Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
New ICTs, such as mobile phones and social media, are increasingly being seen as catalysers for political engagement, the spark of revolutions, or breaking power relations between political elites...Show moreNew ICTs, such as mobile phones and social media, are increasingly being seen as catalysers for political engagement, the spark of revolutions, or breaking power relations between political elites and the ‘information poor’. They have been centralised in the explanation of the Arab Spring and the wave of popular uprisings that occurred from 2010 onwards. It is safe to say that new ICTs indeed play a role in how information is spread and how people are mobilised for protest. However, the need for a reflection on why these new ICTs have a part in the outcome of uprisings within its respective context was often lacking. Moreover, it has often been left undiscussed what happens after a revolution or popular uprising. Is there actual social or political change, or does it often lead to an illusion or deception? New ICTs can prove to be extremely useful in mobilisation, the creation and spread of information and awakening a sense of political agency. Nevertheless, a country’s history, and its social, political and economic context might prove to be just as important when understanding the complexities of popular uprisings and their aftermath. This thesis discusses the case of Burkina Faso, where in the period of one year, the population rose up twice to demand change, justice and accountability. In October 2014, the Burkinabè massively hit the streets and within a ‘ten day revolution’ they ousted Blaise Compaoré who had been in power for 27 years. In September 2015, the Burkinabè again hit the streets to condemn a coup d’état that was executed by the former right-hand of Blaise Compaoré. Both uprisings were successful, meaning that those protesting achieved their short-term goals of ousting Blaise Compaoré and stopping a coup d’état. However, the question remains if they ensured change on the long-term and why new ICTs played a role in these successes. This thesis draws upon six months of extensive fieldwork in Burkina Faso and months of employing digital ethnographies, to understand if, why and how new ICTs played a role in the growth, outcome and aftermath of the Burkinabè uprisings. It argues that new ICTs played a major role in both uprisings because it brought together a collective of like-minded people and it ensured rapid mobilisation. However, we should be careful in putting them at the forefront of the explanation of political unrest and uprisings, because the socio-political context, historical background, existing political tensions and social structures may affect its effects.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
Namibian beer is available in eighteen countries all over the world, continuously wins international awards and makes Namibians proud. Since the independence of Namibia in 1990, this alcoholic...Show moreNamibian beer is available in eighteen countries all over the world, continuously wins international awards and makes Namibians proud. Since the independence of Namibia in 1990, this alcoholic beverage has become one of the key characteristics of the newly constructed nation. But for decades the same brew was not available to the black population as a consequence of Apartheid politics and emerged as a national icon for white settlers. This paradox shows that the history of brewing in Namibia is far more than a simple story of beer: the beer market is an important political, economic and cultural factor that is intertwined with the general history of the country. The research question of this thesis is how European style beer was transformed from a settler’s drink under Apartheid politics into a symbol of the independent Namibian nation.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
For many Malawians the concept of home is strongly associated with the rural areas and one’s (supposedly rural) place of birth. This ‘grand narrative about home’, though often reiterated, doesn’t...Show moreFor many Malawians the concept of home is strongly associated with the rural areas and one’s (supposedly rural) place of birth. This ‘grand narrative about home’, though often reiterated, doesn’t necessarily depict lived reality. Malawi’s history of movement and labor migration coupled with contemporary rapid urbanization makes that the amount of people whose lives do not fit this grand narrative, is increasing fast. In the current context of extreme poverty, destitution and devastation – the latter due to the flash floods of January 2015 – slum areas in Blantyre city are growing and so is the number of street children and youth. Some of them are taken in by organizations such as the Samaritan Trust; a street children shelter. This program aims at taking street youth home by ‘reintegrating’ them in their (rural) communities. When asked, the majority of (former) street youth adhere to the grand narrative and state their home to be in a rural village. Yet at the same time, this home is a place they intentionally left and do not wish to (currently) return to. Hence they are generally depicted as ‘homeless’. I wondered: how do (former) street youth in Blantyre, Malawi, engage with ‘the grand narrative about home’ in trying to imagine their ‘becoming at home’ in the city? My thesis departs from the idea that (the search for) home is an integral part of the human condition. During eight months of ethnographic fieldwork in Blantyre, Malawi, I used qualitative methods – mainly interviews and participant observation – to come to an understanding of the meaning of home for (former) street youth. Some of them, the street girls, currently reside at Samaritan Trust and the former street youth are boys who formerly resided there. Their home-making practices in relation to a marginalized socio-economic position in an overall challenging economic context point towards more fluid and diverse constructions of home that exist alongside the grand narrative without rendering it obsolete. Under pressure, (former) street youth paradoxically attempt to solidify home – even though home remains fluid in practice. These attempts assist in coping with life in liquid modernity while they are at the same time fraught with contradictions, especially when these solidifications are themselves solidified in policies. These policies subsequently hamper (former) street youth’s becoming at home in town by following the grand narrative and thus confining their homes to rural areas. I conclude that home can best be seen as a fluid field of tensions (re)created in the everyday, thus leaving space for both (former) street youth’s roots and routes. An alternative way in which (former) street youth try to become at home in the city is by searching for a romantic partner to co-construct this (future) home with.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
La ville historique de Grand-Bassam est inscrite au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis le 29 juin 2012. Elle comprend le Quartier France, première capitale coloniale française en Côte d’Ivoire,...Show moreLa ville historique de Grand-Bassam est inscrite au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis le 29 juin 2012. Elle comprend le Quartier France, première capitale coloniale française en Côte d’Ivoire, et un village de l’ethnie N’zima. Ce mémoire s’intéresse à la question de l’appropriation symbolique du Quartier France par les habitants de la ville historique. Une recherche qualitative a été menée à travers une méthodologie qui combine entretiens d’experts avec des acteurs clés, entretiens semi-directifs avec les habitants et observations directes et indirectes sur le terrain. Elle met en exergue l’existence d’une appropriation symbolique dont les modalités diffèrent selon deux groupes majeurs: les allogènes et N’zima "déracinés" du Quartier France qui développent un marquage trace de l’espace, et les autochtones du village N’zima qui expriment à la fois un marquage trace et un marquage présence matérialisé par la célébration de la fête de l’Abissa.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
This master thesis explores expressions of identity among gay men in Cape Town, South Africa by analysing and discussing vestimentary codes and issues around gender and identity. Four chapters...Show moreThis master thesis explores expressions of identity among gay men in Cape Town, South Africa by analysing and discussing vestimentary codes and issues around gender and identity. Four chapters focusing on various aspects of gay social life in Cape Town; The ‘gay-village’ of De Waterkant, the annual celebration of LGBTQI Pride, the yearly costume party MCQP (Mother City Queer Project) and the more obscure ‘Gat Parties’ of the northern suburbs of Cape Town, paints a picture of gay life in Cape Town, both contemporary and historically. Theoretical influences such as Roland Barthes, Judith Butler and Anne Fausto-Sterling alongside writers on gay lives in South Africa such as Mark Gevisser and Bradley M. Rink provide a strong backbone to this thesis, while questions surrounding gender, sexuality and identity are always at the forefront.Show less
