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Taking as our starting point the problem of “somatic solipsism” as we can formulate it through the pragmatist philosophy of William James, we examine the ways in which Richard Shusterman’s somaesthetic theory is likely to respond to this problem. How does the centrality of the body in experience and knowledge shape our relationship with the outside world? In what way is somatic reflexivity not contradictory to this relationship, in the practical and aesthetic fields in particular? Distinguishing the pragmatist self-transcendence of the body from the embodied condition of the transcendental field of consciousness in Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology, we suggest that the body relates to its outside through the extensive and plastic property of body consciousness (which transforms the “body schema”). These processes can be observed in many types of experience, from meditation to dance, including various psychological and neuroscientific experiments. To this respect, Helmuth Plessner’s theory of “eccentric positionality” offers a relevant epistemological framework to support the idea of a body whose dynamic of eccentricity is immanent to the body itself.

Palaeocological studies show that major vegetation and environmental changes occurred in Central Africa from the mid-Holocene (e.g. Maley & Brenac 1998). Several suggest a human origin and assume that large population migration, technical innovations (e.g. iron-smelting technology) and/or change in agricultural practice, leading to deforestation and land clearance, are the drivers of these changes. However, at this stage, the lack of demographic reconstruction does not fully support these hypotheses. Here, a georeferenced archaeological database is used to infer population dynamics and the evolution of cultural practices in Western Central Africa over the last 5000 years. This database includes 1139 14C calibrated dates from 425 sites throughout southern Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and the western part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, dating back a maximum of 5000 cal. yr BP. Data modelling indicate possible population growth from 2500 to 1500 cal. yr BP, coinciding with the occurrence at a regional scale of specific techniques and practices. The concomitant increase of refuse pits, palm oil Elaeis guineesis and iron metallurgy (plus rare remains of millet Pennisetum glaucum) took place during the second half of the Neolithic, beginning around 2800 cal. yr BP. In the coastal regions, the population growth concerns the Neolithic and the Early Iron Age (2500–2000 cal. yr BP and 2000–1500 cal. yr BP), while in the Hinterland population growth seems slightly later (2400 and 1300 cal. yr BP). It is not possible to identify a common diffusion phenomenon from a single homeland. Rather, technical innovations and new practices appear to have spread through a wide network of cultural interactions, which fostered the formation of Western Central African societies during the third millennium.

Palaeocological studies show that major vegetation and environmental changes occurred in Central Africa from the mid-Holocene (e.g. Maley & Brenac 1998). Several suggest a human origin and assume that large population migration, technical innovations (e.g. iron-smelting technology) and/or change in agricultural practice, leading to deforestation and land clearance, are the drivers of these changes. However, at this stage, the lack of demographic reconstruction does not fully support these hypotheses. Here, a georeferenced archaeological database is used to infer population dynamics and the evolution of cultural practices in Western Central Africa over the last 5000 years. This database includes 1139 14C calibrated dates from 425 sites throughout southern Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and the western part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, dating back a maximum of 5000 cal. yr BP. Data modelling indicate possible population growth from 2500 to 1500 cal. yr BP, coinciding with the occurrence at a regional scale of specific techniques and practices. The concomitant increase of refuse pits, palm oil Elaeis guineesis and iron metallurgy (plus rare remains of millet Pennisetum glaucum) took place during the second half of the Neolithic, beginning around 2800 cal. yr BP. In the coastal regions, the population growth concerns the Neolithic and the Early Iron Age (2500–2000 cal. yr BP and 2000–1500 cal. yr BP), while in the Hinterland population growth seems slightly later (2400 and 1300 cal. yr BP). It is not possible to identify a common diffusion phenomenon from a single homeland. Rather, technical innovations and new practices appear to have spread through a wide network of cultural interactions, which fostered the formation of Western Central African societies during the third millennium.

The paper presents a small circular mirror frame found in the rural settlement at Acic Suat. The mirror is made out of lead and decorated with radial lines on the frame, missing the reflective surface. Even though, such finds are numerous in the Danubian and Black Sea provinces, their functionality is still questionable, ranging from cosmetic to votive. Discussing the find from Acic Suat, together with the analogies and their potential functions, allows us to integrate the item in a wider context. Two sets of analyses were performed on the mirror, ED-XRF and PIXE, revealing its composition and highlighting the presence of bismuth and silver which can be indicators for the provenance of the lead core.

Dans cet article, j’étudierai les injonctions contradictoires concernant le fait d’archiver ou non des données anthropologiques récoltées sur le terrain. On se retrouve face à des contradictions d’ordre éthique, car certaines règles suggèrent de détruire les données après un certain temps, et d’autres de les conserver à long terme. Je m’intéresserai aux responsabilités qu’ont les chercheurs envers différents groupes et à la façon dont elles se contredisent. Je mettrai en lumière les utilisations bénéfiques, à long terme, des données de terrain issues de mes propres travaux menés chez les Mambila au Cameroun et au Nigeria, grâce notamment à une utilisation inédite de certains documents d’archives (aucun accord n’ayant donc été demandé pour les exploiter). Respecter de façon stricte certains protocoles de gestion des données constituerait une démarche inhumaine et, selon moi, non éthique. Nous devons accepter le caractère contradictoire de la vie et trouver le moyen de le maîtriser. Mettre en place des restrictions à long terme pourrait alors constituer une solution adéquate, bien que difficile à mettre en œuvre avec les archives numériques.

I review the conflicting injunctions to archive and not to archive anthropological field materials (data). There are ethical contradictions: some ethics codes tell us to destroy data after a period of time, others to save for the long term. I discuss the responsibilities researchers have to different groups of people and how these may conflict. I illustrate beneficial long-term uses of field data from my own work with Mambila people in Cameroon and Nigeria, partly using archival material in ways never originally intended (so never considered for consent). To adhere strictly to some data management protocols would result in inhumane and I suggest unethical action. We must accept that life is contradictory and find ways of managing this: long term embargoes might provide a solution that is workable, although difficult to implement with digital archives.

In this article we argue that the issue of “format” is a key aesthetic principle in contemporary artistic practices, central enough to characterize the “contemporary” in the arts, in contrast to the question of “form” in Modernity. Defined as a matrix and operatory framework, made up of norms and rules that arrange representations and practices, governing the functioning of symbolic forms and forces, allowing their experience and their uses, the format modifies the analysis of forms and structures in a pragmatist and situated way. Far from submitting artworks to external laws, the heterogenic play of formats leads us to observe a new kind of autonomy, based on what we propose to call a “hyper-heteronormativity”. Furthermore, the issue of format allows us to rethink the artwork through its dynamic of “operation”, in order to understand, among other things, its capacity to act in given technical conditions.

INTRODUCTION: despite the Mozambican Ministry of Health's efforts to deliver family planning to all girls of childbearing age, the adolescent pregnancy rate remains high. The Adolescent and Youth Friendly Service (AYFS), integrated into overall primary health care programs throughout the country, aims to reverse this situation. Our study objective was to assess this health care service's quality in its location in Marrere Health Centre, Nampula, northern Mozambique, using clients' perspective. METHODS: we implemented a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was implemented, sampling 124 individuals, who had recently accessed the AYFS at Marrere Health Centre. Data were collected through a questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale in questions regarding satisfaction level (i.e. always, most times, sometimes, few times, never) and additional open answer questions to gain greater specific understanding. RESULTS: a total of 126 users of the AYFS were evaluated, all from the Emacua ethnic-linguistic group. 85 (67%) were adolescents (19 years), 78.2% female. The mean age was 17.6 years. We found an average of 0.54 pregnancies per woman and 87 participants (69%) never had a pregnancy; of 39 (31%) who had been pregnant, 17 (44%) were able to report the date of the first prenatal visit, on average performed at week 16 (2nd trimester), though with 9 (53%) having performed it during the first trimester. Spontaneous and induced abortions were reported respectively in 4 and 34 cases, respectively, and none with adolescents. The overall satisfaction rate was more frequent in both groups, being answered by 93.8% of youth and adults (= 19 years) and 72.0% of adolescents, a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p =0.05). CONCLUSION: while most users are satisfied with the services there was, however, some sharp criticism. Health professionals practice with the protocol varied, and there were significant deficiencies in information and communication with users. Open communication within families and information reinforcement about sexual and reproductive health and male participation in family planning were found to be in need of strengthening. Our recommendations include reinforcing health professional's training to protect adolescents and young people' sexual health, an important strategy in primary health care to achieve universal health coverage.

In this paper I consider the reasons why a question about changing patterns of administrative history in Cameroon is easy to ask but hard to answer. Exploring this raises many issues of changing terminology, differences between quasi-colonial and post-colonial administration of the administration of the state (as it were) and decisions that in some cases were superseded before being implemented. A summary table is presented with comments about the limits of reliability of the figures.

Derrida and Foucault provide key starting points to understanding archives. They see archives as hegemonic, characterizing ways of thought, modes of colonization, and the control of citizens. However, they also make clear that archives can be read subversively. With patience, counter-readings allow the excavation of the voices (sometimes names) of subaltern and otherwise suppressed others from the archive. By reading along and across the archival grain, researchers can follow the development of ideas and processes across historical periods. Archives can be seen as orphanages, containing surrogates of performances. Archives (paper and digital) also provide access to the results of anthropological research in ways mandated by ethics codes, but these are subject to controversy. What sorts of consent and what sorts of anonymization should be provided? Archives run by the groups traditionally studied by anthropologists provide models of radical archives that are very different from those conceived of by traditional archivists.

Routine daily phlebotomy can often act as a replacement for direct patient care. Some tests are necessary to gauge treatment response, however many are unnecessary and increase a patient’s risk of complications and can impede laboratory processing times. This study addresses the effects of providing resident trainees, who often lack an understanding of the financial impact of the tests they order, with summative feedback. This encouraged them to be resource-conscious. Internal Medicine teams were provided with weekly laboratory spending reports and this resulted in a 33% reduction in Per Person Per Day spending. No changes in mortality were noted.

The study of the fortified site Ndeba in the Mambila area of Cameroon (Adamawa Region) shows two successive phases of occupation. The first dates to the first millennium AD, and the second, marked by the construction of the fort, belongs to the late nineteenth century or early twentieth. This is consistent with the widespread insecurity during that period known from historical sources for the entire nineteenth century. But beyond these historical circumstances, is it possible to see it as the archaeological trace of a declaration of political independence made by a small community of western central Cameroon? This maybe speculative, but leads to reflection on still unresolved questions about the background of such political statements and their possible roots in the long term.

The Immunity to Change coaching process has risen in popularity since creators Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey published their second book using this method, Immunity to Change: How to Overcome it and Unlock the Potential for Yourself and Your Organization (2009). Sofia Kjellström (2009) recently published an article taking a critical perspective on the ethics of using ITC in educational and vocational contexts. I argue herein that when used properly, the ITC process avoids most of the criticisms that Kjellström brings to bear on this issue. Furthermore, it is argued that private life and public life (Freud’s “love and work”) are already inextricably intertwined, and methods like ITC give employers and employees the tools needed to navigate what are often highly charged issues, that we might increase our quality of life and increase our efficiency. Finally, the article summarizes the relationship between Subject/Object Theory and ITC, while also addressing the issue of developmental transformations in the coaching process.

Deep disagreement is a situation in which a conflict is so fundamental that there appears to be no underlying shared agreement by the arguers at any level. It is generally held that in such a case productive argument is not possible. Any claim the one party makes can be challenged by the other party in a potentially infinite regress, because there is no moment at which the interlocutor, by virtue of his or her prior commitments, is obligated to accept any standpoint. Overcoming deep disagreement requires transcending the impasse in the argument, seeing the controversy in a different light. This essay identifies four pairs of strategies that involve rhetorical moves to reset the disagreement and reshape the argument. In addition, two case studies are presented to illustrate these strategies, one a case of successful transcendence and the other a case of failure.

Opening Issue and call for papers

En tant que serviteur passionné du Regietheater, le théâtre du metteur-en-scène, je me permets d’adapter les pièces classiques en œuvres d’art tout à fait nouvelles, qui seront en effet les versions oniriques de ces pièces. Cela m’oblige, en premier lieu, de “surcharger” mon esprit d’une pléthore de documents au sujet … et autour de la pièce, et de déchiffrer ses thèmes principaux ainsi que les corrélatifs textuels de ceux-ci. Ceci me mène à un “moment de plénitude” dans lequel une image ou une idée pour la première scène se présente à mes yeux. A ce moment-là la première version de ma production s’écrit pratiquement toute seule. Bien que cette première ébauche subisse beaucoup de modifications, elle constituera la base onirique de ma production. Ces “versions oniriques ” reposent sur une idée de base, ou épine dorsale claire du concept de l’œuvre, sur une croyance profonde dans la liberté du metteur-en-scène de remanier le texte afin qu’il puisse mieux transmettre cette idée de base, et sur une ouverture ou “disponibilité” de faire n’importe quoi qui puisse soutenir ce concept en germe. Ce processus évolue lentement durant de longs mois pendant lesquels je reste en collaboration étroite avec mon dramaturge et mon décorateur jusqu’à ce que nous arrivions à une version finale de la pièce pour les comédiens. Cette version, elle-même, évoluera pendant la période des répétitions. Restant tout à fait fidèle au texte littéral de l’auteur mais pas nécessairement à l’ordre de l’action, je crois sincèrement que ces versions oniriques représentent fidèlement l’intention de l’auteur en dépit de l’adaptation différente.

David Zerbib [DZ] : Commençons par une question d’ordre général sur la façon dont vous pourriez présenter votre parcours, avec ses aspects composites et éclatés qui le situent de façon revendiquée du côté de l’interdisciplinarité. Quels liens, quelles dynamiques, quels fils conducteurs tissent la trame de votre travail ? Jacques Rancière S’il y a un fil rouge dans ce que j’ai fait, c’est une tentative pour reformuler une question très simple : comment quelqu’un, ...

Kunama has been reported by different scholars as having two or three tones, downstep (or not), contrastive length of both consonants and vowels, and lexical stress. Despite this range of reported phenomena, little in-depth research into the prosodic system of Kunama has been undertaken. The aim of the present study is to report such a detailed investigation and to establish on a solid footing basic aspects of the tonal system of Kunama. The work reported is preliminary in the sense that its scope is limited: we present phonological and phonetic evidence for the existence of three level tones, which can combine to form a number of contour tones. This is followed by discussion of tonal phenomena in the noun phrase. No evidence for lexical stress is found.

River flushing has been considered as an effective tool for improving water quality in heavily polluted urban rivers. Dissolved oxygen (DO) as the evaluation index of water quality varied with time during and after water flushing. The time intervals between the flushing should be optimized such that the DO concentration remains above 2mg/L in the river. The duration between the flushing was found to be mainly correlated to the water temperature and the saturation level of dissolved oxygen. For the study river, when the temperature was below 15 ℃, there was an exponential relationship between the duration and saturation level of DO. For instance, the estimated duration was 157 hours or about 7 days for the subsequent flushing when the saturation level of DO was 90%. This duration was no more than 2 days when the temperature was above 15 ℃.