bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Possession cults on the Swahili coast: a re-examination of theories of marginality
Authors: Giles Linda L. 
Published: April 2006

Opening ParagraphThis article examines the role of spirit possession cults in the Swahili coastal area of Kenya and Tanzania, based on three years (1982–85) of doctoral dissertation research in seven field sites (including the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba). It provides a reassessment of the conventional theoretical viewpoint that such cults are peripheral to the wider society's value and socio-cultural structure, asserting that in this case they are, in fact, not only central to it but actually one of its most illuminating expressions.
The world of the Yoruba taxi driver: an interpretive approach to vehicle slogans
Authors: Lawuyi Olatunde Bayo 
Published: April 2006

Opening ParagraphThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the slogans which are so prominent and ubiquitous on motor vehicles as expressions of social stratification among the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria. I interpret the slogans in the context of the taxi owners' and drivers' social interactions, not just as disembodied expressions of a total Yoruba world view. In studying the slogans I pay particular attention to processes of accumulation of wealth, status mobility and the way these are affected by cultural values. It is argued that the vehicle owners make different claims at different stages of their careers. Their fears and hopes at each stage must be understood in the light of the contemporary Christian and traditional mix of beliefs about destiny, the world and God.
1787–1887–1987: reflections on a Sierra Leone bicentenary
Authors: Fyfe Christopher 
Published: April 2006

Opening ParagraphSeen in the widest perspective, 1787 is only one date among the uncounted tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of years during which the present Sierra Leone has been inhabited. Archaeologists have done disappointingly little work there. But it is clear from their findings (and by implication from findings in the rest of forest-belt West Africa) that people have lived there a very long time. Though traditional historiography always tends to present the peoples of Sierra Leone as immigrants from somewhere else, the language pattern suggests continuous occupation over a very long period. As Paul Hair (1967) has shown, there has been a striking linguistic continuity in coastal West Africa since the fifteenth century. Nor is there evidence to suggest that before that period stability and continuity were not the norm.
Dreams of power: social process in a West African religious movement
Authors: Curley Richard T. 
Published: April 2006

Opening ParagraphIn the present paper we shall describe the ways in which dreams are regarded by the members of a West African religious sect and explain how dreams figure in the social organization of the sect. Our point of departure will be largely sociological, and in this respect our study differs from most anthropological writings on dreams. The dream narrations which we are considering arise as much out of the social organization of the sect as from the psyche of the individuals. Furthermore, the narrations are public performances and are evaluated by members of the sect for the purpose of situating each other within the community of church members. The narrations are used by church members to demonstrate the depth of their religious commitment and to assist them in competing for key roles within the church. Thus dreams are important as indicators of a person's worth and as instruments of social mobility. Following Charsley's treatment of dreams in a Ugandan independent church we will not focus on the use of dreams as a ‘privileged channel of insight into the culture’ (1973: 244), although the themes and symbols which are described in the narratives can indeed reveal much about the beliefs of church members and suggest ways in which their beliefs might guide their behaviour. It is appropriate to discuss some of these themes and symbols en route to our objective, and in doing so it will be possible to shed some light on the teachings of the sect and on the mentality of many of its members. It is important to state, however, that the primary data of this study are not accounts of dreams such as those that might be told privately to an analyst or an ethnographer. Rather they are mostly accounts which people present in public at church services. They are sometimes retold, embellished and circulated throughout the community of church members. Thus the data are speech events which are often used instrumentally by the narrator, sometimes for the purpose of ennobling the self and sometimes for the purpose of praising the sect. This means that one would have to question the authenticity of the narratives if one were to use them as windows into the minds of church members. We are on safer ground if we view the narratives of dreams as public performances which are patterned in accordance with the expectations of the church community and which have an effect on social action within that community.
Assongu: a terracotta tradition of south-eastern Ivory Coast
Authors: Soppelsa Robert T. 
Published: April 2006

Opening ParagraphAssongu are small terracotta figurines, sculpted to represent a spirit force which originated on, and is said to emanate from, an island in the Aby Lagoon of southeastern Ivory Coast. The sculptures are called ‘fetish’ figures by the people who make and use them. They are material representations of the powerful spirit force called Assongu (which I write with an upper-case A for clarity), which is propitiated by offerings presented to the sculptures. The tradition exists among the Eotilé, the Anyi of Sanwi, the Abure and the Nzema, all of whom live around the Aby Lagoon (see map).
The Juggernaut's apologia: conversion to Islam in black Africa
Authors: Fisher Humphrey J. 
Published: April 2006

Opening ParagraphThis story begins with Robin Horton's thoughtful and stimulating article ‘African conversion’, published inAfricain 1971. My own ‘Conversion reconsidered’ followed in 1973. This was in part a response to Horton, though concentrating upon Islamic conversion, which had been only a supporting feature in Horton's chiefly Christianity-based argument. I also explored a little the possibilities for Muslim/Christian comparison in black Africa, a fruitful and promising field which has not figured prominently in the subsequent discussion, but to which I return briefly towards the end of the present article. Horton's own rely (‘On the rationality of conversion’, in 1975) being essentially rather acid in tone, it seemed best at the time to let the matter rest, which I did.
The social marketing of elites: the advertised self in obituaries and congratulations in some Nigerian dailies
Authors: Lawuyi Olatunde Bayo 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis paper rests on the belief that various forms of advertisement of self such as the obituary and congratulation publications in the Nigerian daily newspapers exhibit a number of common themes in the imagery with which they handle the fact of achievement. Further, it argues that these themes may be a mix of modern and traditional criteria of success and represent an attempt by the elite to restate their superior attributes. The data were collected from NigerianDaily TimesandDaily Sketch, from interviews conducted with the business managers of theDaily Sketchand the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, withGuardianandDaily Timescorrespondents, and with newspaper vendors and advertisement agents based in Ile-Ife. A survey of attitudes to the publications and their implicit criteria of success was also investigated. In all, the consensus of opinion is that the publications do raise the revenue base of the print and the audio-visual media, that attitudes to the publications vary across ethnic, religious and class groups, and that the construction of selfhood within each of the advertisement formats is but an aspect of social relationships, mediated in this case through the forms of economic or political development in Nigeria.
Initiation into theugao: rethinking the structure of Tharaka symbolism
Authors: Giarelli Guido 
Published: April 2006

AbstractAfter analysing the myth of origin ofugao(Tharaka medicine) as the constitutional charter of its ‘jurisdiction’, the article describes the initiation of the author by threeagao(healers) in the ‘territory’ ofugaoduring a period of seventeen days, and outlines the different kinds of teachings and ritual performances and its conclusion with a practical apprenticeship. In particular, a detailed account is given of thegiciaro, the blood brotherhood sealed by themuma, the oath made with goat's blood between the masters and the novice, and, finally, the ritual handing over of the horns, the instruments of themugao'shealing art.In the second part of the article, the key symbols of theugaotherapeutic rituals are analysed in order to show the specific structure that defines the healing pattern. Here the author, on the basis of his results, questions the validity of ‘dual classification’ and discusses the shortcomings of the analysis of Meru symbolism proposed by Rodney Needham. It is suggested that a triadic classification can account better for the overall pattern of symbolic correspondences in theugaoand in the culture of Tharaka.
Characteristics of Teacher-Student Discourse in Computer-Based Dialogue Journals: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Rueda Robert S. 
Published: April 2006

Twenty-seven learning disabled students in grades four through six engaged in interactive journal writing with their teachers in seven resource rooms (special education pull-out programs). Dialogue journal writing took place by means of a microcomputer program, and was carried out over a two- to three-month period. Although journal writing requires a conversational style, the literature suggests this might be affected both by learning disabled students' social and communicative abilities and by teachers' predisposition to engage in evaluative, “recitation”-style interactions in the classroom. A variety of discourse features of the journals were analyzed. In general, students engaged appropriately in written interaction with their teachers, but the journals tended to be dominated by teachers. For example, teachers wrote more, asked more questions, and introduced more new topics, including more topics that led to extended sequences or topic chains. Analysis of teacher input suggested that teachers used more complex than simple questions, and both students and teachers responded to a relatively high proportion of each others' initiations. In addition, various examples showed that teachers were able to be more conversational and less “teacher-like” in their discourse: that is, they were able to use a more personal style than otherwise common in the classroom. Analysis of the journals suggested that when such conversational style occurred, the topics were maintained to a greater extent than when the discourse was of a more traditional nature.
Vocabulary Intervention for Secondary-Level Youth
Authors: Stump Colleen S. , Lovitt Thomas C. , Fister Susan , Kemp Karen , Moore Rickey , Schroeder Bruce 
Published: April 2006

A research-translation project introduced a precision-teaching vocabulary intervention to 36 general and special education teachers through two workshops over a two-year period. (The teachers, in turn, introduced the approach to 694 students, 125 of whom were youth with learning disabilities). The goals of the project were threefold: (a) to determine if, after attending one-day training sessions, teachers were able to implement the vocabulary approach with their students; (b) to evaluate the degree to which the intervention influenced student performance, especially that of pupils with learning disabilities; and (c) to gather teacher and student reactions to the approach. Project outcomes revealed that (a) all but one teacher who received training implemented the approach and collected student performance data; (b) the majority of students, whether general or special education youth attending mainstream or special education settings, demonstrated increased accuracy and fluency on timed vocabulary quizzes; and (c) both teachers and students found the approach worthwhile and enjoyable.
Influence of Reading-Comprehension Strategy Information on Children's Achievement Outcomes
Authors: Schunk Dale H. , Rice Jo Mary 
Published: April 2006

Two experiments investigated the effects of sources of strategy information on children's acquisition and transfer of reading outcomes and strategy use. Children with reading-skill deficiencies received comprehension instruction on main ideas. In Experiment 1, some students were taught a comprehension strategy, while others received strategy instruction and strategy-value feedback linking strategy use with improved performance; controls received comprehension instruction without the strategy. In Experiment 2, children were taught the comprehension strategy or received instruction without strategy training; they were then given comprehension instruction on details. Some children were taught how to modify the strategy; others did not employ the strategy on details. Children who received strategy-value feedback (Experiment 1) and strategy-modification instruction (Experiment 2) demonstrated the highest self-efficacy, skill, strategy use, and transfer. These results support the idea that remedial readers benefit from information about strategy usefulness.
Learning Disabilities and Presumed Central Nervous System Dysfunction
Authors: Hynd George W. , Marshall Richard , Gonzalez Jose 
Published: April 2006

Although learning disabilities have historically been presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction, it has only been within the past decade that this origin has been acknowledged in a consensus definition. Based on the 1981 National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) definition, a modified definition proposed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) Interagency Committee in 1987 included the statement that learning disabilities are “… presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction …” This article provides an overview of the literature in support of this notion and focuses on the postmortem and neuroimaging studies that provide the most provocative evidence of a neurological conceptualization of learning disabilities. Although relatively few in number, these studies suggest that significant advances may be forthcoming in integrating neuropsychological evidence of the deficits that characterize various subtypes of learning disabilities with technological advances in brain research such that a more accurate understanding of the neurological basis of learning disabilities may emerge.
Improving the Reading and Writing Skills of America's Students
Authors: Riley Richard W. 
Published: April 2006

We have learned a great deal about the academic challenges that children with learning disabilities face in school. The National Longitudinal Transition Study (Valdes, Williamson, & Wagner, 1990) data show, for example, that grade point averages of children with learning disabilities are lower than those of other students, that children with learning disabilities frequently receive failing grades, and that they are more likely to drop out of school entirely. Only 61% of out-of-school youth with learning disabilities graduated from high school compared to 76% for the general population of youth. The group of students ages 6 to 21 who are identified as having specific learning disabilities and served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the largest among all disability groups served — around 2.5 million students, representing more than half of all students with disabilities. This number continues to grow. We have learned some promising practices for teaching reading and writing to children with learning disabilities. The practices involve beginning early and working with the children on a daily basis, including the summer months. Most children who are classified as having learning disabilities in public schools have reading disabilities (Kavale & Forness, 1985).
Improving Reasoning and Recall: The Differential Effects of Elaborative Interrogation and Mnemonic Elaboration
Authors: Scruggs Thomas E. , Mastropieri Margo A. , Sullivan G. Sharon , Hesser L. Susan 
Published: April 2006

This investigation sought to determine whether elaborative interrogation techniques would facilitate recall of information relevant to, but not included in, mnemonic and representational pictures. Fifty-three adolescents with learning disabilities or mild mental retardation were taught information about nine reasons for dinosaur extinction, ranked in order of plausibility. In the direct teaching condition, students were provided with each ordered reason and an explanation for why that reason may have resulted in dinosaur extinction. In the elaborative interrogation condition, students were provided with each ordered reason and prompted and questioned to provide an explanation for each. In the mnemonic elaborative interrogation condition, students were provided with mnemonic peg-words to facilitate recall of the ordered reasons for dinosaur extinction and also coached and prompted to provide explanations. Students' recall of ordered reasons was higher in the mnemonic elaborative interrogation condition, and students in the two elaborative interrogation conditions recalled more explanations than did students in the direct teaching condition. Further, students in both elaborative interrogation conditions more accurately linked reasons with explanations for those reasons. Findings are discussed with respect to previous findings of mnemonic instruction. Implications for teaching students with mild cognitive disabilities are provided.
Questions of Evidence, Legitimacy, and the (Dis)Unity of Science
Authors: Wylie Alison 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe recent Science Wars have brought into sharp focus, in a public forum, contentious questions about the authority of science and what counts as properly scientific practice that have long structured archaeological debate. As in the larger debate, localized disputes in archaeology often presuppose a conception of science as a unified enterprise defined by common goals, standards, and research programs; specific forms of inquiry are advocated (or condemned) by claiming affiliation with science so conceived. This pattern of argument obscures much that is most creative in archaeological practice. Archaeologists routinely exploit both integrating and fragmenting relations among the sciences, especially in establishing evidential claims. I will argue that the credibility of these claims is a function, not of scientific status acquired by corporate affiliation, but of the substantive trade in tools and techniques, empirical insights, models, and theories that is made possible by local interactions between archaeology and a wide range of other disciplines. There is much more to be gained by developing a rich critical understanding of the interfield relations that make this trade possible than by appealing to generic ideals of science.
Conquistadors, Excavators, or Rodents: What Damaged the King Site Skeletons?
Authors: Milner George R. , Larsen Clark Spencer , Hutchinson Dale L. , Williamson Matthew A. , Humpf Dorothy A. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractIt has been claimed that many Native American skeletons from the King site in Georgia show evidence of wounds from sharp-edged metal weapons that were wielded by members of the sixteenth-century de Soto expedition (Blakely and Mathews 1990). The supposed massacre of these villagers has caught the attention of the public and scholars alike. But we failed to find any evidence of damage caused by sixteenth-century Spanish weapons in our examination of the King site skeletons. Our finding-there is no evidence for a massacre-eliminates a major discrepancy between historical and archaeological information used in reconstructions of the de Soto route.
Competitive and Cooperative Responses to Climatic Instability in Coastal Southern California
Authors: Kennett Douglas J. , Kennett James P. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractArchaeological data indicates that socially and politically complex hunter-gatherer societies had become well established on the southern California coast by A.D. 1300. Major developmental changes in sociopolitical complexity are generally considered to have taken place rapidly between AD 1150 and 1300. Recently, two hypotheses have been proposed to account for this rapid cultural evolution, both invoking stressful climatic conditions as an important trigger for cultural change. One suggests that the sociopolitical development was stimulated, in part, by multiple marine and terrestrial subsistence stresses, particularly low marine productivity resulting from regional warming. The other suggests that these developments were largely driven by decreases in terrestrial productivity and water availability linked to drought. Resolution of this debate has been hampered by insufficient paleoclimatic and archaeological data. We present a well-dated, relatively high resolution (25-year intervals) oxygen isotopic marine climate record and new archaeological data from the Northern Channel Islands for the last 3,000 years. These data strongly suggest that changes in human behavior associated with increasing cultural complexity: 1) accelerated after A.D. 500 and became dominant by A.D. 1300, 2) occurred during one of the coldest and most unstable marine climatic intervals of the Holocene (A.D. 450-1300), and 3) coincided with cool, dry terrestrial conditions. Incipient cultural complexity emerged during an interval marked by inferred high marine productivity, reduced terrestrial food and water availability, and large, unpredictable variations in terrestrial resource availability. Our records suggest a strong relationship during this time between climatically induced changes in environmental conditions and social, political, and economic responses, including the emergence of more intensified fishing, and increased sedentism, violence, and trade.
The Rio Rancho Phase: A Preliminary Report on Early Basketmaker Culture in the Middle Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico
Authors: Reinhart Theodore R. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractA Basketmaker II manifestation is defined from the excavation of an open site northwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico, containing two surface dwellings and a large outside cooking pit. Designated the Rio Rancho phase, this culture is found to have had had affinities to Basketmaker II cultures in the San Juan area and to late Cochise and early Mogollon cultures in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. The Alameda phase, an early Basketmaker III manifestation in the same area, is believed to have developed out of the Rio Rancho phase with accretions coming primarily from the San Juan area.
Seasonal Dating of Burials from the Presence of Fly Pupae
Authors: Gilbert B. Miles , Bass William M. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractDuring the excavation of Arikara burials which were 130 to 160 years old, the author discovered the chitinous exuvia of fly pupae with many of the burials. The pupae of these scavenger flies seasonally date the burials from late March to mid-October, corresponding to the year's arrival and disappearance of these flies in South Dakota.