Oral Interviews Research Articles

A Socio Linguistic Study of Village Associations in Amauzara, ISI-ALA Mbano, Imo State, Nigeria

This work examines Village Associations in Amauzari Isi-Ala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. Amauzari is a town with Ten Villages, namely: Okwosu, Umueze, Ekwe, Umuagwu, Umudim, Umunumo, Umumpele, Umuechem, Okwelle and Anuzo. Associations do exist in different societies. Associations are platforms on which religious, social, and economic status of individuals and the community in general can improve themselves. The aim of this study is to show that the formation of associations enhance the development of the individual in Amauzari. Data for this study were collected through a random sampling technique using oral interviews and participant observations with elders aged 50-70 years in the ten villages of Amauzari. The researcher conducted oral interviews during village meetings of the different associations. The theoretical framework on which this paper is carried out is Ethnography of communication. This theory is concerned with the linguistic and sociocultural rules that are operational amongst a group of people. Findings reveal that social organizations are training grounds to persons in Amauzari and that associations lead to a communal system where everybody cares for one another. The results reveal that the village associations are socio-political organization where family conflicts between husband and wives, brothers and sisters, and extended family members are resolved. Village associations are peace keeping organization in Amauzara. Peace is a collective effort and responsibility because without peace there will be no development. All hands should be on deck for peace to reign in our society.

Origin, Settlement, and Beliefs of the Bisukha and Bidakho of the Luhya Community-Kenya

This study interrogated the origin, settlement and the beliefs of the Bisukha and Bidakho sub-ethnic groups in the larger Luhya ethnic group. The paper has unravelled the etymologies of the Luhya, Isukha and Idakho terms. Furthermore, it has established the origins, migrations and settlements of the Bisukha and Bidakho, the differences and simulations that exist between them. The paper has also delved into the social-cultural economic and political institutions with their related beliefs, taboos and practices. The reviewed literature established a number of lacunae which this study has endeavoured to fill. The historical and ethnographic research designs were employed by the study. Oral interviews were used to collect the data, which was analysed within the environmental deterministic theoretical approach. The major finding is that; the various social, economic, cultural and political practices were done with the wisdom of maintaining the ecological set up for sustainability. That is, the pre-colonial Bisukha and Bidakho kept their ecological balance of give and take strategies that did not constrain the ecosystem. Acronyms: AMAA - African Mutual Assistance Association, FGDs - Focused Group Discussions, NKCA - North Kavirondo Central Association, UNEP- United Nations Environmental Programme

A comparative study of virtual and insite engineering service-learning implementations

The Smile project is an engineering service-learning initiative carried out through collaboration between Chouaib Doukkali University in Morocco and Pusan National University in South Korea. Since 2016, this project has been conducted annually for engineering students from both universities. Participants are selected through an oral interview, ensuring representation from different majors, years, and genders. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project transitioned to an online mode starting from 2020. The objective of this article is to investigate the impact of the service-learning approach on learning and its potential for enhancing engineering education. This study aims to compare the face-to-face and online implementations of the Smile project as examples of this educational approach. The analysis demonstrates a strong positive effect of engineering service-learning as a learning approach, leading to the improvement of engineering students' skills and competencies. Notably, there is minimal difference between the two implementation modes of this learning approach.

Family First: The Work Replacement System and Livelihood Politics in Urban China, 1962–1980

Abstract: In the 1960s, a child of a worker in urban China could gain employment in the parent’s work unit upon the latter’s retirement, death, or withdrawal for medical reasons. Known as dingti , this work replacement policy allowed urban families to negotiate and secure their children’s livelihood with the help of the grassroots bureaucracy. When millions of disenchanted sent-down youths returned from rural areas to the cities, especially after 1978, the government was compelled to revive the work replacement system to accommodate the influx. After the government suspended review of the class background and political performance of candidates, the system became a confirmation ritual of the “hereditary rights” of urban workers. Drawing on factory archives and oral history interviews, this article demonstrates that the family-centered politics of livelihood among urban families and the grassroots bureaucracy continued from Mao’s China to the years of the post-Mao transition.

Language switching and speaking a nondominant language challenge executive control: Preliminary data for novel behavioral markers of Alzheimer's risk in Spanish-English bilinguals.

The present study explored psycholinguistic analysis of spoken responses produced in a structured interview and cued linguistic and nonlinguistic task switching as possible novel markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk in Spanish-English bilinguals. Nineteen Spanish-English bilinguals completed an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in both languages, cued-switching tasks, and a battery of traditional neuropsychological tests (in a separate testing session). All were cognitively healthy at the time of testing, but eight decliners were later diagnosed with AD (on average 4.5 years after testing; SD = 2.3), while 11 controls remained cognitively healthy. Past studies showed picture naming was more sensitive to AD in the dominant than in the nondominant language, but we found the opposite for a composite measure of spoken utterances produced in the OPI that included revisions, repetitions, and filled pauses (RRFPs), which were especially sensitive to AD risk in the nondominant language. Errors produced on language switch trials best discriminated decliners from controls (in receiver operating characteristic curves), and though the nonlinguistic switching task was also sensitive to AD risk, it elicited more errors overall and was also negatively affected by increased age and low education level. Speaking a nondominant language and errors in cued language switching provided sensitive and specific markers of pending cognitive decline and AD risk in bilinguals. These measures may reflect early decline in executive control abilities that are needed to plan and monitor the production of connected speech and to manage competition for selection between languages. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Merningar Bardok family’s Noongar oral history of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve and surrounds

Warning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers should be aware that this document may contain sensitive information, images or names of people who have since passed away. Context Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve on Western Australia’s south coast is world renowned for its biodiversity, particularly its threatened fauna. Future co-management of the Reserve with Aboriginal peoples is likely, although very little information on the Noongar cultural heritage of the Reserve has been published and thus available for stewardship guidance. Methods This study used oral history interviews on Country based on open-ended questioning and respect for intellectual property. Comprehensive surveys for Noongar cultural heritage were conducted on foot on the Reserve. Key results A rich trove of women’s and men’s stories from the Knapp family about Two Peoples Bay is recalled and recorded. The Reserve features prominently in Wiernyert/Dreaming stories with classical human moral dilemmas, and transformations for wrong-doing are featured. Threatened animals and important plants are named as borongur/totems. Trading of gidj/spears of Taxandria juniperina is prominent. Use of fire traditionally was circumspect, and is confined to small areas and pathways in lowlands. Granite rocks are replete with lizard traps, standing stones, and stone arrangements. Conclusions The Reserve has a long and layered oral history for Merningar Bardok Noongars, exemplified here by the Knapp family, members of which have enjoyed continuous oral history for countless generations. Granite rocks, wetlands, flora, and fauna are vitally important vessels of such knowledge. Implications Cultural suppression has inhibited free cross-cultural exchange of kaatidjin/knowledge until recently. As respect for culture and Elders becomes paramount, positive co-stewardship of the Reserve will become a reality. Vibrant cultural interpretation and active management by Noongar guides and rangers is recommended.

Ethnobotany and Phytochemical Composition of Alchornea Cordifolia in Abia State Nigeria

Alchornea cordifolia is one of the medicinal plants used in treatment of several medical challenges in Nigeria. The study was carried out to document the medicinal values of different parts of A. cordifolia in Ekebedi Oboro ancient Kingdom, and profile its bioactive constituents. The ethno-botanical survey involved oral interview of 81 randomly selected traditional medicine doctors and natives on medicinal values of A. cordifolia. The survey showed that A cordifolia is a major herb used in the treatment of various diseases in the ancient Kingdom and it is prescribed in different treatment regimens; coughs, bronchitis, post-partum bleeding, lacerations, wounds, vaginitis, diarrhea, sickle cell anaemia, venereal diseases including gonorhhea, and syphilis, and prostatitis. GC-MS fingerprinting was adopted to determine the bioactive constituents of methanol leaf extract of the plant. Phytochemical fingerprinting revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds as the major active ingredients of the plant. A total of 27 fatty acids and volatile hydrocarbons were detected in the leaf extract of the plant with 9, 12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- methyl ester (18.42%), 9-Octadecanoic acid methyl ester (19.93%), Dodecanoic acid 1,2,3-propanetrieyl (15.87%) as most abundant ingredients. These phytochemical compounds of A. cordifolia possibly underscored its antimicrobial and therapeutic action and explains why natives use them in traditional medicine.

The speaking proficiency outcomes of face‐to‐face and online intensive summer LCTL programs

AbstractThis article is the first large‐scale study to document the speaking proficiency outcomes of intensive programs in less commonly taught languages in US higher education. Speaking proficiency was measured by pre‐ and postprogram ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews (N = 484) in 14 languages: Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, Indonesian, Kazakh, Persian, Tamil, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Urdu, Uyghur, and Uzbek. The intensive programs are usually taught face‐to‐face but were offered fully online during the COVID‐19 pandemic. No significant difference in speaking proficiency outcomes, as measured by the ACTFL OPI, was found between the face‐to‐face and online formats. Students at all levels of instruction made significant gains in speaking proficiency, with greater gains made by students in Level 1 than at Levels 2‐3, and with wide variation within instructional levels. The average speaking proficiency outcomes were Advanced Low (Level 3), Intermediate High (Level 2), and between Intermediate Low and Intermediate Mid (Level 1).

Crude Oil and Refined Products Spill Incidence Impact Evaluation in Eleme; Rivers State, Nigeria

This study aimed to assess crude oil and refined products spill incidence and perceived impact on livelihood of inhabitants in Eleme, Rivers State, Nigeria. The research adopted questionnaire, interview and survey methodology. The population of the study is 4648 being the total persons living around and about crisscross of pipelines and facilities, size of 368 selected at random from the study sites. The primary data, questionnaires and oral interview were major instruments deployed and used for data collection and simple percentages were used in analyzing the data collected from the questionnaire. The major cause of spill was identified as pipeline sabotage, followed closely by pipeline rupture. Preponderance of the respondents strongly agreed that the magnitude of crude oil and refined products spill had impacted negatively on livelihood of inhabitants, that there are consequences associated with crude oil and refined product spill on soil and water in the study area, that there are mitigation and measures of curtailing crude oil and refined products spill in the study area, and that crude oil and refined product spill have a significant effect on the study area. Prevention should be adopted as a risk management strategy in addressing soil and water pollution in Eleme, arising from Crude oil spill.

The Environmental Impact of Leprosy Market (Kasuwan Kuturu) on Health in Mubi Metropolis, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

This article explores the environmental impact of the Leprosy Market, known as Kasuwan Kuturu, on health in Mubi Metropolis, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study utilizes a combination of primary and secondary data sources, employing structural questionnaires, field observations, oral interviews, and participant interactions. Two major types of environmental pollutants were considered to be the most predominant factors (air and noise pollution). Analytical methods involve descriptive statistical techniques. The findings revealed a complex interplay of positive and negative environmental effects stemming from the market's operations, including heightened air pollution, waste disposal challenges, land pollution, and a surge in diseases like diarrhea and cholera, as well as traffic congestion. In response to these issues, the article proposes recommendations for mitigating these impacts. Keywords: Environmental Impact, Leprosy market, health, Mubi Metropolis

Sisters Across the Gulf

This article explores the connections between Estonian and Finnish lesbian communities in the early 1990s, based on oral history interviews along with media and archival sources. The Estonian lesbian community formed very quickly in the spring and summer of 1990 and from the very start developed a strong bond with the Finnish lesbian community that then lasted for several years. We have interviewed both Finnish and Estonian lesbian women about the period to learn about the activities of this transnational network and the meaning it carried for its members. In our analysis, we focus on personal and social challenges and tensions, national differences and diverse identities and ways of living as a lesbian woman, but also on the fun and rewarding connections. Our study portrays the transnational network as an example of a relatively equal community, despite the stark economic differences, and addresses how the translocal connections formed as a natural, important and integral part of the development of both these communities.

The Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society 70 Years Later: Alive and Kicking

This article provides an account of the founding, growth, and success of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces & Society (IUS), a long-established professional organization for those studying the military and war. How IUS has thrived invites explanation. Two theoretical themes guide our effort: first, the life cycles of organizations literature, and two, a complementary focus on the professional-career life cycles of IUS’s participants. To put together our account, we review articles about IUS’s early days and present oral history interview material from past and present leaders and members. We conclude with suggestions concerning IUS’s future directions.

Interrogating the Health - Foreign Policy Nexus: The Nigerian Experience

The health-foreign policy nexus is explored in this article through a case study of Nigeria that interrogates the motivation for health diplomacy and demonstrates the institutions and mechanisms for its conduct. The aim of this article is to demonstrate how Nigeria, since attaining independence in 1960 has attached importance to utilising health as an instrument for promoting foreign policy. The article utilizes the primary and secondary methods of data collection. The primary data were obtained from oral interviews and daily newspaper reports. It further draws upon materials from the WHO Archives in Geneva and National Archives, Ibadan. Secondary data were sourced from books, journal articles, government publications and the internet. The data generated were analysed using descriptive and content analysis. The article concludes that the Nigerian experience reveals the linkages between health and foreign policy. Health engagements in the form of aid, assistance and cooperation are used as a form of soft power that fulfils domestic and foreign policy goals, including security, economic growth and other interests However, institutional pluralism, divided responsibilities and non-professionalisation of health diplomats have marred the conduct of Nigeria's health diplomacy.

A Minimalist Analysis of Relative Clauses in the Ifẹ̀ Dialect of Yorùbá

A considerable amount of scholarly works have been carried out on the syntax of relativisation in Yorùbá but with little attention paid to how the Ifẹ̀ dialect forms its relative clauses. This paper therefore, investigates the syntax of relative constructions in the Ifẹ̀ dialect detailing the strategies employed for them. Ten native speakers aged 60 years and above were purposively selected for structured oral interview based on their proficiency. Data were subjected to syntactic analysis using the Minimalist Program. The Ifẹ̀ dialect operates “kí” as its relative marker, this is optionally dropped. When the dialect stacks two or more relative clauses in a complex sentence it optionally drops only the first relative marker, others are always visible to the PF interface. The dialect operates Head Raising Analysis (HRA) whereby the relativised argument DPs are copied to the clause left peripheral position to check the [+Rel] feature on the Rel0. Relativisable constituents are subject DPs, object DPs (comprising direct objects, objects in serial verb constructions and prepositional objects) genitive DPs and prepositional complements. Relativising a VP/predicate, the dialect either externally merges the nominalised form of a verb as the specifier of the RelP or lexicalises the [+nominal] feature copied from the main verb at the spec RelP. The Ifẹ̀ dialect exhibits some dialectal variations lexically and structurally.

Prophet Jonah Is not Alone: Understanding the History of Pentecostal Evangelism in Light of Contemporary Missionary Endeavours in Nigeria

This article examines reasons for the increasing neglect of rural evangelism in Nigeria. Some Pentecostal missionaries, churches and faith-based communities seem unwilling to go on evangelism missions to rural areas; thus the increasing number of churches and missionaries in the city compared to rural Nigeria. Missionary impacts have been felt in schools, hospitals and microfinance banks. Historiography reveals that missionaries before the last decade were willing to go to rural areas. Most churches and schools in rural areas were established by missionaries. However, Pentecostal missionaries are now shifting their interests from urban-rural to urban-urban evangelism. In this qualitative analysis, data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Oral interviews and relevant academic literature form the sources of the data. Many scholars have written on the history of church missionary activities in Nigeria, but literature is scarce on reasons for the current decrease in the number of missionaries in rural areas. Why do Christian missionaries relegate rural evangelism to the background? What has been the impact on the church? Our findings show the reasons as the advent of mega-churches in Nigerian cities, financial reward from city missionary activities, resistance of some communities, punishment, increased financial burdens, the quest for popularity, intimidation, the few rural evangelists, and the lack of sufficient assistance. Missionary activities, if revived, will lead to the development of rural areas spiritually, morally, educationally, socially, and economically. The church should not restrict the spread of the gospel to specific places. Churches sending missionaries to rural areas should also provide financial support to strengthen these missionaries, as they serve as crucial links between the host church and the local community.

Learning from Our History: The Role of the New York Collective of Radical Educators in Movements for Educational Justice

Educator activists can play an important role in transforming not only what happens inside classrooms but also larger educational systems. While recent focus in research has been on social justice caucuses in teacher unions, there are also radical educator collectives like the New York Collective of Radical Educators (NYCoRE) that organize outside of union spaces. In this article, we (the current NYCoRE leadership body) analyze the historical impact of NYCoRE to theorize about the role of educator collectives in educational justice movements. Using oral history interviews with founding members of NYCoRE, we found that NYCoRE has provided a political home for radical educators, supported critical professional development, and prepared educators to contribute to educational justice movements. National implications are discussed.

Educating the Younger Generation of Polish Female Refugees in Postwar Britain

Abstract This study explores the education of young Polish female refugees in postwar Britain, and the implications of the establishment of the Committee for the Education of Poles, a body brought into being on April 1, 1947, as a consequence of the passage of the Polish Resettlement Bill in March 1947 (the first ever British legislation dealing with mass immigration). It examines the newly introduced grammar schools for girls, the challenges raised for these new educational establishments, and the strategies introduced by the British authorities in order to cope with the growing numbers of Polish adolescents entering the country after World War II. Based on archival records and supported by oral interviews, the sample case studies presented herein highlight one way in which the young Polish community was rehabilitated in exile at the start of their path towards civic integration. They highlight the key importance of education to that pathway. The studies presented here provide an insight into the experiences of, and challenges faced by, young Polish women during the Process of their education and resettlement. Thanks to extant school reports, it has been possible to ascertain not only the practical and financial problems that impacted the schools presented in the paper, which operated under the auspices of the Committee for the Education of Poles, but also their slow, but steady improvement over time. The paper provides clear evidence that it was thanks to the Committee that a significant proportion of the younger generation of Poles managed to acquire the qualifications needed to secure their first jobs and ultimately a career in industry or business and so play a useful part in the economic life of Great Britain and her overseas territories.

A Century of Changing Perceptions of "Christian Militias" in Iraq

This article traces the history of Iraq's Assyrian Christians in armed struggle from the second half of the twentieth century to the contemporary era. It argues that, while "Christian militias" are not a new phenomenon, their modes of engage ment in sectarian politics are new and representative of Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003 United States–led invasion. By contrast, during the twentieth century, and particularly during the rule of the Ba'th Party (1968–2003), Assyrian activists were involved in secular and leftist political movements confronting the regime from within the larger Iraqi opposition. The history of this earlier, foundational period is contextualized to make sense of the sectarian politics of the post-2003 period. I make use of archival sources retrieved from Baghdad and Mosul as well as oral interviews, periodicals, memoirs, and songs in both Arabic and Aramaic.

Characterizing landscape fragmentation of Koitobos river sub-basin, Trans-Nzoia, Kenya

The changes in landscape structure and functioning due to unprecedented human interference are hastening across the globe and it is thus a compelling necessity to preserve and restore our ecosystems. This study aimed to characterize levels of landscape fragmentation, habitat structure, driving forces, and perceptions of the residents on the most preferred reconfiguration approaches. The land use/land cover [LULC] change was first determined by interpreting the 1973, 1986, 1995, 2002, 2014, and 2022 Landsat images using the QGIS 3.26 while the selected landscape fragmentation metrics were analyzed using FRAGSTATS 4.2. Forests, shrubs, and grasslands showed a declining trend, except for agriculture, water, and built-up areas, which depicted high increases for the study periods [1973 to 2022]. The landscape of the study area is characterized as progressively fragmenting as signified by high escalated values of patch number [374 %], edge density [7828 %] between 1986 and 2002, contagion [10.3%], and a declined value of Shannon Diversity Index [SHDI] [-17.42%], Shannon evenness index [SHEI] [-25.8 %] and connectedness [-43.3%]. Considering these results, high losses of forests and grasslands coupled with expansive farmlands and built-up areas have led to unprecedented landscape fragmentation From field surveys and oral interviews, this has not only left streams vulnerable to massive sediment loads but has also triggered annual floods which occur during wet months even though change in onset of rainfall seasons was also reported. The findings call for restoration and integrated and sustainable restoration efforts, especially for the forests, grasslands, and riparian corridors along with sustainable urban planning and community-based sensitization on watershed management.

From Laggard to Innovator: Barbara Fruchter and the 1970s-Era Movement to Deinstitutionalize Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice

Abstract: Using diverse archival sources and oral history interviews, this essay examines how volunteer activist women in the 1970s galvanized support to pass major legislative reforms that made Pennsylvania a model for how to implement the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) of 1974 at the state level. Horrified by conditions they witnessed on a tour of a nearby juvenile detention center, three Philadelphia area women created a broad-based coalition—centered in the Juvenile Justice Center (JJC) of Pennsylvania—to improve local conditions of confinement and spearhead novel policies to transform juvenile justice statewide. Focusing on Barbara Fruchter, JJC cofounder and de facto leader of the state’s deinstitutionalization campaign, this essay probes how a now well-accepted idea in juvenile justice—treating the great majority of delinquent youth in small community-based rather than large institutional programs—was first envisioned and introduced into American juvenile justice a half-century ago.