Sites of Interest Materials Listing: Spring 2009
 Each year for their capstone seminar a group of junior and senior honors students work with the DBC director to select the coming year's texts and to research various aspects of them. Their research produces original papers, along with annotated bibliographies of print and on-line resources. We in turn make those papers and bibliographies available to current Dean's Book Course instructors and students who are conducting similar research.
Some documents presented by the Dean's Readers are in PDF format. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may download it for free here.
Economic Development in Mali
• Contribution from Dean’s Reader:
Zainab Adeola, Accounting
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
It is safe to assume that many countries in the continent of Africa are generally considered less developed than the Western world. Furthermore, in the book Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway, an accurate depiction of this lack of development is presented. To better comprehend the economic condition of Mali, it is important to understand how some factors have contributed to Mali’s current situation. These factors include geography and climate, relationships with its neighboring countries, agriculture and cotton, infrastructure, aid dependence and remittances. Understanding the effects of these factors helps to better understand the current economic conditions in Mali and also help show the possibility of development in this country.
• Online Resources:
Bamako, Mali: Monuments and Modernity in the Urban Imagination
This article from Africa Today (Winter 2007) examines the use of monuments to increase nationalism in Malian citizens, especially the younger citizens. It also talks about how these monuments contribute to the modernity of the city, and the country as a whole.
Best Practice Options: Mali
This article from International Migration describes Mali’s current economic condition as one of the poorest nations in the world and its excessive dependence on remittances as its major source of income.
Changing rural-urban linkages in Mali, Nigeria and Tanzania
This article from Sage Journals Online (accessed through PAIS International) “compares and contrasts changing rural–urban linkages drawing on research in six case study areas in Mali, Nigeria and Tanzania.” It aims to help one gain a better understanding “of the ways in which the livelihoods of rural and urban households rely on both rural-based and urban-based resources, and on exchanges between urban and rural areas.”
Cotton subsidies in rich countries mean lower prices worldwide
This article from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations describes what cotton being subsidized by rich countries means for the rest of the world and poorer countries.
Democratization in Mali: Putting History to Work
Robert Pringle, a former US ambassador to Mali discusses the condition of the country since democratization, and the different views of Malians at the rural and urban levels. He also mentions possible factors for the rather slow development of Mali considering its high success at democracy and decentralization.
EIU Country Reports Online
This is a very resourceful website that gives comprehensive country profiles and reports of all the countries in the world.
Institutional and legal aspects of urban agriculture in French-speaking West Africa: from marginalization to legitimization
In Environment and Urbanization (October 2005), Oumar Cissé, Ndeye Fatou Diop Gueye,and Moussa Sy talks about factors that show reasons why considerable sufficient areas (agrarian areas) might be categorized as rural as opposed to urban.
Interconnected Slums: Water, Sanitation and Health in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
An article from European Journal of Development Research (June 2006) uses environmental factors such as water, health, and sanitation to give a better understanding of urbanization. The article also discusses underlying issues related to urbanization and how certain seemingly unrelated factors connect urbanization.
Kicking the Habit: How the World Bank and the IMF are still addicted to attaching economic condition to aid.
The title of this Oxfam paper is a pretty good summary of the main idea. Written by Hetty Kovach and Sebastien Fourmy, the paper talks about how in the quest of aid donors to help developing countries, conditions of privatization and liberalization are usually attached and the governments of these countries have little say most of the time.
Mali Economic Performance Assessment
This USAID article discusses economic performances in various aspects of the Malian sector such as healthcare, education etc.
Mali Generates Hope
The article reports that Mali is generating hope for meeting the Millennium Development Goals. While the country has been ranked 175th in the United Nations' human development index, it is beginning to attract investments and economic assistance from Western governments and aid agencies. President Amadou Toumani is devoting most of the country's resources to the "Struggle against Poverty rather than squandering them on the baubles of office.”
Mali in Europa World Online
Europa World is a website that provides all round background information and statistics about any country in general. A search for Mali produces information regarding demographics, economics, government and the country as a whole.
Mali: Patterns and Limits of Donor-driven Ownership
Excerpt
Some players on the ground describe Mali as an example of “donor-driven ownership”, meaning that there are few signs of genuine policy ownership and leadership in aid relationships, and that the country lacks both “capacity” and “political will” to enable it to reach its development goals. This chapter argues that as aid-donors’ influence over policy has increased, the nation’s capacity and will to take the lead in managing aid and the aid relationship have decreased.
Migration and Development: Mixed Evidence from Western Mali
Abstract
Flore Gubert examines the investment-oriented initiatives of Malian migrants in their home to illustrate that out migration has a strong impact on poverty reduction in the Kayes area. She proposes that migration-cum-remittances alone do not create the right conditions for genuine development even if the non-productive use of remittances may strongly impact on the mainstays of development such as health, education, culture or the environment.
Nigeria Needs Sustained Reforms to Build on Success
Davis Nellor from the IMF Africa Department discusses recent economic growth in Nigeria along with key areas that need to be monitored including budgets and oil revenues, the financial sector, and private sector growth. According to him, “prudent management is the key to unleashing Nigeria's potential and to reducing poverty.”
Nigeria; Local Economy - 2007 Review and Outlook 2008
In a newsletter by Africa News, recent economic growth is discussed in Nigeria after many years of stagnancy and political instability. This growth is largely due to dependency on oil revenues. However, the implication of this is that oil revenues as it is presently will either make or mar Nigeria's developmental dream sequel to the transient nature of oil prices. This also negates the over emphasized government commitment towards diversifying the Nigerian economy from a mono product to a multi product economy.
Nigeria; Path to Economic Success
In a newsletter by Africa News, Governor Abdullahi Adamu of Nigeria's Nasarawa State, tells an audience of Nigerians and Swiss in Zurich that the only way for the Nigerian economy to grow is to ensure policy stability and continuity. "Nigeria will reap great economic benefits if its governments can, from now on, ensure policy stability and continuity."
Planning, Anti-planning and the Infrastructure Crisis Facing Metropolitan Lagos
Matthew Gandy from the Department of Geography, in University College London, gives an analysis which frames the experience of Lagos-the largest city in Sub-Saharan Africa- within a wider geopolitical arena of economic instability, petro-capitalist development and regional internecine strife.
Popular Views of the Legitimacy of the State in Mali
This article by Michael Bratton, Massa Coulibaly, and Fabiana Machado describes the distribution of public opinion in Mali at a moment ten years after a transition to multiparty democracy and twenty years after economic adjustment measures were first introduced. This research on public attitudes casts light on the prospects for sustaining political and economic reforms in poor countries like Mali.
Poverty and Inequality Impact Analysis Regarding Cotton Subsidies: A Mali-Based CGE Micro-accounting Approach
In a paper in the Journal of African Economies, Dorothee Boccanfuso and Luc Savard discuss the effect of removing cotton subsidies in Mali would impact the economy. To make their point, a GCE macro-micro model is constructed to analyze how an increase in the world cotton prices would affect the Malian economy.
Pricing Farmers Out of Cotton: The Cost of World Bank reforms in Mali
This paper written by Sally Baden of Oxfam discusses the ill effects that World Bank reforms have had on the Malian cotton sector including the new price setting mechanism adopted among other factors.
Post-Colonial Development in Mali & West Africa
• Contribution from Dean’s Reader:
Paul Creedon, History & Economics
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
The West-African Nation of Mali has failed to develop a stable economic foundation despite many years of foreign aid and financial restructuring. In nearly fifty years of post-colonial independence, Mali has suffered as a non-industrialized country in an age of globalization. Poor access to education, health care and employment has undermined the country’s ability to develop a sustainable, domestic economy. This report seeks to examine factors that have contributed to Mali’s privation in order to assess strategies that have been adopted by domestic and international organizations.
• Print materials available in DuBois Library [view list]
• Online Resources:
Amnesty International - Mali
This site provides reports and articles that pertain to the human rights conditions within Mali. Amnesty International is a well-known, legitimate source of data. They pay special attention to current issues with an emphasis on gender, racial and religious equality. This site can also be used to profile Mali’s neighboring countries.
As African Farmers Struggle, Resentment Toward U.S. Grows
This article is extremely helpful, as it provides an insight into the Malian cotton industry. Chapman explores the role that the United States has played in suppressing growth through cotton subsidies and trade agreements. His interview with Malian farmer, Nouhoum Sissoko, is very informative.
BBC Country Profile - Mali
The British Broadcasting Corporation is one of the world’s most trusted news service. In addition to comprehensive coverage of current events, the BBC has compiled a country profile for every nation in the world. Within Mali’s profile page, the BBC includes an archive of related news articles.
The Capability Approach: Its Development, Critiques and Recent Advances
This article provides an insight into Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach as a means of empowering people in underdeveloped regions. This strategy is an integral part of the development economics movement.
CIA World Factbook - Mali
The Central Intelligence Agency of the United States government has compiled a basic profile for every nation in the world. Updated regularly, this source offers a starting point for further research. The World Factbook is useful when comparing countries, as the data sets are derived from the same source.
Democratization in Mali: Putting History to Work
A comprehensive United States Institute of Peace report from former ambassador Robert Pringle. He analyses Mali’s economic, social and political history in order to determine the best course of action for Mali’s future development. His data is supplemented by extensive interviews with Malian’s from every socioeconomic class.
French in West Africa
A straight-forward look at the history of French colonization in West Africa. This site offers a good foundation of Mali’s historical relationship with the French.
Geography, Demography, and Economic Growth in Africa
This article proposes that African development has failed to gain traction in the world economy because of exogenous factors (climate, etc). This article is worth reading because it offers an alternative view from most development economists.
History of Timbuktu
Written by the Timbuktu Educational Foundation, this web page presents a straight forward, chronological history of the Malian city. Timbuktu offers a simultaneous views of the grandness of ancient Malian empires and the devastation of Mali’s current underdevelopment.
Human Development Report - 2007/2008 - Mali
Compiled by the United Nations Development Programme, the human development report is an essential document for anyone studying economic growth. This report emphasizes the importance of human development as an indicator of a nation’s wellbeing. The statistical data is presented in an easily accessible format.
IMF - Mali's Position in the Fund
Like many developing nations, Mali owes a great deal of debt to the International Monetary Fund. Therefore it is important that the relationship between the IMF and Mali is understood. Although the financial report on this site may be complicated, it is a beneficial source of vital economic data.
The Invention of Africa
Mudimbe’s discusses the concept of African development and proposes several arguments that challenge traditional notions of growth. This resource provides a theoretical foundation for post-independence African growth.
Mali - A Bibliographical Introduction
This article provides a brief introduction to Mali and its economic and political history. It would be a useful resource to use alongside the World Development figures. The article also contains a great deal of links to other sources that could provide more in depth coverage.
Our Continent, Our Future
This book, which is available online through the UMass Economics Department, contains Hellinger and Hammond’s “Debunking the Myth” The article focuses on the affects of structural adjustment on developing economies.
Real Lives: Cotton in Mali
Compiled by Oxfam America, this collection of articles offers a great deal of insight into the Malian cotton industry. Interviews with Malians provide a unique perspective, as they expose the direct consequences of Western policies.
The Study of African Development
This academic provides a basic overview of African economic development and the problems with universal analysis. It reinforces the idea that each African nation has had a unique development process and must not generalized.
Talking About Tribe: Moving from Stereotypes to Analysis
This website provides an extensive analysis of the term “tribe,” and how it has been used to cast Africa and Africans in a negative, privative way. It is a useful resource for anyone who is writing about Africa. The paper is powerful because the argument is not based on political correctness, but accuracy.
UNICEF - Info by Country - Mali
This website provides a great deal of information about the human development conditions for children in Mali. The United Nations is a vital resource for anyone writing about a developing country. It provides extensive data that is subjective and without political motive.
U.S. Cotton Subsidies: Killing Farmers and Poisoning Consumers & the Earth
This article explores the consequences of the U.S. cotton industry on developing nations, like Mali. U.S. cotton subsidies have severely inhibited Mali’s cotton industry, forcing down wages and terms of trade. Unlike many economic publications, statistical data is presented in an easily accessible format.
Water for Life: Making it Happen
A comprehensive report on the importance of clean water in the stability of the world’s underdeveloped regions. This report can be used to expand on Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach.
Why Has Africa Grown Slowly?
This article examines many of the political, social and economic factors that have led to slow growth in Africa. Collier and Gunning conclude that exogenous factors are largely to blame. This theory is soundly challenged by Price.
World Development Indicators - Mali Data Search
This site is an enormous resource for any economic, social and political statistics pertaining to Mali. The site is managed by the World Bank, an established but controversial international organization. Although it may be somewhat confusing for students without a background in economics, this site is easy to use and can provide numerous data outputs.
Influence of Education on West African Society
• Contribution from Dean’s Reader:
Michael Botte, Hospitality & Tourism Management
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
Monique and the Mango Rains, by Kris Holloway, provides a story of Holloway’s experiences with the Peace Corp in Mali. Throughout the story, I could not help but to compare western way of life to that of West Africa. The striking difference that caught my attention was the education system in Mali, compared to more industrialized nations such as the United States. In the literature review, much will be discussed, including the traditional West African education, the influence of European education, the history, the pros and cons, and finally this research’s relevance to Kris Holloway’s book. The missing variable that I came across through my research is the consideration of one’s culture when educating a population different from your own. Culture can be defined as the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization. As time continues to go on, culture seems to be applied, which is illustrated through Holloway’s experiences in Mali. In the Peace Corps, Holloway proves to be successful by immersing herself in the day-to-day activities of the local Malians. She both educates and forms lasting relationships by considering her own culture in relation to theirs.
• Online Resources:
The British and Curriculum Development in West Africa: A Historical Discourse
This article discusses the European influence on West Africa in the form of education. The first examples of a formal education system where established by the missionaries and merchants that arrived on the continent in the 14th and 15th century. The article goes into detail about the approach in the way the educators influenced the native populations.
Conceptions of Parenting in Different Cultural Communities: The Case of West African Nso and Northern German Women
This article compares the different parenting styles of Northern German and West African mothers. West African mothers tend to use more body contact more than the German mothers. The German mother’s primary focus was through facial communication. They also addressed the babies when they were under distress more so than the West African mothers.
Conflicted Missionaries: Power and Identity in French West Africa During the 1930s
This article discusses the division of classes that formed as a result of an established French educational system in West Africa. The article explains that the original intention of an education system in the Continent was directed only to a “fortunate few;” mainly the sons of chiefs where the ones that were sought after, due to their political influence.
Cultural Issues in Secondary Education Development in West Africa: away from colonial survivals, towards neocolonial influences?
“The Urban areas of Ghana and Cote d’Iviore have become sites for cultural and educational convergence, as well as the reproduction of the elite as a class, far more than the rural areas. The urban secondary schools in cities such as Accra and Cape Coast in Ghana, and the lycees in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, serves as sites for the realization of these goals. Here, the cultural pull and push factors arising from West Africa’s ‘triple cultural heritage’ that I African, Euro-Christian and Islamic have placed considerable strain and stress on secondary school students and secondary education as a whole. This situation has been further complicated in recent years by the interplay of cultural pull and push factors emanating from the West, especially Britain, France and the United States. This complicated postcolonial condition with its implications for nation-building and development in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire constitutes the subject of analysis in this article. It is argued that the cultural pull and push factors and the forces of globalization emerging from the West tend to move secondary education school students in both countries towards neocolonial influences.”
Demographic Implications of West African Family Systems
This article discusses the health treatment of West African children. Many of the major decisions regarding the healthcare and education of the children are made by the father. This is because fathers in West Africa are concerned about the future generations of their family; they want their genes to carry on into the future.
Indigenous Encounters with Christian Missionaries in China and West Africa, 1800-1920: A Comparative Study
This article discusses the ways in which Christian Missionaries educated the people of West Africa. As the article points out, the mission schools sought to convert the natives to the European way of live, ridding them of their culture, values, and way of life. However, many of the students often rebelled and continued the way of life that they were used to outside the mission classroom.
The Meaning and Status of International Studies in West-African Schools
This article discusses the Western influences in West-Africa. It covers the history of the traditional education that was established before the emergence of the West. It then discusses the Koranic school system, then the colonial schools (both British and French), then the schools in contemporary Africa.
Secondary Schooling and Social Mobility in a West African Nation
This article discusses the relevance of a secondary education system in West Africa. According to the article there does not seem to be enough jobs available to student’s graduation. As a result, many of the graduates are over-qualified for the positions that are available, and getting a job is easier through connections rather then educational background.
Sex Trade in Colonial West Africa
The article discusses the lack of enforcement on the illegal act of prostitution in 1940’s West Africa. At the time, prostitution was believed to be a way to regulate the sexual behavior of West Africans, and, in fact, then-Attorney General HWD Blackall believed that African prostitutes protected European women from African male aggression.
Teacher’s Predictions and Pupil’s Destinies: A West African Survey
This article investigates students’ involvement in the educational system in West Africa. In the article instructors predictions are made whether or not the fate of the student will be positive or negative. Their predictions are based on a few variables: socio-economic area, classroom behavior, and geographic location. The instructor’s predictions seem to be accurate.
Transnational crime in West Africa: the additional challenge
This article talks about the troubles West Africa faces with crime. Drugs and migration in and out of the country has perpetuated the bad reputation in this area. For the country to grow in socio-economic development, the West African government needs to do something to step in.
Urban sheep keeping in West Africa: Can socioeconomic household profiles explain management and productivity?
This article discusses the diversity in Africa as a result of urbanization. It summarizes the differences in socioeconomic backgrounds and the use of sheep and how they relate to productivity.
Young women struggling for an education: systematic work with a village community in West Africa
This article talks about the educational opportunities that are available to poor West African girls.
Youth, Gender and Livelihoods in West Africa: Perceptions from Ghana and The Gambia
This article discusses the role education plays on Ghana and The Gambia as society. These areas of West Africa are extremely poor, and education is not obtained by many. Many of the families in this area of the country face the burden when sending their children off to school is two-fold; the expense of education, and the reduction of manual labor when the child is off at school. This article also discusses the relevance of education in this area.
Midwifery: Its History and Development
• Contributions from Dean’s Readers:
Louis Auciello, Political Science
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
Midwifery is most commonly defined as the techniques and practice of a midwife including childbirth assistance, the independent care of women and infants, both healthy and unhealthy, and before, during or after childbirth. The first known form of midwifery came from Ancient Egypt, and evidence shows that it existed in both Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations as well. These eras often employed a very crude form of midwifery and gynecological practice, but many of its findings and methods have had a major influence on midwifery and birthing in the contemporary world. In the 1700’s, a male-dominated medical field would arise that would bring about heavy debate on the efficacy of midwifery. This “medicalization of childbirth” put a heavy stigma on midwifery as an archaic and obsolete form of practice, while many current statistics show that midwifery is just as effective in child birth as the medical profession. It would not be until the 1900s, with the development of midwifery laws in England, that midwifery would gain legitimacy as a health profession. Today, many midwives from poorly developed countries, such as Mali, are leaving their homelands for more developed countries where they can receive higher salaries. It is extremely important for the development and sustainability of these countries that midwives like Monique Dembele in Kris Holloway’s Monique and the Mango Rains increase in number and be given adequate training through government funding.
• Print materials available in DuBois Library
[printable list]
Achterberg, Jeanne. Woman as Healer. Shambhala Publications Inc., March 1991.
This book examines the role of women in Western healing traditions. For this thesis, I used the section of the book devoted to the midwives in the Middle Ages. Here, Achterberg talks about how women who were healers were often thought to be witches by the community, particularly men who feared the power of women and felt the need to control this power for themselves.
Buttiens, Hilde. “Skilled Attendance at Childbirth: Let Us Go Beyond the Rhetoric.” Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine. Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
In this piece, Hilde Buttiens discusses numerous organizations working together to promote the increased employment and education of midwifery throughout the world. Hilde specifically mentions the desperate situation in Mali as an example of the MDG’s subtarget failures and need for imminent change. Buttiens believes that good midwifery skills are the most crucial aspect for a country’s health.
Dawley, Katy. “Origins of Nurse-Midwifery in the United States and its Expansion in the 1940’s.” Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health 48(2):86-95, 2003.
The majority of Dawley’s work focuses on the growth and origins of midwifery in the 1940’s. In this work, she talks about various laws that were passed ensuring midwifery legitimacy and its future growth. She also discusses the variance on midwifery laws from state to state and some of the training that was required for midwifery.
Eastabrook, Genevieve. “The Man-Midwife: Oxymoron or First Obstetrician?” The Proceedings of the 11th Annual History of Medicine Days. Faculty of Medicine University of Calgary. 22, 23 March 2002. 2 February 2008. p. 299-303.
Eastabrook takes a very interesting look at the controversial midwifery debate involving the medicalization of childbirth and its effects on decline of midwifery in 1600’s and 1700’s. She claims that one cannot pinpoint the decline of midwifery and medicalization of childbirth growth to any one factor but a variety of factors. This factors include scientific reasoning, growth and technological development but also the viewpoint from the feminist perspective.
Ehrenreich B. & English E. Witches, Midwives and Nurses: A History of Women Healers. Compendium, 1974: London.
Ehrenreich and English take a very feminist perspective in their view about the midwifery debate. Although this book is quite old, it did have some interesting information about the threat to men of the healing powers of women but their theories are somewhat bias. They felt that men were jealous of women’s power to heal and once technology boom began, men seized the opportunity to take this power and control.
Heinsohn, Gunnar and Steiger, Otto. “Witchcraft, Population Catastrophe and Economic Crisis in Renaissance Europe: An Alternative Macroeconomic Explnanation.” University of Bremen 2004.
Heinsohn and Steiger are two famous German social psychologists who also had very feminist takes on the midwifery/medicalization of childbirth issue. They also felt that men were very jealous of a woman’s power over the birthing process. But, they also felt that men were jealous of women’s knowledge over contraception and abortion and how it was this lack of knowledge and power that drove them to medicalization. It is important to recognize that these men are social psychologists, not biologists.
Nettleton S. The Sociology of Health and Illness. Polity Press, Cambridge. 1995.
Nettleton also had a very feminist take on the issue of medicalization of childbirth and midwifery in that he believed it was because men wished to seized power that they pursued the medical establishment. But he also talks about how the birthing process was talking from a private light and thrown into the public realm, taking away the intimacy from childbirth.
Nunn, John F. Ancient Egyptian Medicine. University of Oklahoma Press, December 2002.
In this book, John Nunn, a retired anesthesiologist and member of the Egypt Exploration Society, looks at a variety of different ancient Egyptian texts and medical papyri to investigate Ancient Egyptian medicinal techniques. He also looks at evidence from skeletons, mummies, statues, tomb paintings, and coffins. It is through these pieces of evidence that Nunn discovers the roles of midwives and their techniques in birthing process.
• Online Resources:
Ancient Egyptian Midwifery and Childbirth
This source discusses the practice of Egyptian midwifery and childbirth and some of the evidence that proves midwifery actually existed in this era. This brief article also discusses the Egyptian midwife’s role as provider of birth control, fertility treatment, pregnancy tests, and the actual methods of giving childbirth.
The Birth of Gynecology: Obstetrics in Ancient Greece and Rome
This source discusses the influential works by Soranus and Ephesus (98-138) in the field of gynecology and obstetrics. Including in this source is the methods and training by which Greek and Roman midwives were instructed as to how to perform numerous gynecological procedures.
Childbirth in Ancient Rome
This source discusses the role of obstetrices, another term for midwives, in Roman culture and how it led to a substantial and important decrease in their infant mortality rate.
Displaced- the Midwife by the Male Physician
Datha Capper Brack, M.A. discusses the rise of the physician in history and how its control by males led to a sharp decrease in midwifery.
Family Health and Midwifery
This source is broken down into three different sections: the birth of midwifery in its early history, midwifery in its infancy, and midwifery in the 19th and 20th centuries. This source is particularly strong in the latter section as it states specifically certain laws or establishments created and managed in the interests of midwifery in the United States and Great Britain.
Global Advisory Group on Nursery and Midwifery
A recording of a Geneva Convention meeting in 2000 discussing the efficacy of nursing and midwifery and the need for more involvement around the world in continuing the practice of midwifery and getting increased help in undeveloped countries.
History of Midwifery, Timeline and "Midwives and Maternity Care in the Roman World"
The source includes a timeline dated from 1500-1992 and includes many major historical points in the evolution of midwifery. There is also a link in this website of Valerie French’s “Midwives and Maternity Care in the Roman World,” a very important source for looking at the development of midwifery in ancient times.
The Making of Man-Midwifery: A Review Essay
A review essay of The Making of Midwifery: Childbirth in England, 1660-1770, discussing the rise of male midwifery practice in England.
Male Appropriation and Medicalization of Childbirth: an Historical Analysis
Investigates the rise of the medical profession from the 17-20th century and how this led to the vilification of midwifes and the exclusion of women in the medical field.
The Midwife as Healer
In ancient times, the midwives of a community also acted as the community’s healers. Midwives were associated more with the Earth, a popular symbol of womanhood in many mythologies. This article talks about the ways in which the midwife was associated with being a healer and how knowledge was passed from mother to daughter to create a body of knowledge and sense of spirituality. Also discusses how the witch-hunts suppressed the idea of woman as healer as they were often very vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft.
The Struggle for Independent Midwifery in the United States
This source by Elizabeth Davis, a woman involved with a Californian midwifery program, mainly focuses on the fact that the United States has virtually eliminated midwifery while numerous other countries, both developed and undeveloped who still practice midwifery regularly, have very low infant mortality rates. The source is good for looking at the struggle for independent midwifery in the United States post 1900’s with the rise of the medicalization of childbirth and the efficacy of midwifery around the globe.
UNFPA Maternal Mortality Update 2006
A large document discussing the relationship between midwifery and decreased maternal mortality rates. Discusses the history of midwifery in brief, what a midwife does, how modern medicine led to decline of midwifery, midwifery as a gender issue, the training of midwifery, and the what they call the international model of midwifery.
What is a Midwife?
This page from the Women’s Health Channel at the two recognized types of Midwifery in the United States, direct-entry and nurse-midwives, and the requirements necessary for one to become a certified midwife.
Wise Women and Medical Men: Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Middle Ages
This piece discusses some of the shocking practices of midwives during the Middle Ages, where they, along with “wise women” (lay healers) played a very important, but hazardous, role in medical practices for women.
Women's Health in Mali
• Contribution from Dean’s Reader:
Tevin Murray, Psychology
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
Women in Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world, experience a unique set of health problems. Without easy access to medical facilities, they often let their illnesses go untreated or opt to use traditional medicines. Having a professional birth attendant to monitor a delivery and take action in cases of emergency is rare, and so maternal mortality rates are alarmingly high. Feeding proper nutritional diets to their children can be a challenge, and without health education, women often lack knowledge to treat the ensuing malnutrition. Malaria infection itself is detrimental, but pregnant women are especially at risk for further complications. Health beliefs vary from one cultural group to the next; these are discussed in the Malian context as well. Kris Holloway’s two years in Mali give a personal application of the research, for she witnessed the challenges of addressing women’s health first hand.
• Print materials available in DuBois Library [view list]
• Online Resources:
Assessing Malaria Burden During Pregnancy in Mali
This article by Kayentao and his colleagues examines the risks malaria pose on pregnant women. Various complications during the pregnancy and treatment options are discussed.
Barriers to the Utilization of Maternal Health Care in Rural Mali
Mali is one of the top ten countries in which women face the highest risk of death during pregnancy and childbirth. Anastasia J. Gage discusses in this article how the limited access to information and proper health care are factors contributing to this high risk. She also proposes some possible solutions to solve these problems facing the women of Mali.
Both Individual and Community Factors Influence whether Women in Rural Mali Receive Maternal Care
This document published in the International Family Planning Perspective discusses obstacles to accessing maternal care. In rural Mali, women have low instances of prenatal care, having birth attendants, and are usually far from facilities that offer emergency obstetric care. Suggestions on how to improve the situation for mothers are offered.
CDC Global HIV/AIDS Activities-Mali
The center for disease control offers great demographic information on illnesses and infections around the world. This specific site presents information on the prevalence of HIV in Mali.
Claiming Our Rights: Surviving Pregnancy and Childbirth in Mali
This document, published by the Center for Reproductive Rights, outlines the barriers faced by pregnant women when trying to access medical care in Mali. It also discusses how women are excluded from decision making and how their right to life is being denied by denying adequate care. Suggests on how to better meet the needs of women are offered as well.
Factors Influencing Young Malians' Reluctance to Use Hormonal Contraceptives
In this article, Sarah Castle discusses the apprehension of women in Mali to use hormonal contraceptives. Their perceptions of fertility and menstruation significantly effect their decisions to opt for condom usage rather than birth control pills or injections for the fear they may cause infertility.
Fatalism and HIV/AIDS Beliefs in Rural Mali, West Africa
Fatalism is the belief a person’s life can be influenced by a superior power or being. With their research, Hess and McKinney try to establish the relationship between this principle and ideas on HIV/AIDS in Mali. They found people who are more fatalistic are less likely to use protection, for they see no connection between their behavior and the consequences of those actions. Overall Malians believe HIV/AIDS should not be talked about.
Home Management of Childhood Diarrhoea in Southern Mali
In this article, Amy Ellis and her colleagues discuss the proper treatments for childhood diarrhea and how they clash with popular belief in Mali.
Malaria Treatment in Remote Areas of Mali
In this article, Drissa Diallo and her colleagues expose the popular views of malaria in rural Mali. By looking at case histories of children, they are able to better understand how the disease is seen through the eyes of Malians and whether modern or traditional medicine is more effective in treating malaria.
Mali: Demographic and Health Survey 2001, Key Findings
“This report summarizes the findings of the Mali Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS-III 2001). The third undertaking of this type, the MDHS-III is a nationally representative survey conducted from January to May 2001 by the … Planning and Statistics Unit of the Ministry of Health and the … National Directorate of Statistics and Computer Science.”
Quality of Care and the Demand for Health Services in Bamako, Mali: The Specific Roles of Structural, Process, and Outcome Components
This study by Mamadou Mariko examines the quality of care in health facilities in Mali. He outlines the options for medical care and evaluates how these are used. Finally, Mariko offers suggestions on how to improve Mali’s health care system.
Reproductive Health in Mali: Fistulas
This report, produced by the United Nations Population Fund, details how fistulas are treated. One hospital in Mali’s capital, Bamako, sees a majority of the women who suffer from this medical condition. The report also offers recommendations to advocate for fistula programs and to more adequately treat patients.
Risk Factors for Malaria Infection for Pregnant Women in the Sanel Area of Bandiagara, Mali
Dicko and his colleagues write about malaria and how the infection can affect pregnant women, specifically the risk for developing anemia.
Use of Antimalarial Drugs in Mali: Policy versus Reality
In this article, Abdoulaye Djimde and his colleagues discuss the relationship between providers who prescribe antimalarial drugs and how consumers actually use the drugs. Their findings show patients often fail to comply with health providers’ instructions or follow misinformation from illegal drug vendors. They stress the need for intervention in order to prevent the emergence and spread of drug-resistant malaria.
WebMD
This site is a great resource for better understanding the illnesses that are prevalent in Mali, specifically tuberculosis, malaria, STDs and childhood diarrhea.
World Health Organization - Mali
This is a wonderful site that gives great insight to Mali’s current health profile. Statistics provided range from life expectancy, total expenditures on health care and fertility rates. There are also multiple fact sheets which give even more details on individual diseases prevalent in the country.
Health and Sex Education in Mali & West Africa
• Contribution from Dean’s Reader:
Courtney Bergquist, Science
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic sweeps across Sub-Saharan Africa, it is becoming increasingly obvious that sexual health education must be implemented in rural Africa, and soon. As a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the early age at which women first give birth, the inhabitants of these areas, women in particular, are suffering grave consequences. In her memoir Monique and the Mango Rains, Kris Holloway gives us the opportunity to see life in rural Africa from the perspective of those who live there. The central subject of Holloway’s book, Monique, is a midwife in a rural village and the tools with which she helps women give birth are minimal. Women’s health care facilities, and health care in general, in these areas are lacking, and sexual health education could potentially alleviate many of the problems attending childbirth. This research project focuses on the present state of sexual health in rural Africa, impressions of contraceptive use and the practice of safe sex, obstacles to implementing sexual health care initiatives, and suggestions for successful sexual health education programs. With time, there is hope that sexual health education programs can help reduce the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections as well as unwanted pregnancies.
• Online Resources:
Are Schools a Good Setting for Adolescent Sexual Health Promotion in Rural Africa? a Qualitative Assessment From Tanzania?
Mary Plummer and her colleagues conducted a study which questioned the effectiveness of adolescent sexual health education initiatives in rural Africa. The findings of this survey were published in Health Education Research and advanced access was provided via W.E.B. DuBois Library.
Community Knowledge on HIV/AIDS and Its Relationship with Sexual Practices in Tabora and Igunga Districts, Western Tanzania.
GA Nkya and colleagues conducted a study, which was published in the Tanzania Health Research Bulletin, to illuminate the relationship between sexual practices and the level of education study participants had about HIV/AIDS.
“He Forced Me to Love Him”: Putting Violence on Adolescent Sexual Health Agendas.
Often sexual violence is ignored in school age students’ sexual health education curriculums. However, Katharine Wood and her colleagues conducted this study in hopes of incorporating sexual violence education into the curriculum to help students understand that forcing someone into having sex is not appropriate. The findings of this study were published in Social Science & Medicine.
Increased Sexual Abstinence Among in-School Adolescents as a Result of School Health Education in Soroti District, Uganda.
Dean Shuey and his colleagues conducted a study which shows that sexual abstinence among in-school adolescents has increased as a result of school education. Abstinence education is sometimes viewed negatively in the U.S. but has been shown to be an effective form of sexual health education in rural Africa. The results of this study have been published in Health Education Research.
Increasing Access to Family Planning Services in Rural Mali Through Community Based Distribution.
Community intervention has become a leading technique to educate the rural African population about family planning services. This study, conducted by Karen Katz et al. and published in International Family Planning Perspectives, reveals the results of a community based intervention and sheds light on why family planning techniques are not widely popular in rural Africa.
MEMA Kwa Vijana Project: Design of a Community Randomised Trial of an Innovative Adolescent Sexual Health Intervention in Rural Tanzania
This study, conducted by Richard Hayes and his colleagues and featured in Contemporary Clinical Trials, focuses on the results of a sexual health education initiative in rural sub-Saharan Africa which involved peer counseling, contraceptive education, and classroom based sex-ed lessons.
School Education and HIV Control in Sub-Saharan Africa: From Discord to Harmony?
Gregson and his colleagues, in an article from the Journal of International Development discuss school sexual health education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers elucidate the relationship between health education in schools and students’ understanding of factors that put them at risk for contracting the disease.
Sexual Activity and Contraceptive Use Among Female Adolescents - a Report From Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Aou and Ju Okepani surveyed female adolescents in Port Harcourt, Nigeria to gain insight into their sexual activity and whether or not they were using contraceptives. The findings of their study were published in the African Journal of Reproductive Health.
Spread of HIV-1 Infection in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Anne Buve and her colleagues, in this February 2008 article from Lancet, discuss the demographics of the spread of HIV-1 in Sub-Saharan Africa. This part of Africa has been the hardest hit by the HIV epidemic and a better understanding of the demography of the infected may help us develop more effective heath initiatives to reduce the spread of the disease.
Swazi Men's Contraceptive Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices.
This study, conducted by Isabella Ziyane and Valerie Ehlers, looked at Swazi men’s understanding of contraceptives. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices were all surveyed and the findings of the study, which were published in the Journal of Transcultural Nursing, can help us develop effective ways to educate both men and women in rural Africa about contraception.
Young People's Sexual Health in South Africa: HIV Prevalence and Sexual Behaviors From a Nationally Representative Household Survey.
A national survey was undertaken by Pettifor et al. in which adolescents and young adults were questioned about their sexual behavior, understanding of HIV/AIDS and overall sexual health. The findings were published in AIDS, a renowned journal that provides the most current information about the AIDS epidemic.
Feminism & the Rights and Rituals of Womanhood in Africa
• Contribution from Dean’s Reader:
Shannon Crosby, Psychology
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
The Dean's Book Course is an integral part of the Commonwealth College experience for students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In the Dean's Readers course, numerous books were reviewed to possibly be the next dean's book. Through careful consideration, Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway was one chosen to be taught in the spring 2009 semester of the Dean's Book Course. Kris Holloway worked as a Peace Corps member and was sent to Mali for her assignment. There she became close friends with the local midwife named Monique Dembele. Kris learned much about being female in an African society from spending time with Monique and observing life around her. Given the interesting roles of females in various societies, the scope of this review delves into the rights and rituals of women in Africa. Being able to understand traditions that may otherwise seem foreign provides a unique insight into the life of Monique Dembele and many other women in her village, as well as other parts of Africa.
• Online Resources:
Africa: A Ritual of Danger
This source was part of an article that was published in Time magazine that explained in detail the various extents of female circumcision. This material coincides with Kris Holloway’s findings when she went to Mali. She examined the women there and found out that these three types of circumcision existed and was extremely unnerved. As stated in this article and by Holloway’s correspondences with women in Mali, often times these procedures were traumatizing and not performed under sanitary conditions.
Africa Battles to Make Female Genital Mutilation History
This article by Wairagala Wakabi, talked about the causes as to why female genital mutilation is still fairly prevalent in most African countries, even though it has been banned in sixteen of them. The article states that the people have learned how dangerous this tradition is but the government has yet to put forth enough policies to prevent it. The UN is cited in this article as stating that 120-140 million women in Africa have undergone this potentially life threatening procedure.
African Feminism: The Politics of Survival in Sub-Saharan Africa
This article by Ann Biddlecom focuses on the differences between Sub-Saharan Africa feminism and Western feminism. This was an excerpt from a magazine review that, like some of the other sources, pins Western feminism against African feminism. There is no doubt that there are varying concepts of feminism and this is a review that supports this idea.
An Alternative Way to Stop Female Genital Mutilation
This source by Cesar Chelala is about a new practice that has begun in Kenya that has started to replace the barbaric female cutting, as a woman’s rite of passage. This material was unique in that it not only went against female genital cutting, but it also provided an alternative. In the aforementioned articles, women still wanted to experience the genital cutting because it was so much and is so much a part of their culture and tradition and not to do it would feel wrong and deviant. However, this new and noninvasive, rite of passage that has been introduced in Kenya proves to be aiding women who still want to conform.
Between Culture and Constitution: Evaluating the Cultural Legitimacy of Human Rights in the African State
This article by Bonny Ibhawoh talks about human rights in Africa and how mankind has a choice whether or not to utilize their rights. This material focuses on Africa’s attempts at human rights equality. Through this article, it becomes apparent that Africa’s attempts at human rights are missing something very crucial, individuality.
Born to Struggle, Learning to Write: An Interview with Lindiwe Mabuza, Poet and Chief Representative of the African National Congress (of South Africa) in the United States
This is a unique source, by Elaine Maria Upton, in that it is an interview with an African writer which took place in Washington, D.C. This was much different than all the other sources; it was a first-hand account of an African woman who struggled to become a writer. The article tells about how women in Africa write in English so that they may write what they want freely.
"Breast Ironing" in Cameroon
This website has an article which was published in July 2006 about breast ironing. This site is important, not because of its facts, but rather because of all the people who responded to the article. The people were outraged that such things are happening and have been happening for a long time. To understand how Western thoughts interpret this kind of tradition is important to understanding feminism. While our own country has various practices to keep young girls from straying into the arms of a man, when the girl is deemed too young, so does Africa.
Cameroon Girls Battle "Breast Ironing"
This article, published by the BBC, talks about a phenomenon that mostly takes place in Cameroon which is in West Africa. This phenomenon has been termed breast ironing, which is affecting young women in Cameroon. Most of these girls are subjected to the pounded of their breasts by hot objects. This seems to be very cruel in nature and the purpose is to stop the growing breasts from continuing to grow, which basically is fighting the natural process of puberty. However, if one looks at the reasons as to why mothers and grandmothers carry out this tradition is so that their daughter/granddaughter may have more of a chance to make a living. They feel that growing breasts may attract unwanted attention of men at too early of an age and this may prevent these young girls from continuing their education and getting a good job.
Changing A Harmful Social Convention: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
This digest which was published by UNICEF, looked into the terms and consequences of female genital mutilation/cutting. It went into great detail regarding where this practice was being performed and the human rights that are involved. In addition, alternative rites of passage were discussed and actions that the community should take to create a different environment for women in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Engendering Citizenship: Gendered Spaces of Democracy in South Africa
This is a paper by Cheryl McEwan which explores feminism in South Africa and relates these issues to international debates regarding feminism. In addition, it explores the on-going debates regarding gender issues in South Africa.
The Female Genital Cutting Education and Networking Project
This article by The FGC Education and Networking Project is particularly informative in that it shows diagrams about female genital cutting, maps of where each of the three types is more prevalent, as well as the psychological effects girls go through because of this age old rite of passage.
Female Genital Mutilation
This source from YouTube shows videos regarding female genital cutting and also offers startling statistics.
Female Genital Mutilation: Cultural Awareness and Clinical Considerations
This article by Cathleen Braddy and Julia Files has very descriptive pictures that depict the various extents of female genital mutilation. This article is useful in that it explains some more reasons as to why women still go ahead with the procedure despite warnings from healthcare professionals. The fact that most men want their women to be circumcised is a leading factor in women’s decisions. Women in Africa, for the most part, rely on their husbands for financial support and to not be circumcised may make them less desirable and therefore, unable to get the support they need.
Genital Cutting: The Past and Present of a Polythetic Category
This article by Harriet Lyons explores the female ritual of clitoridectomy or cutting and how feminist anthropologists have long been outraged by this.
History of Women in the United States
This excerpt from Wikipedia is about the history of females, access to contraception, and feminism throughout the United States.
Inheritance Rights
The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) wrote this article which delves into the fact that women are entitled to inheritances under international law but the laws governing individual villages tend to biased and still exclude women from having the same rights as men. The politics involved in keeping women from attaining property is complex. Even if they are to have property, they seldom are able to have sole control over it.
Introducing Alternative Rites of Passage
This article by Miroslava Prazak is about the changes within the female ritual of genital cutting and how sanitation plays a role and even though some societal leaders in Africa may not agree with it any more, some women still want to proceed with it because it distinguishes who they are and where they belong.
A New Agenda: Restructuring Feminism in South Africa
This article by Melissa Steyn talks about how moving away from the apartheid years and being inclusive to class and race is important to the feminist movement in Africa.
A Place Where Women Rule: All-Female Village in Kenya Is a Sign of Burgeoning Feminism Across Africa
This article by Emily Wax was published in the Washington Post on July 9, 2005. The article describes various women’s rights groups that have arisen in Africa. Some of these include Umoja which is an all woman village, and other groups that are comprised of widows who lost their husbands due to complications with the AIDS virus. This article is unique in that it does talk about great progress that is being made and how successful women are becoming at making lives for themselves, without the help of men. Feminists are standing up for young girls who may be supposed to marry much older men and these women are telling them they do not have to and are offering them a place to belong within their society.
Post-Colonialism, Gender, Customary Injustice: Widows in African Societies
This article by Uchechukwu Ewelukwa is the story of one African woman who interviews various widows in Africa and relays their stories and struggles to get what should rightfully be theirs.
Production and Reproduction in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Overview of Organizing Principles
This is a chapter, written by Ron Lesthaeghe, and taken from an online journal website. This article goes more in depth about how women in some African societies are truly bought as property. In addition, it is evident by reading this chapter that the women are only seen as fully worth the money their husbands have offered on their behalf, if they can bear children. This article, although similar to one from the BBC, makes a point to have it known that a bride’s family is not paid in full until they have their first child with their husband.
Rediscovery of the Magical: on Fairy Tales, Feminism, and the New South Africa
This article by Emily Zinn examines feminism in South African literature. This material was unlike the rest because it took feminism and fairy tales and paralleled them in African society. The article speaks mostly of the apartheid-era of South Africa and the fact that neither fairy tales nor feminism received much attention during this time. Yet, it was after the apartheid that women’s sexuality started to be explored and feminism became part of society. Beforehand, it was something that was never talked about but, as mentioned in the article, getting people to start talking about it was the first step.
The Story of Africa: Traditional Religions and Rites of Passage
This article by the BBC talked about the various rites of passage that people go through in Africa. This article was unique in that it mentioned how men usually pay a great deal in order to get their wives hand in marriage. Therefore, it is not surprising that men feel a sense of ownership of women because it is as though they have paid for the rights to a piece of property.
Toward the Abandonment of Female Genital Cutting: Advancing Research, Communication and Collaboration
This is an editorial by Sedgh, Jackson, and Ibrahim which talks about a collaboration of research into female genital cutting (FGC). This editorial is interesting in that it talks about various people who have performed research in Africa, regarding FGC, and the reasons as to why more probably has not been done. One issue brought up is time. In order to receive funding for research and intervention programs, researchers have to prove that their efforts are and have made a difference. Given this, it is hard for researchers to prove that the programs they have set forth are, in fact, changing the way people in specific villages view FGC. It is difficult to determine if the programs are helping or if cases of FGC have lessened due to some other variable. To fully understand if the programs are what is making the difference, researcher would have to do a longitudinal study which would cost a lot of money and take a lot of time.
Women and the Amistad Connection -- Sierra Leone Krio Society
This is an article surmising the book published by Filomina Steady, a scholar of feminism in Africa. She interviews various women of Sierra Leone to get an idea of what their life is like and what their hopes and aspirations are.
Women and Gender Studies
This book review by Marie Kruger explores how women in Africa look towards Western methods of feminism but rather than expressing themselves as individuals, they do so as part of a group.
Women's Autonomy and Demographic Behaviour
This article by Simona Drovandi and Silvana Salvini looks into the effects of inequality on a country’s socio-economic status.
Women's History in America
This source, excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia, is about the history of females throughout the history of the United States.
Women's Property Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Human Rights Watch published a question and answer type article in which women’s property rights were discussed. This article, links the lack of property rights of women in Africa to the physical abuse they endure. It also goes into detail about how these type of conditions lead to a rise in HIV/AIDS and economic decay. The STD epidemic greatly impacts the economy in places that are struggling with HIV/AIDS.
Women's Rights as Human Rights: Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF)
This article by Dorothy Louise Hodgson is about Women in Law and Development in Africa which is a National Government Organization to educate women about their legal rights and to empower them as individuals.
Culture, Cultural Immersion and Culture Shock
• Contribution from Dean’s Reader:
Erin French, Psychology and Sociology
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
Through research, I was able to discover the connections between the formation of culture and the different elements of society: language, religion, and gender roles. In addition, the different art forms — music, decorative arts, and dress — show how culture can be expressed without words. Finally, I examined the phenomenon of "culture shock" in order to understand the relationships individuals create when abroad for a period of time and how exposure to a new culture creates and reshapes identity. All these elements help one understand more fully Kris Holloway's memoir, Monique and the Mango Rains. Each of these elements was present in the memoir and by examining Monique and the Mango Rains in combination with the research, I was able to reach a deeper understanding of the experiences Holloway relates.
• Print materials available in DuBois Library [view list]
• Online Resources:
Arts and Culture in Mali, West Africa
This website examines a program that uses art as a means of creating connections and cultural understanding between Americans and Malians. This website also provides a brief history of Mali and the people who live in Mali.
'Cultural' Concepts and the Language-Culture nexus
This article examines the connection between language and culture. This article discusses communication between individuals and how what individuals say is related to the culture in which they live.
Culture, Gender, and the Self: Variations and Impact of Social Comparison Processes
This article discusses how men and women compare themselves to individuals in their gender group and how they compare themselves to individuals in the opposite gender group.
The Impact of Meaningful Roles and role Partners on the Experience of Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock
This article interviews ten Peace Corp members to learn about their experiences with moving to another country and getting accustomed to the way of life in that country. This article also examines the return of the Peace Corp members to their homes and how they experienced assimilating back into their own culture.
Language Socialization in Theory and Practice
This article describes how language is acquired through the norms and patterns of the culture in which an individual lives. The language of individual can change over time as the culture and environment around the individual changes.
Languages of Africa
This article discusses the many languages that are spoken in Africa. This website also looks at language families, sign languages, unclassified languages, Creole languages, and linguistic features.
Music of Africa
This webpage discusses the different types of music performed in Africa. This webpage also examines the different types of musical instruments in Africa and how music is tied to the language in Africa, and to dance in Africa.
People of Africa
This article lists the different tribes of people in Africa. For each tribe there is a page that describes their location, language and culture. It also lists other resources that provide more information about the particular tribe on the page. This website also provides information on African arts and crafts, music and dance, weddings, festivals and events.
Religion as Culture: Religious Individualism and Collectivism Among American Catholics, Jews, and Protestants
This article examines the connections between religion and culture. This article describes the fundamental aspects of each religion and how those aspects create the culture of each group.
Returning Home and Issues Related to Reverse Culture Shock
This article describes culture shock. This article examines culture shock when returning home from being in another country for an extended period of time. It discusses the need for counseling and a support network to help an individual readjust to their own culture after being part of another culture for so long.
Strangers in Their Own Land: Culture Loss, Disenfranchised Grief, and Reentry Adjustment
This article describes the difficulties individuals have in readjusting to their own culture after being in a different country for an extended period of time. The study looks at individuals who go abroad for many different reasons. This article describes three main reasons for why adjusting to an individual’s own culture after being abroad for an extended period of time is so difficult.
The Symbolic World of the Bilingual Child: Digressions on Language Acquisition, Culture, and the Process of Thinking
This article describes how language is tied to culture. This article examines how language is developed based on different aspects from the culture in which the child is learning the language.
Voodoo and West Africa's Spiritual Life
This webpage gives the history of an ancient religion. This religion is practiced in parts of West Africa and is talked about in Monique and the Mango Rains. This website also allows the reader to listen to sound clips from ceremonies performed in this religion. This website also lists other resources that can be examined to provide more information on this topic.
The History of the Peace Corps & Its Effectiveness
• Contribution from Dean’s Reader:
Sarah Syed, English and Political Science
Abstract [FULL TEXT]
I decided that my thesis would focus on opening other readers’ eyes. I know that many who read Monique and the Mango Rains will have considered the Peace Corps in their future; or perhaps, the book will create that desire. For all readers, I plan to detail the background of what the Peace Corps organization is exactly, and its historical foundation, as well as the goals of Peace Corps volunteers. By the same token, in order to appreciate and understand the program, it is important to grasp the negative as well as positive aspects of it. Through a series of interviews and in-depth research of returned volunteers, I have raised the question of whether or not the Peace Corps is effective based on the various specialties of the volunteers, as well as in comparison to other governmental and non-governmental agencies.
• Print materials available in DuBois Library [view list]
• Online Resources:
Beyond Double Consciousness: Black Peace Corps Volunteers in Africa, 1961-1971
This article by Jonathan Zimmerman explores the particular difficulties that Black Peace Corps volunteers face when placed in Africa. The discussion is set in the backdrop of the 1960s, during the height of the civil rights movement. It also opens up for discussion of blacks going to help blacks and how that help is received in Africa.
Peace Corps Volunteers’ Impact Can’t be Easily Quantified
This USA Today article with excerpts from Peace Corps volunteers: Renada Rutmanis, Jon Michael Johnson, and George A. Hofheimer explores each individual’s experience, and their responses to issues ranging from technology, and the sustainability of their work in their respective country.
The Preparation of Peace Corps Volunteers for Overseas Service: Challenge and Response
This source from the “Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science” discusses the preparedness of volunteers, and the struggles they face once in country. It studies the intense training process volunteers go through before leaving.
Who Helps Whom in the Peace Corps?
This New York Times article by Robert L. Strauss is a critique of the Peace Corps, questioning its effectiveness on the basis that volunteers are too young and lack the maturity and professional experiences necessary to be an effective developmental worker.
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