In the considerable number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa in which political institutions have largely broken down, religious discourse can be seen as an attempted remedy by means of a... Show moreIn the considerable number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa in which political institutions have largely broken down, religious discourse can be seen as an attempted remedy by means of a reordering of power. The numerous popular texts on witchcraft and other perceived forms of evil reflect the preoccupations of Africans with the way in which power is exercised in their societies. Since these texts are particularly concerned with the dangers that can arise when power is not properly organized and controlled, they can be considered a commentary on a world in which power is seen as being too often an instrument of evil people who use it to destroy peace and harmony. This article sketches a theory which clarifies the relationship between religion and politics in Africa. It first discusses what religion is, and how it may best be studied. Then it examines a couple of popular religious texts chosen by way of illustration, before passing on to some further observations on the way in which power is organized and perceived in various African societies. Finally, it draws some conclusions about religion as a political idiom. Show less
In various parts of Africa, Pentecostalism underscores the necessity for its members to make a complete break with the past. Although Pentecostalism speaks a language of modernity in which there... Show moreIn various parts of Africa, Pentecostalism underscores the necessity for its members to make a complete break with the past. Although Pentecostalism speaks a language of modernity in which there is a past-inferior versus a present-superior dichotomy whereby the believer is prompted to sever all ties with former social relations in the search for new individuality, it would be a mistake to argue that Pentecostalism stops here. On the contrary, the author argues that because the moment of instant rebirth is seen as the power base from which new future orientations are constructed, Pentecostalism may swing in different modalities from a disembedding of the subject from past social relations to a re-embedding in relations with a different temporal orientation. This is illustrated by the case of the Pentecostalist movement of 'Abadwa Mwatsopano' (Born Again) in urban areas of Malawi, and most of all in the largest city, Blantyre. This movement rose against the official discourse in Malawi, which fetishes the remembrance of the country's cultural past. Conversion narratives of young fundamentalists remember the past only to deny it. For the Born Again movement, the truth lies with a Christian future, utopian in its emancipatory promise. Bibliogr., notes, ref Show less
In order to make ends meet, many poor urban households in sub-Saharan Africa fall back on farming activities, either within the city boundaries or in the rural areas from which they come. The... Show moreIn order to make ends meet, many poor urban households in sub-Saharan Africa fall back on farming activities, either within the city boundaries or in the rural areas from which they come. The central question raised in this article is whether access to farmland influences a household's food situation. The findings come from a study on urban agriculture in Korogocho, one of two slum areas in Nairobi, Kenya, where a survey was conducted in 1994. The results suggest that access to land does have a positive impact on the welfare situation of urban households, although not necessarily on the food situation as well. Nonetheless, households with access to a rural plot seem to be better off than households without access to any land, at least in terms of the overall food situation as perceived by the respondents themselves. In addition, households with access to a rural plot only also seem to be better off than those with access to only an urban plot. This would imply that access to rural land is more favourable for a household's food situation than access to urban land. The fact that half of the very poor households in Korogocho claiming to have access to rural land did not use that land themselves further suggests that the situation may be more complex than is generally assumed. Bibliogr., note, sum Show less
In response to the need for further conceptual development in the field of anthropological globalization studies, this article concentrates on the concept of virtuality, arguing that this... Show moreIn response to the need for further conceptual development in the field of anthropological globalization studies, this article concentrates on the concept of virtuality, arguing that this constitutes one of the key concepts for a characterization and understanding of the forms of globalization and provisionally indicates their theoretical relationship. The problematic heritage of a locality-obsessed anthropological tradition (as explored in the article) then provides the analytical framework within which virtuality makes an inspiring topic. The transition from theory to empirical case studies is made by examining the problem of meaning in the African urban environment. Finally, an ethnographic situation is invoked (urban female puberty rites in the towns along the 'Line of Rail' in present-day Zambia) which illustrates particular forms of virtuality as part of the globalization process. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum Show less
The issue of regional integration has acquired a new relevance and urgency in Africa due to wide-reaching national and global changes. African leaders' commitment to regional economic integration... Show moreThe issue of regional integration has acquired a new relevance and urgency in Africa due to wide-reaching national and global changes. African leaders' commitment to regional economic integration was clearly expressed during the June 1991 OAU summit meeting in Abuja, Nigeria. On that occasion, they signed a treaty to establish an African Economic Community (AEC) by the year 2025. This chapter reviews the various regional integration schemes that came into existence in the aftermath of independence - Union douaniŠre et ‚conomique de l'Afrique centrale (UDEAC), East African Community (EAC), Communaut‚ ‚conomique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEAO), ECOWAS, Union ‚conomique et mon‚taire ouest-africaine (UEMOA), Economic and Monetary Union of Central Africa (CEMAC), and Southern African Customs Union (SACU). The chapter explains the reasons for the relative failure of these schemes and examines the consequences of Africa's rapidly changing position in the global economy for regional integration. Show less
This paper presents the findings of a field study carried out in two villages (Kyimo and Ngonga) in Rungwe and Kyela districts of Mbeya region in 1995. These districts, located in southwestern... Show moreThis paper presents the findings of a field study carried out in two villages (Kyimo and Ngonga) in Rungwe and Kyela districts of Mbeya region in 1995. These districts, located in southwestern Tanzania near to the Malawian and Zambian borders, have long been recognized for their great agricultural potential. Now, however, rural population densities have reached critical levels and villagers are experimenting with various non-agricultural activities alongside their agricultural work. The main objectives of the study were to examine the changing features of household control over resources such as land, labour and capital and to document the evolution of non-agricultural labour activities. Changing patterns of land and labour allocation between generations within rural households are explored in relation to these themes. Show less
In 1987 and 1991 Martin Bernal published two volumes on the Afroasiatic roots of classical civilization. His theory that ancient Greek culture derived from Egypt and Phoenicia opened a discussion... Show moreIn 1987 and 1991 Martin Bernal published two volumes on the Afroasiatic roots of classical civilization. His theory that ancient Greek culture derived from Egypt and Phoenicia opened a discussion known as the debate on 'Black Athena'. This article sorts out whatever lasting contribution Bernal has made to classical archaeology. In 'Black Athena' Bernal described how one particular view of ancient Greek history has served Eurocentric interests. But his own alternative serves other ideological interests, viz. the rapprochement to Afrocentrism. According to Bernal, the name of the Greek goddess Athena derived from the ancient Egyptian Ht Nt, "temple of Neith". Even though Bernal's etymology has been effectively refuted on the grounds of historical linguistics, the iconographic and semantic details which Bernal adduces make it quite conceivable that the link between Athena and Neith was more than superficial. The present author suggests, however, that Neith and Athena both derive from a common prototype which, throughout the ancient eastern Mediterranean, has produced Great Goddesses with connotations of underworld, death, violence and rebirth. Such a view - although inspired by Bernal - effectively explodes the Black Athena thesis, since it dissolves the very contradiction between Indo-European and Afroasiatic as the source of Aegean civilization, and draws on a common substratum which cannot readily be relegated to an African provenance. In conclusion, the present author advocates continued research in the spirit of Martin Bernal, with vastly increased personal, disciplinary, financial and temporal resources. (A shorter French version of this article is published in: Afrocentrismes : l'histoire des Africains entre Égypte et Amérique / sous la dir. de François-Xavier Fauvelle-Aymar, Jean-Pierre Chrétien et Claude-Hélène Perrot. - Paris : Karthala, 2000, p. 127-150.) Show less
Water is voor de economie van de Maasai in Kajiado District (Kenia) van essentieel belang. Dit verklaart de door de Maasai getoonde wil om de beschikbaarheid van water te verbeteren. De... Show moreWater is voor de economie van de Maasai in Kajiado District (Kenia) van essentieel belang. Dit verklaart de door de Maasai getoonde wil om de beschikbaarheid van water te verbeteren. De watervoorraden en -voorzieningen zijn door de toegenomen autonome vraag, maar meer nog door een interactie van met name politiek juridische processen in verleden en heden in toenemende mate onder druk komen te staan. De pogingen van de koloniale en post-koloniale autoriteiten en donoren om de waterproblematiek op te lossen, lagen voornamelijk op het vlak van 'boreholes' (diepe boorgaten). Door technische, financiële en organisatorische problemen die inherent zijn aan 'boreholes', hebben deze weinig bijgedragen aan de oplossing van de heersende waterproblematiek. Het traditionele antwoord van de Maasai om toegang tot voldoende water voor dier en mens veilig te stellen bestaat uit het graven van 'shallow wells' (ondiepe waterputten) in of naast de droge rivierbeddingen. Tot een bepaalde diepte zijn deze waterbronnen een goedkoop en duurzaam alternatief voor de 'boreholes'. De donorgemeenschap zou meer oog moeten hebben voor dergelijke lokale, kleinschalige en goedkopere alternatieven in plaats van moderne, grootschalige en dure technieken. Show less
The translation of anthropological data into ethnography is a fuzzy process which all ethnographers go through. The process starts with the methodologies and techniques used in the field to gather... Show moreThe translation of anthropological data into ethnography is a fuzzy process which all ethnographers go through. The process starts with the methodologies and techniques used in the field to gather data. These are used to get a grip on and order an often very chaotic reality. Through the process of analysis and description this ordering continues. The assumption behind this type of research is that people and societies can be understood as objects of knowledge. The author offers some insight into the process of gathering data and its translation into ethnography, using her own experiences in dryland Mali among Fulbe cattle keepers. She concludes that anthropologists should leave more room in their fieldwork for the nonordered realities, for moments of silence. They should get rid of the theoretical and descriptive models and terminology that are very common in anthropology but that make the translation of the experienced practice, emotions, etc. in an ethnographic text very difficult. Show less