Scientific Director & Chief Editor
Komla M. Avono (Ph.D.)
ISSN 2710-4699 Online
3 issues per year
Communication According to Jürgen Habermas
Abstract: This paper contributes to elucidate Jürgen Habermas’ concept of communication. From Habermas’ distinction between “expected” and “emanating” effects, the study shows that, although the aim of any speech is to have an effect, Habermas stands out for his apprehension of the effect of communication. Thus, contrary to the expected effect which consists in achieving an intentional goal, Habermas sees rather the effect emanating which is a coupling or reciprocal effect of the interlocutors.
Keywords: Communication, Effect Emanating, Expected Effect, Intercomprehension
A Good Life of Service? Malian Domestic Workers in Niamey
Abstract: This paper analyzes the conditions of domestic workers of Malian origin in Niamey (the capital of Niger). It examines the motives for the migrants’ adventure, their itineraries, the multiple strategies for adapting to the socio-professional realities of the host environment, and their mode of organization. The study is based on a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews, life stories and direct observation. Other sources of information were supplemented by written, audio and audio-visual documents. The sample consisted of female employees and employers. The scientific interest of the work lies in highlighting the capacity of a foreign community, female and young at that, to enter a competitive professional field, and then to occupy a quasi-hegemonic position in it, in well-defined households. The paper found that the primary motivation for the maids is the search for income to support themselves and their village relatives. Employment is acquired through intermediation, conducted informally and often at great sacrifice.
Keywords: Migrant Women, Domestic Workers, Work, Profession, Employers
Opinions and Attitudes of Abidjan Residents Toward COVID-19 Vaccination
Abstract: The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed many lives around the world. The discovery of different vaccines has sparked hope in the battle against this disease. However, despite the availability of vaccines, the Ivorian populations did not strongly mobilize to be vaccinated. Why such a reaction from them? The objective of this study is to analyze and explain the opinions and attitudes of the Abidjan populations with regard to vaccination against COVID-19. The documentary study associated with a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews constituted the data collection techniques for this study. A mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative) was favored for the analysis of these data. The results indicate an influence of social networks and interpersonal communications on the opinions and attitudes of populations in the non-adoption of vaccines against Covid-19.
Keywords: Opinions and Attitudes, Vaccination, Abidjan Populations, COVID-19, Resistance.
Governance of Public Policies for Child Social Protection in Senegal
Abstract: In Senegal, the governance and production of public action in child social protection policies are carried out by several actors. This article analyzes the dynamics that exist in this polyarchic governance over these policies. This polyarchic co-production and governance is an arena where confrontations, interactions, struggles, conflicts, competitions among actors contribute to the progression of the child’s vulnerability. The results obtained show that the multiple interactions between the actors weaken the interventions. Practices and attitudes in the care of the child are part of different logics. Polyarchic governance constitutes a brake to the achievement of such policies.
Keywords: Polyarchic Governance, Public Action, Social Protection, Vulnerability, Interaction
Social Media as E-Learning Tools in Higher Education Institutions During COVID-19 in Burkina Faso
Abstract: The health crisis related to covid-19 has led to the suspension of pedagogical activities in higher education institutions. In Burkina Faso, some higher education institutions have used the possibilities offered by ICT to ensure the continuity of pedagogical activities. The study focused on higher education students who have experimented these networking tools as an e-learning device in the context of covid-19. Based on the UTAUT model, it aims to analyze the factors determining the intention to adopt networking tools as an e-learning device. The results indicate that “social influence” and “expectation of use” have a positive and significant influence on the intention to accept and use social networks as a distance learning device. In contrast, the central variables of the UTAUT, “performance expectation”, “effort expectation” and “facilitating conditions” have no significant influence on the acceptance intention of social networks.
Keywords: Virtual Social Networks, Intention to Use, Social Influence, E-Learning, Resilience, Covid-19
Promoting Female Leadership Amid Sociocultural Constraints: A Case Study of a Girls’ Leadership Promotion Project Through Football
Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to contribute to the advancement of theoretical knowledge and to the improvement of project ownership for sustainability. In particular, it takes a critical look at the factors that limit the performance and sustainability of projects. The focus of our analysis is on the influence of cultural particulary religious factors in the adoption of soccer by girls in the framework of the project “Promotion of girls’ leadership through football in the Tchaoudjo prefecture”. The mixed qualitative/quantitative method and the project case study are the basis of the methodological protocol. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and document analysis were used to collect useful information. These instruments allowed to generate reliable results that address the limitations of the non-participatory approach to project management. These are essentially the obscuring methodological and human factors grouped into eleven (11) neglected factors around the three stages of the project cycle (Project Genesis and Design, Project Planning and Implementation, Project Closure and Transfer) that affect project ownership. Also, these instruments facilitated the measurement of the degree of influence of each of the identified factors. Finally, the results achieved have allowed the development of an integrated project management approach that is conducive to the ownership of the results of these projects.
Keywords: Ownership, Participation, Girls, Football, Leadership, Development
Prince Fruku (Don Jeronimo) or the Story of a Lineage Excluded from the Throne of Danxome: From Tégbésu (1740–1774) to Agonglo (1789–1797)
Abstract: The history of Danxomè is fruitful in secret and complex schemes, settling of scores, disagreements and collective disobedience. Everything was knotted and unraveled around the throne. News of a king’s death usually followed a period of heightened antagonism between princes. The princes engaged in the race for power did not hesitate to use any means necessary to oust their adversaries. The new monarch, to establish his authority, could enslave some of his competitors. It is in this context that this study takes place, which examines the life of Fruku, a prince sent as a slave to Brazil when Tégbésu was king. From the documentation based on accounts of European travelers from the second half of the 18th century, books, articles, memoirs and theses, we will pay particular attention to the origins of the fallen prince, to his departure in Brazil, on his return to Danxomè and his claims to the throne.
Keywords: Fruku, Prince, Danxomè, Brazil, Slave, Throne.
Konkomba Land: A Symbolic Example of the Problematic Relationship with Colonial Schooling in Togo (1930s–1960s)
Abstract: After the conquest and with the set up of the German and French administrative structures, the colonizers are going to embody the domination, the coercion and arbitrariness. Besides the operations of military conquest and pacification of the country konkomba, notably the one led by von Massow, several of other economic and cultural reasons participated in to return this recalcitrant people in the school. Before the distrust and the reticence of the Konkomba, the administration didn’t hesitate to make use of the force. But the coercive recruitments of pupils were revealed inefficient and influenced little on the school company. This article analyzes the problematic school company in country konkomba then described the strategies of the French administration to impose the school to the Konkomba of the years 1930 to 1960.
Keywords: Country Konkomba, Problematic Company, Colonial School, Togo.
Perception of the Quality of Drinking Water Services in the Outlying Areas of the Municipality of Parakou
Abstract: This study analyzes the perception of users and service providers on the quality of drinking water services in the outlying localities of the commune of Parakou. It shows that, 5% of users surveyed are very satisfied with the water service, 76% are satisfied and 19% are not satisfied. However, users deplore the frequency and duration of breakdowns in some boreholes. Furthermore, users’ perception is influenced by the quality, accessibility to drinking water, frequency and duration of breakdowns.
Keywords: Drinking water, Quality of service, Perception, Users, Service providers, Parakou.
Social Practices of Agroforestry Among Rural Farmers in Côte d’Ivoire: The Case of Bongouanou (Moronou Region)
Abstract: After being decried as an obstacle to better environmental management, local knowledge has gained importance in global debates on biodiversity since the 1990s. In this perspective, the present work tries to question the peasant knowledge in terms of agroforestry practiced since always by the Agni of Bongouanou. Forest area of the center-east of Côte d’Ivoire about 200 km from Abidjan, Bongouanou is part of the large area of the old cocoa loop. To do this, a methodological approach based on a qualitative analysis was used. It consisted of a documentary review, direct observation and an interview with 20 peasants coming from two villages at the head of cocoa production in the department. From the analysis of collected data, it appears that these peasants have very old knowledge of agroforestry. They have always maintained and cared for trees in their agricultural plantations. They develop agricultural practices associated with the conservation of plants in their fields. These practices reflect both the perceptions and functions that rural populations have of trees and the various user rights associated with them.
Keywords: Agroforestry, Rural Aerea, Farmer, Bongouanou, Tree
Seeking Healthcare as a Deaf Person in Abidjan: A True Obstacle Course
Abstract: Access to health care is a fundamental right, but it is sad to note that in Côte d’Ivoire there is a great disparity in the real accessibility to health services for deaf people. Because the disability is invisible, this population is marginalized and is more at risk for chronic diseases. The Ivorian government has reacted by putting in place a national policy to improve their condition. However, the health system is still not adapted to the needs of deaf people. Moreover, the medical staff is not trained to welcome the deaf people and to provide them with the necessary care whereas the needs for care are a reality. The goal of this article is to study the care pathway of deaf people on the one hand and to identify the obstacles associated with this pathway on the other hand. Based on a questionnaire survey of deaf people aged between 16 and 60 years, our results show that 85% of them use health services late. They primarily use traditional medicine because it is more accessible to them financially. Health services are used in cases of serious or chronic illness. Deaf people encounter difficulties in accessing health care, which can be explained by their socio-economic conditions and inadequate communication between medical personnel and deaf people. In this study, we unfortunately note that the use of health care structures is rare among deaf people where the health care needs are the greatest.
Keywords: Disability, Health Service, Deaf Person, Care Pathway, Barrier to Care
Linguistic Study of Interrogative Sentences in Ebrié
Abstract: Questioning is an essential element in speech. The (syntactic) structures under which it is presented are not identical in all languages. Ébrié, the Kwa language of southern Côte d’Ivoire, is no exception to this rule. Indeed, in this speech, the interrogative utterance admits two possible syntactic structures. This article aims to explain this phenomenon through some relevant facts. Thus, the interrogation, in this language, is analyzed according to the different facets that the speaker uses to satisfy his communicational needs. To this is added a reflection on the interrogative lexemes which participate in the construction of the said statement.
Keywords : Interrogation, Discourse, Ebrié, Kwa, Interrogative Sentence.
Linguistic Nuances in the Translation of Legal and Financial Texts
Abstract: This article is part of our ongoing Doctoral Thesis. It is an analysis of the translation of three legal and financial texts in Ghana. The main aim of this work is to collect linguistic nuances that occur in the given texts and analyze them through a pragmatic approach. The analysis is mainly focused on the observation of the given texts and the application of comparative analysis of translated texts by (Nord). Communicative, and semantic methods of translation were explored in order to carry out this work. The results showed that legal texts are characterized by linguistic nuances which affect the translation of texts of this nature. The translator must therefore be cautious while translating texts in this domain.
Keywords: Linguistic Nuance, Legal Text, Pragmatic Translation, Connotation, Denotation
Narrative Structure, Technique, and Symbolism in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Abstract: Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1902) is a semi-autobiographical novel in the form of a frame narrative (a story within a story). And to grasp the true meaning and purpose of the novel, it must be read not only as an adventure story, but also as a social critique of imperialism and an exploration of the human spirit and human morality. The novel explores the problematic of humanity’s inner savagery, hence the title Heart of Darkness. To better convey his message to the reader, Conrad creates a mode of narration in which the style and structure are well organized. Heart of Darkness is an extremely complex novel that comments on and highlights many of the major issues related to the colonization of Africa. The narrative structure is usually described as the structural framework that underlies the order and manner in which the story is presented to the reader. Conrad’s particular narrative structure allows him to make his messages clearly perceptible. My analysis will focus on three main areas: Ifirst discuss the narrative structure of the novel, then I talk about the narrative techniques in the novel and finally I analyze the symbolism in the novel.
Keywords: Novel, Narrative, Narrative Style, Narrative Structure, Symbolism
Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms: War Personified as an Authoritarian Figure
Abstract: The dictatorial regime of armed conflicts has enforced one of the most uncontrollable plagues on humanity. This life-threatening pandemic has moved creative writers like Ernest Hemingway to probe its tragedies in A Farewell to Arms (1929). Weighing Frederic Henry’s narrative with characterization, this essay examines the totalitarian regime of the “Lord War” on human beings.
Keywords: War, Infanticide, Frederic Henry, Catherine Barkley.
A Neo-slave Narrative Reading of Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad (2016)
Abstract: Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad (2016) is a narrative that carries the reader to the historical context of the abolitionist movement of the nineteenth century United States of America. More than two (2) centuries after, Whitehead re-imagines this episode of African American history in a skillful readership that deserves critical attention. Why does Whitehead retell the history of the abolitionist movement known as the Underground Railroad in fiction? Why does he choose a twelve year girl, Cora as the central character? Is the theme of slavery still relevant in today’s social discourses? These are some questions that call on a literary analysis of this masterpiece. The paper relies on the Neo-slave Narrative approach to analyze the rationale behind this historical novel.
Keywords: Neo-Slave Narrative, The Underground Railroad, Abolition, Slavery, Neo-Slave Narrative Approach.
poverty and Marginalization in Richard Ntiru’s Poems
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the negative effects of poverty and marginalization inherent in African societies and the necessity to undertake change in order to end up with these plagues. Semiotics and Marxist Approach to literature have been used to scrutinize this study. From the study, it is established that poverty and marginalization threaten the welfare of many Africans and also hinder the development of most African societies. The study reveals that the poor state of the pauper is due to the negligence of the rich who refuse to provide help. In addition, the paper scratches the conscience of the privileged and the rich on the necessity to fend for the needs of the destitute from the society. In the same vein, the paper shows that the poet has used some poetic devices as literary means in his denunciation of the social inequality among human beings. The use of the two mentioned theories helps conclude that the poor and the destitute as well as the rich have each one a responsibility in the eradication of the poverty and the marginalization plaguing African societies in general and the Ugandan society in particular. Finally, the paper shows that the perpetuation of poverty in Africa is partly due to the wickedness of the political leaders who always seek to enrich themselves leaving the majority at the periphery. They should therefore undertake some meaningful reforms in order to contribute to the takeoff of the continent.
Keywords: Poverty, Marginalization, African Societies, Responsibility, Political Leaders
The “Mbougarian” Style and the Reinvention of the Novelistic Form in The Most Secret Memory of Men
Abstract: With La plus secrète mémoire des hommes, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr has revealed us, better than his pairs, the wonders of real literature to the mirror of the whole-world. At the detour of the consensus that have been for a long time defined literality of a piece of work his young novelist has dared creating a new individual itinerary where only the experience of the reader, talent, and maturity in the renovated factory of the roman mussel are the real criteria which testify to the greatness of both a piece of work and a writer. Thus, to use all the mysteries of writing and bring actors to rethink the definition of literature, he lays on an imaginary sad story about an author and his book. In fact, he hooks us up with a fantastic style and invites us share with him the singularity of his language structures and the renovated form of the roman wheel.
Keywords: Novel, Style, Talent, Literature, Reader, Writer
The Discourse of Denunciation and Sublimation in It Is the Sun That Burned Me by Calixthe Beyala
Abstract: In African literature, the woman is a theme that many writers have discussed from the colonial era to the present day. The woman has always been told by the man and not by the woman herself in many literary works. The status of women has been the subject of many questions since the beginning. The myth of the Garden of Eden presents the tempting woman, whose irresistible charms lead the man to disobedience and perdition. Since then, the man has known how to take his revenge, stifling the woman’s voice, even overwhelming it with his physical strength and arrogance. Calixthe Beyala strives to break down the inferiorizing images of women by denouncing the violence that tradition perpetuates against them and calls on women to courageously take their destiny into their own hands and to sublimate their bodies, their thoughts and actions.
Keywords: Men, Women, Relationships, Denunciation, Victimization, Sublimation, Valorization
The Mythical Representation of Evil in the Novelistic Universe of Ernesto Sábato
Abstract: In this article, I study the myths in the novels of Ernesto Sábato. With mythocritique and psychocriticism as approaches to carry out my analysis, I explain the presence of evil through the Gnostic myth of the blind, the incest and the transgression of the forbidden. The Latin American writer represents the world under the domination of the exterior and dark forces that are the Sect, the Oedipus complex and the Prince of Darkness. The interest of this study lies in the knowledge of evil and its presence through the myths recreated by the Argentine author.
Keywords: Ernesto Sábato, Evil, Novels, Myths, Sect, Transgression
Minimum Income Policies Against Poverty and Social Exclusion: A Comparative Study Between Catalonia and the Basque Country
Abstract: In Catalonia and Euskadi, the number of people with serious economic and social difficulties is growing. Faced with the precariousness the Catalan and Basque authorities elaborate minimum income programs. These are economic benefits aimed at combating poverty and social exclusion. This article examines the analogies and differences between the minimum income benefits developed in Catalonia and the Basque Country. Among these social policies implemented in both Autonomous Communities, similarities and divergences stand out. The method used to carry out the present study is field research.
Keywords: Catalonia, Euskadi, Poverty, Minimum Income, Comparison
The Identity of the Transcultural Character in The Repudiation and Spring by Rachid Boudjedra
Abstract: The encounter between the different characters in the texts of Rachid Boudjedra often depicts a complex and conflicting world. Upon analysis, we realize that the stranger-character is always perceived by the narrator-character as an Other and therefore likely to be a danger. This situation creates a permanent tension which is perceptible as much in the discourse produced by the protagonists as in their interactional attitudes. Thus, in this corpus of novels by Rachid Boudjedra, the characters experience a fairly identical path in three stages: a situation of conflict between the protagonist characters, then a rapprochement of different identities and finally an overcoming of differences thus creating an identity of difference. Our reflection consist in showing that the construction of the transcultural character in the texts of Boudjedra testifies to the aestheticization of a writing inclined to cultural dialogue. We will also indicate that the transcultural character carries within himself an essential issue, that of identity.
Keywords: Conflict, Alteration, Otherness, Identity Of Difference, Cross-Cultural Character.
To Caesar What Is Not Caesar’s? Revisiting a Statement by the Bishops of the Central African Republic Openly Calling for Civil Disobedience
Abstract: At the outcome of an extra ordinary central african republic episcopal conference (CAREC), an episcopal announcement was delivered on November 2018. In subtance, the central African bishops demanded “the church family people of God” and “faithfull men and women to boycott the celebration of the ceremony of the national day of the independance of the 1st December’’, considered as a non religious feast. This is a solidarity in memory of people dead during the assasination of people on November 15th, 2018 in Alindao, a town located at the East. This assassination has caused the death of many people including two central african priests. The next day following the publication of this episcopal announcement, two contradictory tendencies were confronted on press as well as social networks. From one side, we can have those who pretend to knwo everyrhings and those who are Cartesian skeptical about the episcopal announcement on the other side. Now that the tensions are over, this given study tend to analyse the episcopal announcement on the legal ground emphasing on the two folded preocupations of: an attempt to the central african positive law on one side and the judicial consequences learnt by the central african politicians on the other side.
Keywords: Canon Law, Central African Republic, Episcopal Announcement, Code, Constitution, Positive Law, Procedure.