Social Meanings of Literacy in West Africa just before Independance: The Case from Amadou Hamapte Ba

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12532
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03030:History of Asia and Africa-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University (2021-2022); Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (2018-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Nakao Seiji 京都大学, アジア・アフリカ地域研究研究科, 助教 (80800820)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: リテラシー / 西アフリカ / ブルキナファソ / 言説的伝統 / アマドゥ・ハンパテ・バ / 『プレザンス・アフリケーヌ』

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The most significant research achievements are the publication of a book and a special issue in a peer-reviewed journal. The book, "Modernities in Inland West Africa," reveals long-term historical change in the Mouhoun River Bend of Burkina Faso from pre-modern times to the mid-20th century, considering literacy both before and after colonial rule, its significance in each of its political, economic, and religious dimensions, and the relationship between them. This work received the Research Award of the Japan Association for African Studies. In addition, he organized a special issue of the "Annual Papers of the Anthropological Institute" entitled "New Turn on the Studies of Islam in West Africa," in which he used the concept of discursive traditions to clarify the differences in the traditions that constitute discourses in different written languages and their impact on the reformist movement in Burkina Faso.

Free Research Field

歴史人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ブルキナファソを含め、西アフリカ諸国の歴史研究は少ない。特に、植民地統治以前から独立までの長い時間幅での研究は、世界的にみても稀である。本研究には、まず第一に、西アフリカの歴史研究を進展させたという点での大きな意義がある。さらに、本研究では、リテラシーに着目し、植民地統治以前から続くアラビア語の利用と、植民地統治以降のフランス語の導入が、西アフリカのムスリム（イスラーム教徒）にとってどのような意味をもったのかを明らかにした。こうした研究は、旧宗主国の書記言語のみを対象としたリテラシーの向上をうたう開発援助の在り方を問い直すものとしての意義をもつ。