The shifting of workers from agriculture to other more productive sectors is defined in academic circles as structural transformation. Tanzania’s experience with structural transformation looks...Show moreThe shifting of workers from agriculture to other more productive sectors is defined in academic circles as structural transformation. Tanzania’s experience with structural transformation looks different. Instead of manufacturing, labour in Tanzania appears to move from agriculture to the services sector. This structural shift also differs from the development experience in other regions like the United States, Europe, and East Asia. Such a pattern drives us to rethink whether and how the development service sectors can function as an alternative path to achieve sustainable economic growth in Tanzania without a robust manufacturing sector. This research thesis adopts a mixed method between quantitative and qualitative approaches to understand the role of manufacturing, service and servicification activities in determining the pattern of structural transformation in Tanzania from 1961 to 2021. Two disciplinary approaches are combined. First, the historical description is adopted to present Tanzania’s economic development trajectory. Secondly, in this trajectory, methods and materials are adapted from economics, to show with macroeconomic data how the country’s national economy has evolved over time. Focus is placed on policies that were implemented as well as the turning points where shifts become obvious in national economic processes. This thesis found that the service sector could enhance Tanzania’s economic growth and development if linked to industrial activities, specifically manufacturing. In general, the structural transformation from agriculture to the industrial sector in Tanzania still generated the highest growth and gains in worker productivity, except after the Arusha Declaration between 1967 and 1985. It is difficult for late industrialised countries, such as Tanzania, which lacks a strong manufacturing core, to pursue industrialisation and compete with what East Asian countries have achieved. However, the servicification of manufacturing provides an opportunity to bypass the manufacturing stage and keep up with the recent trend of global industrialisation.Show less
The world has witnessed many years of advocacy and attempts to improve the lives of menstruating women. This was done by trying to address access to sanitary products and facilities, as well as a...Show moreThe world has witnessed many years of advocacy and attempts to improve the lives of menstruating women. This was done by trying to address access to sanitary products and facilities, as well as a non-material threat – the menstrual stigma. Kenya is no exception to this, and in fact, it has been considered at the forefront of menstrual awareness campaigns in the Global South with its ‘free pads for schoolgirls’ policy and menstrual health management agenda. Yet in the context of all that, 2019 was shaken by a girl committing suicide after feeling the shame of leaking in school, and 2023 began with a “scandal” of a Kenyan senator who was sent home for wearing blood-stained pants. These medialized events and many others happening in the private lives of ordinary people highlight that the menstrual stigma is still very present and powerful. For this reason, this research attempted to find out how women in Kenya talk about menstruation in a private, family context in ways that influence the cultural knowledge and understanding of young women, and how these young women engage with this information to reinforce or change perceptions. It was found that there is still considerable silence and stigma surrounding the transmission of period-related knowledge, which reproduces menstrual stigma among young women. Nonetheless, the younger generation is influenced by their own experience, current campaigns, and social media to become more open and approachable parents in the future.Show less
The arts have proven to be a transformative force for social change in the Senegalese context (Dimé, 2022; Gueye, 2013). This interdisciplinary study deploys an artistic lens to analyse the ...Show moreThe arts have proven to be a transformative force for social change in the Senegalese context (Dimé, 2022; Gueye, 2013). This interdisciplinary study deploys an artistic lens to analyse the “migration” situation, as artists are an emerging actor in the Senegalese “migration” discourse. It adopts a more reflective stance in the study of “migration”-related art by exploring what knowledge Senegalese artists and artistic practices produce about “migration”. Through ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews, this research includes a series of reflections on artistic practices and the stories voiced by artists. The analysis follows the storyline of the documentary Bataaxal and is divided into four parts. The first focuses on the feeling that is produced by the aesthetic elements of art and how this is relates to politics, by drawing on the work of Jacques Rancière (2003). The second subsequently focuses on the narrator’s memories, emotions, words, and phrases and how these are involved in the production of meaning. The third section then turns to a comparison between the broader thematic foci that are covered by the artists and their works. Conversely, the fourth section locates the role of place and time in the production of artistic practices. How these findings relate to existing academic work is then analysed in the discussion. Finally, the study concludes by reaffirming that artists are deeply rooted within “migration” discourses; however, the artists and their knowledge are intertwined with their milieu, as much as the created art is related to the construction of the phenomenon of “migration”. As a result, the transformative capacity of art is questionable, as the art may inadvertently reproduce dominant and problematic narratives that have been constructed by government policies and international organisations to frame people on the move as a problem.Show less
In this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script...Show moreIn this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script to portray the findings. An ethnographic research gap on the topic focuses on the qualitative study of well-being through psychological, socio-economic, and political lenses. The research is grounded in theory from Giddens (1984), Sen (1993), and De Bruijn and Both (2018), and navigates the agency-structure debate along with the model of duress to reflect on and understand the nurses’ position in a constraining environment. The research focused on two level 5 facilities, which are county referral hospitals, in two different counties of Kenya. The following research methods are conducted: a survey on socio-economic well-being with 65 respondents; interviews focusing on factors affecting nurses' well-being conducted through 4 focus group discussions with 39 nurses of different seniority levels and facilities, and informal interviews with approximately 25 nurses; and lastly, participant observation focusing on nurses agency and structures in places of gathering. Altogether, the results conclude that the healthcare structures pertain as constraints on the nurses’ agency and well-being despite the local efforts against this that may seem to have a positive impact. This is not to say that such local efforts should not continue, but rather to add a widespread focus on changing the outdated health structures that are limiting the majority of Kenya’s health workforce.Show less
During the late twentieth century, international volunteering has become one of the fastest growing trends in traveling. The rise of the voluntourism sector has been accompanied by a rise of...Show moreDuring the late twentieth century, international volunteering has become one of the fastest growing trends in traveling. The rise of the voluntourism sector has been accompanied by a rise of research on this matter. Yet, compared to volunteers and volunteer tourism organizations (VTOs), host communities receive the least attention in studies on voluntourism. This research has been devoted to bring forward the local, Ghanaian perspective on Western volunteers in community development projects. Results from semi-structured interviews with community members of Tinkong, Ghana, indicate that support from outside, including from Western volunteers, is considered necessary for Ghanaian communities to further develop. At the same time, true contact between volunteers and hosts mostly lacks, which forms a profound barrier to the establishment of cross-cultural interaction. Besides, the way participants speak of Western engagements reveals that their judgement is not just based on the kind of work that Western NGOs or private organizations do, but that it also strongly relates to factors that go beyond the impact of volunteers themselves, such as Ghana’s political situation. More longitudinal research on voluntourism helps in working towards the holistic, multi-disciplinary understanding of the topic that is needed.Show less
Nigerian dairy imports lead to an annual cash outflow of 1.3 billion USD. To mitigate this harmful effect, the Nigerian government urges dairy corporations to source milk locally. FrieslandCampina...Show moreNigerian dairy imports lead to an annual cash outflow of 1.3 billion USD. To mitigate this harmful effect, the Nigerian government urges dairy corporations to source milk locally. FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC (FCW), a subsidiary of the Dutch multinational Royal Friesland Campina N.V. (FC), is the market leader in Nigeria and launched the mDairy pilot with the goal of enhancing the local sourcing of milk. The two primary functions of mDairy are milk tracing and e-extension on innovative dairy practices. To investigate whether m-Agri services can bring significant contributions to the Nigerian dairy sector, I employed a case study on mDairy where I compared it with m-Agri services that Dutch dairy farmers successfully use. I conducted nineteen interviews on eleven different stakeholders and conclude that there are two obstacles that need to be overcome before mDairy can be used on a nation-wide scale. Firstly, Nigerian farmers need to undergo an ideological and behavioural change as they need to be more aware of and better understand innovative dairy practices. One-on-one contact, potentially with Dutch farmers, can foster this. Secondly, I argue from world-systems theory (WST) that a fundamental change is required as Nigerian farmers compete with their fresh whole milk against the imported fat-filled milk powder (FFMP). These are two different products and the latter is less nutritious. Importing FFMP is cheaper than sourcing milk locally because FFMP is primarily made from a by-products which can be sold at a very low price. I find that sourcing whole milk locally may be cheaper than importing whole milk or whole milk powder. Nigeria finds itself in a difficult position since it does not have the machinery to produce FFMP itself and it has limited power to make demands on dairy corporations since it is dependent on these corporations for the country’s dairy supply.Show less
Africa’s urban population is expanding, and the mobility of many city dwellers across the continent is in jeopardy. In recent years, growing social, economic and environmental pressures in African...Show moreAfrica’s urban population is expanding, and the mobility of many city dwellers across the continent is in jeopardy. In recent years, growing social, economic and environmental pressures in African cities have precipitated investment in transport infrastructure and new forms of public transportation deemed more “sustainable”. This trend is particularly felt in the city of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), where this new approach to transport planning is currently redefining the mobility of the local population, the “Abidjanais”. This thesis sets out to understand whether transport planning in Abidjan is supporting, or would support in the near future, sustainable forms of mobility for local city dwellers. Through a qualitative and quantitative assessment of various transport policies and projects, it is argued that inadequate transport planning in Abidjan is exacerbating unequal access to public transport and socio-economic opportunities, and is failing to meet the context-specific needs of local city-dwellers.Show less
The way we tell stories matters, and it matters even more if the stories are about refugees. Narratives have transformative potential because the way we talk about displaced communities influences...Show moreThe way we tell stories matters, and it matters even more if the stories are about refugees. Narratives have transformative potential because the way we talk about displaced communities influences how we think and treat them. My research journey in Cairo is about Stories of Strength. Cairo is dust, organized chaos, and constant noise, but I enjoyed walking on Cairo’s gritty streets with my friend Didi who told me her story. Life in exile is not easy, especially if you are a young African refugee female dreaming about going to university and becoming a businesswoman. Life in exile is not easy, but none talks about it, and none cares, or at least, this is how my friends felt. This thesis intends to denounce the exhausting social context that young African refugee females experience when accessing education in Egypt, while at the same time, demonstrating that those girls are warriors. Ethnography became the central research method used to test the hypothesis, while the outcome resulted in non-fictional life stories of young African refugee female students, including their flight to Egypt and their struggle to survive, gender, and racial discrimination, and obtain an education. Two life experiences have been included in the Annexes of this study, while an analysis of them has been conducted in the main body. The results showed that African refugee females effectively navigate alternatives in a challenging educational context that limits them from achieving their academic and professional dreams. On this basis, it was confirmed that the stories of young African refugee girls are Stories of Strength while reminding the reader that narratives have transformative potential and that the way we tell stories matters.Show less
Karel Schoeman (26 October 1939 – 1 May 2017) was one of South Africa’s most prolific writers. His idiosyncratic style contributed to a unique form of authorship. Schoeman’s novels were awarded...Show moreKarel Schoeman (26 October 1939 – 1 May 2017) was one of South Africa’s most prolific writers. His idiosyncratic style contributed to a unique form of authorship. Schoeman’s novels were awarded with many prizes and the output of his historical work is unsurpassed. His status however remains relatively unknown in the world outside South Africa. This can be attributed mainly to the fact that most of his work is written in Afrikaans. Schoeman was raised in three languages. His first language was Dutch, which was spoken at home with his mother. Afrikaans was his second and English his third language. His first unpublished novels were in Dutch and English. From his early twenties on he wrote predominantly in Afrikaans. A decade later he distanced himself from the Afrikaner part of the community. This raises the social-linguistic problem of how it is possible for an author to deeply engage in a language and at the same time not be part of its social group. This matter will be discussed in paragraph two where the course of Schoeman’s life and his attraction and aversion concerning the Afrikaners can be followed and in paragraph four which deals with Schoeman’s creative writing. Schoeman’s work has been the subject of several articles, reviews and theses; many of them are of South African origin. A thesis that investigates the problem posed above has not been written yet.Show less
Casa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic...Show moreCasa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic Slave Trade had taken their forefathers away from. Although it was a National Monument and should have been protected under Nigerian heritage law, it was illegally demolished on 11 September 2016. How could this prime example of Brazilian-style architecture have been destroyed in broad daylight? This thesis uses Casa do Fernandez as a case study to explore the challenges of preserving built heritage in Nigeria. In the process, it tries to figure out why there is so little knowledge about the history of a building declared a National Monument over sixty years ago. The story of the monument turns out to be different than always assumed. After researching the building’s history, the focus is turned to heritage: the way the present interacts with the past. Could the way Casa do Fernandez has been defined as heritage have something to do with its sad end? The thesis argues that the rigid definition of Casa do Fernandez as strictly Afro-Brazilian heritage detached the site of its cultural meaning to other groups in society and sowed the seeds of the eventual demise of the National Monument. It is a plea for a wider and more inclusive interpretation of this heritage-site in particular and of heritage in general.Show less
Since the beginning of this millennium, mobile phone penetration has risen remarkably worldwide and has been accompanied by an associated increase in mHealth solutions. These technological...Show moreSince the beginning of this millennium, mobile phone penetration has risen remarkably worldwide and has been accompanied by an associated increase in mHealth solutions. These technological solutions are believed to enhance access to healthcare. Not only are institutions from Africa implementing these services for African societies, but also institutions from the Global North. Research has found that the consideration of local contexts and collaboration are crucial steps in the creation of mHealth solutions, which raises questions about the motivations and ways of working of European institutions. This thesis aims to answer why mHealth is perceived as a relevant solution for Africa and what factors are influential in mHealth and to shed light on the humane aspects around mHealth.Show less
Although international media houses have focused on Boko Haram as the biggest contributor to violence in northern Nigeria, ethnic conflict has caused significantly more casualties in the past few...Show moreAlthough international media houses have focused on Boko Haram as the biggest contributor to violence in northern Nigeria, ethnic conflict has caused significantly more casualties in the past few years. This instability has been exacerbated by increases in criminality, terrorism, desertification, and drought that has changed land-use patterns. I argue that the rapid increase in access to Information and Communication Technologies, and especially social media, has created violent conditions by enabling discursive warfare in online spaces, where incendiary rhetoric circulates and is consumed faster than older media forms like newspapers or radio. Using the concept of cultural violence (Galtung 1990) as an umbrella term, this thesis will discuss how the presence of prominent societal norms and ideas legitimize violent discourses and dangerous speech online, which are continuously reinforced and reproduced. In Nigeria, online discourses reveal how dominant beliefs and ethnic labels have become so embedded within the culture that they function as absolute and remain uncontested. As these ideologies spread exponentially on social media, alongside other fake news or misinformation from local news organisations, this has the potential to normalise direct violence. My thesis will focus on this discursive warfare online, and will not attempt to explain how or whether it translates to direct violence because the ramifications of cultural violence are often not immediately visible, but persist and prevail more insidiously, over a longer period of time.Show less
