Talcott Parsons y la tradición fenomenológica en la sociología: Un debate no resuelto

La primera edición en inglés de The Structure of Social Action (New York, The FreePress), apareció en 1937. Las citas que se señalan en este artículo en la medida en que la edición de Ediciones Guadarrama lo permite, han sido ajustadas a la primer  edición en castellano de esta obra, a menos que se indique lo contrario en cuyo caso la paginación correspondería al original publicado en 1937. No cuenta con resumen

Ferro, Marc (dir.). – Le livre noir du colonialisme. xvie-xxie siècle : de l’extermination à la repentance

Laudable, ambitious in scope, and voluminous, Marc Ferro’s Le livre noir du colonialisme is an impressive contribution to current debates on worldwide violence, terrorism, and exploitation. Modeled on Le livre noir du communisme, by Stéphane Courtois, Ferro’s project similarly documents the intended and latent consequences of an ideological enterprise. Prominent international scholars, including Ferro himself, Elikia M’Bokolo, Pierre Brocheux, Catherine Coquery-Vidrovitch, Yves Bénot, Alastai..

“Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika”

« Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika ». De l’esprit indépendant à la mobilisation politique. – « Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika » (Que Dieu bénisse l’Afrique), connu comme l’hymne africain, est un signifiant puissant pour le deuil, la rédemption et la célébration. Les tonalités méthodistes et les paroles du chant puisent leurs racines dans les contacts culturels avec les missionnaires. Ce chant occupe aussi une place importante dans le répertoire cérémonial de nombreuses églises indépendantes et a été traduit en plusieurs langues. Il fut également adopté par l’African National Congress (anc) puis par l’État sud-africain sous Nelson Mandela comme hymne national. Dans ses versions religieuses, le texte met l’accent sur le deuil du passé africain et se présente comme une prière pour la rédemption par Jésus et le Saint-Esprit. Les versions séculaires éliminent toute référence à Jésus et insistent sur l’inspiration spirituelle et l’élévation morale nécessaires aux dirigeants africains. Dans la version religieuse, l’Afrique occupe alors de manière métonymique la place d’un ancêtre disparu, vivant dans l’éternité en attendant la rédemption. Le chant politique transforme cette éternité en un présent dynamique, une vision de progrès. C’est à la fois un chant funèbre, un appel à l’espoir et un cri de joie. L’analyse des différentes versions de ce chant montre comment les notions de deuil et de rédemption influencent les idéaux religieux et la mobilisation politique. Les notions millénaires de temps se mêlent aux réalités politiques dans lesquelles l’Afrique devient elle-même la victime et l’héroïne d’un nouveau récit. Nous concluons cet article par une discussion sur le deuil comme paysage de mémoire et pratique symbolique dans les religions populaires et civiles en Afrique.“Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” (“God Bless Africa”), known as the African anthem, is a powerful signifier for mourning, redemption, and celebration. The Methodist hymnody patterns and the text of the song belie its roots in missionary cultural contact. The song also figures prominently in the ceremonial repertoire of many independent churches and has been translated into several languages. Adoption of the song by the African National Congress (anc and subsequently by the South African state under Nelson Mandela as a national anthem are further iterations in its trajectory. In the religious versions, the text emphasizes mourning for Africa’s past and a prayer for redemption through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The secular versions eliminate the reference to Jesus and focus on the spiritual inspiration and uplift needed by Africa’s leaders. Africa metonymically occupies the space of a departed ancestor, living in a timeless eternity while waiting for redemption in the religious version. The political song transforms this timeless eternity into an active present and an opportunity for future progress. It creates a landscape of memory that spans religious and political domains of action. Analyzing the contrasting versions of “God Bless Africa” reflects how concepts of mourning and redemption influence religious ideals and political mobilization. Millenarian notions of time interface with political realities in which Africa itself becomes both the victim and the hero of a new narrative. This paper concludes with a discussion of mourning as a landscape of memory and symbolic practice in African popular and civil religion

Importance of Massularia accuminata (Myrtaceae), Piptadiniastrum africanum (Fabaceae), and Costus afer (Zingiberaceae), Three Plants of the Cameroonian Traditional Medicine Used in the Treatment of Sinusitis by the Village Populations of Bomb-Lissomb and

Costus afer, Massularia acuminate and Piptadeniastrum africanum are three plants used in Cameroonian traditional medicine to treat sinusitis. The aim of this study is to justify the interest granted to this three species in the treatment of this disease and to promote their sustainable management. The study was carried out at Bomb-Lissomb and at the goat market. Several types of data were collected: data on the use of these plants in traditional anti-sinus medicine, data on their varied other uses by local residents, data on the availability of these plants as well as data on the interest that these species could generate. Furthermore, the evolution of treatment in patients who received plant extracts was followed after two months to justify their efficiency against sinusitis. The technique used for the removal of organs from the plant's vegetative growth was described. Finally, phytochemical screening of extracts obtained after aqueous maceration of plant organs was performed.  Amongst the informants who took part to this study, 17 mentioned barks of Piptadeniastrum africanum and 29 mentioned fruits of Massularia acuminata to treat sinusitis. Treatments administered to patients are made either from monospecific recipes or from a mixture of two or three plants. The average duration of treatment is 29 days when patients are only treated with fruits of Massularia acuminata and 12 days when they are subjected to treatments based on a recipe made from stem barks of Piptadeniastrum africanum and fruits of Massularia acuminate. Treatment seems to be effective from the 2nd time the medication is taken. Harvesting techniques allowing large quantities of organs to be removed from a few individuals affects the regeneration of these individuals. Stems barks and leaves of Massularia acuminata contain almost the same bioactive compounds as fruits

‘How, for God’s sake, can I be a good Muslim?' Gambian Youth in Search of a Moral Lifestyle

By analysing the case study of a young Muslim man's conversion within and between different expressions of Islam in the Gambia, this article challenges common understandings of conversion that see it as a transition from one form of religious belief or identity to another, as well as theories of Islam's place in Africa that distinguish between ‘local’ traditions and ‘world’ religions. The ethnographic case study illustrates that, for Gambian youth, conversion is not a unilinear path but entails the continuous making of moral negotiations and a preparedness to reflect on the ambiguity of selfhood – an inevitable result of the making of these negotiations