1,720,962 research outputs found
Back to the future! harnessing indigenous knowledge systems for wealth creation in Zimbabwe.
No full textThrough imperial logic, scientific knowledge has since been perceived along racial lines. The penultimate
hierarchy of knowledge has created and continues to nourish natural imperialism where it has become the
white men’s burden to civilize the Africans. This research attempted to sterilize the celebrated falsehood that
the Europeans have the ‘scientific spirit’ while the Africans have a ‘magic conception’ of nature. A historical
appreciation of African innovative and inventive ingenuity was traced from the pre-colonial times to the
present. The study drew insights from a broad evidentiary base that includes oral traditions, archival sources
and secondary material. The research established that aloes were and continue to be administered for a
variety of complaints like constipation and venereal diseases and other non-human disorders like the cure of
disease in chickens. The calendar function of the stars and constellations is ascribed to early African
agriculturalists who also exhibited an astounding knowledge of techniques of weather forecasting. The
research confirmed that African indigenous knowledge systems, although rarely acknowledged, have provided the solid foundation upon which Europe has claimed dominance over the environment by cataloging and classifying plants, insects, animals and many other creations according to ‘modern’ criteria. The Africans’ knowledge of the medicinal and nutritional properties of plants has been a source of commercial gain for multinational companies through bio-piracy which imperial logic seems to have justified. The challenge is the recognition of the diverse African knowledge system’s capacity to create wealth by formal institutions like schools, universities and work places. From a historical perspective, the study confirmed that indigenous knowledge has been and remains an integral part of the local ecosystem, a key element of the ‘social capital’ of the underprivileged and the main asset to invest in Zimbabwe’s struggle for survival
Accumulating biological capital through the commodification of women: a historical appreciation of the commercialization of lobola/roora in Zimbabwe 1920-2010.
No full textThere has been much disputation over the radical transformation of lobola into a commercial pursuit in Zimbabwe. Studies on lobola have largely focused on how this practice is conducted and the cultural significance attached to it. The unexplored dimension in the academic fraternity has been tracing how changing socio-economic and political environments led to the commodification of women and the commercialization of lobola. Rather than becoming a swallowing monster, lobola has grown in the same proportion as the growing body and wealth of African society. This study reveals how lobola has kept pace with the march of time, showing resilience against attacks from the outside and within, and flexibility for adapting itself to changing conditions dictated by the pre- colonial, the colonial and post-colonial socio-economic environments. The contention is that fluctuations in lobola charges should be understood within the context of the dictates of the multifaceted socio-economic and political frameworks. The colonial policies created their own demands while the post-colonial challenges accelerated the commercialization of lobola
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
The materialism and pornography of death! Questioning the conformity and conflict in the funeral and burial practices in Zimbabwe with particular reference to Mutare urban 2007-2011
No full textDeath is a constant fact of life and in most societies, a great deal of attention is paid to preparation for death,ceremonies surrounding death, memorials commemorating death and speculation as to what happens to a person after death. Death is marked by a funeral. The study argues that funerals are neither new nor indicative of people whose moral fibre has deca yed. Instead, the study shows how mortuary archaeology and related funeral and burial practices, have remained pillars upon which the socio-economic and cultural changes of a community or local area have been communicated over time. This study draws upon historical analogies to refute the celebrated claim that contemporary funerals and burial practices have ceased to be occasions for somber dignity and respect for the dead. The study maintains that the good and bad that
people lived, lives after them, and funeral and burial practices are the theatre of action
A comparative analysis of the post-colonial culture and democratization processes in Kenya and Zimbabwe to 2012
No full textA comparative analysis of the post-colonial culture and democratization processes in Kenya and Zimbabwe to 2012
No full textDuring the past four decades, no international political phenomenon has been more significant than the worldwide call and expansion of democratic governance. holding elections in almost all of Africa has turned out to be a norm. Clearly observable has been a gradual evolution of evolution of democratic institution and consolidation of democratic practices. the prospects for fostering democracy in Kenya and Zimbabwe have taken domestic and foreign- induced efforts. The basis of comparison between the two countries appears evident and tempting in a number of ways. Diagnoses of the causes of Kenya and Zimbabwe's ailments might vary spectacularly but human rights activists have accused the governments of bullying opponents in the name of preventing enemies of the state from destabilizing the nation. The presidency continued to acquire too much power. The fear that an iron grip was slowly being applied to the nations led to a steady stream of criticism of the governments with intellectuals, professionals and churches being vocal in condemning what they felt was an erosion of human rights
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Interrogating generational connections and conflicts on the utility of indigenous knowledge systems as a cultural dimension of development in Zimbabwe
No full textAfricans all over the continent and Zimbabweans in particular, are claiming the cultural heritage of their ancestors. There is a wide spread conviction that the ancestors had a certain self-understanding, a view of the world and a lifestyle that was of their own making. This afforded them to positively interact with their environment. Indeed, there are beliefs and practices which reflect evidence of the existence of a complex epistemological framework characterised by physical and spiritual interconnectedness of humans with other species. Of late, there has been a notable difference between the awareness of possible cosmovisionary issues among youths and the elderly to such an extent that the diffusion of ideas has not only lost momentum but that it is gravitating into oblivion. The hallmark of this study is its deep interest in the traditional relationships between humans, the physical and spiritual worlds which youths are marginalising. African traditional beliefs which appear to be the linchpin of indigenous knowledge are being affected by the changing religiosity of youths. The study estimates the extent to which generational conflict is a serious threat to developmental efforts in developing societies
Take us back to the graves of our ancestors! Land as a source and site of conflict in the Gutu District of Zimbabwe, 2000-2016.: Paper presented at Midlands State University International Research Conference held at Zvishavane Campus, 29-30 September 2017
No full textLand is a primary and fundamental, highly symbolic resource for the vast majority of African people. It is a core element in the complex social relations of production and reproduction. Being a valuable and immovable resource of limited quantity, its ownership and usage invoke emotional responses which spill into questions of autochthony and identity politics. As this paper demonstrates; how land should be used, owned and controlled and by whom has revealed a highly contested and conflictual terrain in Gutu. The volatile dynamics of conflict have not always conformed to the conventions of logic. Claims over ancestral land in Gutu have also had an impact on people’s identity and their feelings of connectedness with the social and cultural environment in its entirety. However ignoring these complexities has led to tenure reforms which have aggravated land-based conflict. In this paper, I argue that while conflict has been a symptom of persistent inequalities, it has provided an opportunity for the elite to consolidate their holdings of land and valuable resources. The reluctance by the District Administrator’s office to recognize and resolve lingering disputes born of the land and agrarian reform programmes has triggered extended protests and violence, prompting local-level institutions to make fragile and ill-conceived decisions on land ownership. With economic, symbolic and emotional aspects at stake, the Gutu experience is studied to show that while land has been a source of conflict, it remains an essential element in peace building in post-conflict situations
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