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Femmes entrepreneures et délaissement gouvernemental face à la Covid-19 : résilience des cadets sociaux par l’innovation commerciale en ligne
Get PDFOne of the major social transformations brought about by Covid-19 in Cameroon with the internet tool is the development of e-shop commercial activities. At the center of this movement are women whose socio-economic profiles show that they are in a situation of financial vulnerability. The areas of commercial intervention of these women range from the clothing industry to the food industry, including cosmetics, catering and natural health products. If their motivations are part of a dynamic of personal development which is linked to their career paths, most of these women make digital platforms spaces of economic profitability to escape their precarious state. Relying on a network of wholesale suppliers based in China, Turkey or in large shopping centers in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala, the sellers participate in the dematerialization of sales spaces for their digitalization. This is explained by the numerous advantages offered by the phenomenon: the payment of rent which replaces payment of the internet package for various transactions. This form of utilitarian accumulation of digital capital provides information not only on the socio-economic transformation of Cameroon by social cadets but also on the meaning of the relationships between these online sellers, their customers and their suppliers and the patriarchal structure of the social system.
The aim of this work is to understand, beyond a precarious environment, the capacity of women entrepreneurs in the unstructured economy sector to overcome the changes brought about by Covid-19. To do this, the analytical approach is structuralist, it relies on a network of symbolic relationships which would make possible the political analysis of the position of women in Cameroon, the crisis situation and their empowerment.Résumé
L’une des transformations sociales majeures portées par la Covid-19 au Cameroun avec l’outil internet est le développement des activités commerciales d’e-shop. Au centre de cette mouvance se situent les femmes dont les profils socioéconomiques montrent qu’elles sont en situation de vulnérabilité financière. Les domaines d’intervention commerciales de ces femmes vont de l’industrie de l’habillement à l’industrie agro-alimentaire, en passant par la cosmétique, la restauration ou les produits naturels de santé. Si leurs motivations s’inscrivent dans une dynamique de développement personnel qui est liée à leurs parcours, la plupart de ces femmes font des plateformes numériques des espaces de rentabilité économique pour une sortie de leur état de précarité. S’appuyant sur un réseau de fournisseurs grossistes basé en Chine, en Turquie ou dans les grands centres commerciaux des villes de Yaoundé et de Douala, les vendeuses participent à la dématérialisation des espaces de vente pour leur numérisation. Cela s’explique par des nombreux avantages qu’offre le phénomène : le paiement du loyer qui se substitue en paiement de forfait internet pour les diverses transactions. Cette forme d’accumulation utilitariste du capital numérique renseigne non seulement sur la transformation socio-économique du Cameroun par des cadets sociaux mais aussi sur le sens des rapports entre ces vendeuses en ligne, leur clientèle et leurs fournisseurs et la structure patriarcale du système social.
Le présent travail a pour objectif de comprendre au-delà d’un environnement précaire, la capacité des femmes entrepreneures dans le secteur d’économie non structurée, à surmonter les changements induits par la Covid-19. Pour ce faire, la démarche analytique est structuraliste, elle s’appuie à la fois sur un réseau de relations symboliques qui rendrait possible l’analyse politique de, la position des femmes au Cameroun, la situation de crise et leur autonomisation.
Mots-clés : Femmes entrepreneures, gouvernement, résilience, cadets sociau
English: Indigenous Gold Mining in Zimbabwe
No full textThis article uses the concept ‘Bricoleurs’ to analyse the different categories of indigenous small- scale miners in Zimbabwe. Indigenous citizens constitute the bulk of the small and medium scale gold miners who continue to use antiquated methods of extraction and processing and they market their gold through illegal networks managed by middlemen. The study highlights the challenges Bricoleurs encounter in forcing inclusion into the mainstream mining economy, and the government’s failure to capture them into the formal gold market. The indigenous gold miners’ experiences reveal the trials posed by fragmented and incoherent legal and institutional policy frameworks that militate against the Bricoleur miners’ productivity. With gold deposits found all over the country, and in the absence of supporting organisational structures, the Bricoleurs’ self-empowerment through devious means has become accepted by mining authorities. Data for this article was collected mostly through interviews with different stakeholders in the gold mining industry in Harare, Shurugwi and Chakari in Zimbabwe
System Dynamics Approach to Potable Water Management in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
No full textLarge swaths of rural communities in South Africa are faced with water shortages. The Eastern Cape province is one of the most hard-hit areas in the country with very unskilled water administrators and old infrastructure exacerbating the problem. Water shortage is due to the mismanagement of resources that are meant to install, operate, and improve water infrastructures in the province. An increase in population also contributes significantly to the challenge of water shortages. Available water is not potable enough for consumption, as a result, the province is under the stress of access to potable water. The purpose of this study was to model the water supply chain and to determine the nature and causes of water delivery challenges. The model will be used as a decision-support tool to help achieve sustainable water management in the province. System dynamics is an appropriate methodology used to understand cause and effect relationships, policy decisions, and feedback and has been successfully used in solving water management problems in particular. A System dynamics model is developed using the Vensim PLE 8.0.9 (Double Precision) to determine opportunities for improvement in water management, water access, and water supply. The systems dynamics modeling is discussed herein.
Indigenous languages as predictors of understanding and accepting COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria and South Africa
No full textIndigenous African languages have often suffered neglect in health development campaigns until recently. Considering the multi-faceted effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different peoples and societies worldwide, this article argues that vaccine campaigns in African settings cannot be impactful if they are not disseminated in the indigenous African languages. The article is hinged on Salawu’s model of indigenous language for development communication, which affirms the connection between language of communication and people’s understanding of the message communicated. The study employed a survey experimental research method. Using the pool sampling technique, both online and offline questionnaires were used to survey the opinions of 191 Nigerian and 114 South African respondents in Lagos and Mafikeng, respectively, about dominant indigenous languages used for COVID-19 vaccine messages, their degree of understanding vaccine messages and their acceptance or rejection of the vaccine messages. Interview sessions were conducted with five purposively selected health communication and media experts to determine the significance of and challenges encountered in the use of indigenous African languages for COVID-19 vaccine campaigns. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools, such as frequency count and percentage, chi-square, percentile and logistic regression; while the qualitative data were thematically analysed. While respondents mostly identified with messages in Yoruba, Igbo, Setswana and isiZulu, a few respondents identified with a combination of languages, although these languages did not influence their acceptance of vaccines.
Posture clinique en sciences sociales et rapport à l’objet de recherche : tension entre proximité et distanciation dans le processus d’objectivation: tension entre proximité et distanciation dans le processus d’objectivation
No full textThis article presents an epistemological reflection on the clinical posture in social sciences and the relationship to the object in a thesis project where the student is situated in a dual posture of proximity and distance. As a speaker, immigrant mother and doctoral student wishing to better understand the transcultural encounter between speakers and immigrant parents, the author takes you into her reflection on the relevant modalities that can promote the realization of an objectification process in clinical research in social sciences. The objective of the presentation of this reflexivity is to provide other student-researchers, situated in a dual posture, with avenues of reflection to develop a frame of reference allowing them to move towards objectification. The author thus hopes to contribute to transforming the perception of subjectivity, considered as an obstacle to a lever in the construction of scientific knowledge. First, she presents the broad outlines of her thesis project as well as her clinical posture in research, including her epistemological positioning and her methodological choices. She will then present her reflexivity by answering the question "Who am I?" in order to better understand her relationships with the research object. Finally, she will propose some of the fundamental principles and tools that can be available to student-researchers wishing to progress towards objectification while reducing the tension likely to arise between proximity and distancing from the research object.Cet article présente une réflexion épistémologique sur la posture clinique en sciences sociales et le rapport à l\u27objet dans un projet de thèse où l\u27étudiante se situe dans une double posture de proximité et de distance. En tant qu\u27intervenante, mère immigrante et doctorante souhaitant mieux comprendre la rencontre transculturelle entre intervenants et parents immigrants, l\u27auteure vous emmène dans sa réflexion sur les modalités pertinentes qui peuvent favoriser la réalisation d\u27un processus d\u27objectivation dans la recherche clinique en sciences sociales. L\u27objectif de la présentation de cette réflexivité est de fournir à d\u27autres étudiants-chercheurs, situés dans une double posture, des pistes de réflexion pour développer un cadre de référence leur permettant de s\u27orienter vers l\u27objectivation. L\u27auteure espère ainsi contribuer à transformer la perception de la subjectivité, considérée comme un obstacle à un levier dans la construction de la connaissance scientifique. Dans un premier temps, elle présente les grandes lignes de son projet de thèse ainsi que sa posture clinique en recherche, y compris son positionnement épistémologique et ses choix méthodologiques. Elle présentera ensuite sa réflexivité en répondant à la question « Qui suis-je ? » afin de mieux comprendre ses rapports à l’objet de recherche. Enfin, elle proposera certains des principes et outils fondamentaux qui peuvent être à la disposition des étudiants-chercheurs souhaitant progresser vers l\u27objectivation tout en réduisant la tension susceptible de naître entre proximité et distanciation vis-à-vis de l\u27objet de la recherche
Entrevue avec Robert Sévigny: L’expérience québécoise d’un pionnier de la sociologie clinique.
Get PDFIn Quebec, an important figure in the development of a clinical approach in sociology and the human sciences is undoubtedly Robert Sévigny, professor emeritus in the department of Sociology at the University of Montreal. Four specific phases of his journey are thus addressed. A first period is that of his training and his professional experiences which go from 1951 to the end of the 1970s. Another phase follows, from the 80s to the beginning of the 2000s, marked more particularly by his research and intervention work. exploring \u27implicit\u27 sociology among practitioners and researchers. A third period is that of the development of the clinical approach in sociology, both in Quebec and in international networks. This involves reference to different theoretical currents and varied practices depending on the countries concerned. Finally, by examining the major social transformations that we are experiencing in our Western societies and in the world, a critical reflection is necessary on the current and future development of a clinical approach in sociology, and more broadly, in the human and social sciences.Au Québec, une figure importante dans le développement d’une approche clinique en sociologie et en sciences humaines est sans contredit Robert Sévigny, professeur émérite du département de Sociologie de l’Université de Montréal. Sont abordées ainsi quatre phases spécifiques de son parcours. Une première période est celle de sa formation et de ses expériences professionnelles qui vont de 1951 à la fin des années 1970. Suit une autre phase, des années 80 au début des années 2000, marquée plus particulièrement par ses travaux de recherche et d’intervention explorant la sociologie ‘implicite’ chez les praticiens et les chercheurs. Une troisième période est celle du développement de la démarche clinique en sociologie, tant au Québec que dans les réseaux internationaux. Cela implique la référence à différents courants théoriques et des pratiques variées selon les pays concernés. Enfin, en examinant les transformations sociales majeures que nous connaissons dans nos sociétés occidentales et dans le monde, une réflexion critique s’impose sur le développement actuel et futur d’une approche clinique en sociologie, et plus largement, en sciences humaines et sociales
Transforming perspectives on gender through imagined futures: A speculative design inquiry
No full textThis paper will present a second-year Fashion Design Theory project, ‘Imagining Gender Equality in 100 Years’. The project outcomes were based on the critical design approach of speculative design (SD), exploring the intersectional issues of gender relevant to a South African context. SD thrives on imagination to create scenarios that change perspectives, beliefs, and values related to social problems. The following questions were posed to the students in developing the project guidelines. Firstly, what will the change in values, beliefs, and attitudes related to issues of gender look like in the future? And how can students use design to imagine spaces in the present for discussion and debate about alternative ways of being in an imagined future? With the application of action research, the paper discusses and analyses a selection of student projects completed in 2020 and 2021. In doing this, the paper aims to reflect on the transformation of a design theory assessment by applying critical design approaches culminating in creative and conceptual outcomes for complex life problems. In addition, reflections and lessons learnt on the blended teaching and learning methods amidst Covid-19 will be imparted
Choosing to learn outside the classroom: Rural South African students’ motivation for and benefits of participating in voluntary international virtual exchanges
No full textIn recent years, universities have adopted virtual exchange programmes to promote intercultural competencies, language acquisition, and global citizenship among students. Virtual exchange is praised as a way to provide international experiences to students who do not have the means to study abroad. Current literature on virtual exchange programmes largely focuses on Western experiences, with little attention to the developing countries that participate in these programmes. The purpose of this study is to explore rural South African students’ motivations for participation and perceptions of their experiences in their virtual exchange with a midwestern university in the United States of America (USA). 47 students at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Qwaqwa campus took part in four virtual online connections over the course of two months. Unlike most virtual exchange programmes represented in extant research, students participated in the programme voluntarily rather than as part of their prescriptive coursework. Through a focus group interview with 16 of the students at the conclusion of the interactions, we explored their motivations for taking part in the programme, as well as their perceived benefits of participation. Students were overwhelmingly positive about their experience and identified three types of advantages for participation: building relationships, building knowledge, and professional development
Childhood trauma and intimacy: Exploring drama therapy for intimacy recovery in adult relationships
Get PDFThis article investigates the relationship between childhood trauma and intimacy in adulthood, evaluating Drama Therapy as a treatment approach for intimacy recovery. Using a qualitative literature review, the study explores how specific Drama Therapy techniques – dramatic ritual, the Role Method, Narradrama, and Developmental Transformations (DvT) – address intimacy disruptions resulting from childhood trauma. The review reveals that these Drama Therapy approaches equip trauma survivors with tools to rebuild trust, regulate emotions, reform harmful narratives, and manage relational unpredictability. By fostering safety, trust, emotional expression, and mutual recognition within a structured environment, the literature examined indicates that Drama Therapy may facilitate the recovery of intimacy capacity by enabling individuals to engage in healthier and more fulfilling relationships.
The article highlights that while Drama Therapy provides valuable insights into intimacy recovery, it is limited by the absence of empirical data, which affects its scientific validity. Furthermore, the focus on selected literature may not fully represent the broader research landscape on trauma, intimacy, and Drama Therapy. The effectiveness of Drama Therapy techniques in enhancing intimacy lacks extensive empirical validation, underscoring the need for more rigorous research. Future studies should include empirically validated research to explore the impact of specific forms of childhood trauma and identify the most effective Drama Therapy techniques for intimacy recovery. Interdisciplinary collaboration could enhance empirical support for Drama Therapy’s efficacy, offering a more comprehensive understanding of therapeutic interventions\u27 impact on human health and intimate relationships
Introduction: Christianity and Social Change in Contemporary Africa
Get PDFThis introductory essay lays out the main themes of a special issue of the Journal for the Study of the Religions of Africa and its Diaspora. It brings together seven empirically grounded papers by African social scientists of different disciplinary backgrounds. These works explore the social impact of religious innovation and competition in present day Africa. They represent a selection from an interdisciplinary initiative that made 23 research grants for theologians and social scientists to study Christianity and social change in contemporary Africa. These articles focus on a variety of dynamics in contemporary African religion (mostly Christianity), including gender, health and healing, social media, entrepreneurship, and inter-religious borrowing and accommodation. The editors suggest that the research and learning reflected in this volume may enhance understanding of religion’s vital presence and power in contemporary Africa. The articles reveal problems as well as possibilities, notably some ethical concerns and psychological maladies that arise in some of these new movements, notably neo-Pentecostal and militant fundamentalist groups. Yet the articles do not fixate on African problems and victimization. Instead they explore sources of African creativity, resiliency and agency. Scholars of religion and religiosity in Africa, the authors argue, need to invest new conceptual and methodological energy in understanding what it means to be activelyreligious in Africa today