Suchergebnisse

Western education still dominates the education terrain across Africa. For some people, the dominance is nothing but 'academic imperialism,' which is believed to have relegated African scholars to mere conduits of knowledge through which European and American scholarship and interests are protected and promoted. Consequently, a dissident voice is resonating in the African educational system, particularly South African education system, demanding the recognition of 'home-grown' knowledge to solve home-grown problems. This article engages the debate about decolonization of higher education in South Africa and asks the fundamental question of whether or not it is possible to achieve a fully decolonized curriculum in a society that is already cloaked and engulfed by capitalism and Western ideologies.

Nigerian urban centers, especially the socially disadvantaged neighborhoods (sdns), like other disadvantaged communities across Africa, are increasingly becoming breeding grounds for youth violence and Armed Non-State Actors (ansas). The increasing waves of violence in socially disadvantaged communities in Nigeria and the inability of security apparatus to curtail them, suggests a 'nation' bewildered and a comatose state. This article attempts to dissect the root causes of youth violence in socially disadvantaged urban areas of Nigeria using relevant sociological theories. The paper subjects the current waves of youth violence across ethnic cleavages in Nigeria to a more nuanced and pragmatic analysis in order to dissect and unravel the socio-structural and political factors responsible. The paper argues that the inherent social structural maladies embedded in socially disadvantaged communities appear to have provided an impetus for youth violence and the emergence ofansas in Nigeria. These social structural maladies are captured within the context of social disorganization, relative deprivation, and broken windows theories. The assumptions of these theories provide insights into understanding the predisposing and enabling factors to youth violence and the emergence ofansas in socially disadvantaged communities in Nigeria and beyond. They also provide fundamental policy and research options to nip the contours of violence in socially disadvantaged environments in Nigeria and beyond in the bud.

Malaria is a major public health problem in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). First-time pregnant mothers and children below the age of five are the most vulnerable. Governments of the region have relied on both local and international donor agencies to fight against malaria where emphasis has been on financial interventions, provision and distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), provision of rapid-test apparatus, and drugs for first line treatment. However, the impacts of local and global efforts have been minimally felt as the burden of malaria continues unabated. The rate of malaria infections is still apocalyptically alarming. This article argues that the reason why cases and deaths attributable to malaria continue to rise is because wrong approaches are used in the so-called broad fight against malaria. Based on the assumptions of the epidemiological triangle model, the web of causation and social determinants of health, the article argues that for countries in SSA to effectively fight malaria, the nexus between the agent, host, and environment must be acknowledged. It is constructively argued that efforts to tame the scourge of malaria in SSA would be in futility where the environmental factors that produce the breeding ground for malaria are not adequately addressed. European and American experiences are compared to sufficiently substantiate this line of argument.

In the past decade, traditional male circumcision, known as ulwaluko among the Xhosa-speaking people in the Eastern Cape Province, has become a burning issue in South Africa. The discourse has led to the emergence of two opposing camps: the supporters of ulwaluko who rely on "traditional ideology" to justify the cultural relevance of the practice, and the opposing camp who believe that ulwaluko is no longer in tandem with the reality of the twenty-first century. Amid the ongoing debate, this study investigated the perceptions of ulwaluko among South African university students at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. Open-ended individual interviews were conducted among nine male students at the university. The study relied on "hegemonic masculinity" as the theoretical framework. The study revealed mixed feelings about the ulwaluko ritual among the students interviewed. In spite of the exposure to modernization and Western education, the students interviewed were still emotionally and culturally attached to ulwaluko, especially as a rite of passage. While some doubted the ability of the ritual to change "bad boys" into "good boys," virtually all the participants believed that morbidity and mortality recorded during and after ulwaluko were not sufficient grounds to abolish it. This finding suggests ulwaluko may have, over the years, consciously or unconsciously, constructed an idealized masculine identity that is morally upright, faced with challenges to the ritual and burdened by a prescriptive set of masculine role expectations.

AbstractRecent studies have shown that women now abuse drugs as much as men. Women even abuse certain kinds of drugs more than men. There is strong evidence that some married women also engage in drug abuse. However, few studies have explored the experiences of drug addicted wives in Nigeria in relation to marital conflicts. In this study, the experiences of drug addicted wives were explored in relation to marital conflicts in Nigeria using a phenomenological research design. A total of 18 married women participated in the study. They were purposively selected from a socially disadvantaged neighborhood of Batcher Estate, Gwarinpa, Abuja, Nigeria. In‐depth interviews (IDI) were used to collect data from the participants. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Two major conclusions were drawn from the study. Drug addiction may cause marital conflicts and vice versa. However, wives abusing drugs without the consent of partners or husbands were more likely to report marital conflicts than those abusing drugs with their partners' consent. Two groups of drug abusers were also discovered: those who were initiated into drug abuse/addiction prior to marriage and those who started taking drugs after marriage. Factors influencing drug abuse/addiction were complex and comprised a combination of psycho‐social and environmental issues. Access to substance‐use disorder (SUD) treatment was, however, impeded by poor knowledge, stigma and shame. Improved access to treatment is an important asset in minimizing drug abuse among married women and its impact on marital conflicts.

This study investigates the vulnerability of the female adolescent to sexual harassment in motor garages in Ilorin, Nigeria. While informal organizations such as motor garages remain the stronghold of the economy in Ilorin, they also provide fertile-grounds for sexual harassment of female adolescents. This study explored the patterns, perceptions, and experiences of female adolescent hawkers who experienced sexual harassment in four selected motor garages in Ilorin, Nigeria. Data for this study was gathered using semi-structured, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study found that sexual harassment of female adolescents in motor garages in Ilorin was pervasive, widespread, and alarming. All participants disclosed they had experienced some forms of sexual harassment in their day-to-day activities. However, perceptions about the severity of the sexual harassment vary from early, middle to late adolescents interviewed. Although, none of the participants disclosed being raped, some revealed that some of their friends had been victims of rape. This study recommends measures to minimize sexual harassment in informal organizations such as motor garages in Ilorin.