Nature conservation in southern Africa has always been characterised by an interplay between Capital, specific understandings of Morality, and forms of Militarism, that are all dependent upon the... Show moreNature conservation in southern Africa has always been characterised by an interplay between Capital, specific understandings of Morality, and forms of Militarism, that are all dependent upon the shared subservience and marginalization of animals and certain groups of people in society. Although the subjectivity of people has been rendered visible in earlier publications on histories of conservation in southern Africa, the subjectivity of animals is hardly ever seriously considered or explicitly dealt with. In this edited volume the subjectivity and sentience of animals is explicitly included. The contributors argue that the shared human and animal marginalisation and agency in nature conservation in southern Africa (and beyond) could and should be further explored under the label of `sentient conservation'. Contributors are Malcolm Draper, Vupenyu Dzingirai, Jan-Bart Gewald, Michael Glover, Paul Hebinck, Tarito Kamuti, Lindiwe Mangwanya, Albert Manhamo, Dhoya Snijders, Marja Spierenburg, Sandra Swart, Harry Wels. Show less
Magnifying Perspectives is a festschrift for Robert Ross, Emeritus Professor of African History at Leiden University. The contributions have been written by the students and colleagues of Robert... Show moreMagnifying Perspectives is a festschrift for Robert Ross, Emeritus Professor of African History at Leiden University. The contributions have been written by the students and colleagues of Robert Ross, reflecting his broad-ranging thematic and geographical research interests. Individual chapters cover topics such as slavery, gender and gossip, but also reflect an eye for detail in narrating about mosquitoes, semaphores and pineapples. Big themes such as race and imperialism are tackled by paying attention to language, material objects and the powerful role of individuals in shaping history. Contributions on all parts of the African continent, from Nigeria and Mali to Angola and South Africa, as well as Britain and Australia are included. This book attempts to do justice to the unique approach to African history which Robert Ross advocated, an approach which emphasises the complexity and dignity of human nature by placing it at the centre of historical writing. Show less
This book explores the notion of agency in a range of empirical situations in Africa. It emphasizes the possibilities individuals and social groups perceive when faced with the constraints that... Show moreThis book explores the notion of agency in a range of empirical situations in Africa. It emphasizes the possibilities individuals and social groups perceive when faced with the constraints that tend to mark African social life. Contributions: Social and historical trajectories of agency in Africa: an introduction (Rijk van Dijk, Mirjam de Bruijn and Jan-Bart Gewald); Manchester as the birth place of modern agency research: the Manchester School explained from the perspective of Evans-Pritchard's book 'The Nuer' (Wim van Binsbergen); Dreams and agency during Angola's war of independence (Inge Brinkman); Chief Hosea Kutako: a Herero royal and Namibian nationalist's life against confinement 1870-1970 (Jan-Bart Gewald); Agency in Kapsiki religion: a comparative approach (Wouter van Beek); Les enveloppes pour Papa Daniel: la transformation des relations domestiques dans les m nages des Congolais de la diaspora (Julie Ndaya); From individual act to social agency in San trance rituals (Thomas Widlok); The dynamics of families, their work and provisioning strategies in the changing economies in the urban townships of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (Otrude N. Moyo); Images of Africa: agency and nature conservation in South Africa (Malcolm Draper, Marja Spierenburg and Harry Wels); Solitary births in T ra, Niger: a local quest for safety (Gertie Janssen); Agency in and from the margins: street children and youth in N'Djam na, Chad (Mirjam de Bruijn); Negotiating the memory of Fulbe hierarchy among mobile elite women (Lotte Pelckmans); The safe and suffering body in transnational Ghanaian Pentecostalism: towards an anthropology of vulnerable agency (Rijk van Dijk); Epilogue: theorizing agency in and on Africa: the questions are key (Francis B. Nyamnjoh). [ASC Leiden abstract]. Show less
