Jozac Publishers [JP] (former JFP Publishers) (E-Journals)
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Character and content dynamics in healthcare interventions by emerging faith-based organizations: An ethnographic perspective in urban Tanzania
Get PDFFaith-based organizations (FBOs) have a long history of providing healthcare services in Africa dating back to the 19th century. In recent decades, the emergence of new FBOs, including Pentecostal and Muslim revivalist organizations, has significantly influenced healthcare provision amidst evolving socio-economic, political, and technological developments since the 1990s. This article presents findings from a primary research study that explored the character and content of healthcare activities conducted by these new FBOs in response to these changes. The study investigates how religious values shape the character and content of healthcare activities undertaken by new FBOs within dynamic socio-economic, political, and technological contexts from the 1990s to the present. Ethnographic methods, such as participant observation, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, were employed to gather insights. The findings demonstrate that healthcare interventions by new FBOs are infused with moral values, impacting both beneficiaries and healthcare workers. These interventions contribute to generating social capital for beneficiaries in the context of weakened social ties since the 1990s, leveraging international connections for funding and utilizing social media to expand their reach and gain public recognition. The study concludes that, the character and content of healthcare interventions by new FBOs have been significantly influenced by socio-economic, technological, and political changes since the 1990s. The study recommends policy initiatives that acknowledge the importance of healthcare social support and non-clinical services in strengthening the overall health system
Declining democracy, institutional weaknesses and resurgence of praetorian rule in West Africa
Get PDFThe decline of democracy in Africa has become a source of concern as an increasing percentage of the population experiences either fully or partially authoritarian or praetorian governance. In the last three years, West Africa has witnessed an unprecedented surge with five successful coups, including the one in Niger, surpassing any comparable period in the region over the past three decades. Additionally, an alleged coup plot in the Gambia underscores the pervasive institutional weaknesses and fragility among states in the West African sub-region. This paper examines the phenomenon of democratic decline, institutional weaknesses, and the resurgence of praetorian rule in West Africa. The theory of institutional weakness was used as guiding framework. The paper utilizes qualitative analysis primarily by adopting the narrative literature review as a research methodology. The narrative literature review is a form of research method that employs a qualitative approach to synthesize existing research on a specific topic drawing data from official documents, books, journals, newspapers, magazines, and other related sources. Through a thorough review of relevant literature have pointed to weak institutional framework of the states to account for the the resurgence of praetorian rule in West Africa. The study proposes a set of recommendations to uphold democratic governance, reverse democratic decline, reinforce the institutional fabric of West African states, and curb unconstitutional changes in government through military coups. The research emphasizes the imperative of establishing robust and essential institutional structures and prerequisites to enhance effective governance, fostering stronger links between citizens and governing civil authorities. Emphasis is placed on preserving presidential term and age limits and instituting constitutional safeguards against opportunistic actions to prevent incumbents from exploiting systems for prolonged tenure
The contribution of interactive communication to the improvement of maternal healthcare services in Migori County, Kenya
Get PDFThe contribution of interactive communication in promoting maternal healthcare services are missing in the county’s healthcare literature thus leading to higher levels of morbidity and mortality in Migori County. The study therefore achieved the following objectives: it established the influence of face-to-face interactions in promoting maternal health services in Migori County, and it also investigated the role of support group discussion in the uptake of maternal health services in Migori County. The health belief model and the elaboration likelihood models were used to underpin the study. A cross-sectional research design was used with a mixed research method approach. The study targeted a sample size of three hundred and ninety-eight (398) respondents. Sampling techniques used included cluster, systematic random sampling and purposive sampling. The study collected both primary and secondary data. The research instruments used in this study to collect data were questionnaires and key informant interview schedules. The results were done with the help of Microsoft Office Excel and the Statistics Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v25). The results were presented using a combination of narrative explanations, tables, and graphs. The validity and reliability of the instrument were determined through a pre-test and expert opinion to determine whether it addressed all relevant aspects of the variables. The study findings indicate that face-to-face interaction has the most significant influence on promoting maternal healthcare services in Migori County. The study recommends that the county government of Migori should employ more health workers to facilitate support for the use of face-to-face communication.
The theme of “Contradiction” in Riffian-Amazigh proverbs
Get PDFThe present study seeks to shed light on the theme of contradiction in Riffian-Amazigh (RA) proverbs. As a North African language, the RA variety has a rich array of proverbs dealing with different topics. With this being said, this paper intends to analyze the Riffian-Amazigh proverbs and underscore the most noteworthy and striking aspects of contradiction exhibited in such oral cultural expressions displaying different aspects of the identity of the Riffian-Amazigh community. The study is based on a mixed methodological approach to data analysis, and other quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings show that Riffian-Amazigh proverbs are not exceptions to proverbs found in other languages and cultures. Some proverbs are mutually contradictory, and this is the case with most of the proverb pairs. On the other hand, other proverbs are partially contradictory, but they are very few. This reveals nothing more than the complexity of the human nature and the paradoxical way of thinking. The human mind is inextricably complex. Hence, exploring such contradictions will certainly provide us with insights into cultural nuances and the complexities of human linguistic and social behaviour
Kathy Curnow’s ‘The Bright Continent- African Art History’: A critical book review
Get PDFThe aim of this paper was to provide a constructive and critical summary of Kathy Curnow’s book ‘The Bright Continent- African Art History’ to assist students, researchers and educators of African Art History in their study of the History of African Art. As a good reading resource in the field, Curnow’s book provides a nuanced understanding of the continent of Africa, its diverse art practice and material culture as well as the biting issues of gender and training regarding traditional and contemporary African art practice. This breathtaking book which was published in mid 2023 is making giant inroads in the African Art scholarship for teaching and research. The authors of this paper subjects the key thoughts of Curnow to a critical discourse and shares their experiential knowledge on the critical issues raised in the book. Although this research was conducted to give a chronological account of the history of Africa, the culture, and various art practices involved, the art practices in the period of Egyptian civilization were not given attention. This is probably due to some controversies revolving around the discourse of Egyptian civilization, which mostly, albeit, erroneously, put Africa in a disadvantaged position. Despite that Eurocentric undertone, the book still remains one of the most detailed and extensive chronological accounts of African art, recently published. It is relevant in the study of art at all levels in the academy
Why patients patronize the services of traditional bone setters: A phenomenological analysis of lived experiences of patients in Volta Region, Ghana
Get PDFThe hospital is a well-organized social system which provides comprehensive healthcare to patients suffering from different diseases and illnesses. It has a well-structured administrative machinery, highly trained professionals/experts in different fields of medicine, and equipped with advanced medical technology. The hospital thus is an institution which provides comprehensive therapeutic services to all its clients including patients with fractures. However, it has been observed that despite the presence of numerous hospitals in the Volta Region of Ghana, many fracture patients continue to patronize the services of Traditional Bone Setters (TBS) in mending their broken bones. Using the qualitative method, this study investigates reasons why patients continue to patronize the services of traditional bone setters in spite of the presence of the hospital. The study reviews the literature by conceptualizing traditional bone setters, the practice of traditional bone setting, and the fundamental factors that undergird the patronage of traditional bone setters in Africa. The study uses the Four A Model as a theoretical framework and phenomenology as a data collection approach. The study finds that three categories of people patronized the services of traditional bone setters. In addition, the study finds the fear of amputation, fear of surgery, skeletal traction, social support system, good review processes, fast healing, and familiarity with the practices of TBSs as factors responsible for the patronage of traditional bone setters. The study concludes that traditional bone setters constitute key stakeholders in the healing of bone fractures in the Volta Region of Ghana and contribute tremendously to primary healthcare
Evaluating the nature of Nigerian police and the challenges of insecurity in Wukari Area Command, Taraba State Nigeria, 2014-2020
Get PDFThe disagreement on whether the problem of the police in effectively addressing insecurity in Nigeria is internal or external to the police informed the present study. The study objective is to evaluate the nature of Nigerian police and the challenges of insecurity in Wukari area command, Taraba State, Nigeria, 2014-2020. The study employed a quantitative research method, using a questionnaire as a method of data collection. The finding of this study revealed that “the nature of Nigerian police accounts for insecurity in Wukari area command. Based on the findings of this study, the study recommends that the internal security architectures of Nigeria should be well remunerated and rejigs to provide for federal, state, and community police to work cooperatively and independently as partners in progress to fight against insecurity. The suggested recommendation will provide sufficient motivation, more funds, and ammunition for the police to protect lives and properties, as all the tiers of government will have their own separate police to respond quickly to emergencies geared towards addressing insecurity in the country
Digital newspaper contents readership in rural Kenya: Myth or reality?
Get PDFThe surging purchase of smartphones coupled with the expanding internet connectivity in rural Kenya has opened on to the increased use of social media platforms. This has made media houses venture into the production of both print and digital versions of newspaper production. However, little was still known about the consumption of digital newspaper content by the rural audience. It is against this backdrop that this study was conducted. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the extent to which Kenya’s rural population access and read contents of digital versions of mainstream newspapers-the Standard and the Nation. The study site was Nyatike Sub-County of Migori County, which is one of the rural sub-counties in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were: to assess the extent to which residents of Nyatike Sub County accessed online newspapers and to investigate the level at which residents of Nyatike Sub County read the contents of the online newspaper versions. The study adopted a descriptive research design using both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect and analyze data. It was found that internet connectivity was widening in rural Kenya. However, the majority of those who access the internet still do not use it to access contents of the digital versions of the mainstream newspapers-Standard and Nation. The study therefore recommended the need for cheaper internet services in rural Kenya, subsidized prices of digital newspapers, and sensitizing people in rural Kenya on the existence of online newspapers and how they can be accessed. This study, therefore, contributes to the realisation of the Kenya Vision 2030’s social, economic, and political pillars; the African Union Agenda 2063 of communication and infrastructure connectivity, and the realisation of some of the Sustainable Development Goals such as Goal Seventeen on Industry, Innovation and Infrastrcure
A multimodal study of campaign posters of the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate in 2023 general elections in Nigeria
Get PDFThe relevance of multimodal features of campaign posters in disseminating intended information to the Nigerian electorate during the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria is the focus of this research. The study examines six selected political campaign posters of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party who featured in the presidential election. These posters were chosen because of the researcher’s conviction that they constitute key elements in expressing the identity and ideology of Peter Obi and his political party. The purpose of this study is to analyse six campaign posters of Peter Obi and assess the effectiveness of the visual and linguistic components in influencing or persuading the electorate to vote for him as president of Nigeria under the auspices the Labour Party. The study adopted the social semiotic theory to analyse the data purposively sourced from Facebook and WhatsApp. Ideas synthesized from this theory are applied to the posters to reveal their encoded meanings. The paper reveals that Peter Obi was able to disseminate information and project his political ideology on the minds of the electorate through visual and non-visual messages contained in the posters. The conclusion of this study indicates that the campaign posters helped in influencing the decision of the electorate in voting for the Labour Party’s presidential candidate to create a healthy rivalry among the contestants for president of Nigeria in the 2023 General Elections
Gender swap, cross-dressing, and androgyny in Oyin Olugbile’s Sanya
Get PDFPatriarchy and sexual politics have often been skewed against women in military and leadership roles. This paper discussed gender-swapping, cross-dressing, and androgyny as feminist templates that enable women to subvert patriarchy, actualise themselves, and serve society outside of the norm. The study aims to investigate how the feminism-propelled counter-narrative deployed in Oyin Olugbile’s Sanya interrogates received myths and helps subvert stereotypes about women in military and leadership positions. Further, the paper aimed to explore the possibility that many African myths may carry within themselves, coded narratives about the forbidden roles of women in military and leadership positions. Using quantitative discourse analysis from a feminist standpoint governed by post-structuralist philosophy as research methodology, the study pursues intersections between myth, gender, and popular culture. Findings revealed that uncomfortable social truths banished from sanctified myths serve as creative repertoire for engendering ‘subversive’ literary forms. It also found that myths extend their relevance by infusing historical elements with contemporary nuances. The paper recommended more African myth-based creative interventions using new forms that would appeal to the modern-day generations. It suggested that such creative interventions help increase the literary corpus of Nigerian Literature and make for the continuing relevance of verbal performances/Orature in contemporary literary studies. The paper concluded that myths continue to serve society as ancient-in-modern templates which ensure generational relevance by interrogating received narratives