In this thesis, the (mal) functioning of the Senegalese state in the context of conflict (the Casamance crisis) is analyzed through four domains namely local administration, the security sectors,... Show moreIn this thesis, the (mal) functioning of the Senegalese state in the context of conflict (the Casamance crisis) is analyzed through four domains namely local administration, the security sectors, the borders and the communication domain where high ‘state density’ is expected in order to maintain its authority and sovereignty. However, the grip of the state on the social body remains weak and its powers are very limited in these sectors leading to necessary and continuous negotiations with other actors (traditional leaders, rebels, NGO, etc.), which sometimes are a serious threat to the state’s authority and are a symptom of its fragility. By using the metaphor of a sponge, hence the concept of “the Spontex State”, I demonstrate that, paradoxically, states in Africa in general, and the Senegalese state in particular, are keen to strategize their weakness. Their sponge-like characteristics permit a form of retractability. It allows absorbing and resisting forces that contest its power. Its retractability helps the state to avoid, at least partially, more serious confrontations with various actors. The capacity of retention and retraction of the sponge, reflected in the state, leads to great flexibility, through which the state sustains it grip and, ultimately, reinforces its overall authority. Show less
At the intersection of applied linguistics and journalism studies lies media linguistics. This emerging subdisciplinary label is an umbrella term for the study of mass mediated language use, which,... Show moreAt the intersection of applied linguistics and journalism studies lies media linguistics. This emerging subdisciplinary label is an umbrella term for the study of mass mediated language use, which, for the purposes of this chapter, is restricted to news media: public or private institutions of mass communication that produce and spread public information commoditized as news. Two issues stand out in the literature on media linguistics (and beyond). The first is the shifting ecology of contemporary journalism: in an always-on, digital mediascape, the craft of journalism is increasingly defined by screenwork. The second is the perspective of mediatization, which highlights the central role mediated communication plays in high modern societies. This chapter discusses two responses to the mediatization of society: the cultural authority of journalists as knowledge creators and knowledge brokers in fluid, heteroglossic media environments, and satirical responses to the proliferation of news discourse. Show less
Discussions about colonial chieftaincy in Africa have tended to focus upon the ways in which indirect rule structured and framed traditional authority; for the majority of contemporary historians... Show moreDiscussions about colonial chieftaincy in Africa have tended to focus upon the ways in which indirect rule structured and framed traditional authority; for the majority of contemporary historians of British colonialism the question has been to what extent Lord Lugard’s blueprint for effective native administration, The Dual Mandate, invented, shaped, and restructured political and social identity. Whilst acknowledging the importance of these neo-traditional perspectives which focus much on the ways in which colonial frameworks ethnicised and tribalised African society, this thesis argues that indirect rule was as much a spatialising process as it was a tribalising one. Colonial tools of territoriality mapped politics in geographically bounded ways and as a result associating power with place began to assume new importance in the ways African leadership was defined, and given authority. By further exploring the spatial context of traditional power in colonial Malawi through the example of a Tumbuka chief named Timothy Chawinga, this thesis reveals new conclusions about the nature of chieftainship in Northern Malawi. It also provokes new questions about how we understand the role of African traditional authorities more generally, in both the past and the present. Show less
In public debate and academic discussions about Islam in Western society, reference is often made to the role of the imam in processes of acculturation of Muslims. Throughout these debates, we come... Show moreIn public debate and academic discussions about Islam in Western society, reference is often made to the role of the imam in processes of acculturation of Muslims. Throughout these debates, we come across the important question of how imams transmit Islamic norms and values to Muslims living in secular, non-Islamic societies. This descriptive-exploratory research considers this question specifically looking at the role of the imam in the local mosque in the Netherlands. This dissertation describes and analyses the external perspective of the views circulating in the public debate on imams between 1993 and 2004. The internal perspective has been brought into focus empirically by describing and exploring his role, authority and influence in two mosque-communities and one Islamic student association. The internal perspective further divides into the perspective of the imam and the perspective of a group practising, mostly young and highly educated Muslims who grew up in the Netherlands. The imam finds himself in a field of tension between expectations from the majority society and expectations of the believers. The indicative findings from the internal perspective have been compared with the external views. The outcome of this comparison is used to clarify the ongoing public __imam-debate__. Show less
