English in particular. In Part Two, we review the situation in Zaire -and in Eastern Kasai in particular- by an analysis of the literature on language learning and the insights it can give us into the Zairean problem. This review deals first with issues in foreign language teaching. It also focusses however on literature on bilingualism since Zairean learners are always bilingual in, at least, one local language and the French they learn on entry to the education system. Intuitively, we might assume that bilingual learners will be at an advantage in learning a foreign language, and Zairean learners should therefore be in a good position to learn English. Our review of the relevant literature examines the objective evidence for this intuitive assumption and suggests that, other things being equal, bilingual individuals should be good learners of foreign languages. We conclude therefore that other factors in the situation may be responsible for the unsatisfactory standards. Part Three is an analysis of some of those factors, based on an empirical investigation. It is at this point that the thesis focusses more precisely on Eastern Kasai where fieldwork was carried out. Pupils and students, teachers, and inspectors and administrators were given questionnaires and interviews, and lessons were observed in four secondary schools. Many factors were found to be causing problems in EFL learning. Part Four deals with the most important of these factors and their implications, our recommendations for future practice and further research, and the conclusion., The following factors were identified as having a detrimental effect on this learning: learners' lack of motivation to go on/ perseverance, which is caused by the overemphasis teaching methods put on accuracy. This in turn means that every thing done or said in lessons is teacher-centred and teacher-dominated, and this contributes to a reduction in the already scarce opportunities and frequencies of use of English by the learners. We therefore recommend that, to increase learners' motivation to learn (to speak) English, teaching methods and teachers should allow them much more freedom of speech, thus stressing (oral) fluency. This will result in these learners opening up, and in methods becoming more learner-oriented, with the ultimate aim of having them learner-centred. In our conclusion, we give a summary of the thesis, namely its purpose, the way we followed to reach it, the results we got, and our recommendations for future practice and research.

The contagious sound of Congo-Zaire's distinctive popular dance music has made it a kind of 'musica franca' of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the music's influence outside of its country of origin, virtually no research has been done to explore the history, production and meaning of the musical style. In addition to being a privileged feature of Congo-Kinshasa's cultural landscape, this 'musique moderne' also constitutes a valuable source of information of the way that 'modernity' is ordered and understood in an African context. 'Modernity', I want to argue, is driven by 'tradition', and 'audition' pulls 'modernity' back into its sphere of utility, resulting in a never-ending, forever-changing, cultural and political spiral. 'Modernism', on the other hand, as a stance or 'way of being' in the world, is used as a means of gaining mastery over the paradoxes and pleasures of 'modernity's' condition. Findings are based on fourteen months of intensive fieldwork (1995--1996) in Brazzaville (Peoples' Republic of Congo) and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo). I conducted research on three basic units of study relative to Congolese popular dance music: the music industry, the musical style and the audience. By comparing information from these three domains of knowledge, I have attempted to show not only how music in Kinshasa is performed, but how it is produced and understood. The 'modern' idiom through which music expresses itself is interesting in itself, but it also highlights the importance of culture and history to the study of popular culture and politics.

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Includes bibliographical references. / In this thesis, the energy sector of the Central Africa region is investigated with a special attention to Zaire. The region's political trends, economic performance, demographic and social patterns as well as their implications in the development of the energy sector are presented. For each country of the region the resource potential and the ability to produce, distribute and use these energy resources, are analyzed. The potential for the development of energy resources of the region is examined and its future energy demand forecast. The scope for energy interchange inside and outside the region is analyzed and regional integration in the energy sector discussed. The findings of this thesis are: * there is an abundance of energy resources though not evenly distributed throughout the region, * there is a heavy reliance on woodfuel, and * there are many problems constraining the development of the energy sector. The principal issues facing the energy sector are: *the shortage of woodfuel due to the non-sustainability of supply, *the low reliability of power supply and the existence of surplus capacity in some countries, *the high supply cost of petroleum products, *the limited size of the local commercial fuel market and the lack of finance to develop domestic energy resources, *the low level of management and financial autonomy for energy utilities, *the lack of energy trade because of political instability, and institutional shortcomings. Forecasts of future energy consumption in the region indicate that woodfuel will continue to be the dominant energy form, followed by oil and electricity, and that electricity will play an increasing role. Recommendations for the woodfuel subsector relates to improving the production and utilization efficiency - valid also for the other energy carriers, increasing the supply through reforestation programmes and accelerating electrification. Other recommendations to improve the development of the energy sector include: * recovering energy supply cost through adequate pricing and improved collection practices, * reducing government interference and introducing private participation in the energy sector with the subsequent benefit of the transfer of new technology and managerial competence, and * strengthening energy institutions to enable them to improve planning, implementations, operations, and ensure the integration of traditional and commercial energy structures . The possibilities of energy interchange are large for oil and electricity, and energy trade could improve energy utilization, lower supply costs, etc. Under prevailing socio-economic conditions, regional integration is thought to be the only realistic strategy leading to the economic exploitation of energy resources and the adequate supply of energy to support industrial development of the region and to meet the social needs of its people. In this connection, major efforts should be directed towards the establishment of appropriate regional energy institutions, but political stability is a prerequisite to any effective energy integration.

Doctorat en sciences sociales, politiques et économiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Textiles may be used as a vehicle to penetrate and exemplify a society's customs and traditions. This dissertation concentrates on the Kuba cloths from Zaire and particularly focuses on the social and political implications associated with these textiles. Part One explores the economic aspects of the cloths and the values of work, wealth, status and titleholding among the Kuba. The Kuba's aesthetic preference for pattern and design will be contemplated in relation to the cloths and as an illustration of this culture's concern with decoration and display. Part Two of this study examines the occasions for which these cloths are adorned. It will be observed that these celebrations and rituals, in conjunction with their ceremonial modes of dress, not only underline the importance of the nation and its ideologies and customs (as examined in Part One) but serve to acknowledge ethnic identity, as well as maintain and perpetuate the social and political order of the Kuba. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (History of Art)

Textiles may be used as a vehicle to penetrate and exemplify a society's customs and traditions. This dissertation concentrates on the Kuba cloths from Zaire and particularly focuses on the social and political implications associated with these textiles. Part One explores the economic aspects of the cloths and the values of work, wealth, status and titleholding among the Kuba. The Kuba's aesthetic preference for pattern and design will be contemplated in relation to the cloths and as an illustration of this culture's concern with decoration and display. Part Two of this study examines the occasions for which these cloths are adorned. It will be observed that these celebrations and rituals, in conjunction with their ceremonial modes of dress, not only underline the importance of the nation and its ideologies and customs (as examined in Part One) but serve to acknowledge ethnic identity, as well as maintain and perpetuate the social and political order of the Kuba. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (History of Art)

No description available.