L’assimilation, l’aliénation et le racisme dans la pensée postcoloniale de Frantz Fanon

"L’incursion coloniale française en Afrique vers le milieu du IXe siècle est marquée par l’instauration brutale d’un appareil de domination. Les bases de ce système d’oppression rendent propice l’élaboration d’une entreprise d’assimilation d’une certaine partie des populations colonisées. Celle-ci s’immisce rapidement dans le quotidien des "indigènes" et cause un bouleversement de leurs normes et modalités culturelles, sociales et identitaires. [...]

Penser le post-colonial : conceptions, théorisation et critique du colonialisme et des décolonisations dans la pensée de Frantz Fanon

Dans le cadre de ce mémoire, nous analysons les fondements de la pensée et de la théorie postcoloniale du psychiatre martiniquais Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) à travers son étude majeure, Les damnés de la terre (1961), publiée dans le contexte de la guerre d’indépendance algérienne (1954-1962). Plus précisément, cette théorie postcoloniale est axée sur une critique du colonialisme et d’une réflexion sur les enjeux de la décolonisation. Dans ce projet, nous examinons d’abord les fondements de la domination coloniale en lien avec les questions de l’assimilation et de l’aliénation ainsi que du racisme et de la violence soulevées et critiquées par Fanon dans son portrait du colonialisme. Ensuite, nous examinons la perception et le point de vue qui se dégagent de sa pensée postcoloniale, c’est-à-dire de ses critiques sur les choix et les actions des élites politiques dans l’optique de la construction des nouveaux États-nations africains en 1950 et 1960. Notre réflexion est ainsi articulée autour de trois questions majeures. Tout d’abord, nous cherchons à voir comment Fanon aborde les dynamiques de l’assimilation, de l’aliénation, du racisme ainsi que de la violence qui structurent la relation de dominant/dominé et qui mènent au processus de prise de conscience chez les colonisés. Ensuite, nous nous questionnons à savoir quel regard Fanon pose-t-il sur la construction des sociétés postcoloniales, notamment de l’Algérie, et en particulier à travers sa volonté de « mise en garde » contre les dérives autoritaristes des élites politiques décolonisées en vue de la construction de l’État-nation. Enfin, notre dernier questionnement cherche à comprendre quel est le bilan que Fanon dresse de l’évolution du statut et de la place assignée aux femmes algériennes dans l’État-nation en construction. Afin de mener ce projet de recherche à terme, et dans l’optique d’évaluer les idées, les thèmes et les aspects de la théorie postcoloniale de Fanon dans Les damnés de la terre, nous mobilisons ses études Peau noire, masques blancs (1952), L’an V de la révolution algérienne (1959) et ses écrits politiques publiés à titre posthume dans Pour la révolution africaine (1964). Enfin, cette recherche s’inscrit dans une perspective d’histoire intellectuelle, ou d’histoire des idées, en ce sens où nous portons un regard critique sur la conception ainsi que l’articulation de la théorie postcoloniale fanonienne. Plus particulièrement, cette approche se fait à travers l’analyse de son portrait critique du colonialisme ainsi que des enjeux socioéconomiques, politiques et culturels en lien avec la construction des États-nations africains.Abstract : As part of this thesis, we analyze the foundations of postcolonial thought and theory of Martinican psychiatrist Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) through his major study, The Wretched of the Earth (1961), published in the context of the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962). More specifically, this postcolonial theory centers on a critique of colonialism and a reflection on the issues of decolonization. Furthermore, in this project, we first examine the foundations of colonial rule in relation to the issues of assimilation and alienation as well as racism and violence raised and criticized by Fanon in his portrayal of colonialism. Next, we examine the perception and point of view that emerges from his postcolonial thinking, that is, from his denunciations of the choices and the actions made by the political elites during the construction of decolonized African nation states in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Our reflection is thus structured around three major questions. First, we seek to understand how Fanon analyses the dynamics of assimilation, alienation, racism as well as violence that structure the dominant/dominated relationship, and that which leads to the consciousness phenomenon amongst the colonized. Then, we seek to explore what is Fanon’s view on the construction of postcolonial societies, especially on Algeria, through his desire to "warn" against the authoritarian drifts of the decolonized political elites in view of nation-state building. Finally, we seek to examine what is Fanon’s assessment on the evolution of the status and the place that is assigned to Algerian women in the context of the postcolonial nation-state construction. To complete this research project, and with the ambition of evaluating the ideas, themes, and aspects of Fanon's postcolonial theory in The Wretched of the Earth, we include, in our analysis, his studies Black Skin, White Masks (1952), A Dying Colonialism (1959) and his political writings published posthumously in Towards the African Revolution (1964). To be specific, this research is built on an intellectual history approach and perspective, in the sense that we seek to take a critical look at the conception as well as the articulation of the Fanonian postcolonial theory. Moreover, this approach is carried out through an analysis of Fanon’s critical portrait of colonialism as well as socio-economic, political, and cultural issues related to the construction of African nation-states

Analysis of the genetics of boar taint reveals both single SNPs and regional effects

BACKGROUND: Boar taint is an offensive urine or faecal-like odour, affecting the smell and taste of cooked pork from some mature non-castrated male pigs. Androstenone and skatole in fat are the molecules responsible. In most pig production systems, males, which are not required for breeding, are castrated shortly after birth to reduce the risk of boar taint. There is evidence for genetic variation in the predisposition to boar taint. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify loci with effects on boar taint. Five hundred Danish Landrace boars with high levels of skatole in fat (>0.3 μg/g), were each matched with a litter mate with low levels of skatole and measured for androstenone. DNA from these 1,000 non-castrated boars was genotyped using the Illumina PorcineSNP60 Beadchip. After quality control, tests for SNPs associated with boar taint were performed on 938 phenotyped individuals and 44,648 SNPs. Empirical significance thresholds were set by permutation (100,000). For androstenone, a ‘regional heritability approach’ combining information from multiple SNPs was used to estimate the genetic variation attributable to individual autosomes. RESULTS: A highly significant association was found between variation in skatole levels and SNPs within the CYP2E1 gene on chromosome 14 (SSC14), which encodes an enzyme involved in degradation of skatole. Nominal significance was found for effects on skatole associated with 4 other SNPs including a region of SSC6 reported previously. Genome-wide significance was found for an association between SNPs on SSC5 and androstenone levels and nominal significance for associations with SNPs on SSC13 and SSC17. The regional analyses confirmed large effects on SSC5 for androstenone and suggest that SSC5 explains 23% of the genetic variation in androstenone. The autosomal heritability analyses also suggest that there is a large effect associated with androstenone on SSC2, not detected using GWAS. CONCLUSIONS: Significant SNP associations were found for skatole on SSC14 and for androstenone on SSC5 in Landrace pigs. The study agrees with evidence that the CYP2E1 gene has effects on skatole breakdown in the liver. Autosomal heritability estimates can uncover clusters of smaller genetic effects that individually do not exceed the threshold for GWAS significance. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-424) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Mutations in DCC cause isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum with incomplete penetrance

Brain malformations involving the corpus callosum are common in children with developmental disabilities. We identified DCC mutations in four families and five sporadic individuals with isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) without intellectual disability. DCC mutations result in variable dominant phenotypes with decreased penetrance, including mirror movements and ACC associated with a favorable developmental prognosis. Possible phenotypic modifiers include the type and location of mutation and the sex of the individual

Successful Embolization of Posterior Inferior Pancreaticoduodenal Artery Pseudoaneurysm on the Grounds of Chronic Pancreatitis—Case Report and Literature Review

Pancreatic pseudoaneurysm is a rare but life-threatening clinical entity. In this paper, we present a case of a 74-year-old man, who was admitted to our clinic with a diagnosis of an acute on chronic pancreatitis complicated by walled-off-pancreatic-necrosis, with subsequent development of peripancreatic pseudoaneurysm. After initial conservative management, the patient recovered and was discharged from the hospital. However, he soon returned feeling anxious due to a pulsatile abdominal mass. Abdominal Color–Doppler examination, CT scan, and angiography revealed large pancreatic necrotic collection in the total size of 9 cm, with centrally enhancing area of 3.5 cm that corresponded to pseudoaneurysm originating from the posterior pancreaticoduodenal vascular arcade. Considering the size, location of the pseudoaneurysm, feeding vessel, and poor general patients condition, we opted for minimally invasive treatment. Pseudoaneurysm was successfully managed by endovascular coil embolization, i.e., “sandwich technique”

High-Density Genomic Characterization of Native Croatian Sheep Breeds

A recent comprehensive genomic analysis based on 50K SNP profiles has shown that the regional Balkan sheep populations have considerable genetic overlap but are distinctly different from surrounding breeds. All eight Croatian sheep breeds were represented by a small number of individuals per breed. Here, we genotyped 220 individuals representing the native Croatian sheep breeds (Istrian Sheep, Krk Island Sheep, Cres Island Sheep, Rab Island Sheep, Lika Pramenka, Pag Island Sheep, Dalmatian Pramenka, Dubrovnik Sheep) and mouflon using the Ovine Infinium ® HD SNP BeadChip (606,006 SNPs). In addition, we included publicly available Balkan Pramenka and other Mediterranean sheep breeds. Our analyses revealed the complex population structure of Croatian sheep breeds and their origin and geographic barriers (island versus mainland). Migration patterns confirmed the historical establishment of breeds and the pathways of gene flow. Inbreeding coefficients (F ROH>2 Mb) between sheep populations ranged from 0.025 to 0.070, with lower inbreeding coefficients observed in Dalmatian Pramenka and Pag Island Sheep and higher inbreeding in Dubrovnik sheep. The estimated effective population size ranged from 61 to 1039 for Krk Island Sheep and Dalmatian Pramenka, respectively. Higher inbreeding levels and lower effective population size indicate the need for improved conservation management to maintain genetic diversity in some breeds. Our results will contribute to breeding and conservation strategies of native Croatian sheep breeds

High-Density Genomic Characterization of Native Croatian Sheep Breeds

A recent comprehensive genomic analysis based on 50K SNP profiles has shown that the regional Balkan sheep populations have considerable genetic overlap but are distinctly different from surrounding breeds. All eight Croatian sheep breeds were represented by a small number of individuals per breed. Here, we genotyped 220 individuals representing the native Croatian sheep breeds (Istrian Sheep, Krk Island Sheep, Cres Island Sheep, Rab Island Sheep, Lika Pramenka, Pag Island Sheep, Dalmatian Pramenka, Dubrovnik Sheep) and mouflon using the Ovine Infinium ® HD SNP BeadChip (606,006 SNPs). In addition, we included publicly available Balkan Pramenka and other Mediterranean sheep breeds. Our analyses revealed the complex population structure of Croatian sheep breeds and their origin and geographic barriers (island versus mainland). Migration patterns confirmed the historical establishment of breeds and the pathways of gene flow. Inbreeding coefficients (F ROH>2 Mb) between sheep populations ranged from 0.025 to 0.070, with lower inbreeding coefficients observed in Dalmatian Pramenka and Pag Island Sheep and higher inbreeding in Dubrovnik sheep. The estimated effective population size ranged from 61 to 1039 for Krk Island Sheep and Dalmatian Pramenka, respectively. Higher inbreeding levels and lower effective population size indicate the need for improved conservation management to maintain genetic diversity in some breeds. Our results will contribute to breeding and conservation strategies of native Croatian sheep breeds