The history of the Central African Republic (CAR) has been one of persistent violence, despite internal and external attempts to break the cycle of misfortune in the country. A number of factors... Show moreThe history of the Central African Republic (CAR) has been one of persistent violence, despite internal and external attempts to break the cycle of misfortune in the country. A number of factors are cited as determinants or amplifiers to explain this ever-renewed cycle of violence in the country, including a disastrous colonial legacy, poor governance, an abundance of natural resources in an uncontrolled territory, greed for power, the collapse of the state, or a combination of all or some of these non-exhaustive factors. However, over and above these not insignificant factors, we need to reconsider the weight of history and the role of young people as constants in the recurrent conflict in the Central African Republic. To explain the durability of this context of instability inscribed in a continuum, we propose the concept of the political arena, a situation of confrontation built up over the course of history, and within which a large number of young people are growing up with a limited agency. We conclude that young people in the CAR have ultimately become a usable resource, having been exploited in the same way as natural resources since pre-colonial and colonial times. Hence the reproduction and/or continuation of violent and recurrent conflicts in the Central African Republic. Show less
This thesis describes the socio-political dynamics in Dogon country, in central Mali. Since 2015, this region has experienced an unprecedented phenomenon of armed mobilization. Various insurgent ... Show moreThis thesis describes the socio-political dynamics in Dogon country, in central Mali. Since 2015, this region has experienced an unprecedented phenomenon of armed mobilization. Various insurgent (jihadist) and counterinsurgent (self-defense) groups are fighting to impose new modes of rural governance by means of violence, despite the deployment of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) and contingents of the UN forces (MINUSMA). Using an ethnographic approach and proceeding in processual and analytic manner, this thesis examines the armed mobilizations and the violence they generate as deriving from interactions between several phenomena, notably land.Depending on historical contingencies, mechanisms of marginalization, inequality and forms of institutional hybridization appear within village communities. In these situations, the principle of primogeniture and autochthony allow segment of society to have access to socio-political privileges and exclude other segments from access to land and its resources. The marginalized are forced to migrate or to resist inequalities in various ways, including armed violence, to gain access to land and achieve social and political respectability.The approach adopted apprehends land, agricultural migration, and armed conflict as interrelated phenomena. Analyzed in relation to the formation of the post-colonial Malian state, they constitute the three main parts of this thesis. Show less
The Caribbean is a dynamic region with intense cultural interactions, from the pre-colonial period to the contemporary period. During the pre-colonial period, the social, cultural and political... Show moreThe Caribbean is a dynamic region with intense cultural interactions, from the pre-colonial period to the contemporary period. During the pre-colonial period, the social, cultural and political networks in which the island communities were involved were modified. The archaeology also demonstrates that the material culture of the populations was affected; it has allowed us to identify a diversity of ceramic styles influenced by multiple and plural contributions, witnessing the exchange of ideas and/or objects and/or know-how between the various communities. Colonization will disrupt the dynamics in place, introducing forced contacts of different social and ethnic groups at the origin of the emergence of a patchwork of new communities.My research proposes a multivocal anthropological reading of the material production of multicultural Caribbean societies from the pre-colonial period to the present. This study is approached through the prism of the concept of creolization.The methodology used is a holistic approach that combines technological, morphological, petrographic, stylistic and ethnographic studies.This research takes a new look at the material culture of the Amerindians of the Caribbean which induces cultural and social transformations during the pre-colonial period. Show less
This research aims to study the practice of cremation in Alexandria and Graeco-Roman Egypt, through the examination of its cinerary urns.Our corpus, which brings together a little more than one... Show moreThis research aims to study the practice of cremation in Alexandria and Graeco-Roman Egypt, through the examination of its cinerary urns.Our corpus, which brings together a little more than one thousand objects, includes both ceramic and stone vases, designed as cinerary urns, but also many vases from the domestic and sometimes civic/religious sphere, diverted from their primary use and reused in necropolises, as well as a group of Pharaonic alabaster vases, adopted and reinterpreted in Roman times.Re-examination of the necropolises and tombs in which these urns have been unearthed since the 19th century has shed new light on the categories of people concerned by this practice, whether it is a personal choice of anonymous individuals or a custom of the Ptolemaic state for people whose funerals were supported by the Crown.Analysis of anthropological data from a selection of Alexandrian cinerary urns has made it possible to reconstruct a theoretical framework on the various stages of the funeral ceremony, from the construction of the pyre to the collection of the bone remains and deposition in the grave.Finally, elaborating a typo-chronological study of these urns enabled us to determine four major periods along which the frequency and methods of cremation evolved, between the foundation of Alexandria and the 2nd century AD. Show less
This is an empirical contribution to the study of the implications of political engagement for the social and political lives of informal workers in the Global South, by exploring the world of the... Show moreThis is an empirical contribution to the study of the implications of political engagement for the social and political lives of informal workers in the Global South, by exploring the world of the taxi-moto drivers (zemidjan) in Benin. The ethnographic research methodology mobilized a variety of sources for comparing the associational and political dynamics of the zemidjan in several towns (Cotonou, Parakou, Natitingou, and Kandi).The central preoccupation of this research has been to explain the perception among the zemidjan that their working and living conditions have not improved, despite their strategic use of the political sphere by way of the leaders of their diverse organisations. The main results show that despite their efforts to access certain platforms, the influencing capacity of the leaders in public decision making bodies is limited. This does not preclude that collective initiatives of the zemidjan have brought significant improvements to the corporation over time.It was highlighted that beyond those convincing gains facilitated by zemidjan engagement in the political arena, their insatisfaction is rather linked to the non-realisation of profound aspirations for a professional reconversion in order to improve their social status due to the negative connotation which makes zemidjan a "profession by default". Show less
The corpus of Æsopian fables books has been taught to French children and teenagers for centuries. Yet little analysis looks at the production in its entirety. Therefore, within this corpus, I... Show moreThe corpus of Æsopian fables books has been taught to French children and teenagers for centuries. Yet little analysis looks at the production in its entirety. Therefore, within this corpus, I evaluated the relationship between the text, the images, and the educational purpose of various fable authors using 252 visuals, published between 1500 and 2020. Sources include picture books, board games, sheet music, posters, school materials, and even application software. All have in common the aim of pursuing or promoting an educational use of the fables. My research focuses on the role that illustrated fables play in French education.Through a sociological approach that features the concept of médiation littéraire, book history, literary analysis, the study of the layout of the books and intermedial analysis, I conclude that Æsopian fables are used as a social link between generations of French people.They became essential across primary schools in the mid-19th century. Before that, they were mostly intended for socially privileged children whose families could afford a secondary education.Regardless of the century, the illustrations which accompany fables play a role in the text’s adoption across French schools: they participate in the transmission of the genre and other kinds of knowledge Show less
A landlocked country in Central Africa, Chad has been involved in armed conflicts and civil war since independence in 1960. After the coup d’état in 1990, a certain stability prevailed under a... Show moreA landlocked country in Central Africa, Chad has been involved in armed conflicts and civil war since independence in 1960. After the coup d’état in 1990, a certain stability prevailed under a military democratic regime despite frequent rebels’ incursions, civil unrest, and violations of human rights. Over six decades, structural violence, insecurity, and oppression continue to hamper sociocultural, economic, educational and health improvements. Despite oil revenues and international investments into security and poverty reduction, Chad remains a highly fragile poor country with an alarming hunger situation. Its development is constrained by internal conflicts, instability of neighbouring countries, and perpetual threats by extremists. The weakness of infrastructures, public institutions and bad governance constrain the access of communities to basic goods, services, rights and means of livelihood.In rural areas, harassment and neglect by public authorities increase the vulnerabilities of households to food insecurity and conflicts. This research insighted into the long-term impacts of persistent violence on food production, social organization and access to health services in Guéra in central Chad. Rebels and government authorities exert political stress that is a major driver of sociocultural, demographic and economic change. These acts undermine spheres of livelihoods across the Sahelian region and needs attention. Show less
a successful book in Italy and then beyond the Alps. While the literary reception of Ariosto inFrance has already been widely studied since the work of Alexandre Ciorănescu and SijbrandKeyser, this... Show morea successful book in Italy and then beyond the Alps. While the literary reception of Ariosto inFrance has already been widely studied since the work of Alexandre Ciorănescu and SijbrandKeyser, this PhD dissertation consists of an analysis of the diffusion of this masterpiece throughthe prism of the loving passion. In the sixteenth century, during the first French reception, readers and authors felt passionately about amorous episodes, and more specifically ones about the madness of desperate lovers. French authors took several figures of unfortunate lovers from the abundance of characters in Orlando furioso. Besides, thanks to its plasticity, Ariosto’s text was able to inspire most literary genres. We study the evolution of this representation of passion in French translations and imitations, both through a diachronic analysis and an analysis by literary genre. While in the first translations the French transposition can sometimes influence the representation of passion, the love poetry adopted more aesthetical an approach of these episodes. We insist on the 1570s, as they demonstrate the presence of remake in the epic genre but also of many partial imitations. Thus, the representation of the sentiment amoureux will progressively be depicted with more diversity and complexity until the beginning of the seventeenth century when it evolved towards a more psychological approach. Show less
This book provides a description of Cuvok, a language spoken by about 10,000 people in the far north of Cameroon. The study of the linguistic elements addresses and provides an analysis of the... Show moreThis book provides a description of Cuvok, a language spoken by about 10,000 people in the far north of Cameroon. The study of the linguistic elements addresses and provides an analysis of the language through the examination of phonological and morphological aspects, as well as some notes on syntax and a bilingual lexicon.The issue of prosodies is central to the discussion of vowel segments. The harmonic domain of the word has a prominent place in the morpho-phonological discussion. The noun and the verb are the only grammatical categories that exhibit harmonic domains within which the features +palatalization and -palatalization are observed. All satellite elements of these two categories are either palatalized or non-palatalized depending on the opposition between the two phonemic vowels in the final position of the nominal or verbal complex. The perception of the Cuvok world is revealed through the study of prepositions, markers of temporal and spatial location. The expression of the four cardinal points shows a fixed orientation of the Tchouvok people.Particular emphasis was placed on the ethnolinguistic aspect, which deals with the role of the blacksmith as a key actor in the development of the society. This monographic section examines the role of the blacksmith in a society that is undergoing rapid change and is prey to new ideas and habits.The Cuvok grammar is a work that constitutes a decisive step towards the development and standardization of this language and hence of the central Chadic languages in general. Show less
The introduction of French literature to Lithuania occurred in different periods of its history. After analysing several cases, we can draw the conclusion that the culture and literature of Western... Show moreThe introduction of French literature to Lithuania occurred in different periods of its history. After analysing several cases, we can draw the conclusion that the culture and literature of Western Europe have always been present and well received in Lithuania. French literature represented the ideal to follow, the model to imitate. As it has been one of the world's great literatures for centuries, it has greatly influenced Lithuanian culture and literature.This thesis covers the most important periods of Lithuanian history: the Renaissance, the Republic of the two Nations (Poland and Lithuania), the occupation by Czarist Russia, Independence in the period between the two world wars, the Soviet occupation and the restoration of Independence in 1990. Show less
This study explores long-term landscape transformations of the Fort-Liberté region, Haiti. By using a landscaped biography approach, this research aims to understand the substantial developments... Show moreThis study explores long-term landscape transformations of the Fort-Liberté region, Haiti. By using a landscaped biography approach, this research aims to understand the substantial developments of the region, from the Amerindian occupation, through the Spanish colonization, to the French colonial period. The study of the transformation of the landscape in the longue-durée suggests that activities of cultural groups are considered as events that were connected to each other, not just as superposed layers or isolated events. The archaeological sites dispersed in the natural environment express the idea of a complex palimpsest of the region’s history. This study of the Haitian cultural landscape has proposed to take into account the multi-layered nature of the landscape in order to avoid the dichotomy between pre-colonial and colonial in this context of long-term landscape transformation Show less
This dissertation focuses on the literary function of the ambiguities and wordplay in the work of Apollinaire, Prévert, Tournier and Beckett, showing that this function is much broader than the... Show moreThis dissertation focuses on the literary function of the ambiguities and wordplay in the work of Apollinaire, Prévert, Tournier and Beckett, showing that this function is much broader than the humour and entertainment function usually associated with such language play. In the work of these writers, ambiguities and puns often generate serious reflections or tragic plots. Moreover, these language games are so central to the works under investigation that they reflect or underlie their very structures. This use of language is common to all texts explored here, despite their significant diversity in terms of execution and design. This study of the interrelation between ambiguity and wordplay on the one hand and structure on the other, is grounded in close reading. This approach was selected for the insight it can offer into the intentions of the writers under investigation, and for being well suited to the kinds of invitations to interpretation extended by the authors themselves. It is evident that all four approach the idea of authorship with the conviction that the role of the author is both insignificant and inconceivable without the additional complicity and involvement of the reader, from whom they require a co-creative effort. Show less
Looking for a global and corrective measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international civil aviation has been facing legal obstacles. These obstacles took the form of conflicts of... Show moreLooking for a global and corrective measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international civil aviation has been facing legal obstacles. These obstacles took the form of conflicts of norms linked to the general challenge of the interactions between international aviation law, climate change law and the law of the European Union. Using evolutionary interpretation of the Chicago Convention in order to reconcile norms of substantive and institutional nature emerged as the best solution. However, this method perpetuates legal uncertainty and poses the general challenge of flexibly and elasticity of the Chicago Convention in response to the climate change challenge. This study examines the above mentioned issues of interactions between legal orders and provides recommendations to restore legal certainty needed to ensure sustainable development of international civil aviation. More specifically, this study reveals the underestimated relevance of the ongoing distinction between the legal regimes of air navigation and international air transport, which is a key legal element in the search for a global and corrective solution to the impact of international civil aviation on climate change. Show less
Résumé de la thèse Cette thèse porte sur le rapport entre communication, pouvoir et violence au Tchad depuis la pénétration coloniale jusqu’à la période postindépendance. Les régions du Moyen... Show moreRésumé de la thèse Cette thèse porte sur le rapport entre communication, pouvoir et violence au Tchad depuis la pénétration coloniale jusqu’à la période postindépendance. Les régions du Moyen-Chari et du Guéra illustrent cette problématique structurant l’interaction communication, pouvoir et violence au Tchad. Ce territoire connut des violences multiformes liées à la mise en place et à l’usage des systèmes de communication. Pendant la colonisation, l’instauration de l’autorité coloniale sur ce vaste territoire avait nécessité la création des voies de communication dont les réalisations ont été dramatiques pour les populations paysannes. Celles-ci étaient astreintes aux corvées de portage des matériels militaires et des travaux forcés. Pendant, les guerres civiles postindépendances, les systèmes de communication ont été intégrés dans les stratégies de violences. Les routes et les divers moyens de l’information et de transport constituent des enjeux stratégiques pour lesquels les forces militaires en guerre projettent la violence sur les populations rurales. Les nouvelles technologies de l’information et de communication révolutionnent l’organisation des forces rebelles et les stratégies de guerre au Tchad sans exclure les violences sur les populations. Cependant, les guerres civiles successives ont gravement impacté sur la conduite de l’appareil étatique tchadien. Show less
This thesis offers a description of the Bouakako Sign Language (LaSiBo, Langues des Signes de Bouakako in French), that has emerged within a community comprising a majority of hearing members.... Show moreThis thesis offers a description of the Bouakako Sign Language (LaSiBo, Langues des Signes de Bouakako in French), that has emerged within a community comprising a majority of hearing members. LaSiBo is a young language that has developed within a group of hearing-impaired community members to fulfill their communication needs, but is also used by other members of the village. The aspects studied here are firstly the formal properties of LaSiBo and inter-personal variation in sign usage; as well as semantic domains such as kinship, colors and time. The size of the community, the age of the language, the influence of the spoken language and the absence of use in education are among the factors that influence the formation of LaSiBo. The comparisons carried out in this work highlight similarities and differences not only between sign languages (used in small communities in particular) – which, however different they may be, share the same modality (visio-gestural) –, but also between languages that are in contact with each other (the Dida language and LaSiBo) but use different modality (respectively audio-oral and visio-gestural). Show less
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
Een beschouwing van de stilistische evolutie van de Franse vroege moderne ceramiek wordt getoetst aan een lezing van de contemporaine kritiek. Zo ontstaat het beeld van een ambigue... Show moreEen beschouwing van de stilistische evolutie van de Franse vroege moderne ceramiek wordt getoetst aan een lezing van de contemporaine kritiek. Zo ontstaat het beeld van een ambigue antimoderniteit die beheerst wordt door narcistische reacties. De ontleding daarvan vormt een correctie van het beeld van een progressief evoluerende moderniteit en een bijdrage tot de nog ongeschreven geschiedenis van het moderne estheticisme. Show less
e livre est une étude pionnière portant sur l’analyse conceptuelle et la traductibilité des termes de maladie dioula jusqu’ici non abordées par les recherches antérieures. Le Dioula est une langue... Show moree livre est une étude pionnière portant sur l’analyse conceptuelle et la traductibilité des termes de maladie dioula jusqu’ici non abordées par les recherches antérieures. Le Dioula est une langue mandé parlée au Burkina Faso. L’étude présente les représentations de la santé, de la maladie et du corps dans la culture dioula, les entités nosologiques populaires et l’étude linguistique des noms de maladies dioula. Cette étude linguistique a pour but d’analyser les termes du corpus afin de souligner leurs particularités linguistiques. Cette analyse est d’autant plus utile qu’elle permet d’une part, de s’imprégner davantage des concepts et conceptions relatifs à la maladie et d’autre part, de mettre en évidence les difficultés que les traducteurs et interprètes sont susceptibles de rencontrer dans ce domaine et de proposer des solutions. Cette analyse vise à faciliter la tâche du traducteur ou de l’interprète qui pourra se référer rapidement aux suggestions proposées en cas de difficulté ou de doute. L’étude décrit la formation des termes de maladies puis les processus sémantiques ou les figures de style rentrant dans la construction de ces termes et enfin le discours de plainte du malade. En outre, cette étude examine dans quelle mesure le relativisme culturel et linguistique peut servir dans le processus de traduction au lieu d’impliquer son impossibilité. L'auteur décrit un certain nombre de phénomènes intéressants en ce qui concerne les entités nosologiques populaires dioula : Il se peut que le terme de maladie dioula exprime un concept qui est complètement inconnu dans la culture cible. Le concept en question peut être abstrait ou concret, il peut être relié aux croyances religieuses, à une coutume sociale. De tels concepts sont souvent qualifiés de concepts « spécifiquement culturels ». Un exemple d’un concept abstrait dioula qui est reconnu comme difficile à traduire en d’autres langues relevant d’autres cultures est celui exprimé par le mot kɔnɔ. Ce dernier revêt un concept typiquement « dioula » qui est rarement appréhendé par des gens provenant d’autres cultures. L'un des problèmes théoriques soulevés concerne la traductibilité des termes médicaux dioula, culturellement spécifiques. Il est ressorti de l’analyse que des expressions qui sont profondément enracinées dans la culture dioula présentent plus de difficultés de traduction car le concept qu’ils véhiculent est inconnu du français ou de la biomédecine. Des pistes de solutions sont fournies parmi lesquelles l’on peut noter la démarche suivante : Une traduction du terme de maladie dioula par un mot français accompagnée de commentaires sémantiques et/ou métalinguistiques.Les données ont été collectées sur quatorze mois en plusieurs étapes. Au regard des problèmes théoriques et analytiques abordés dans les différentes sections du livre, il est d’un grand intérêt pour les personnels de santé, pour les spécialistes de la communication interculturelle, pour les lexicographes et les terminologues, pour les anthropologues de la santé sans oublier les traducteurs. Show less
Emphasizing on the key role of polysemy in forming the lexicon is the main goal to be achieved in this dissertation. The paper suggests a qualitative evaluation of polysemy in comparing it with... Show moreEmphasizing on the key role of polysemy in forming the lexicon is the main goal to be achieved in this dissertation. The paper suggests a qualitative evaluation of polysemy in comparing it with other relations that form the lexicon. The research confirms that the polysemic links must not be modeled independently from derivation or conversion. This evaluation leads us to reveal that the boundary between polysemy and conversion is porous. The properties of analogy has been used to compare the relations. They are the links that connect lexis which form the objects of a comparison. Wolof, an Atlantic language in West-Africa, is studied. This language provides a fertile breeding ground for the explorations. A large scale of different morphological processes form the lexicon (like suffix derivation, derivations from consonant alternation and conversion by changes in nominal class morphemes). The descriptive contribution of this research is to explore the semantic fields of artifacts and emotions in Wolof lexicon. The methodology applied here is to describe both the meanings of the lexical units and the semantic links by which they are connected by a unique metalanguage. That unique metalanguage is called the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM), which is applied here to Wolof. Show less
My research is based on transculturalism in the works of Iranian authors living in France since the 1980’s. Referring to the cultural interbreeding, transculturalism constitutes a field of research... Show moreMy research is based on transculturalism in the works of Iranian authors living in France since the 1980’s. Referring to the cultural interbreeding, transculturalism constitutes a field of research, which is becoming increasingly important in numerous countries. In literature this concept concerns hybrid works, i.e. works emanating from two or more different cultures. In French-Persian creations it shows the mixture between a Western tradition of novel and the dominating place of lyricism and poetry in the Eastern writing. It may open also to an interesting course of reflection in the cultural and social domain of multiculturalism and transculturalism more in general. It aims at current issues seen from a double perspective: the interdependency of the different cultures and a new type of literature from the perspective of writing. Those creations are intermediary between the artist in exile and the receiving society. They transmit values of interculturalism, permitting interaction between cultures. But also represent transculturalism, which transcends the simple ‘dialogue’ between two cultures to reach an original synthesis. My goal was to search hybrid factors in these works and to see how they are carried out concretely in the texts. Then we see who these works might be qualified as transcultural. Show less
