Many disciplines have set out to address the environmental crisis as people witness the impact of decades-long negligence and exploitation of nature. In some cases, this directly affects not only...Show moreMany disciplines have set out to address the environmental crisis as people witness the impact of decades-long negligence and exploitation of nature. In some cases, this directly affects not only their personal health but also livelihoods, security, and development. As the WMO report on climate change from 2021 shows, the distribution of the negative impact of environmental crisis is considerably unequal, and certain communities become much more vulnerable. One such example is the Gikuyu community in central Kenya. This thesis will focus on the indigenous epistemology of the environment by closely studying the Gikuyu creation myths in order to illustrate how these sources of oral tradition represent the relationship between humans and nature, and thus highlight the value of nature in African cultures. The main conclusion leading from an ecocritical analysis of the myth will demonstrate how oral tradition can serve as a propagator of ecological values in a particular community.Show less
Over the last decades, African influences on the top tiers of western European football competitions and teams have continually increased. However, a remarkable observation that can be made is that...Show moreOver the last decades, African influences on the top tiers of western European football competitions and teams have continually increased. However, a remarkable observation that can be made is that predominantly players from West Africa are visible in the top teams of western European football, whereas players from the East African region are relatively absent. This research compares how colonial and postcolonial policies and power dynamics have affected football development along with football migration from both regions to western Europe. It shows how French imperial policy has laid foundations for postcolonial power dynamics and ongoing football migration from former colonies to France, whereas British colonial and postcolonial policy has hindered football development in East Africa and prevented the emergence of migration corridors to western Europe such as the ones that can be identified in West Africa.Show less
This thesis engages with the scholarly debate on how African resource wars are presented in written western media. It tests the theoretical application of Afro-pessimism and the Westphalian filter...Show moreThis thesis engages with the scholarly debate on how African resource wars are presented in written western media. It tests the theoretical application of Afro-pessimism and the Westphalian filter on western (UK and US) media coverage of the Sierra Leonean and Angolan civil wars in the year 2000. Afro-pessimism refers to a frame of African representation in western media that is said to have been prevalent in the 1980s until the early 2000s. It is characterised by overwhelmingly negative reporting on the continent, where violent events throughout the continent are discussed as one “African mess,” and their causes are seen as indicative to an inherent “Africanness.” The Westphalian filter refers to a frame of African resource war reporting that focuses merely on state-level actors and ignores non-state actors who have economic stake in the conflict, rather than a political one. Both civil wars were (re-)ignited in early 1990s and diamond mining and trading played an instrumental role in financing and sustaining both wars. In the year 2000, media coverage on the wars was often more reflective and sought to explain the causes and developments of the wars. By conducting a critical discourse analysis of these reflective sources, this thesis concludes that neither frame is as dominant in western reporting on the African resource wars as their proponents claim. While features of both frames are visible in the analysis, neither can be seen as the prominent frame through which African resource wars were communicated in the year 2000. The thesis conducts exploratory research that provides a strong base for further research.Show less
The purpose of this study is to examine how the role of women in the socio-economic sphere has changed and/or remained the same in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before and after the Second...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to examine how the role of women in the socio-economic sphere has changed and/or remained the same in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before and after the Second Congo War, which lasted from 1998 to 2003. The expansion of globalization, as well as the end of wars, has changed social structures within society and in particular created different opportunities for women in political, social and economic processes compared to before. Through the use of qualitative research, the study explores the role of women and the challenges that continue to hinder their socio-economic participation to this day. The study contends that social norms continue to hinder the role women are able to have in the DRC as the idealized femininity continues to be defined by mothering, caring and providing for the children and being subordinate. Women continue to be largely the backbone of the agricultural sector, present in the informal sector as well as the primary caregivers. But, due to the war, as well as globalization and technological development, their roles have expanded to sectors and industries such as the artisanal mining industry, the information and communications technology (ICTs) and telecommunications. Furthermore, due to there being stigmatization surrounding rape, legal barriers, education gender inequalities and lack of access to land, the role of women remains hindered and restricted. Further research is needed to understand these gender norms, relations and the role of women in the DRC as gender roles remain fluid and can change over time.Show less
