scholarly journals Refugees, Identity, and the Limits to Inclusion: Revisiting Landlord-Stranger Reciprocity Relations in Contemporary Liberia

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 640-659
Author(s):  
Maarten Bedert

Abstract:Refugees in sub-Saharan Africa residing among host communities experience the need to articulate belonging in order to generate a greater sense of security. Based on the individual life stories of Ivorian refugees in Northeastern Liberia in 2011, Bedert finds that local patterns of integration between landlords and strangers are foregone by the bureaucratic identity of refugees as imposed by the international community. In addition, local integration is not self-evident, as it entails a degree of reciprocity and mutual recognition. In the eyes of landlords, strangers are evaluated based on what they can bring to the table.

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
pp. 1125-1150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efrat Vignansky ◽  
Uri Timor

This qualitative study examines the life stories of men who committed violent crimes against their intimate partners, for which they have served prison sentences. For the study, nine men in a rehabilitation hostel in Israel were interviewed. The study aim was to understand the psychological process that had brought the participants to behave violently towards their partners. Narrative analysis of the life stories resulted in two main themes. The first, childhood, was related to how the interviewee during his childhood perceived his personal identity and his parents. The second theme represented the adult interviewee’s worldview of violence in general and of intimate partner violence in particular. The findings revealed a subjective feeling of inferiority and lack of worth and volition during childhood, a feeling of chaos, and the absence of existential meaning. To avoid these feelings in adulthood, the participants chose a lifestyle that included the use of force and violence, which provided them with a sense of control and meaning. Discussion of the findings is based on the individual psychology theory of Adler and his followers, as well as on the existentialist orientation. According to these approaches, the study participants, who lacked a sense of positive “existential being,” developed a negative lifestyle that enabled them to feel a sense of security, value, and meaning.


Author(s):  
John F. McCauley

Charismatic Pentecostalism constitutes perhaps the most important contemporary movement in sub-Saharan Africa, combining extremely rapid growth with an informal political presence. The movement has expanded in Africa by bringing traditional spirituality into a modern setting, offering social and economic hope to both the upwardly mobile and the destitute. Despite having minority status, its messages of pending prosperity and spiritual warfare, and its astute exploitation of mass media, have positioned the Charismatic Pentecostal movement to exert important if informal influence on politics in the region. It is reshaping the channels through which resources flow from Big Men to their followers; it is implicating new and different international actors; and it is allowing followers to live fully within the church through the provision of social services. Perhaps most importantly, the movement has introduced language of national identity—of good and evil, and Christian nations—that captivates just as it divides. Its potential to influence the formal politics of institutions and parties is limited by the absence of organizational hierarchy and a central focus on remaking the individual rather than addressing social injustices. Nevertheless, by informal means, the movement has “Pentecostalized” politics in many African countries.


Social Forces ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Pike

Abstract In recent decades, qualitative research from across sub-Saharan Africa has shown how young men are often unable to marry because they lack wealth and a stable livelihood. With survey data, researchers have begun to study how men’s economic circumstances are related to when they marry in the continent’s capitals and larger urban centers. However, our understanding of these dynamics outside of large cities remains limited. Drawing on longitudinal survey data, this paper examines how men’s economic standing, both at the individual and household level, relates to their marriage timing in rural and semi-urban communities in the Salima district of Malawi. The findings show that men who have higher earnings, work in agriculture, and come from a household that sold cash crops were more likely to marry. In contrast, students as well as men from households owning a large amount of land were substantially less likely to marry. Additionally, men living in the semi-urban communities were around half as likely to marry as their rural counterparts. This negative association is largely explained by the greater proportion of men who are students in towns and trading centers and also the relatively less agricultural nature of these communities. These findings show the value of considering both individual and family characteristics in studies of marriage timing and also suggest that as sub-Saharan Africa urbanizes, the age of marriage for men will likely rise.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Channon ◽  
SARAH HARPER

The gap between achieved fertility and fertility ideals is notably higher in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) than elsewhere, relating to both under- and overachievement of fertility ideals. We consider the extent to which the relationship between fertility ideals and achieved fertility is mitigated by educational achievement. Further, we consider if the effect of education acts differently in SSA, and thereby hypothesise how increasing levels of education in SSA may decrease fertility.We use 227 Demographic and Health Surveys from 57 countries worldwide to look at population- and individual-level measures of achieving fertility ideals. Population level measures are used to assess whether the correspondence between fertility intentions and achievements differ by level of education. We then look at the individual-level determinants of both under- and overachieving fertility intentions. An average of 40% of women in SSA underachieve their stated fertility intentions compared to 26% in non-SSA countries. Furthermore, the educational gradient of underachievement is different in SSA where higher levels of education are not related to better correspondence between fertility intentions and achievements. We argue that the phenomenon of underachieving fertility ideals (or unrealized fertility) may be of particular importance for the ongoing fertility transition throughout SSA, especially for highly educated groups.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Nipen ◽  
Rolf David Vogt ◽  
Pernilla Bohlin-Nizzetto ◽  
Katrine Borgå ◽  
Eliezer Brown Mwakalapa ◽  
...  

Temporal trends of industrial organic contaminants can show how environmental burdens respond to changes in production, regulation, and other anthropogenic and environmental factors. Numerous studies have documented such trends from the Northern Hemisphere, while there is very limited data in the literature from sub-Saharan Africa. We hypothesized that the temporal trends of legacy and contemporary industrial contaminants in sub-Saharan Africa could greatly differ from the regions in which many of these chemicals were initially produced and more extensively used. For this purpose, a dated sediment core covering six decades from a floodplain system in urban Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was analysed. The samples were analysed for selected legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs)] and chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) [alternative brominated flame retardants (aBFRs), chlorinated paraffins (CPs), and dechloranes]. All groups of chemicals showed a steep increase in concentrations towards the uppermost sediment layers reflecting the more recent years. Concentrations of the individual compound groups in surface sediment were found in the order CPs >> aBFRs ∼ ∑25PBDEs > dechloranes ∼ ∑32PCBs. Time trends for the individual compounds and compound groups differed, with ∑32PCBs showing presence in sediments since at least the early 1960s, while some CECs first occurred in sediments corresponding to the last decade. Investigations into potential drivers for the observed trends showed that socioeconomic factors related to growth in population, economy, and waste generation have contributed to increasing concentrations of PBDEs, aBFRs, CPs, and Dechlorane Plus. Further monitoring of temporal trends of industrial organic contaminants in urban areas in the Global South is recommended.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0254774
Author(s):  
Abdul-Aziz Seidu ◽  
Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽  
Kwaku Kissah-Korsah ◽  
Ebenezer Agbaglo ◽  
Louis Kobina Dadzie ◽  
...  

Background Over the years, sanitation programs over the world have focused more on household sanitation, with limited attention towards the disposal of children’s stools. This lack of attention could be due to the misconception that children’s stools are harmless. The current study examined the individual and contextual predictors of safe disposal of children’s faeces among women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods The study used secondary data involving 128,096 mother-child pairs of under-five children from the current Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in 15 sub-Saharan African countries from 2015 to 2018. Multilevel logistic analysis was used to assess the individual and contextual factors associated with the practice of safe disposal of children’s faeces. We presented the results as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) at a statistical significance of p< 0.05. Results The results show that 58.73% (57.79–59.68) of childbearing women in the 15 countries in SSA included in our study safely disposed off their children’s stools. This varied from as high as 85.90% (84.57–87.14) in Rwanda to as low as 26.38% (24.01–28.91) in Chad. At the individual level, the practice of safe disposal of children’s stools was more likely to occur among children aged 1, compared to those aged 0 [aOR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.68–1.80] and those with diarrhoea compared to those without diarrhoea [aOR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.13–1.21]. Mothers with primary level of education [aOR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.30–1.5], those aged 35–39 [aOR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.12–1.28], and those exposed to radio [aOR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.20–1.27] were more likely to practice safe disposal of children’s stools. Conversely, the odds of safe disposal of children’s stool were lower among mothers who were married [aOR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.69–0.80] and those who belonged to the Traditional African Religion [aOR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.51–0.80]. With the contextual factors, women with improved water [aOR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.10–1.16] and improved toilet facility [aOR = 5.75 95% CI: 5.55–5.95] had higher odds of safe disposal of children’s stool. On the other hand, mothers who lived in households with 5 or more children [aOR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.86–0.93], those in rural areas [aOR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.82–0.89], and those who lived in Central Africa [aOR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.18–0.21] were less likely to practice safe disposal of children’s stools. Conclusion The findings indicate that between- and within-country contextual variations and commonalities need to be acknowledged in designing interventions to enhance safe disposal of children’s faeces. Audio-visual education on safe faecal disposal among rural women and large households can help enhance safe disposal. In light of the strong association between safe stool disposal and improved latrine use in SSA, governments need to develop feasible and cost-effective strategies to increase the number of households with access to improved toilet facilities.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e2012014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Begoña Monge-Maillo ◽  
Rogelio López-Vélez

The proportion of imported malaria cases due to immigrants in Europe has increased during the lasts decades, being the higher rates for those settled immigrants who travel to visit friends and relatives (VFRs) at their country of origin. Cases are mainly due to P. falciparum and Sub-Saharan Africa is the most common origin. Clinically, malaria in immigrants is characterized by a mild clinical presentation with even asymptomatic o delayed malaria cases and low parasitemic level. These characteristics may be explained by a semi-immunity acquired after long periods of time exposed to stable transmission of malaria. Malaria cases among immigrants, even those asymptomatic patients with sub-microscopic parasitemia, could increase the risk of transmission and reintroduction of malaria in certain areas with the adequate vectors and climate conditions. Moreover imported malaria cases by immigrants can also play an important role in the non-vectorial transmission out of endemic area, by blood transfusions, organ transplantation or congenital or occupational exposures. Probably, out of endemic areas, screening of malaria among recent arrived immigrants coming from malaria endemic countries should be performed. These aim to reduce the risk of clinical malaria in the individual as well as to prevent autochthonous transmission of malaria in areas where it had been eradicated.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 557
Author(s):  
Mila Koeva ◽  
Mohammed Imaduddin Humayun ◽  
Christian Timm ◽  
Claudia Stöcker ◽  
Sophie Crommelinck ◽  
...  

The well-recognized and extensive task of mapping unrecorded land rights across sub-Saharan Africa demands innovative solutions. In response, the consortia of “its4land”, a European Commission Horizon 2020 project, developed, adapted, and tested innovative geospatial tools including (1) software underpinned by the smart Sketch maps concept, called SmartSkeMa; (2) a workflow for applying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV); and (3) a boundary delineator tool based on the UAV images. Additionally, the consortium developed (4) a platform called Publish and Share (PaS), enabling integration of all the outputs of tool sharing and publishing of land information through geocloud web services. The individual tools were developed, tested, and demonstrated based on requirements from Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zanzibar. The platform was further tested by key informants and experts in a workshop in Rwanda after the AfricaGIS conference in 2019. With the project concluding in 2020, this paper seeks to undertake an assessment of the tools and the PaS platform against the elements of fit-for-purpose land administration. The results show that while the tools can function and deliver outputs independently and reliably, PaS enables interoperability by allowing them to be combined and integrated into land administration workflows. This feature is useful for tailoring approaches for specific country contexts. In this regard, developers of technical approaches tackling land administration issues are further encouraged to include interoperability and the use of recognized standards in designs.


Author(s):  
Louis Moustakas ◽  
Arda Alan Is Işık

Abstract In Botswana, sport is positioned as a potential driver of economic and social development. In particular, there are numerous discussions about increasing the socio-economic impact of sport and the need to professionalise Botswana sport. Knowledge Management (KM) can play a critical role in achieving this greater professionalisation and impact. Despite this importance, there have only been a small number of studies on KM in sports, and none of this literature explores the topic in sub-Saharan Africa. Against this background, the goals of our paper are two-fold. Firstly, we wish to map out the current knowledge management landscape in the Botswana sport sector. Secondly, we aim to propose concrete, evidence-based avenues to improve KM within the sector. This paper relies on findings generated through semi-structured qualitative interviews with individuals connected to Botswana sport. To allow for triangulation, these interviews are further supported by other, previous qualitative research as well as relevant academic and policy literature. The Knowledge Management framework from Sunassee and Sewry (2002) is used to analyse and structure the results. Overall, we see that KM in Botswana sport is somewhat present at the individual, organisational level, but numerous obstacles and inefficiencies exist in creating and sharing knowledge at the sectoral level. To support the growth of KM in the sector, numerous concrete recommendations are presented. In particular, we highlight a need to communicate the value of KM better and obtain the necessary buy-in.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Mbye B. Cham

In few other places in the creative traditions of sub-Saharan Africa isthe factor of Islam more prominent and influential than in Senegal.Manifested on the level of form and subject-matter and spanning a widecross-section of talent in both the traditional and modern media ofcreative expression, this prominence and influence can be attributed toanumber of factors ranging from the artistic maturity, religioussensibility, intellectual astuteness and ideological orientation ofindividual artists to the more general impact that Islam, as a dominantreligious force, is perceived to have had on secular life in Senegal. Thesefactors, to a large extent, determine the various ways in which individualSenegalese artists define themselves and their art vis-a-vis Islam, inparticular, and society, in general, definitions which creatively translateinto formal choice, thematic focus and, to use a cliche, “message”.Two opposite sets of equally militant attitudes constitute the polarextremes that bracket the range of Senegalese artists’ creative responseto Islam, thus paralleling or ‘reflecting’ similar patterns that obtain inthe society at large. This is hardly surprising, given the conception thatSenegalese, and indeed, most African artists, have of the nature andfunction of art in society. On one pole is that ensemble of attitudes shapedby a zealous embrace and vigorous advocacy of the primordiality ofIslam as the most, indeed, the only, legitimate and effective vehicle forthe totalization of the individual and the society. Art in the hands ofindividuals on this end of the creative spectrum becomes an instrumentof propagation of religious ideals, in this case Islamic religious ideals.But beyond this religious vision or in conjunction with it, cultural and ...


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