Knowledge Systems, Agricultural Practices/ Farming Systems and the Challenge of Climate Change

Differences in knowledge systems (especially the dichotomy between indigenous/traditional, on the one hand, and the scientific/modern, on the other) affect the ways in which farming systems (classified correspondingly in a binary fashion into traditional and modern) adapt to or cope with climate change. The reflections in this paper highlight the complexities that derive from this situation, namely differences in levels of sophistication (the one being less equipped than the other in meeting current challenges) alongside a complete overturn of established certitudes paradoxically and in different ways from both ends. The argument is for the development of a complex epistemic system in which the local knowledge systems and the actions of the local farmer will be taken into consideration in a new scientific paradigm that integrates fluctuations, is based on a short range view as opposed to the long range perspective as well as historicizes and correlates natural with human phenomena at the basis of climate change. In terms of actions, there will have to be a revision of the economic world view that refuses to be sustainable as it is oblivious of the damages that it brings to the environment, local people would have to be educated en masse on the issues at stake with which they are little aware of and initiatives in the agricultural sector integrated in all other initiatives geared at meeting the climate change challenge.Keywords: Knowledge, practices, agriculture, climate change, natural phonomena, anthropogenic activitiesREVUE DE L’ACADEMIE DES SCIENCES DU CAMEROUN Vol. 11 No. 1 (2013

European and Cameroonian scholarship on ethnicity and the making of identities in Cameroon: colonial and post-colonial trails

Relations between colonial and post-colonial studies in and on Cameroon have been both continuous and discontinuous. As reflected in the domains of historiography and social anthropology, this has impacted on ethnic self-representations and popular labeling. This paper examines contrasting drives that have led to a replication of colonial redefinitions of ethnicity and how this informs current discussions on ethnicity in Cameroon. The argument is that certain research works have informed or substantially influenced the identity question when one aknowledges that the colonial period is a bench mark epoch in the establishment of certain categories of ethnic perception. Although substantially deconstructed at the scientific level, these categories have survived and continue to influence social categories of perception that become common sense intrusions (what Bourdieu called doxa) into social science. Key words: colonialism, ethnicity, identity, perceptions, scholarshi

Management of Ethnic Diversity in Cameroon against the Backdrop of Social Crises

RÉSUMÉGestion de la diversité ethnique au Cameroun dans un contexte de crises sociales.Cet article analyse la manière dont l'État du Cameroun a géré la crise de la diversité ethnique pendant la période des reformes, des années 1990 et du début de la décennie 2000-2010. Il met en exergue l'argument selon lequel cette période aura vu l'émergence d'une nouvelle stratégie caractérisée par l'exploitation des tensions ethniques et des griefs dans certains centres urbains à des fins politiques. Au-delà des préoccupations conjoncturelles, l'article conclut que, dans la recherche des modes de gestion de la diversité, il serait nécessaire de faire une distinction conceptuelle, aussi bien dans la théorie que dans la pratique, entre les intérêts des acteurs des communautés et ceux des élites.ABSTRACTThis paper examines how the state of Cameroon has managed ethnic diversity during the reforms period of the 1990s and early years of the 2000-2010 decade.   The argument is that the period has seen a new type of crisis management in which a political regime feeds on ethnic tensions and makes political capital out of grievances of local peoples in the metropolitan areas of the highly urbanized areas of the Littoral and South West Province.   Beyond these developments, the paper argues for a conceptual distinction between the interests of local peoples and communities and those of elites in search for solutions to the diversity question

Konings, Piet & Nyamnjoh, Francis B. — Negotiating an Anglophone Identity. A Study of the Politics of Recognition and Representation in Cameroon. Leiden-Boston, Brill (Afrika-Studiecentrum Series, Vol. 1), 2003, 230 p.

One of the paradoxes of the neo-liberal drive, otherwise referred to as globalisation, has been the resurgence of the identity question, that is, “…the gradual unravelling of identities based on the state, a decline of identities based on political ideology — and identities based on culture”  as the streamlining effect of the ideological and political context of the Cold War has given way resulting in a radical questioning of the very basis of the modern model of the nation-state. The conjunc..

Levels of Historical Awareness

Niveaux de conscience historique. Développement de l’identité et ethnicité au Cameroun. -- Le développement d’une conscience historique et de l’identité qui en découle tendent à varier selon qu’on se situe au niveau de la communauté locale ou au niveau de l’État-nation qui se forge. Cela a été à la base de la politique identitaire pendant la période coloniale et continue à influer sur celle de la période postcoloniale. Il y a contraction évidente entre constructions scientifiques et constructions idéologiques de l’histoire. L’article passe en revue des constructions ou des reconstructions de l’histoire, le développement de l’identité et la politique identitaire dans les communautés kedjom et sawa du Cameroun. L’argument principal est que l’histoire inspire différents types de pratiques à différents niveaux, la politique identitaire n’étant qu’un de ces niveaux. Les traditions historiques au niveau local sont donc essentiellement des traditions qui façonnent l’unité culturelle, psychosociale et politique d’un groupe, tandis que les traditions du niveau régional sont à la base des relations inter-communautaires. Néanmoins, il ne faut pas sous-estimer l’influence du colonialisme et des développements au sein de l’État postcolonial sur la conscience historique. Ces processus sont d’ailleurs à la base des tensions entre groupes ethniques. L’article décrit comment des communautés gèrent le pluralisme identitaire à des niveaux différents selon le sens qu’ils donnent aux traditions historiques et soutient que cela est tout aussi possible dans un État-nation qui réunit diverses communautés historiques. Reste que la durée est un facteur majeur dans la formation de la conscience historique et la gestion du pluralisme identitaire.The development of a sense of history and collective identity that is consequent on it has tended to vary depending on whether this is situated at the local community or the level of the framework of the modern nation-state in the making. This affected the politics of identity in the colonial period and has continued to fashion that of the postcolonial situation.  There is evidently a contradiction between scientific and ideological constructions of history. The paper explores the formulation or reformulation of history, the development of identity in the Sawa and Kedjom communities of Cameroon. The paper demonstrates that history inspires different types of practices at different level with the politics of identity being only one of the levels. Local level histories are thus essentially histories that ensure the cultural, psychosocial and political unity of a group while regional level histories tend to portray inter-community relations. The impact of colonial and post colonial developments on the awareness of history with diverse groups obliged to cohabit within one single space is not to be underestimated as this triggers off tensions.  The paper also describes how communities manage identity pluralism at different levels depending on the different meanings that are attributed to historical traditions and argues that this is quite possible in the modern nation state that brings together a variety of historic communities.  However historical depth would be an important factor in the formation of historical awareness and the management of identity pluralism

Celebrating Unity and Debating Unity in Cameroon’s 2010

Cameroon celebrated the golden jubilees of Independence (as many other francophone African countries) in 2010 (in reference to French Cameroon’s independence of 1960) while Reunification (to commemorate the former British mandate territory of Southern Cameroons’ union with the former French Cameroons) was planned for 2011.  The former held on National Day, 20th May 2010, anniversary of the advent of the unitary state in which events, performances, discourses (speeches, discussions, interpretations of symbols), slogans and gadgets (banners, logo) highlighted the theme of unity that has acquired different meanings over time.  That neither of historical date of importance was commemorated in its proper anniversary and that unity occupies a prominent place raises questions about the significance and appropriateness of the commemorations.Le Cameroun a célébré le cinquantenaire de son indépendance (comme beaucoup d’autres pays francophones) en 2010 (en référence à l’indépendance du Cameroun français de 1960) alors que la Réunification (pour commémorer l’ancien territoire sous mandat britannique de l’Union Southern Cameroons avec l’ancien Cameroun français) a été planifiée pour 2011. Le jubilé de l’indépendance eut lieu le 20 mai 2010, jour de la fête de l’Unité, anniversaire de l’avènement de l’État unitaire et fête nationale autour du thème de l’unité, un thème qui a évolué avec le temps. Le fait qu’aucune des dates historiques ne fut commémorée aux dates anniversaires et que l’idée de l’unité ait occupé une place centrale dans ces événements suscite une interrogation sur la signification et l’opportunité du Cinquantenaire

Changing intercommunity relations and the politics of identity in the Northern Mezam area, Cameroon*

Politics of identity, which often fluctuate between ethnicity and tribalism even resulting in armed conflict and genocide in some cases, can be traced to colonial attempts to reorganize peoples who accommodated themselves in the precolonial past. The paper attempts to show how relations based on accommodation in precolonial times have been modified to competing relations in colonial times and how this has affected postcolonial politics in the Northern Mezam area of Cameroon. Hoping to build on pre-existing relations of cooperation the colonial regime sowed the seeds of discord, division and tension that have given birth to divisive politics that does not serve the interest of national integration even at local level.La dynamique des relations intercommunautaires et la politique identitaire dans la partie nord du département de la Mezam, Cameroun. -- Les politiques d'identité, qui souvent fluctuent entre le repli identitaire et le tribalisme et débouchent parfois sur des conflits armés et des génocides, trouvent leur origine dans la politique coloniale. Celle-ci visait à restructurer les relations entre des communautés qui s'accommodaient du passé précolonial. Cet article essaie de démontrer dans quelle mesure les relations basées sur l'arrangement entre les communautés dans la partie nord du département de la Mezam au Cameroun, ont été transformées en relations de concurrence sous la colonisation britannique. La tentative de construire des unités administratives coloniales basées sur les relations de coopération préexistantes a plutôt engendré le désaccord, les divisions et les tensions qui donnent naissance aujourd'hui à des politiques de discorde sociale qui ne servent pas l'intérêt de l'intégration nationale, même au niveau le plus élémentaire qu'est la communauté

MATRILINY AND PATRILINY BETWEEN COHABITATIONEQUILIBRIUM AND MODERNITY IN THE CAMEROON GRASSFIELDS

The paper explores the principles in the kinship structure of the cluster of speakers of the Ring Group of Grassfi eld Bantu, who are at once matrilineal and patrilineal, living in the south-western edge of the western Cameroon highlands. Although operating in an inverted mirror image, the seemingly opposed kinship structures have a common logic where the basic kinship unit is residential (household). There is an attempt to strike a balance between descent groups without constituting double descent and women occupy positions that stress symmetry rather than subordination, although there is patriarchy. The impact of modernity on matriliny in a context of generalised patriliny is also examined with the conclusion that the drift towards "patrilineal" practices does not imply a change of system but implies adaptations that leave the system unmodified