Change and adaption in Sub-Saharan Africa 1880-2000. What are the shortcomings of the concept of tribe when describing the realities of African traditions?
HIST2051:The making of modern Africa: Change and adaption in Sub-Saharan Africa 1880-2000 Dr Berny Sèbe What are the shortcomings of the concept of 'tribe' when describing the realities of African traditions? Anonymous Code: Z0365335 Word Count: 2004 The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word 'tribe' as "A group of persons forming a community and claiming descent from a common ancestor" or "A particular race of recognized ancestry; a family"1. The word has its etymology in pre-Roman history. The word 'tribus' was used to describe three distinct groups of people, supposedly involved in the founding of Rome. When Western colonialists arrived in Africa, they needed a mechanism to describe the social structures they found. The familiarity of the concept and its connotations seemed perfectly apt for the situation they encountered in Africa. The term was a product of their Classical education, part of their mental furniture, and it was in this way that the term 'tribe' came to be used to describe the people they found in Africa. They deemed 'tribes' to be equally primitive and so in need of 'civilisation'. 'Tribe' could also be used as an administrative tool as a method of cultural imperialism to distance "the other" and integrate this alterity into a known anthropological or ethnographic framework. If we take the dictionary definitions of the word 'tribe' at face value,
Virtual Culture: Gaming and Simulation
. INTRODUCTION: Popular culture is ever-increasing, not only in its own populace but in its amount of sub-cultures that allow individuals to partake in it. Popular culture has its tentacles in various fields of human activity and transgression. This includes a whole number of public spheres like fashion, music, film, sport etc. In the last two decades the number of fields grew larger as technology developed and created more and more possibilities for us. This is significant because of the fact that many of these possibilities that we now accept as being 'normal' were at a stage in history seen as being improbable or even impossible. The focus here is not on popular culture but on different cultures that shape popular culture and also moves back and forth within its indistinguishable boundaries. Within this webpage I will refer to various notions like visual culture, virtual culture, gaming culture and the internet as a paradoxical international community. The main purpose of this webpage is to appropriate the gaming culture or the topic of gaming within the realms of virtual culture in a larger sense. I will also be using Will Wright and his work to sustain a purposeful argument. 2. VISUAL AND VIRTUAL CULTURE: 2.1 VISUAL CULTURE: Before I can continue my argument I first have to clarify the sense in which I mean to incorporate the notions of both, visual and virtual
The Relationships Between Human Health and Agriculture
The Relationships Between Human Health and Agriculture Spedding (1988) defines agriculture as "an activity (of Man), carried out primarily to produce food and fibre (and fuel, as well as many other materials) by the deliberate and controlled use of (mainly terrestrial) plants and animals"1. Inherent in this definition is the importance of agriculture and its impact on the lives of virtually all human beings around the world. Through their ability to control and cultivate whole biological systems for their own purposes and survival, agriculture can be regarded as one of the most revolutionary and distinguishing aspects of mankind. In this way, it is also directly linked to human welfare, and one can explore the way advances in the two domains affect one another, building up to an almost symbiotic relationship between human health and agriculture. Even with a cursory thought, there is a significant link between agriculture and human health. Raeburn insists that the main contribution to human welfare is food, and that mankind depends on almost all supplies on agriculture2. Indeed, humans as heterotrophic organisms are dependent on the intake and digestion of organic substances as a source of energy, required for maintaining basic metabolic activities as well as providing chemical energy. These organic substances are what we normally refer to as food, but also essential are the
Transport in flowering plants
Transport in flowering plants Plants are less active than animals so their cells don't need materials so quickly. Also, the shape and structure of plants means that oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse into and out of cells. Substances such as glucose molecules and nitrate ions move naturally from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration by diffusion. Water diffuses through a selectively permeable membrane from a region of higher water potential to one of lower water potential, a process known as osmosis. These vital processes are essential but adequate only for a transport of molecules and ions over short distances within a living system. Diffusion by itself is not sufficient; it is often too slow, possibly in the wrong direction and inadequate over longer distances. The evolution of flowering plants has seen the development of efficient transport systems, which have enabled plants to colonise the land, to increase their size and to develop an established habit. Plants have two transport systems; the xylem carries water and dissolved minerals and the phloem carries the 'food' materials that the plant has made. These enable the movement of water, organic molecules and ions over long distances. Xylem and phloem tubes are found together in a group called a vascular bundle. Xylem vessels run from the roots, up through the stem and out into each leaf.
Three short stories
'The Signalman', 'The Red Room' and 'The Pit and the Pendulum' are all Victorian short stories and were all written in the nineteenth century. When these stories were written, there always seemed something mysterious and disturbing going on at the time. In 1843 there were links to Darwin's theory to evolution, this theory doubted religion and caused people to question their beliefs, this was the year that 'The Pit and the Pendulum' was written making it the oldest out of the three stories. Second came Charles Dickens's 'The Signalman' which was written in 1866, at this period of time Britain moved from an agricultural economy to a progressive and technological one, which made people uncertain about the future. Finally in 1896, 'The Red Room' was written by H.G Wells, it was only written fours before the turn of the century, at this time people had speculations that there was going to be an apocalypse and there was fin-de-siecle angst. In this essay I will be comparing and exploring the different atmospheres and setting in these three stories. I will be looking at four main parts of the stories, the narrators, the openings, the settings and the endings of all three stories. Looking at the three stories, you notice that they are all written in a first person narrative. This makes the stories more personalized but also makes the reader doubt how reliable the stories really
The Nazi Redefinition of Family
The Nazi Redefinition of Family The Nazi regime in Germany sought to influence and control nearly every institution in society. Because of the totalitarian nature of the regime, institutions in the society became infused with Nazi ideals and therefore willing to engage in the pursuit of Nazi goals. The family in Nazi Germany was considered to be "the foundation of the state" (Mosse 34), which was one of the main reasons that consolidating control over its enterprises was considered to be absolutely crucial to the maintenance of the regime. Because the family was seen as "the primordial cell of the Volk" (Pine 8), its structure and health, as well as its conformity to Nazi ideals, were prerequisite to establishing a well-populated, healthy, and subservient nation. The importance of the family in pursuing the goals of the state can also be seen in the area of eugenic reform, which was undertaken with all the intensity of a people striving to become a "master race." In all aspects of society, the Nazi ideal of the health and well-being of the Volk often trivialized or disregarded individual concerns, privacies, and even basic human rights. Before examining the ways in which the Nazis redefined family life, an understanding of the role of the family in Weimar Germany is necessary. The Family in Weimar Germany The family in Weimar Germany was generally considered to be an
To What Extent did the Liberal Party’s Reforms After 1906 Succeed in Addressing Britain’s Social Problems?
To What Extent did the Liberal Party's Reforms After 1906 Succeed in Addressing Britain's Social Problems? In 1906, the liberal party's general election manifesto spoke of the previous conservatives government's "failure to deal in a serious spirit with the social questions of which so much was heard at the general election of 1895" (liberal manifesto 1906 at www.politicalstuff.co.uk) . This essay will attempt to answer the question of whether the liberal's were successful in dealing with the social problems of the time, which the conservatives were deemed to have neglected. In order to effectively answer this question, first one must realise exactly what were the social problems in early Edwardian Britain:- It can be said that there was no single massive problem; more a number of smaller interrelated problems, for example unemployment, poor health and an outdated system of relief. These problems were deemed so serious that they were thought to be effecting both the home economy and the security of the empire, even the traditionally Laissez Faire, non - interventionist Liberal party decided that massive government intervention had become necessary. It is often said that the Bore war of the late 19th / early 20th century woke British politics up to the fact that reform was essential, it was around this time that it was realised the huge extent poverty and poor health in
What changes is the way how people work, the tasks they perform, their relationships with other people in the workplace, as well as the overall surrounding
I. INTRODUCTION Working is what we do--Most people spend the majority of their lifetime on. Everything that surrounds us is the effect of others' work. When we need something, we usually pay for it and the money goes to those who have produced (worked)that thing. This very basic relationship will not probably change in the future, as it has not changed since the beginning of humanity. What changes is the way how people work, the tasks they perform, their relationships with other people in the workplace, as well as the overall surrounding. Things are changing everyday in the business world:- the way companies act and organized. Fashionable terms and concept1 (buzzword) have been created to cope with the challenges of the new coming era : the "Knowledge era"2. As knowledge will be the central element of the new era, the employee and his workplace will be the focusing main attention. The era main characteristics, which make it truly different from the past, will be the way & speed of economy and business. The "Knowledge era" Global Market is becoming a reality and will only increase so in the future. Competition among existing players is getting fiercer and competitors enter the marketplace from anywhere in the world. Continuous innovation will be a must because the new era3 focus on mass customization which require new capabilities and skills:4 Information Technology5
Tattoos from Tribal to Fashion
Tattoos from Tribal to Fashion The purpose of this essay is to explore the origins of the tattoo and its meaning, as well as the culture who have embraced such decorative body painting. Throughout history the tattoo has been viewed in a variety of ways and diversification, from symbolising status amongst the elite, power symbols worn by warriors, criminal brands, deviant icons and even "fad" body accessories. Tattoos have represented many things to many people in many places around the world, but over many centuries the tattoo has lost its original meaning. To help gain an in-depth understanding of the tattoo, by extending my research beyond just history books and world wide information by visiting the most frequently visited tattoo studios in the city of St. Albans, a city steeped in history stretching as far back as the mighty Romans, who you will hear mention of later in the piece. By speaking to several tattoo artists I hope to seek out the opinions and advice of practising professionals rather than only just rely upon books. It is my thesis statement that tattoo has moved from a traditional tribal art to a more socially accepted and admired fashionable art form. How and why has this
How effective is the first chapter of Dickens' 'Great Expectations'
7th November 2006 How effective is the first chapter of Dickens' 'Great Expectations' Great Expectations was Dickens's 13th Novel and was first published in the magazine which he worked for which was called All Year Round. As the novel was first published in a magazine he had to keep his weekly customers hooked on the story of his book so he was always aware of his audience. The book reflected the time it was written in like a mirror image because, in 1861 it was the industrial revolution and that was the time that the story was based in. Charles Dickens was born in to the industrial evolution where there was a disparity and this was also shown in the narrative but not in chapter one. When Charles Dickens was young he was sent to a blacking factory to work for little wages. His father fell in to a lot of debt and was sent to debtor Prison because he had used too much money entertaining and retaining his social position. After a few months their family could leave the debtor prison but their financial problem only improved some time later when they inherited money form his father's side of the family. Charles dickens showed his views on the disparity of that time through his book and people became aware of that when he became a vigorous social campaigner for the rights of people When Dickens was ten him and his family were relocated to 16 Bay ham Street Camden Town London.
