Personal Narratives as Interactive Texts: Collecting and Interpreting Migrant Life-Histories*

Life-history or personal narrative techniques have considerable potential as a way of recovering hidden histories, contesting academic androcentrism, and reinstating the marginalized and dispossessed as makers of their own past. Drawing on a large methodological literature on life-history collection, and applications of these techniques in Africa, we argue that geographers might explore these methodologies as a means of recovering lost geographies and venting alternative voices in academic texts. Drawing on our own project on Swazi migrant women, we suggest that life-histories cannot, however, be seen purely as vehicles for the delivery of uncontaminated fact about the past. Rather personal narratives should be viewed and interpreted as interactive texts. This leads us to a consideration of a number of methodological and interpretive issues surrounding life-history collection: the positional advantages of insider status, the “terrible assymetries” of the interview process, and the power (and pitfalls) of narrative forms of representation.     

Note on Upper Cretaceous ostracods from south-western Morocco

Cenomanian, Turonian and Coniacian ostracods from a borehole in the coastal zone of the Tarfayan Basin, south-western Morocco, display affinities with associations from Algeria, Tunisia and the Middle East as well as with the Iberian Peninsula. Relationships with central and southern West Africa are relatively slight, which could be a result of palaeoecological particularities.     

Some aspects of Cretaceous ostracod biostratigraphy of South Africa and relationships with other Gondwanide localities

One hundred and thirty-six species, representing 67 genera have been recorded from the late Jurassic-Maastrichtian marine sediments of South Africa. The faunas show a major dichotomy across a regionally-developed late Cenomanian-early Coniacian hiatus with the Portlandian-Cenomanian Cytheruridae/Progonocytheridae/Schizocytheridae dominated faunas being replaced in the Coniacian by Trachyleberididae/Brachycytheridae/Schizocytheridae dominated faunas. Comparison with other Gondwanide localities shows that the two South African basins from which ostracods have been described (Outeniqua and Natal/Zululand) formed part of a Callovian-Cenomanian South Gondwana ostracod province that stretched from the Neuquen Basin of Argentina to Madagascar/Tanzania/Kutch and west Australia. The most characteristic and cosmopolitan forms within this province belong to the Majungaella/Amicytheridea/Progonocythere group, along with Arculicythere in the Aptian-Cenomanian.In Tanzania, (the only locality of the old South Gondwana province where the succession is complete) these assemblages are replaced in the Turonian by the influx of Brachycythere, and Cythereis and various other trachyleberids. Changes of a similar nature are seen whenever marine sedimentation resumed after the local “mid” Cretaceous hiatus (South Africa, India, Argentina). Argentina differs in not having Brachycythere, whose rapid appearance in the West Indian Ocean basin soon after its earliest record in Brazil, is attributed to the destruction of the barrier at the eastern end of the Walvis Ridge/Rio Grande Rise in late Cenomanian or early Turonian times. Despite this common element with Brazil and West Africa, the South African Coniacian to Maastrichtian faunas are closer to those of Tanzania and Australia than they are to either Argentina or Brazil/West Africa. In Zululand they show evidence of a steady increase in water depth, leading to the establishment of progressively more diverse cytheracean populations, with a particularly large increase across the Santonian/Campanian boundary.     

Paleolimnological assessment of human impacts on an urban South African lake

North End Lake is a polluted and eutrophic freshwater system located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Since the lake is expected to be used for recreational/tourist purposes by 2010, a rehabilitation program will have to be designed. For this reason, we retrieved a sediment core from the central region of the lake to decipher the effect of historical human impacts on the water body. Pre-disturbance paleolimnological inferences indicate that the lake was likely mesotrophic. After ∼1831, when sheep farming activities were undertaken in the catchment, increases in trophic state and changes in sediment composition were observed. After ∼1937, increases in trace metal levels, organic matter, spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCP) and changes in sediment composition were recorded. The system became eutrophic as indicated by the dominance of the diatom Actinocyclus normanii, a cosmopolitan species often observed in systems where water quality has been dramatically degraded. The conditions worsened after 1986 because of the construction of a storm-water retention system, which intentionally channeled storm-water runoff into the lake. Because of this, extremely high values of fecal coliforms (i.e. 2 × 10⁶ every 100 ml) have been measured in the water column. The paleolimnological information identified the sharp increase in organic content in the uppermost section of the core, and this could be correlated to the operation of the storm-water retention system. Therefore, as an immediate management measure, we suggest that the storm-water retention system should either no longer be utilized, or the storm-water runoff should be treated before disposal into the lake. In addition, an effective sewage system has to be constructed.     

Collaborating in the field, working for change: Reflecting on partnerships between academics, development organizations and rural communities in Africa

Academics and development organizations approach fieldwork with somewhat different motivations, constraints and challenges. In many instances, fieldwork might be improved if greater collaboration occurred between these two parties. Rural communities are also important yet frequently taken for granted partners in the research process that deserve greater respect. This paper explores and describes the real and imagined impediments to greater collaboration between academics, development organizations and rural communities. The findings are based on 18 years of working with rural communities in Africa, both as a development practitioner and academic researcher. This reflection makes three contributions to the broader literature on fieldwork. First, it explicitly links two ongoing discussions, one on relationships with institutional partners, the other on interactions with rural communities. Second, it articulates the concerns of development organizations in their partnerships with academic researchers, a perspective rarely heard in a literature dominated by academic voices. Third, while feminist scholarship on fieldwork methods often wrestles with issues of positionality and engagement at the scale of the individual researcher, this reflection is aimed at the broader scale of the professional (academic and practitioner) communities involved in development praxis and scholarship.     

AFRICA IS COMING TO THE CAPE*

ABSTRACT. At the southern tip of Africa, culmination of one of the world'sgreat population shifts is there for the witnessing: a southward movement of Bantu‐speaking Black Africans, previously stalled in South Africa'sEastern Cape first by climatic factors and later by European‐imposed racial segregation. Cape Town, throughout its demographic history a “Coloured” and “White” city, is now Africanizing. Liberation from apartheid has brought rapid African influx, and the metropolitan population has more than doubled in less than twenty years. Sociocultural tensions and sociocultural possibilities ensue.     

Seasonal Forecasting for Climate Hazards: Prospects and Responses

One of the most promising developments for early warning of climate hazards is seasonal climate forecasting. Already forecasts are operational in many parts of the tropics and sub-tropics, particularly for droughts and floods associated with ENSO events. Prospects for further development of seasonal forecasting for a range of climatichazards are reviewed, illustrated with case studies in Africa, Australia, the U.S.A. and Europe. A critical evaluation of the utility of seasonal forecasts centres on vulnerability, communicationchannels, and effective responses. In contrast to short-term prediction, seasonal forecasts raise new issues of preparedness and the use of information.     

Efficacy of Selected Compounds on Thermocyclops oblongatus,one of the Main Intermediate Hosts of Guinea Worm in Africa

Ten selected compounds were tested on Thermocyclops oblongatus to determine their ability to be used for treatment of drinking water sources. None were shown to be interesting for individual application in household water tanks. Tested compounds, such as potassium permanganate or chlorine-releasing products, were ineffective or affected dramatically the taste or colour of the water. For collective application in water sources, temephos appeared to be the most valuable pesticide because it was effective against cyclops and harmless for environment. Other pesticides should be proposed as substitutes in case of cyclops resistance to temephos.     

Tektonisches Verhalten und geologische Bedeutung von Kalksilikatfels-Lagen und -Spindeln im Damara-Orogen Südwest-Afrikas

Zusammenfassung Beschrieben wird das Verhalten von frühdiagenetisch gebildeten schichtparallelen Kalksilikatfels-Lagen, -Linsen, -Knollen und diffusen Ansammlungen während der Gesteinsdeformation in Teilen des Damara-Orogens. In Abhängigkeit von ihrer relativen Löslichkeit und/oder Kompetenz sowie vom Winkel zwischen Schichtung und Schieferung können Lagen und Linsen als solche erhalten bleiben oder in spindelförmige Körper zerlegt werden (Verkürzungsboudinage). Knollen werden zu Ellipsoiden oder Spindeln deformiert und diffuse Kalksilikatfels-Ansammlungen in eine Vielzahl von Spindeln aufgelöst. Alle im Zusammenhang mit der Anlage der Schieferung gebildeten Spindeln und Ellipsoïde sind streng in der Schieferung orientiert. Es wird deutlich, daß die Spindelform der Kalksilikatfels-Körper ein Produkt der Gesteinsdeformation ist.In Gebieten, in denen der Verdacht besteht, daß parallel zu einem deutlichen Materialwechsel eine Schieferung verläuft, kann aus der Existenz von Spindeln auf das Vorhandensein dieser Schieferung geschlossen werden.Die ungleichmäßige Verteilung von Kalksilikatfels-Körpern innerhalb der Khomas-Serie ermöglicht eine Unterteilung dieser bisher ungegliederten, bis zu 6000 m mächtigen Gesteinsfolge.

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The behaviour during rock deformation of diagenetically formed layers, lenses, nodules (concretions) and diffuse concentrations of calc-silicate rock is described from parts of the Damara belt. Depending on their relative solubility and/or competency and on the angle between bedding and cleavage planes the layers and lenses may either more or less retain their shape or be cut up into spindle-shaped bodies (boudinage due to shortening). Nodules are deformed to ellipsoides, while diffuse concentrations of calc-silicate rock are transformed into a number of spindles. All spindles and ellipsoides which are formed during the formation of the cleavage are strictly orientated parallel to the cleavage planes. It is therefore obvious that the spindleshape of these bodies is a consequence of rock deformation. Thus, in areas in which a cleavage is suspected to lie parallel to a distinct bedding, the occurrence of spindles may confirm the existence of this cleavage.The non-statistical occurrence of calc-silicate rock bodies within the Khomas Series may render possible a first subdivision of this up to 6000 m thick succession.

Diese Arbeit ist im Sonderforschungsbereich 48 Entwicklung, Bestand und Eigenschaften der Erdkruste, insbesondere der Geosynklinalräume, Göttingen, entstanden.