Interpreting conflict and integration through the reciprocity lens: mobility and settlement in a historical perspective on the Sierra Leonean coast

ABSTRACT

In recent years, Sierra Leone has witnessed intense population movements. During the civil war (1991–2002), many populations fled the fighting zones of the interior to take refuge on the coast. Since the conflict ended, new populations have reached the coastal area with the hope of accessing economic opportunities in the fishing business. Mobility, along with changing sociopolitical and economic conditions, has generated conflict between immigrants and Sherbro populations, who consider themselves autochthonous and deny migrants the freedom to access political and land rights. The paper argues that present dynamics of conflicts are rooted in long-term patterns of settlement and relationships of reciprocity between groups. Relations between migrants and local populations are grounded in a sociocultural idiom that implies the institutionalization of practices of reciprocity between local inhabitants (hosts) and later settlers (strangers). The host/stranger reciprocity system is an emic model of cultural action embedded in historical and power relations between groups. It implies the progressive integration of strangers into the host society. This paper highlights how, in a situation of conflict, long-established social relationships between groups are reevaluated with reference to norms of integration and reciprocity. The paper draws on Sherbro oral traditions to show how social memories about interethnic relations are reframed with reference to values and expectations of reciprocity, in order to explain the recent conflict that opposes Sherbros to immigrants. Sherbros use oral traditions to interpret these tensions in a long-term perspective, thereby expressing their own view on settlement, conflict and integration.     

Almost the same stories: narrative patterns in EU treaty referendums

ABSTRACT

The article analyses narratives that favoured or opposed European integration in three referendum debates held during the constitutional process of the 2000s: in France and the Netherlands in 2005 (Constitutional Treaty) as well as the first vote in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty in 2008. In all debates examined, speakers used similar narratives of European integration. While most narrative patterns have transnational character, however, they are also remarkably country-specific. They depend on the specific cultural context and the social positions of the speakers articulating them.     

论少数民族经济与少数民族地区经济

少数民族经济与少数民族地区经济是中国少数民族经济研究中密不可分的两个方面,在民族分布“大杂居,小聚居”的格局下,两者既存在一致性,又存在差异性。本文指出在加快少数民族地区经济发展的同时促进少数民族经济的发展,使各民族共享经济社会发展的利益,实现和谐发展。     

北方少数民族传统服饰文化地域特征分析

北方少数民族的服饰与该民族的生存环境以及民族性格有着完全对应的关系,各民族服饰的结构类型、色彩理念、审美情趣、图案寓意等表现形式,是对自身生活方式的理解与适应,以及在对精神世界的追求中形成的,具有浓郁的地域特征、独特的审美情趣和丰富的文化内涵。这种民族服饰特征与地域民俗风情,是北方少数民族强调修德、追求完美、提倡宽容、崇尚和谐统一等民族精神的体现。     

西南边疆多民族地区社会动力机制

在推进和谐社会建设的进程中,西南边疆多民族地区社会动力机制运行不断完善,但还存在许多问题：社会发展的经济动力不足,政府的工作存在比较大的改进空间,法律法规的规范力处在较低层次上,社会成员的认知程度和文化需求的现实满足程度还偏低。实现西南边疆多民族地区社会和谐必须把推动社会发展的经济动力、政治动力、文化动力等充分激活,让创造社会价值和财富的源泉充分进发。     

日韩留学生颜色词联想的比较研究

选取日本和韩国留学生各80人作为被试,选定白、红、黄、蓝、紫和粉红6个基本颜色词,制成颜色词的自由联想问卷;采用自由联想和跨文化比较等方法,比较日韩留学生对这些颜色词的联想在具体、抽象及情绪维度上的差异,有助于认识他们的心理特征和民族文化特征。     

抗战时期大后方的诗歌观念及其艺术价值

大后方诗歌研究的滞后导致人们对大后方特殊的诗歌观念的忽视。从抗战时期大后方诗歌情感内容的探讨、诗人创作路向的选择、诗歌民族形式问题的论争以及抗战诗歌艺术缺失的批判等角度展现大后方诗歌观念的概貌,对现阶段科学解读抗战时期大后方的诗歌观念及其艺术价值提供了新的思路。     

促进中国社会学的“理论自觉”——我们需要什么样的中国社会学?

对中国社会学来说,总结过去是重要的,但更重要的是把握现在、规划将来,以便更好地为当前和今后我国社会发展、社会建设、社会转型服务,为增进我国人民的福祉服务,为健康发展社会学学科服务.这也是我们中国社会学者,庆祝中华人民共和国成立60周年的一种形式.而要正确把握现在、规划将来"理论自觉"就显得十分重要,也不可避免.在此我们想从费孝通先生的"文化自觉",特别是从理论自觉和文化自觉之间一般和特殊的关系入手来探讨这一问题.     

民族区域自治与多民族国家的政治整合

多民族国家是现代民主国家的普遍形式,在国家主权范围内选择自治模式是其重要的制度建构.民族区域自治基于一体与多元的制度设计,是中国多民族国家政治整合的基本制度架构.但在新的形势下,民族区域自治基于一体的制度创新不足与基于多元的制度创新不够,使得这一制度的政治整合功能尚未充分发挥.因此,创新民族区域自治制度,提升民族区域自治的制度化整合效能是当代中国实现多民族国家政治整合的现实路径.     

《三千书》新探

《〈三千书〉初探>》一文中认为<三千书>深受越南方面的影响,是越南字喃对地区性的方块壮字之影响的结果.实际上<三千书>的使用者壮族布傣族群的前身是越南的王族,<三千书>现象反映了布傣族群深厚的帝王情结.