This paper gives an outline for a research project to study the historical and actual functioning of the so-called traditional social security system in Swaziland and its relationship with... Show moreThis paper gives an outline for a research project to study the historical and actual functioning of the so-called traditional social security system in Swaziland and its relationship with processes of socioeconomic differentiation and nuclearization. The traditional social security system is defined here as the set of traditional institutions that is based on a principle of economic solidarity. This system provides, by the transfer of factors of production, goods and money, a subsistence base to those who could otherwise not reach subsistence level because of old age, invalidity, sickness, death, unemployment, maternity, lack of factors of production, employment injury and pregnancy. In this way it ensures the survival of the homestead. This set of institutions functions between economic units (households) within a homestead or between households of different homesteads. In most cases the institutions are based on kin relationships, although some are based on alliance, on friendship or on systems of mutual help. The first chapter deals with processes of change and traditional structures in sub-Saharan Africa: a Marxist interpretation. In chapter 2 the case of Swaziland is described. Show less
This research report on disability and rehabilitation among the Shona in Goromonzi district, Zimbabwe, consists of two parts. The first part gives a summary of the literature study and consists of... Show moreThis research report on disability and rehabilitation among the Shona in Goromonzi district, Zimbabwe, consists of two parts. The first part gives a summary of the literature study and consists of four chapters. Chapter 2 provides an introduction to the fieldwork area, its administrative structure and organization, its religious structure and cultural setting and its historical background. Chapter 3 introduces relevant medical definitions and theories concerning disability, rehabilitation and community-based rehabilitation. This is followed by a compilation of the statistical information available on disabled people and a summary of the development of rehabilitation in Zimbabwe. In chapter 4, a description is given of the main components of the traditional belief system. Chapter 5 consists of a summary of the introductory chapters. The rather lengthy introduction and the summary are required in view of the aim of this study, namely to understand ideas and practices concerning disability and rehabilitation within their cultural context. The fieldwork data are presented in chapters 6, 7 and 8. A summary of the interviews with the disabled informants, their relatives and relevant others concerning the terminology and the explanations used for their disability forms the content of chapter 6. Chapter 7 provides information on the diagnosis and treatment practices as reported by the traditional healers, while in chapter 8 the social position of disabled informants interviewed for the survey is presented Show less
This article describes a phenomenon known all over Africa, for which there is no really satisfactory term in English but which is summed up in the French term 'radio trottoir', literally 'pavement... Show moreThis article describes a phenomenon known all over Africa, for which there is no really satisfactory term in English but which is summed up in the French term 'radio trottoir', literally 'pavement radio'. It may be defined as the popular and unofficial discussion of current affairs in Africa, particularly in towns. Unlike the press, television or radio, pavement radio is not controlled by any identifiable individual, institution or group of people. An examination of the social role and pedigree of pavement radio reveals it to be qualitatively different from either rumour or gossip and to have a quite different social and political function from its counterpart in Europe. It is also different from mere rumour in its choice of subject, often discussing matters of public interest or importance which have been the subject of no official announcement. Pavement radio should be seen in the light of oral tradition and treated as a descendant of the more formal oral histories associated with ruling dynasties and national rituals. Show less
This study examines agricultural production and off-farm employment among the rural population in Kwale District Kenya. Research was carried out in two villages, located in different agro... Show moreThis study examines agricultural production and off-farm employment among the rural population in Kwale District Kenya. Research was carried out in two villages, located in different agro-ecological zones: Kibandaongo, in the low-potential livestock-millet zone, inhabited by the Duruma; and Bongwe, in the relatively high-potential coconut-cassava zone, inhabited by the Digo. The study shows that the areas differ considerably with respect to agricultural performance and the role of additional income from off-farm activities. This difference, however, is not primarily caused by differences in agro-ecological potential, but rather by differences in the socioeconomic sphere: opportunities for off-farm employment in Bongwe are much larger than in Kibandaongo. The involvement of the population of Bongwe in off-farm activities leads to a neglect of agricultural activities, particularly food production. Show less
This book concerns the early years of German colonial rule in Cameroon. It focuses on the North-Western Province. When Cameroon was declared a German protectorate in 1884 a systematic effort was... Show moreThis book concerns the early years of German colonial rule in Cameroon. It focuses on the North-Western Province. When Cameroon was declared a German protectorate in 1884 a systematic effort was made to penetrate the hinterlands and to impose German rule. The gradual penetration was closely monitored by the Governor's office in Buea, and reports on this process were either published in the 'Deutsches Kolonialzeitung' or in 'Das Deutsche Kolonialblatt' (DKB) or in other German papers. The author concentrates on DKB, which for 29 years (1890-1919) covered the events in the German colonies. Part I is the author's analytic assessment of the articles published in DKB on the western Grassfields. It reviews the data on its peoples, the penetration strategies and the effective establishment of the 'Bamenda Bezirk'. Part II concentrates on the Zintgraff years (1889-1892). Zintgraff's move into the region is documented by the DKB. Part III presents the various exploratory and punitive expeditions that were carried out against the so-called 'rebel tribes' from 1901-1913. An annex carries five articles in German. Show less
Third part of a five-part study on seasonal fluctuations in food supply and nutrition in the coastal lowlands of Kenya. Household surveys were carried out in six locations in Kwale and Kilifi... Show moreThird part of a five-part study on seasonal fluctuations in food supply and nutrition in the coastal lowlands of Kenya. Household surveys were carried out in six locations in Kwale and Kilifi Districts in 1985-1987. The present report offers a description of the socioeconomic characteristics of the area: demographic characteristics, living conditions, food production (farm size, land use, labour, food self-sufficiency), production of cash crops and livestock, off-farm employment, household income. Show less
The struggle for land is a phenomenon which can be observed worldwide. In its occurrence it is not restricted to a particular period in time, nor to a specific geographical region, nor to a certain... Show moreThe struggle for land is a phenomenon which can be observed worldwide. In its occurrence it is not restricted to a particular period in time, nor to a specific geographical region, nor to a certain type of society. In this book, the editors present case studies of the struggle for land as it occurs in Third World countries and in less developed areas at the periphery of the industrialized world. The case studies are structured according to the adaptational strategies of the populations involved and include examples of the struggle for land among hunters and gatherers, among pastoralists, and among people who subsist on horticulture and agriculture. The following articles deal with Africa: Pastoralists and their struggle for land: examples from Africa south of the Sahara, by B. Bos and G. Peperk The struggle for land and livestock among the Turkana, (ex)-nomadic pastoralists of northwest Kenya, by M.M.E.M. Rutten; Religion and the struggle for land in Zimbabwe, by G. Huizer; The struggle for land in Kenya's marginal areas as exemplified by the situation in Meru District, by G. Peperkamp Show less
