Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
It has been considered that the community among Afro-Mozambican migrants in Lisbon does not exist due to the small number of its population in Portugal. Yet, one Mozambican artist, Frank Ntaluma’s...Show moreIt has been considered that the community among Afro-Mozambican migrants in Lisbon does not exist due to the small number of its population in Portugal. Yet, one Mozambican artist, Frank Ntaluma’s house, called Mozambican House among Afro-Mozambicans in Lisbon, seems to overturn this perception. It exists as a hangout among them and even provides them with informal security nets. This thesis aims to explore how their conviviality appears at this Mozambican House in Lisbon, Portugal. Observing life in Mozambican House enabled us to see how various “intermediaries” work together as a catalyst of creating a condition for them to live with others, namely, their daily reciprocal interactions via mobile phones, shared expectation to answer positively to requests from others for favours, and dissimulative acts. These “intermediaries” are backed by the shared sense and mode of Estamos Juntos [we are together], which they also narrate as “ethics”. Mozambican House is realised as a sum of the shared “intermediaries”, intertwining with Ntaluma’s personality who holds a passion for having an extensive network. This research applied auto-ethnography, participant observation and in-depth interviewing with 19 participants as research methods. Participant observation was conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 in Ntaluma’s house.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
2022-03-03T00:00:00Z
Since the 1980s, Italy has become one of the leading destinations of Senegalese migration and one of the countries with the most numerous Senegalese population in Europe. Along with other African...Show moreSince the 1980s, Italy has become one of the leading destinations of Senegalese migration and one of the countries with the most numerous Senegalese population in Europe. Along with other African diasporas, Senegalese migrants in Italy are an object of interest of the national media that generally portray them as a monolithic group, uniformed under simplistic images and victim of its circumstances. The presence of this community has also been the interest of many scholars within the social sciences. In their works, these scholars adopted a more nuanced and objective look towards Senegalese migrants’ conditions in Italy, taking into account agency and diversity in dealing with the complex situation of this migrant community. Building from the corpus of research laid down by these works, this thesis contributes to the discussion on Senegalese migrants’ agency from a different perspective. Drawing from the example of Senegalese street sellers working in Florence, the present work shows how the use they make of language can be seen as a way to recover actors' agency. Specifically, by considering the use they make of language as an identity marker, the present thesis reveals the role that Senegalese street vendors have in dealing with their new (linguistic) circumstances. Within this framework, intentionality in language use works as a concept to understand and investigate agency. In this way, the present work sheds light on language use as an asset for Senegalese street sellers’ agency; moreover, it gives a practical solution to understand and analyse agency by pointing to how intentionality may be expressed in language use.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
closed access
This thesis aims to investigate the cultural templates that underpin the centuries old practice of female genital cutting (FGC) a non-medical procedure that provides for the excision of external...Show moreThis thesis aims to investigate the cultural templates that underpin the centuries old practice of female genital cutting (FGC) a non-medical procedure that provides for the excision of external part of female genitalia to comply with the practicing community’s socio-cultural system. Although FGC incidence has been declining, high prevalence rates have been reported in several African countries like Ethiopia, whose incidence stands around 65.2%. Following increased global mobility, public and policy concern about FGC among the African communities in Europe has grown. However, hardly any studies attempted to unearth the elements that render FGC 'transportable' to a new cultural context that rejects the legitimacy of this practice. Considering Ethiopia has both a strong FGC culture and a long-standing history of migration, the latter is hereby the object of analysis. In this study, I trace back social, ideological, symbolic and religious dimensions of these interventions from the context they have been produced. I then investigate how cultural patterns are played out among the Ethiopian diaspora settled in Italy. I show that the reason behind female excision is a matrix of socio-cultural-symbolic nexus that are very powerful in a context where the practice is autochthonous but, in the advent of migration, the same go from being allowing to disabling factors for continuation.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
The Saemaul Undong (translated as the New Village Movement), was first introduced in South Korea in the 1970s. It not only contributed to the country’s rural economic development, but also...Show moreThe Saemaul Undong (translated as the New Village Movement), was first introduced in South Korea in the 1970s. It not only contributed to the country’s rural economic development, but also contributed to an enhanced national consciousness and a stronger collective identity through the internalisation of external support and incentives. The recent implementation of this specific rural development model under the name of the Establishment of Saemaul Model Villages (ESMV) project in seven model villages in Uganda, raises the question on how it may impact the existing collective identities in the country that continues to portray institutionalised ethnicity in modern politics. This research, therefore, aims to study how the Korea-inspired Saemaul Undong Model Villages socially influences the existing ‘local’ village identities in Uganda as well as how it contributes to the national identity. Fieldwork was conducted in three of out of the seven model villages in Uganda between August 2019 and January 2020, to collect data using formal in-depth and informal interviews, as well as participant observation. The triangulated data was used to explore the process of internalisation of the external support from the Korean and Ugandan governments by the grassroots actors, and how this impacted their sense of belonging to the community. Social dynamics were analysed using the actor-oriented approach introduced by Norman Long (2001) and Herbert Kelman’s social influence theory (1958, 1961, 1979, 2006, 2017). In addition, Benedict Anderson’s imagined communities ([1983] 2016) was referred to discuss the concept of national identity and how it was impacted by the intervention program. The ultimate purpose of this research was not to measure peoples’ sense of patriotism nor nationalism, but to rather understand how the ESMV project contributed to the understanding of collective identities in these regions. Thus, it focused on the social changes witnessed in the villages in relation to the reproduction and adaptation of ideas and practices associated with national identity at the local level. It then concludes that the formation of collective identities in these villages by the rural development project was both the means and the ends for the national economic development.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
under embargo until 2030-09-01
2030-09-01T00:00:00Z
The Mafia archipelago in Tanzania has been internationally and nationally recognised as an area with an immense amount of biodiversity. The creation of the first marine park in Tanzania, Mafia...Show moreThe Mafia archipelago in Tanzania has been internationally and nationally recognised as an area with an immense amount of biodiversity. The creation of the first marine park in Tanzania, Mafia Island Marine Park, reflects this recognition. However, little has been researched about how the protection of this biodiversity affects the main economic industry in the archipelago, the fishing industry. This thesis adds to our understanding about fishing in Mafia by examining the influence of government policies, WWF programs and marine conservation on the formation of fishermen identity within Mafia. It is based on three arguments. Firstly, identity is formed through the interactions that an individual has with other members of their community. Secondly, this thesis treats fishermen as an identity group and argues that the economic activities of a person provides insight into their identity. Thirdly, due to the importance of the environment and the reiteration of this importance by the majority of interviewees, the ocean, marine animals, wind and moon are treated as one interconnected entity. This entity is referred to as the environment within this thesis, which examines, in an exploratory manner, the communication between the environment and fishermen. In order to create an effective and accurate analysis of fishing in Mafia, this thesis is built upon an interdisciplinary approach. To academia this thesis provides a unique analysis of identity formation as it examines how both human and non-human entities shape identity formation. Furthermore, this thesis includes indigenous knowledge claims and treats the perceptions of the fishermen with high regard. At a societal level, this thesis aims to provide a platform for the voices of the fishermen and people in Mafia who feel marginalised from Tanzania and neglected by the Tanzanian government.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
2020-05-31T00:00:00Z
Political conflict and polarization in Zanzibar have been examined by different scholars and from different (inter)disciplinary angles, often, however, to the exclusion of female voices. Trying to...Show morePolitical conflict and polarization in Zanzibar have been examined by different scholars and from different (inter)disciplinary angles, often, however, to the exclusion of female voices. Trying to mend this bias by exclusively exploring women’s perspectives, using mainly qualitative, in-depth interviews, I was able to identify the centrality of motherhood and mothering to the gendered standpoint of Zanzibari women, also in connection to their attitudes towards ‘the political’. Consequently, this thesis explores the roles the institution of motherhood and mothering as practice play in women’s navigation of (political) uncertainty and conflict in the islands. To establish the context in which this navigation takes place and to mend misconceptions about female (non-)participation in Zanzibari electoral politics, the active roles women have filled in the island’s political history are highlighted. To be able to understand the ‘maternal standpoint’, my respondents spoke and navigated from, local ideologies and experiences of motherhood and mothering are explored. The Swahili terms uchungu (bitterness) and kuhangaika (‘to roam about and struggle’) are central here, expressing the sacrifice that is often expected and performed by mothers. I develop the concept of ‘maternal navigation’ which takes into account the practices of actors who not only strategize to ‘get by’ and ‘get on’ as individuals but navigate uncertainty on behalf of and through others. This helps to make sense of my respondents’ practices as they consider risks and vulnerabilities while negotiating prevalent social, cultural, economic and political circumstances, for the sake of bringing about the best possible results for their children and families. In the political context, motherhood and mothering are shown to have a variety of sometimes contradictory influences, e.g. in connection to the promotion or dismissal of political peace-building. Mothers are also shown to develop specific maternal strategies in face of the risks of politics in the islands to safeguard themselves, but – most importantly – their families and children against political dangers and exposure. Overall, the complex and ambivalence force motherhood and maternal subjectivities represent in the political sphere and in relation to the navigational activities of Zanzibari women is highlighted.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis aims to explore African identity through a popular culture lens. It uses a comparative approach between Morocco and Senegal and focuses on three main components of popular culture:...Show moreThis thesis aims to explore African identity through a popular culture lens. It uses a comparative approach between Morocco and Senegal and focuses on three main components of popular culture: football, music and fashion. This research examines how the latter may or not promote a shared African identity between Morocco and Senegal. This thesis is based on an ethnographic study in Ifrane, Rabat and Essaouira in Morocco and Dakar in Senegal. It relies heavily on qualitative data resulting from seven month’s fieldwork in both countries. The research explores African identity through the stories of the people directly concerned, Africans. In the first instance, and as a way of understanding one population segment – the youth – semi-structured interviews were conducted with Moroccan students from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, which demonstrated the influence of some aspects of popular culture, but also of education in shaping their identities as Africans. In the same measure, interviews were also conducted with Senegalese students from University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar. Furthermore, this research also relies on interviews with older generations in both Morocco and Senegal, as well as participant observations by attending events related to music, fashion and football. Part of the research also relies on surveys conducted during the African Cup of Nations. This thesis showcases how popular culture promotes a shared African identity between Morocco and Senegal by, first, promoting African unity illustrated by football games, second, by promoting African history, through a music - Gnawa - that has traveled from Sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa to recall their stories, and third, by promoting African roots, highlighted by Moroccan young designers who use fashion as a tool to assert their African identity. Finally, this research aims to contribute to a larger academic debate on the separation of North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, by outlining popular culture as an important factor when studying and comparing the latter. Therefore, on a academic level, it aims to raise awareness with regards to paying more attention to North Africa as part of the African continent - thus part of African studies; and second, on a social level, as a way of promoting African identity and unity through the power of popular culture.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
2020-09-01T00:00:00Z
This thesis is an attempt to place the decline of the Marinid Empire in a wider perspective, in order to gain a better understanding of the causes of the decline. Although long considered to be a...Show moreThis thesis is an attempt to place the decline of the Marinid Empire in a wider perspective, in order to gain a better understanding of the causes of the decline. Although long considered to be a weak and ineffective polity in modern historiography, the Marinid Empire was perhaps one of the wealthiest polities of the medieval world. By controlling and facilitating the Trans-Saharan trade networks, the Marinids had access to the largest source of gold in their time, which enabled them to become an important regional polity. Their relative short reign and quick collapse however, cast a shadow over their legacy. But what caused their collapse? This thesis focused on the influence of the Black Death and its possible causative role in the decline of the Trans-Saharan gold trade. By doing so, a series of interesting correlations emerge that suggest that there is a causative relation between the arrival of the Black Death in West Africa, the decline of the Trans Saharan gold trade in the late 14th century and the Marinid decline itself.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
closed access
The thesis argues to give special attention to Chinese contractors with a provincial background (State-owned enterprise established at the provincial level) and their activities in African...Show moreThe thesis argues to give special attention to Chinese contractors with a provincial background (State-owned enterprise established at the provincial level) and their activities in African countries. Chinese actors who have an earlier entrance to the African market experience a ‘disembedding’ process as other forms of Chinese capital flow in. In face of intensified intra-China competition, provincial SOEs struggle to secure a position in the local market. This thesis explores how Chinese camps navigate changing and unfamiliar environment by cultivating connections with Senegalese actors and local communities. The analysis is based on ethnographic fieldwork in Touba, Matam, Thiès, Thienaba and Dakar. The tracking strategy is a combination of go-along, participant observation and small-talks. The conceptual tool of this thesis, based on the concepts of ‘scale’ (Xiang 2013), ‘navigation’(Vigh, 2006, 2009) and ‘connection’ (Kaag 2012), attempts to understand how flows at one scale can influence or disrupt another scale; and on the local level, how actors experience these disruptions and move through the social forces created in the momentum as socially immediate and socially imagined; and how, through connection and connecting, they find a temporary anchor. This thesis looks at how Chinese contractors navigate the ambiguity of trust and potentiality of obligation to make work and social life possible. It also looks at how Chinese navigate the Chinese guanxi practice and Senegalese system reciprocity to cultivate stable interpersonal relations with significant local actors, such as the Mbacke marabouts in Touba. Keywords: Senegal; China; social navigation; reciprocity; religion; infrastructure; provinceShow less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
Foreign land acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa have increased since the global financial crisis of 2007/2008. Foreign governments purchased land to secure their own food sustainability, while new...Show moreForeign land acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa have increased since the global financial crisis of 2007/2008. Foreign governments purchased land to secure their own food sustainability, while new climate mitigation policies drafted by the EU encouraged foreign companies to invest in biofuel in the developing countries of the world. Tanzania in particular has experienced an increase in FDIs in agriculture in the last 10 years because of its fertile land abundance and cheap labour available. The recent land acquisitions for agricultural purposes in Tanzania have been labelled as land grabs by the academia and prominent international organizations. Human rights violations and broken promises by foreign investors casted a shadow on FDIs in agriculture in Tanzania, which contributed to overlook the potential benefits that they could bring about. This research takes distance from the land grabbing debate and refers to the concept elaborated by Kaag and Zoomers, that land grabbing has been hyped and this prevented an analysis of the land acquisitions in agriculture in Tanzania free from constraints. The results of a six-months fieldwork in the country proved that foreign investors acting according to the law and prone to endorse social responsibilities, were successful in establish business models able to benefit the local context, as a matter of fact proving the potential of FDIs in agriculture in developing countries. Interests at stake are plenty and different, which makes it difficult to evaluate who gains more and who gains less, this is why recommendations on the basis of the cases studied are made in order to create a more inclusive environment. Since the topic is broad and multifaceted, I adopted a multidisciplinary approach which stretches from history to geography, from politics to law and from economics to agricultural science.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
Abstract Inspired by personal experience, this research analyzes the challenges and paradoxes of belonging of the Rastafari returnees in Ethiopia. With a biblically and historically buildt identity...Show moreAbstract Inspired by personal experience, this research analyzes the challenges and paradoxes of belonging of the Rastafari returnees in Ethiopia. With a biblically and historically buildt identity, the Rastafari have formed a strong identity and view Ethiopia as Zion. However, the whistle that signaled repatriation is the 500 acres land grant given by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I to the black peoples of the world, mainly those in the west, as a token of gratitude for reaching out to Ethiopia and its people during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. The Rastafari people returned to Ethiopia, the Promised Land, fulfilling their “homecoming.” The research examines the multi-dynamic facets of the Rastafari community’s confrontations on their journey of striving to make a home and feel at home, thereby unravelling the consistent conditions that facilitated the contradicting relationship of the community with Ethiopia and Ethiopians. In order to do so, the research identifies the challenges and investigates how these are manifested and how the paradoxes of the community are demonstrated. Capitalizing on the opportunity of meeting the global Rastafari, the research curiously inquires whether the challenges faced by the community in Ethiopia are shared by Rastafari elsewhere. Furthermore, the study cross-examines the applicability of the directive issued by the Ethiopian government. In the absence of full integration, the research investigates whether the community in Ethiopia is leveraging on its international connections. To respond to these questions, the study makes use of Horst Moller’s theories on identity of (MacLeod, 2014), Nyamonjah’s belongingness (2006), the homeland-diaspora relationship examined by Wingrod and Levi (2006), and the zones of transit identified by Akinyoade and Gewald (2015). The research was conducted through an ethnographic approach in the Rastafari community in Ethiopia, with the researcher being a quasi-member of that community. Open interviews and participant observation are what the researcher immersed herself into in order to collect data. The personal experience and some specific quotes of the informants are compartmentalized to form the themes of the subjects included. This research-at-home also brings the personal experience to the text with the intention of enriching and deepening the experience of the reader. Unexpected events gave way to methods of unintended findings that perfectly and coherently suited the thesis, as it provides information on whether the experience of the Rastas in Ethiopia is shared by other Rastafari in Africa and globally. These events further helped to bring a fresh knowledge by thoroughly assessing the practicality of the directive concerning the Rastafari, which was issued by the Ethiopian government. The apparent persistence of the trans-nationality of the Rastafari cannot go unchecked. Therefore, the researcher shares the data collected in this regard. I conclude that the post-repatriation era of the Rastafari in Ethiopia is crammed with consistent tribulations, ironies, and paradoxes perpetuated by the state, by local Ethiopians and by the returnees themselves. However, this research equally concludes that, despite the challenges the Rastafari face in their daily lives, they are determined to stay ‘home.’Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
closed access
There is a shortage of highly skilled aviation personnel in Tanzania. More than half of the pilots flying in the country are foreigners, while there are simultaneous reports of unemployed Tanzanian...Show moreThere is a shortage of highly skilled aviation personnel in Tanzania. More than half of the pilots flying in the country are foreigners, while there are simultaneous reports of unemployed Tanzanian pilots. This, in combination with the lack of research on Tanzanian aviation in general, provided the starting point for this research on the changing position of Tanzanian pilots in the Tanzanian air transport sector from 1917 to 2017. This thesis is the result of a historical qualitative research with a six months fieldwork period carried out in Dar es Salaam in 2014/2015. Additional data was collected in 2016 and 2017. Researching Tanzanian aviation elites has its own methodological challenges of access and positionality. The thesis gives an overview of a century of flight and fliers in Tanzania. It is argued that Tanzanian pilots have experienced some degree of deprofessionalization through loss of expertise, autonomy and status as a result of global and local conditions. However, measuring the state of community is not very helpful in examining Tanzanian pilots. Tanzanian pilots are not helpless in the face of deprofessionalization. Some Tanzanian pilots have moved into management functions at their airlines and others have organized in the Professional Association of Tanzanian Pilots (PATP). The labor aristocracy thesis proved not sufficient to explain the behavior of Tanzanian pilots. While once maybe rightly considered a labor aristocracy, Tanzanian pilots have become a very heterogenous group. In order to counter deteriorating conditions, some pilots organized in the PATP; this pilots-exclusive association used its connections to gain momentum, but it had severe confrontations with state and employers and pilots left the group when they got employed. This suggests that the Tanzanian pilots in the PATP were in some ways acting as a labor aristocracy, but judging from their composition, it was also an attempt to get back into one. Non-organization rather than organization became a way of dealing with the changes. The situation and (in)actions of Tanzanian pilots was very complex and must be understood in its own context. Further research is needed to find out more about individual motivations and to examine how different airlines deal with highly skilled workers. This thesis adds a Tanzanian perspective to debates on professional workers and changing professions in a globalized world.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
The UN Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge ‘that all cultures (…) are crucial enablers of sustainable development’. In academic literature on Africa, however, cultural diversity is analysed...Show moreThe UN Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge ‘that all cultures (…) are crucial enablers of sustainable development’. In academic literature on Africa, however, cultural diversity is analysed as a problem, rather than as an enabler. Africa is either seen as one culturally homogeneous whole or as incredibly diverse and fragmented – there seems to be nothing in-between. Therefore, the picture is incomplete at best. Yet information on culture is used as the basis for assertions on Africa and its problems in economic and other areas. This thesis questions both visions of African cultures, using Vansina’s theory on the autonomy of cultural traditions as its starting point. Methodically, it uses an approach developed in cross-cultural psychology. Cultures are described here as value systems that serve as common points of reference to peoples. Using the cultural dimensions approach of Hofstede and Minkov a new exploratory analysis has been made of current self-perceptions of Africans, using data from the World Values and Afrobarometer surveys. This leads to information on differences and similarities in cultural values between more than 200 ethnolinguistic groups from over 30 African countries. The information has been partly triangulated through Focus Group Discussions in Ghana and in Southern Africa and by comparing information from those countries with ethnographic and other literature. The thesis sheds new light on cultural differences and similarities in Africa. It shows that there are considerable cultural differences within Africa; not all cultures in Africa are equally ‘collectivist’, for example. The essentially Eurocentric shorthand method of equating language with culture cannot be used in Africa: in many cases, cultural areas share different languages; in other cases, one language may be shared by people with different cultures. The thesis shows that such situations may be relatively common in Africa. The thesis calls for a new perspective on African identities and draws attention to the need for rebuilding cultural autonomy, based in African languages.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
The thesis focuses specifically on exploring the ways in which an individual’s identity, particularly identity development processes, come into play in the decision making process which shapes...Show moreThe thesis focuses specifically on exploring the ways in which an individual’s identity, particularly identity development processes, come into play in the decision making process which shapes return to Kenya.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
This research focuses on people’s perception of, and attitudes towards, mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). It is the result of four months of fieldwork in Ruhija,...Show moreThis research focuses on people’s perception of, and attitudes towards, mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). It is the result of four months of fieldwork in Ruhija, Rubanda County, one of the four appointed areas in Uganda where gorilla tourism is established. This qualitative study aims at understanding how different stakeholders perceive the gorilla as an animal, whether that be a conservation goal or an economic income, or an anthropomorphized species. The analysis will develop by focusing on these three conceptual domains, namely, political, economic and anthropomorphised. Further, in order to understand how different stakeholders have different perceptions and attitudes, the research participants are divided into four groups. The stakeholders groups involve the local community, the entrepreneurs, the conservationists and the tourists. By doing so, the research will present the point of view of local, national and international actors. The main argument of the thesis revolves around the discourses about mountain gorillas. More specifically, how international actors have imposed western-centred discourses about wildlife conservation in order to ensure gorilla conservation. Along with national actors, who have later adopted the same discourses, to guarantee the development of the tourism industry.Show less
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)
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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
