Transculturalism, diaspora and otherness: the quest for a home in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s americana

This paper aims to re-evaluate the role of otherness, the true keystone of Americanah which invites to wonder if it might not be at the origin of certain limits that appear in transculturalism. The places most likely to welcome transculturalism in Western societies come across as culture places, where dominant norms are challenged to include otherness. This study reveals that transculturality facilitates African Diasporas circulation and delineates a field of identifications with hybrid status. Therefore, hybridity can generate discomfort and a loss of the feeling of being at home. Suffocation, confinement, the disturbingly familiar strangers are all reasons that tarnish transculturalism representations by underlining its limits, which seep into homes that lose ability to offer shelter. The function of home to provide protection is then deterritorialised in relationships or in professional spaces. The analysis suggests that transculturalism stumbling block is not so much otherness than othering, that is to say the imposition of another identity on someone based on appearance, ethnic, cultural background, or sex identity dimensions. Thus, from otherness to othering, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as a transcultural Nigerian female writer, reveals that alienation corrodes transcultural characters and generates positive opening discussions and meetings around new postcolonial relations

DYNAMIQUE DÉMOGRAPHIQUE ET ÉCONOMIQUE, FACTEURS DÉTERMINANTS DE LA CROISSANCE SPATIALE DES VILLES DU DÉPARTEMENT DE SOUBRÉ (CÔTE D’IVOIRE)

The department of Soubré was struck by a sub settlement observed over a long period in the history of Côte d'Ivoire. The immense natural potential, the decline of the "cocoa Loop" in the regions of Eastern and Central East and the start of the South West Development Project (ARSO) initiated by the State ended up upsetting the departmental space. Indeed, the department of Soubré has become a reception area where the plantation economy takes a boom since the 1975/1980 year. The study shows that immigration that was particularly intensified in the department of Soubré is the origin of socio-demographic change and urban socio-economic department. However, it retains the light of the above that the farmers through their major agricultural income from the plantation economy have a real grip on the urban extension

FROM “NEGRO” TO “AFRICAN AMERICAN”: THE EVOLUTION OF BLACKS’ IDENTITY REFERENT IN AMERICA

Blacks in America have gone through a long process of identity quest often in a hostile environment. Throughout their American experience, they have been successively referred to as “Negro,” “New Negro,” “Blacks” and finally “African Americans.” These different referents traced the change in their identity according to the reality they were faced with at specific periods. Indeed, such periods as the 1920s, the 1960s and the 1980s were important landmarks that characterized this change. Thus, the expression of cultural heritage, the feeling of racial pride, the expression of a double identity (African and American), were in turn developed as the passage from slavery to freedom and self-assertion or from rejection to recognition

MODERNITÉ POÉTIQUE ET RÉALITÉ QUOTIDIENNE : UNE ORIGINALITÉ DE L’ESTHÉTIQUE PRÉVERTIENNE / POETIC MODERNITY AND EVERYDAY REALITY: AN ORIGINALITY OF PREVERT'S AESTHETICS / MODERNITATE POETICĂ ŞI REALITATE COTIDIANĂ: O ORIGINALITATE A ESTETICII LUI PRÉVERT

La poésie du quotidien est l’une des caractéristiques de l’originalité de Jacques Prévert. Il prend parti pour la simplicité des faits et recherche ses thèmes dans la vie quotidienne des différentes classes sociales sans exception. Dans cette poésie, il s’engage aux côtés des victimes, des malheureux, pour exprimer ce qu’il voit et ressent, en dénonçant ce qu’il trouve anormal, injuste et indécent, dans le but d’attirer l’attention des auteurs de ces actes. Outre sa singularité, l’une des finalités de sa poésie est, de participer à sa manière, à l’amélioration des conditions de travail et de vie, en vue d’une société idéale

Actions paysannes et développement rural dans les régions cacaoyères ivoiriennes : le cas des espaces ruraux du département de Méagui, Sud-Ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire

Considéré comme l’épine dorsale de l’actuelle boucle de cacao, le département de Méagui détient à lui seul environ 36 % de la production nationale (396 000 tonnes), soit 15 % de l’offre mondiale de cacao (Tano, 2012, p 88). Malgré cette performance économique, les villages, unités de résidence des producteurs, sont en proie d’une pauvreté persistante. De 41,3 % en 2002, le niveau de pauvreté passe à 45,5 % en 2008 (Tano, op cit, p 105). Cependant, les actions des populations semblent anodines pour renverser la tendance. Cette étude se propose alors d’analyser les initiatives locales, principalement les actions des populations, en faveur du développement des espaces ruraux. L’exploitation documentaire et l’enquête de terrain (l’observation directe, l’entretien et l’enquête par questionnaire) sont les méthodes ayant servi à la collecte des données dans cette étude. L’étude montre que la population rurale caractérisée par sa grande diversité ethnique est à près de 98 % dominée par les communautés migrantes. L’intérêt de cette importante communauté de migrants pour les régions d’origine, auquel s’ajoute la baisse des revenus des paysans, réduisent les possibilités d’investissements locaux. Ainsi, en dehors des équipements collectifs notamment les secteurs de l’hydraulique villageoise et de l’éducation qui ont enregistré les taux de participations les plus élevés, soit respectivement 96,63 % et 89,88 %, les investissements privés suscitent peu d’intérêt au sein de la communauté rurale. Seulement 22,22% des paysans ont investi dans la construction d’habitats modernes dans les villages. Quant à la création d’activités économiques non agricoles, elle n’a concerné que 25,1% de la population rurale. Considered as the backbone of the current cocoa loop, the department of Méagui alone holds around 36% of national production (396,000 tonnes), or 15% of the world's cocoa supply (Tano, 2012, p 88). Despite this economic performance, villages, producer residences, are plagued by persistent poverty. From 41.3% in 2002, the poverty level rose to 45.5% in 2008 (Tano, op cit, p 105). However, the actions of the populations seem trivial to reverse the trend. This study then proposes to analyze local initiatives, mainly the actions of the populations, in favor of the development of rural areas. Document processing, direct observation, interview and questionnaire survey are the methods used to collect data in this study. The study shows that the rural population, characterized by its great ethnic diversity, is almost 98% dominated by migrant communities. The interest of this large migrant community in the regions of origin, coupled with the decline in peasant incomes, reduces the possibilities for local investment. Thus, apart from collective facilities, in particular the village water supply and education sectors, which recorded the highest participation rates, at 96.63% and 89.88% respectively, private investment generates little interest in the rural community. Only 22.22% of the peasants invested in the construction of modern housing in the villages. As for the creation of non-agricultural economic activities, it concerned only 25.1% of the rural population

Le français en Côte d’Ivoire : de l’imposition à l’appropriation décomplexée d’une langue exogène

Le français a été introduit en Côte d’Ivoire par le fait de la colonisation. Sa pratique particulière lui a permis d’être aujourd’hui à la fois langue véhiculaire et langue vernaculaire. On peut évoquer différents facteurs qui expliquent cela. Historiquement, l’expansion du français qui s’est faite par l’intermédiaire de l’école avait pour but de former des ouvriers habiles dont la tâche consistait à exploiter les ressources naturelles agricoles pour le compte de l’entreprise coloniale. D’un point de vue politique et idéologique, le français pour le colonisateur était l’instrument par lequel les colonisés pouvaient accéder à la civilisation. Dans ces conditions, les langues locales sont minimisées, ce qui va occasionner la naissance de différentes variétés de français résultant de l’effort d’adaptation de cette langue étrangère aux réalité locales. Les nouveaux dirigeants ivoiriens, une fois l’indépendance acquise, vont, tout comme les autorités coloniales, perpétuer la politique linguistique favorable à la langue française, chargée du renforcement de l’unité nationale et de l’ouverture sur le monde, tandis que les langues locales continuent d’être ignorées.French was introduced in Côte d’Ivoire by the fact of colonization. Its particular practice enabled it to be a common language and vernacular language today. One can mention various factors which explain that. Historically, the process of the expansion of French was done through schools to train skilled people whose task consisted in exploiting the agricultural and natural resources on behalf of the colonial companies. From a political and ideological point of view, French language for the colonizers was the instrument they used to give civilization to the colonized who were thought or misunderstood to the backwards. Under these conditions, the local languages were and continue to be relegated to a lower level. Therefore causing the evocation of various types of French that people use today as an effort to speak this foreign language. The leaders of independent Côte d’Ivoire, just like the colonial authorities, perpetuate the linguistic policy, favourable to the French language for the reinforcement of national unity as well as enhancing cordial relationship with other countries while the local languages continue to be ignored

Efficacité de l’encadrement pédagogique des professeurs d’allemand du secondaire en Côte d’Ivoire : Aspects psychologiques et perspectives

Résumé : Les enseignants de langue étrangère sont la cheville ouvrière pour le développement des compétences communicatives chez les apprenants. Une distorsion aussi minime soit-elle en défaveur des enseignants a des conséquences fâcheuses sur les apprenants. Conscientes de ces faits, les autorités ont édifié une batterie d’institutions et d’approches au profit de ces enseignants. Elles partent du postulat d’une part que la condition sine qua non pour que l’école puisse satisfaire les objectifs assignés réside dans l’encadrement des enseignants et d’autre part qu’un enseignant mal formé devient un danger pour les apprenants. Cependant, force est constater que de nombreux facteurs impactent négativement la formation continue des enseignants d’allemand qui reste déficitaire. Dans cette étude nous partons de l’hypothèse qu’un enseignant de langue étrangère sans formation continue tombe dans la sclérose intellectuelle, linguistique et pédagogique. Notre recherche se fonde sur les résultats d’une enquête réalisée auprès de professeurs et d’encadreurs pédagogiques d’allemand. Mots-clés : allemand, apprenants, enseignants, efficacité, formation continue

Cassava Consumption and Biological Adaptation to Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria in Man, Côte d'Ivoire

The biological adaptation of the human organism to Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection could be attributable to its endogenous biological potential and to the action of bio-environmental elements. The influence of exogenous biochemical activators, in particular the intake of micronutrients with immune potential, on the protection of the human body from malaria infection is far from being sufficiently studied. The present study examines the effect of varying cassava consumption frequency on biological adaptation to Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection. The study involved 83 women and 80 men, aged between 5 and 70 years, living in Man (Côte d’Ivoire) and admitted for consultations at the regional hospital. The frequency of manioc ingestion was assessed using a 14-item food frequency questionnaire administered face-to-face. Biological adaptation was measured using blood smear and thick blood smear results. The results of Fisher's test show that populations with a high frequency of cassava consumption have a lower proportion of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections than their counterparts with a low frequency of cassava consumption. Cassava consumption therefore improves the individual's biological adaptation, i.e. the protective protein-immune system, to Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection

LA VARIABILITE PLUVIOMETRIQUE ET SES IMPACTS SUR L’ALIMENTATION EN EAU DES MILIEUX RURAUX DU DEPARTEMENT DE DIMBOKRO (CENTRE-EST DE LA COTE D’IVOIRE)

Rainfall variability in the tropics is a real living reality. In Côte d'Ivoire in general and the Department Dimbokro in particular takes this variability increasingly growing. It is increasingly felt on the forest-savanna contact zone climate and weather conditions are already difficult. This study's main objective is to analyze the rainfall and temperature data over a long period to determine the various trends, breaks in series, then to bring out the consequences for the supply of various rural communities in water department. Clearly it is to characterize the climate event from the analysis of air temperature, relative humidity, changes in rainfall index, the frequency of rainy days and seasons of life rainfall over the period 1955-2000 in order to identify the behavior of seasonal rainfall patterns in the context of climate variability. The analysis of these different climate components including rainfall data, thermal have identified two broad periods separated by a hinge year 1968. Climate variability is manifested by a spatiotemporal dynamics regressive annual rainfall, recession frequency of rainy days in general and especially those of rainfall amounts in excess of 20 mm. Such climatic situation has huge consequences for the availability of hydrology department. The reservoirs in the geological layers will be insufficiently fed, and thereby show their inability to supply boreholes and wells. Once this water recession creates a situation of water stress in the entire department. And 20.57% of the holes drilled in the department have proven nonoperational. It therefore concludes that rainfall variability that knows the department has real impacts on the water supply to rural communities in Dimbokro department

Anthropometric Evaluation of Nutritional Status of Adolescents Attending the Secondary Schools 1 and 2 of Gagnoa (Côte d'Ivoire)

This study aims to evaluate the nutritional status of adolescents attending two secondary schools in Gagnoa (Côte d'Ivoire) based on anthropometric parameters. A sample of 184 adolescents was recruited in the secondary schools 1 and 2 of Gagnoa. Measurements of body mass and height were made using a scale and a measuring board equipped with a tape measure respectively. Anthropometric indices (height-for-age Z-score and BMI-forage Z-score) were calculated according to the WHO (2007) growth references for 5-19 years old children. Mean age was 14.9 ± 0.2 years, mean body weight was 48.2 ± 0.7 kg and mean height was 156.1 ± 0.7 cm. The results of this study revealed a deficit of 13% and an underweight of 8.7%. Undernutrition in the population is characterized by 1.6% severe chronic undernutrition, 11.4% moderate chronic undernutrition, 8.7% moderate acute malnutrition and 0.5% severe acute malnutrition. The prevalence of obesity in this population was 0.5%. The assessment of the nutritional status of the adolescents attending the two secondary schools of Gagnoa has revealed deficiency stature and thinness among students