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AbstractThere are long-standing disagreements across the humanities and social sciences regarding the relevance and necessity of using the concept of ‘universality’. The debate is often framed as a competition between acknowledging particularities of social struggles and identities, against universalising tendencies or interests across the world-system. Within these debates, universality may be conceptualised as an abstract totality that fails to apply under select con­ditions, or a banner that supersedes or squashes identities and particulars. This article reorients the debate, suggesting social theorists view universality from a fresh perspective. It acknowledges the totalising nature of global capitalism, and the unique struggles of different oppressed and exploited groups, suggesting the tensions between them are constitutive of universality itself. Critical, dialectical theories of universality emanating from interdisciplinary terrains of Africana studies, global political economy, and psychoanalysis guide us in new directions for theorising universality. I illustrate these points with a case study of struggles for justice waged by the Indigenous San of Botswana. The details of this case allow us to identify the concrete struggles of the San as an embodiment of the universal struggle for freedom within a world-system founded upon hyper-exploitation and widespread violence, often targeting African and Indigenous peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes the concept of ‘chronopolitics’ as a heuristic for a kind of decolonial imagination in migration studies, one that insists on structural changes as opposed to those relational ones that dominate the field. The article argues that migration scholars should question the coloniality of key concepts they use in their work to understand how the ‘solutions’ they propose (re)embed a colonial world and view. Building on previous critiques of migration studies, the article proposes that a chronopolitical argument to decolonising migration studies reveals the intrinsic connectivity of temporal and geographical linkages, in order to relate migration research epistemologies to ontological problems. This can allow the migration discourse to move beyond the centre, to address the current ‘black burden’ of ambivalent academic positioning and predominant methodological and conceptual approaches to migration studies. In these ways, chronopolitics adds conceptually to an underexplored debate in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the essential support functions of project management offices (PMO) for various organisational project management maturity (OPMM) levels. A case study of a South African petrochemical company compares a PMO within the company with a small projects department that is not supported by a PMO. OPMM development drivers and essential PMO support functions are identified for both structures. It is proposed that the requirements of essential PMO support functions depend on the OPMM level, but are also affected by business needs. The highest OPMM level is not required for every organisation, as the optimum OPMM level depends on the specific business' requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spring of 2023, the ninth European Conference on African Studies (ECAS) took place in Cologne. Though not unexpected (or unusual) this event sparked critical comments and questions. As the organisers, we understand and appreciate this criticism. We, therefore, felt the need to respond to at least some of them, partly because we also asked ourselves many of these questions before, during, and after the conference. At the same time, we want to call for a certain degree of pragmatism when it comes to organising an event this size by providing a look behind the scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the unique capacity of Afrobeats music to offer the gift of critique by way of friction within the African diaspora. Topics include scholar Keguro Macharia's description of friction as the tension between Black aspirations or ideals, within Black communities and during diasporic encounters, a discussion of Afrobeats' vital features such as possibility and critique, and the success of Afrobeats as a Black African gift to the world.

Driven by macro‐level investment and strategic competition, engagement between China and African countries has expanded significantly in recent years, giving rise to increased migration flows between the two regions. Wary of Beijing's growing influence on the continent, Western scholarship and media often portray China as extractive and neo‐colonialist, whereas Africa and Africans are depicted as passive and lacking agency. This study examines an important yet understudied group operating at the crux of contemporary Sino–African relations that challenges these assumptions: young, African student‐entrepreneurs studying and working in China. Drawing on data from 10 months of ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with African student‐traders, as well as Chinese university administrators, students, and officials, this study finds that African student‐traders have developed a set of strategies that allow them to navigate, exploit and reconfigure Chinese structures as they pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations, suggesting that the Sino–African relationship is far from one‐sided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Odour serves as a long-lasting cue or signal that animals with developed olfactory systems rely on heavily for communication. The ability to discriminate a particular odour modulates the social behaviours of a receiver. Animals investigate odours from unfamiliar conspecifics more than they do those from familiar ones, either as a means of choosing a mate or to avoid competition. The African painted dog, Lycaon pictus , which is known for its sophisticated sociality and extremely strong body odour, appears to rely heavily on odour communication. However, empirical research on odour-related behaviour in this species is limited. We investigated whether captive African painted dogs discriminated between their own odours and those of conspecifics, between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics, and between the sexes. Our behavioural experiments showed that subjects investigated other conspecifics' odours longer than they did their own odour. Detailed analysis showed that they spent more time investigating unfamiliar conspecifics than familiar ones. The effect of donor sex on the investigation duration was not significant when comparing odours from males and females. However, the investigation time of odours from females was longer than that of their own, with no such difference observed between odours from males and their own. This study is the first to demonstrate that the African painted dog is capable of discriminating its own odour from the odours of conspecifics, between familiar and unfamiliar animals and between the sexes. This research provides fundamental knowledge of odour communication in this species. • This is the first study on African painted dogs' odour discrimination. • Subjects did not discriminate between their own and unfamiliar odours. • Donor or subject sex did not affect investigation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special section explores contemporary foreign relations of African subnational governments (SNGs), a phenomenon popularly referred to as 'paradiplomacy.' In this introductory article, we examine the historical development of paradiplomacy research in Africa, highlighting its gradual progression from initial academic interests in the 1990s to its present state. The issue comprises four full-length articles focusing on case studies from Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana. These contributions to the special issue present salient examples of African subnational governments and cities engaging in external relations, which have hitherto been overlooked in the global literature. The issue aims to expand scholarly understanding of African paradiplomacy, underscoring its significance for broader debates on statehood, governance, socio-economic development, and international relations. It also seeks to elevate the profile of African paradiplomacy studies and set the future research agenda, urging further research to explore the implications and effectiveness of African SNGs operating in the international arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most devastating practices to be normalised in modern times is gender-based violence. Women and girls in South Africa can no longer enjoy the freedom that was promised by the country's Freedom Charter during the dawn of democracy. Rape, killing and other forms of female persecution have become common practices, and the most worrying part of this is that the perpetrators of this violence seem to enjoy more freedom than their victims. Unfortunately, this kind of violence is no longer a secular issue but something that is now encountered in religious circles, places in which most people would hope to be sheltered and protected. The article investigates these kinds of violence within the parameters of religious institutions, specifically Pentecostal churches, and also makes some suggestions as to what kinds of approaches we need as a country to eliminate this pandemic. This article uses a desktop/secondary approach to gather data and to reach the conclusions made as a bases for the argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Varying views have been expressed about the purpose(s) of doctoral studies and qualifications. The views have been changing over time, as have the factors inducing the changes. This article examines a range of such factors, taking into account global developments in a neoliberal knowledge economy that may be influencing and may continue to influence South African approaches to doctoral studies, within a differentiated higher education institution taxonomy. It examines the impact of such matters as the pressures of marketisation, institutional typologies and missions, the emergence of inter-, trans- and multidisciplinary research, and the prioritisation of public, social good (decolonisation, equity and social justice), complementing private good, globally and in South Africa. The article argues that these developments should not minimise the benefits, in many cases, of an introspective research academy, but that there is a place for diversity in the articulation of the purpose(s) of doctoral studies and consequent qualification. It is further argued that the debate over the shifting purpose of doctoral studies needs to be further explored. The article draws on findings from a recent South African national review of doctoral qualifications, and a subsequent analytical report, in which emerging trends and inhibiting challenges are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research that considered African Americans as a homogenous group has determined that they are reluctant to invest in equities and corporate debt bonds, resulting in lost opportunities to build wealth. This study explored financial literacy, age and generational cohort identity, and socioeconomic factors as possible limitations to African Americans' engagement in financial markets to build wealth. Financial risk tolerance is usually measured using three basic approaches: (a) assessing investment portfolio assets; (b) assessing responses to subjective questions; and (c) assessing responses to hypothetical questions with specific scenarios. The third approach was utilized in this study by conducting a multidimensional risk analysis with a 13-item assessment that addressed the constructs of investment risk, risk comfort and experience, and speculative risk. African Americans appear to be no different from any other group of Americans when provided with education to improve their financial literacy and financial risk tolerance levels, which are critical for reaching long-term wealth goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are powerful data-oriented "black-box" algorithms capable of assessing and delineating linear and multifaceted non-linear correlations between the dependent and explanatory variables. Through the years, neural networks have proven to be effective and robust analytical techniques for establishing artificial intelligence-based tools for modelling, estimating, and projecting spatial and temporal variations in water bodies. Accordingly, ANN-based algorithms gained increased attention and have emerged as practical alternatives to traditional approaches for hydro-chemical analysis. ANNs are among the widely used computer systems for modelling surface water quality. Considering their wide recognition, resilience, flexibility, and accuracy, the current study employs a neural network-based methodology to construct a novel water quality index (WQI) model suitable for analysing South African rivers. The feed-forward, back-propagated multilayered perceptron model has three parallel-distributed neuron layers interconnected with seventy weighted links orientated laterally from left to right. First, the input layer includes thirteen neuro-nodes symbolising thirteen explanatory variables, including NH3, Ca, Cl, Chl-a, EC, F, CaCO3, Mg, Mn, NO3, pH, SO4, and turbidity (NTU). Second, the hidden layer consists of eleven neuro-nodes accountable for computational tasks. Lastly, the output layer features one neuron responsible for conveying network outcomes using a single-digit WQI rating extending from zero to one hundred, where zero represents substandard water quality and one hundred denotes exceptional water quality. The AI-based model was developed using water quality data obtained from six monitoring locations within four drainage basins under the management of the Umgeni Water Board in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. The dataset comprises 416 samples randomly divided into training, testing, and validation sets using a proportional split of 70:15:15%. The Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) technique was utilised to conduct backpropagation training and adjust synapse weights. The dependent variables are the WQI scores from the universal water quality index (UWQI) model developed specifically for South African river basins. The ANN demonstrated enhanced efficiency through an overall correlation coefficient (R) of 0.985. Furthermore, the neural network attained R-values of 0.987, 0.992, and 0.977 for the training, testing, and validation intervals. The ANN model achieved a Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) value of 0.974 and coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.970. Sensitivity analysis provided additional validation of the preparedness and computational competence of the ANN model. The typical target-to-output error tolerance for the ANN model is 0.242, demonstrating an adequate predictive ability to deliver results comparable with the target UWQI, having the lowest and highest index ratings of 75.995 and 94.420, respectively. Accordingly, the three-layer neural network is scientifically sound, with index values and water quality evaluations corresponding to the UWQI results. The current research project seeks to document the processes used and the outcomes obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that close father-child relationships contribute to the well-being of adolescents. However, most studies on closeness have been conducted in the northern hemisphere on adult relationships of White, middle-class population groups. The aim of this study, therefore, was to explore constructions of father-child closeness in a different setting. Informed by social constructionism, an exploratory-descriptive research design was used to investigate constructions of closeness and father-daughter closeness in 15 family units (n = 45) consisting of adolescent daughters, fathers, and mothers living in low-income, rural communities in South Africa. Individual interviews were conducted with each participant and thematic analysis was used to analyse the resultant data. Three overarching themes and six subthemes were identified. Our findings show that the participants associated father-daughter closeness with daughters' comfortability to share personal information with fathers. However, most of the daughters in this study did not feel comfortable to do so. We identified the maintenance of traditional notions of fathers as authority figures, as well as fathers resorting to authoritarian behaviours when faced with adolescents exhibiting risky behaviour in adverse socio-economic environments, as two factors that created distance between fathers and daughters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of reconstructing nationhood and national identity in terms of culture, religion, language, politics, etc. has become one of the greatest challenges faced by the colonized countries after their achieving political freedom. In his novels, Ngũgĩ wa Thiang'o criticizes the presence of "imperial tradition" in African countries, fostered by the local neocolonial bourgeois, as it is detrimental to the reconstruction of national identity and culture. His novels draw the readers' attention to the "resistance tradition" in the post-independent colonized nations, focused on reconstructing their national identity; however, the continuing imperial tradition makes the struggle a perennial one. This paper explores the elements of constraints in the process of reconstruction activities attempted by African natives to establish nationhood and national identity from cultural debris, with reference to selected works of Ngũgĩ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total body score (TBS) is a visual scoring method to scale the succession of decomposition stages. It compares decomposition between cadavers, to connect it with external taphonomic factors and estimate the post-mortem interval. To study decomposition in various climatic environments, pigs are often used as human proxies. Currently, there is one TBS system by Keough et al. (J Forensic Sci. 2017;62:986) for surface-deposited domestic pigs, coming from South Africa. Our study aims to evaluate this method and analyze porcine decomposition in Central Europe to inform forensic research and casework. We conducted an experiment studying six 50 kg pig carcasses in a temperate Swiss forest. Three observers documented decomposition patterns and rated the decomposition stages from photographs based on the porcine TBS model by Keough et al. (J Forensic Sci. 2017;62:986). We documented discrepancies between the carcass decomposition of our specimens and those in the South African study, especially related to the high insect activity in our experiment. Furthermore, we noted factors complicating TBS scoring, including rainfall and scavengers. The agreement between TBS observers from photographs was in the highest agreement category apart from one "substantial agreement" category. Our study is the first in Europe to systematically test the Keough et al. (J Forensic Sci. 2017;62:986) method. The results evidence that regional adaptations are required to be applicable for other environments. We present a modified approach based on experimental observations in a Swiss temperate forest. The identification of regional decomposition patterns and drivers will inform future taphonomy research as well as forensic casework in comparable contexts in Central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three convectively active African easterly waves (AEWs) that propagated south of the African easterly jet were observed over the northeast Atlantic Ocean in September 2021. Their evolution is studied using a suite of theoretical frameworks, as well as the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecast reanalyses and satellite‐derived brightness temperature observations. The environment of these AEWs was sampled during the Cloud–Atmospheric Dynamics–Dust Interactions in West Africa campaign near Cape Verde with the goal to assess their potential for developing into tropical cyclones. We highlight the processes that inhibited the development of the first AEW (which evolved into tropical disturbance Pierre‐Henri) and that played a role in the development of the later two into tropical storms Rose and Peter on September 19, 2021. The three AEWs developed a so‐called "marsupial protective" pouch. For Peter and Rose, the pouch was associated with a vertically aligned vortex at low levels and efficiently protected the convective systems inside from dry and dusty air intrusion. The development of this low‐level vortex is associated with an interaction with the monsoon trough for Rose and with a vorticity center associated with a wave propagating north of the African easterly jet (AEJ) in the case of Peter. The presence of a dust flux toward the convective core near the surface is highlighted for Rose and Peter in spite of the presence of the protective marsupial pouch. On the other hand, Pierre‐Henri interacted positively with both the monsoon trough and an AEW north of the AEJ but failed to develop into a tropical cyclone. The wave north of the AEJ brought Saharan air layer air masses inside the pouch that led to a drying of the circulation that may explain the decrease in convective activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RiSE study aims to evaluate a race-based stress-reduction intervention as an effective strategy to improve coping and decrease stress-related symptoms, inflammatory burden, and modify DNA methylation of stress response-related genes in older AA women. This article will describe genomic analytic methods to be utilized in this longitudinal, randomized clinical trial of older adult AA women in Chicago and NYC that examines the effect of the RiSE intervention on DNAm pre- and post-intervention, and its overall influence on inflammatory burden. Salivary DNAm will be measured at baseline and 6 months following the intervention, using the Oragene-DNA kit. Measures of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, fatigue, sleep, inflammatory burden, and coping strategies will be assessed at 4 time points including at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 6 months. Genomic data analysis will include the use of pre-processed and quality-controlled methylation data expressed as beta (β) values. Association analyses will be performed to detect differentially methylated sites on the targeted candidate genes between the intervention and non-intervention groups using the Δβ (changes in methylation) with adjustment for age, health behaviors, early life adversity, hybridization batch, and top principal components of the probes as covariates. To account for multiple testing, we will use FDR adjustment with a corrected p-value of <0.05 regarded as statistically significant. To assess the relationship between inflammatory burden and Δβ among the study samples, we will repeat association analyses with the inclusion of individual inflammation protein measures. ANCOVA will be used because it is more statistically powerful to detect differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. The present contribution presents a synthesis of more than 400 years of collecting and studying African mammals by Italian researchers. The former colonies in Libya and the Horn of Africa (Eritrea and Italian Somalia) are excluded as Italian research in those areas is relatively well-known. The review highlights how Italian researchers, explorers, and collectors contributed to early knowledge of African mammal biodiversity in several countries, notably Egypt and Uganda, although this contribution is frequently overlooked today. It is suggested that the absence of a centralised national museum dedicated to what we now term 'biodiversity' has contributed to a suboptimal use of these valuable collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and killer immunoglobulin-like receptor molecules in mediating acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) during human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is unclear. Among 72 sub-Saharan African adults, HLA-A*23 was associated with lower odds of ARS (adjusted odds ratio, 0.10 [95% confidence interval,.01–.48]; P =.009), which warrants further studies to explore its role on HIV-1–specific immunopathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current small study utilised prospective data collection of patterns of prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposure (PAE and PTE) to examine associations with structural brain outcomes in 6-year-olds and served as a pilot to determine the value of prospective data describing community-level patterns of PAE and PTE in a non-clinical sample of children. Participants from the Safe Passage Study in pregnancy were approached when their child was ∼6 years old and completed structural brain magnetic resonance imaging to examine with archived PAE and PTE data (n = 51 children–mother dyads). Linear regression was used to conduct whole-brain structural analyses, with false-discovery rate (FDR) correction, to examine: (a) main effects of PAE, PTE and their interaction; and (b) predictive potential of data that reflect patterns of PAE and PTE (e.g. quantity, frequency and timing (QFT)). Associations between PAE, PTE and their interaction with brain structural measures demonstrated unique profiles of cortical and subcortical alterations that were distinct between PAE only, PTE only and their interactive effects. Analyses examining associations between patterns of PAE and PTE (e.g. QFT) were able to significantly detect brain alterations (that survived FDR correction) in this small non-clinical sample of children. These findings support the hypothesis that considering QFT and co-exposures is important for identifying brain alterations following PAE and/or PTE in a small group of young children. Current results demonstrate that teratogenic outcomes on brain structure differ as a function PAE, PTE or their co-exposures, as well as the pattern (QFT) or exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Entman's framing theory, we explored primary news frames in Nigerian newspaper coverage of national opioid abuse. Results yielded 12 news frames: 5 causal frames (Poor governance, Trauma coping mechanism, The perfect trafficking hub, Corrosive culture, Performance boosters), 3 consequential frames (Nigeria as a failing state, Thriving Black Market demand, Uptick in criminal kinsmen: fraudsters and terrorists) and 4 solution frames (Hawkeyed pharmacovigilance, Policy power plays, Drug rehab health services, All hands on deck: strengthening societal values). These research insights represent one of few communication studies on African opioid abuse and offer cultural context for future health intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the challenges and changes in African Studies publishing, specifically focusing on the journal Africa Spectrum. The author highlights the importance of quality, access, and voice in academic publishing. They mention the increase in impact factor for Africa Spectrum and the efforts made to improve the journal's quality through rigorous review processes. The article also addresses the issue of access, particularly for African authors, and emphasizes the journal's commitment to being fully accessible through open access publishing. Lastly, the author discusses the importance of diverse voices and the journal's efforts to provide a platform for critical reflections and debates in African Studies. The article concludes by expressing gratitude to the individuals involved in the journal's publication and announcing the new editorial team. [Extracted from the article]

Agricultural extension services play a crucial role by providing expert guidance on enhancing production and processing and facilitating the dissemination of knowledge and scientific findings into practical use. For this reason, researchers must generate accurate information for agricultural extension officers to relay to the ultimate beneficiaries - the farmers. In this paper, we highlight an instance of misidentification by researchers about one of South Africa's extensively researched vegetables, Brassica juncea L. Due to its broad adaptability, this crop has been the focus of numerous South African studies aimed at maximising its production for resource-poor farmers. Regrettably, the accumulated research on B. juncea reveals a prevalent issue of inconsistent naming and classification, leading to confusion with Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subs. chinensis). Such inaccurate species identification fosters a disjointed body of knowledge, potentially generating conflicting results and thereby restricting the applicability of the research findings to farmers and other stakeholders. This literature review examines 20 years of South African research to guide future studies and extension efforts on B. juncea. It underscores the necessity for accurate species identification and nomenclature, thereby enhancing the reproducibility and relevance of research outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was motivated by the need to strategically implement changes propelled by the advent of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) to meet the increasing demand for theoretical skills required by industries for regional and global competitiveness through a university--industry partnership among South African universities. A total of 22 out of 26 South African Universities were purposefully selected for the study. A survey design was adopted in which a structured online interview was conducted with 70 out of 188 Deans/Executive Deans of faculties through the Microsoft Teams and Zoom platforms. The results show that most of the academic faculties had implemented the specific guidance provided by industry partners and relevant associations into the curriculum for teaching and learning at the faculty level. However, only 18% of the Deans/Executive Deans had the 4IR as a separate strategy formulated in their institutions, while about 30% of faculty Deans/Executive Deans had 4IR strategies integrated into the existing institutional strategy. Further findings reveal ed the unwillingness of the faculties of Engineering and the Built Environment and the faculty of science to embrace any form of institutional guidelines for responding to evolutionary change and for implementing the 4IR in their activities. They preferred to remain open to innovation and respond in the best way possible rather than being stiffened by organizational policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This South African study explored how pre-service teachers understand concepts in analytical geometry. Extending the work of Skemp and Carrillo-Yañez, et al., we captured data and carried out this qualitative study. We noted that the participants displayed complete understanding for some geometrical concepts but lacked relational understanding. Their learning process was interrupted during the covid epidemic, and this had a negative impact on their relational understanding of geometric concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social aging — the change in social behavior across an individual's lifespan — has been found in many animals. A new study in African lions shows that female and male lions differ in their pattern of social aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the proportion of people with TMDs in different studies, considering factors such as geographical region, patient age, and sample size. Methods: The search yielded 6984 articles on the incidence of TMDs. Finally, 74 studies with 172,239 subjects and 35,259 with TMDs were selected for final analysis. Analyses were performed using the R statistical language. Results: The incidence of TMDs in the world population was 34%. The age group 18–60 years is the most exposed to TMDs. From the data presented, we observed that for each continent, the female group was 9% to 56% larger than the male group. The highest female-to-male ratio (F:M) was reported in South America (1.56), whereas the lowest F:M ratio was reported in Europe (1.09), suggesting an almost equal distribution of males and females. Conclusions: This suggests that geographical location may play a role in the results of the studies. The prevalence of TMDs was significantly higher in South America (47%) compared to Asia (33%) and Europe (29%). Larger epidemiological studies of TMDs in African and Australian populations are recommended. In conclusion, both visual and statistical assessments suggest that the results of our meta-analysis are robust and unlikely to be significantly affected by publication bias. This suggests that geographical location may play a role in the prevalence of TMDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the literature on democracy in Africa, using the concept of "corruption tolerance" to understand the citizenry's support for democracy. Using data from rounds 3 and 7 of the Afrobarometer in eighteen and thirty-four African countries, respectively, the study contends that those who are used to solving problems through corruption believe they are effective within the current system and that strengthening democratic institutions can shut down the channels through which corrupt people pursue their interests. Therefore, people's tolerance for corruption is expected to decrease their support for democracy. Empirical models consistently confirm this expectation, highlighting the role of "corruption tolerance" in explaining African citizens' lack of support for democracy and democratization. This sheds light on the perspective of African studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Pädagogik is the property of Julius Beltz GmbH & Co. KG Beltz Juventa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Pädagogik is the property of Julius Beltz GmbH & Co. KG Beltz Juventa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

From a critical race perspective and the narrative view of one faculty member, this paper discusses some teaching practices implemented for undergraduate Black students who attend a Hispanic-serving institution. The findings of this work offer Black-Centered Active Instruction (BCAI) as a pedagogy to engage the students. BCAI centers the specific needs of Black students who are within the minority, pushes for active engagement with Black students both in and out of the classroom, and encourages the creation of safe Black spaces for undergraduate students. The implication of this work encourages educators to consider the history of antiblackness within American culture, primarily minority spaces, and apply this to similar practices in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African studies, in contemporary times, have paid significant attention to the place and value of the individual and the structures or institutions of the society where justice play a very definite role. Justice has to do with respect for the right of the individuals or every member of the society. This is because the tendency of the basic structures and principles of today's society to reduce the individuals to an instrument is very high. The rights of the human person are inalienable hence are present at birth and continue throughout life. Is this recognized by every society and their leadership? Have class structures not relegated the right of some individuals to the background? Is there justice for the common man in Nigeria? The problem at hand now is can we formulate, modify and justify a set of principles, structures and standards that could guarantee equity, fairness, justice and ultimately, social order in society? Understanding this problem is one of the purposes of this study. To ensure this, the study adopts the phenomenological and critical analysis methods and argues for effective and efficient distribution of justice; such that will ensure social order and value for human life as well as dignity for the human person in all the classes of the society in Nigeria and Africa especially the class of the common man. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last two decades, cooperation between Italy, the EU and Libya on migration management has been intended to establish a "cycle of containment" aimed at the externalisation and securitisation of the southern European border on Libyan soil. The escalation of the civil war in Libya since 2014 was one of the main reasons for the European attempt to replicate the international policies of containment southwards in Africa and to address them towards countries that were reputed as major producers of migrants, as in the case of the Horn of Africa. By comparing and discussing migrants' life-stories collected in Tripolitania and Southern Tunisia, this study deconstructs some recurrent representations of migratory dynamics that are usually taken for granted in order to legitimate international policies of containment, and reveals the not-pre-made character of migrants' journeys, their solidarity strategies, and the networks of (im)mobility mobilised to deal with the traps of containment. The international policies of containment and human mobility are two sides of the same reality that must be (re)connected to the wider regional or country context where this nexus is taking shape. This represents an analytical imperative and a methodological intersection between migration studies and African studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change adaptation concerns mechanisms for responding to local climate change impacts to improve livelihoods of and decrease risks to affected stakeholders. In this article, we present evidence and novel insights from selected climate change adaption cases studies in Sub-Saharan Africa, shared directly by climate change practitioners. Our aim is to foster awareness and comprehension for local, national and transnational actors, enabling better decision-making, project implementation and policy design. To achieve this we describe and assess positive spillovers and negative externalities of climate change adaptation. Building on our collection of case studies, we focussed on classifying adaptation projects according to a set of typologies identified by the researchers. To further explain the typology classification related to the occurrence of (un)intended (side) effects, we identified factors that may enable sustainable adaptation scenarios based on lessons shared about the investigated projects. These systems are based on existing political economic research on the state-of-the-art '4E'– method (representing enclosure, exclusion, encroachment, entrenchment) evident in the literature and case study applications, which we adapted to fit our research questions. The factors include collaboration across scales, data availability and learning, bottom-up involvement/participation. We also formulated the positive counterpart of each of the four E dimensions. One finding was that the category lose-win, where the intended goal was not achieved, yet a positive spillover occurred, would be more likely to emerge with the factors 'bottom-up participation' as well as 'learning across scales' being present. Highlights Show climate change adaptation as a critical concern for both local contexts and migration scenarios Identify evidence of potential pitfalls in planning and implementation that can arise given uncertain changes either in external factors beyond the control of adaptation stakekholders, as well as what lies within the control of climate change adaptation projects, but might not have been foreseen/foreseeable Measuring, describing and explaining the extent and quality of unintended side effects of climate adaptation Recommend ways to ameliorate potential side effects by better employing available resources [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews recent developments in Song of Songs scholarship with a focus on publications within the South African context. The article provides an overview of the interpretation of the Song of Songs and describes the main lines of research. Research on the Song of Songs continues the trends of recent years, with an emphasis on literal interpretation. However, there is renewed interest in patristics, allegorical interpretation as erotic or intertextual allegorisation, and reception history. Interpretation in the context of a myth seemed outdated, but it is also back. Southern African studies have contributed to these fields and to contextual studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an in-depth look at the past ten years of the African ʿAjamī Library project, founded and led by Dr. Fallou Ngom, Professor of Anthropology and former Director of the African Studies Center at Boston University, with the goal to serve as a digital continental open access public repository of aggregated digitized ʿAjamī texts from non-Europhone Africa. With over 31,400 pages of manuscripts – hosted at Boston University's institutional repository, OpenBU – the African ʿAjamī Library has had over half a million individual views and downloads to-date. The article examines the types of manuscripts digitized; manuscript impact, visibility and usage; fieldwork locations and methodologies; the importance of local project teams and partnerships, and what the next ten years might look like for this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) provides a unique opportunity for water conservation. This research aimed to assess the performance of two types of RWH systems (gravity and pump-driven) at a local public school in replacing non-potable water for toilet flushing. The volume of harvested water, efficiency to meet demand, expenses involved and associated environmental burdens were key criteria of performance. Economic considerations included capital costs and return periods, while the environmental aspects encompassed simplified life cycle assessments (LCAs) as well as specific carbon footprints. The gravity-fed system supplied 452.5 kL/annum and covered 31.8% of the demand for flushing water for toilets for the school investigated. The pumped system provided 476.8 kL/annum representing 33.5% of the demand. Together they would be able to supply 65.3% of the demand. The catchment area of these two systems differed and there was no overlap. As expected, the gravity-fed system outperformed the pumped system, both economically and environmentally, because no energy for pumping was needed. In terms of costs, the difference was small, and the payback periods of both systems were similar. However, environmentally, the LCA scores for the pumped system were an order of magnitude higher for all 18 impact categories considered. Carbon footprints showed that in the construction stage both systems have similar footprints. For the operation stage, the comparison was extended, as there were higher energy requirements for the pumped system (about 4 times higher than those from the provision of municipal potable water), but in the same range or lower when compared with other alternative sources of water like groundwater abstraction, recycling of municipal water and desalination. The gravity-fed system required no energy for pumping. This study shows how trade-offs in assessing the overall performance of RWH systems can be considered, leading to better decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a culmination of an empirical study which sought to investigate the ethical dilemmas and Clientelism in the allocation of low-cost houses. Section 26 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 eloquently states that ‘everyone has the right to have access to adequate housing’. Low-cost houses commonly known as ‘RDP houses’ are government’s approach in responding and respecting the constitutional right to adequate housing for all deserving South Africans. This paper argues that the low-cost housing system in South Africa is concocted by ethical dilemmas and conflict of interest such as corruption, nepotism, administrative discretion, and policy dilemmas amongst others. The paper adopts a combination of mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative research approaches) and content analysis. The paper followed a case study approach whereby 10 selected villages within the jurisdiction of the Greater Giyani Local Municipality, Limpopo Province were randomly sampled for data collection. Therefore, questionnaires were administered and collected, interviews conducted and documents relating to the discourse of this study were analysed in context of the general objectives of the study. This was done with a view of proposing recommendations that can be used to minimise and curb unethical conduct and the use of public goods for the benefit of political parties, particularly those running the machinery of government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a conceptual overview of weltliteratur and world literature, highlighting the conceptual and methodological diversity that guides these categories to be understood as a discursive paradigm historically determined (Pizer, 2006). Observing the transformations of weltliteratur and world literature from a diachronic perspective, it is possible to establish a counterpoint with the most recent debates around world literature, underlining its critical and methodological potential for the study of contemporary African novel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of an increasing number of doctoral studies on the African continent, there is a paucity of research examining the daily relationship between supervisors and doctoral students in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, the experience of doctoral students in this field is under-debated, under-questioned, under-analysed and under-taken into account. This is despite the fact that it is central to the success or failure of the thesis process. This paper aims to reflect on postgraduate study conditions in the context of the relationship between supervisor and candidate in francophone West Africa. A qualitative study based on conversational interviews with PhD students and supervisors, was conducted at the University of Abomey-Calavi, the main public university in Benin, with 58 doctoral programmes, and statistical data issued by the university analyzed. The paper examines the conditions of suffering at various levels for PhD candidates, the asymmetrical power relation between supervisors and candidates and silo's logics which driven them. The paper demonstrates how the thesis process is complex as asymmetrical, power and conflict-prone. It also point that de the nature of doctoral work, doctoral students are exposes to various psychological, psychic and mental pressures that supervisors have to manage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about why Africa is overlooked in eighteenth‐century literary studies. Africa's neglect is not merely a problem of attention. Neither the parameters of the field nor the tools of the discipline appear particularly suited for engaging Africa as anything other than an invention of the European imagination. In what follows, I seek to bring more clarity to the origins of this paradox and to contextualize some of its governing assumptions not in order to solve it but to show that having already solved it can't and doesn't need to be a prerequisite for scholars of eighteenth‐century literature to face it head‐on. The first section offers a brief account of how this paradox arose from the political and intellectual matrix of the mid‐twentieth century when African Studies was first institutionalized in the West. The subsequent sections highlight the way this history has shaped—both directly and indirectly—the way scholars and teachers of eighteenth‐century literature have understood Africa and their obligations to it and suggests some ways we might begin to rethink Africa's place in the field [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article aims to provide an overview of the works published in the last decades on colour terminology and categorisation in some African languages1, and Hausa and Swahili in particular. It gives information about different African languages (Ndebele, Setswana, Xhosa, Chichewa, Egyptian-Coptic, Himba and Chakali), then it traces the main works covering the area of Hausa and Swahili language, from the earliest papers until now. Even though these languages have a rich tradition of studies, the amount of works devoted to colour naming is fairly limited. The theoretical approaches of the studies that have appeared in the last few decades are rather heterogeneous, and include perspectives from lexical semantics, cognitive semantics and sociolinguistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous research has indicated that trusts are used to commit various economic crimes, but limited studies examine the exact method of how trusts are abused. This paper aims to determine how trusts are abused to conceal assets in insolvency and divorce proceedings. Apart from discussing how fraudulent trusts are evaluated by South African courts, two court cases will also be analysed to determine how trusts have been abused in the past to conceal assets in insolvency and divorce proceedings. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology used is a literature study, predominantly using court cases and relevant statutes as the primary sources of information. The difference between a sham and alter ego trust is discussed, whereafter two court cases are dissected to identify how trusts have been abused to conceal assets. Findings: The study found that trusts can be abused in different ways to conceal assets in insolvency and divorce proceedings. This can vary from the way the trust is established to the way the trust is used. But trusts are particularly susceptible to abuse when there is no separation between the ownership and enjoyment of trust assets, and the trust lacks independent trustees. Originality/value: The research finding can be used to better understand how trusts are abused in divorce and insolvency proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andrew Mbuvi's book, African Biblical Studies: Unmasking Embedded Racism and Colonialism in Biblical Studies, explores the presence of racist and colonial structures in biblical interpretation. Mbuvi argues that these structures have influenced the field of biblical studies, particularly within the Society of Biblical Literature. He discusses the development of African Biblical Studies as a response to the significance of the Bible in the African context and explores various theories on the implications of Christianity as a religion tied to coloniality and imperialism. The book also examines the historical connections between colonialism and biblical studies and offers a postcolonial framework for decolonization and deconstruction. Mbuvi highlights the need for self-interrogation within the field of biblical studies and suggests radical alternatives to the status quo. While the book's strength lies in tracing the problem of interpretation to its roots, its weakness may be its application of an African reality that may not encompass all contexts within the African continent. Overall, the book is recommended for those studying religion and theology as it provides a history of racist interpretations and racialized systems within the field of biblical studies. [Extracted from the article]

In this article, I bring together the archive of institutional activism of Niara Sudarkasa in the U.S. and the posthumous impact of activist and public administrator Marielle Franco. The 1970s historical sources show Sudarkasa's institutional solidarity with students and faculty in the creation of one of the first Africana Studies departments in the U.S. Reading them, I articulate an ethos for the curation '715 Haven Street: Art Looks Back,' a public digital art gallery comprised of art and history found in the DAAS Papers (Department of Afroamerican and African Studies) housed in the Bentley Library's digital and physical archives. The analysis of the primary sources is guided by an engagement with the 'Marielle Effect,' generating a historical parameter for Abolitionist solidarity between American, Brazilian, Latin American, African American, Diasporic, and ally scholarly communities. The discussion of these parameters is embedded in my discussion of the concept of pacification, a phenomenon of colonial and post-colonial policing that survives through the perpetuation of an extra-judicial policing impetus articulated along race, identity, legality, and sexual legitimacy of subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the outreach and engagement work of Judson L. Jeffries, a professor at The Ohio State University. Jeffries directed the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center, which offered various programs to improve the lives of Black individuals and communities. These programs included math and science programs, summer enrichment programs, leadership institutes, symposiums, and events celebrating Black veterans. The article highlights the department's efforts to address community needs, promote education and leadership, and foster connections between different communities. It also mentions specific programs such as computer literacy courses, history conferences, lecture series, Black History Month forums, and mentoring programs for Black youth. These initiatives had a positive impact on the community and served as a model for other Black Studies departments. [Extracted from the article]

In the article, the author discusses the meaning of decolonizing Francophone Africa in contemporary French and Francophone studies. Other topics include the concepts of decoloniality from Latin American anti-colonial scholars like Catherine Walsh, Walter Mignolo, and Nelson Maldonado-Torres, and the Francophone African diaspora.

Development as Rebellion , the massive biographical study of Julius K. Nyerere, written by three leading Tanzanian scholars and published in 2020 by the august Dar es Salaam imprint Mkuki na Nyota, illustrates how authors and audience are entangled in discursive practice. Jacques Derrida's postmodern concept of iterability suggests that any message, let alone a nationalist biography, never exists in a stable univocal state, but that its meaning takes form, continually mutating, in an interactive social context between author and audience. It is not merely that the authors address an audience imprinted with the intellectual traditions known as the "Dar es Salaam School" of the University of Dar es Salaam; they engage not just the concerns of that audience, of which they are themselves members, but their priorities and categories of thought. This essay offers a review of Development as Rebellion as evidence for a theoretical argument about how an audience shapes the composition of a piece of writing, and how this helps us address the ongoing debate about the way scholarly authority in African studies tends to reside outside Africa. Addressing this circumstance must begin counterintuitively with questions about the audience of Africanist scholarship rather than its authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]