East African Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

What Goes Around Comes Around?: The Sustainability Paradox of Second-Hand Clothing Marketplaces in a Cross-Cultural Context

Maha Panju — 2024-03-06

Humanity living far beyond its planetary boundaries has galvanised a desperate scramble toward sustainability, in all its socio-economic-ecological complexity. In increasingly fragmented global(ised) arenas, however, the sustainable growth trajectories of second-hand clothing production/consumption systems have proven non-linear, disjunctive and paradox-laden. The present thesis carves out epistemic space for exploring how these exacting paradoxes are both productive of and produced by circular fashion economies. Through a place-attuned, multi-scalar and relational lens, my investigatory scope is framed by two understudied geographies of second-hand apparel trade - the mitumba industry in East Africa, and e-marketplace platforms in the Global North context. Interweaving the analytic threads of political ecology, decolonial theory and feminist reflexivity, I undertake a cross-case comparative analysis to consider: between the global, national and local, how does the notion of second-handedness refract the lifeworld of differently-located and differently-embodied actors? Navigating the complex discursive terrain of greenwashing, I first de/reconstruct self-congratulatory corporate rhetoric which deliberately conflates ‘circularity’ with ‘sustainability’. By repoliticising human/environment encounters against the grain of technocratic dogma, the viscerally embodied realities of mainstream development interventions are explicated and enlivened - rather than elided and erased. In the spirit of reflexivity, my questioning framework also attends to (im)possible moments of alterity, agency and alliance-building instantiated in/through second-hand clothing marketplaces. In juxtaposing hegemonically-framed developmentalist discourses with personal counter-narratives emerging from the ground, the resulting picture is nuanced, messy and contextually-situated. The succeeding conclusion I draw is thus demonstrative and generative of such nuance. Sustainable fashion development need not be considered an end-in-itself, but instead an enduring means to an end - however imperfect and challenging. Scholars, practitioners and activists must collectively resist apocalyptic imaginaries, which prematurely foreclose political horizons for (co-)constructing alternative Anthropocene futures

Emotional Intelligence: Concept, Theoretical Perspectives and Its Relevance on Job Performance

David Haruna Mrisho, PhD — 2024-03-12

This study seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of emotional intelligence by reflecting on its conceptual framework, analysing the theoretical foundations that support it and evaluating its relevance in relation to job performance in workplace settings. Through this investigation, the study aims to enhance the current comprehension of emotional intelligence, shedding light on its theoretical basis and practical implications for enhancing performance in professional environments. By pursuing these aims, the study endeavours to offer valuable contributions to the field, advancing understanding of emotional intelligence and its impact on achieving success within organisational contexts. The study examines three prominent models of emotional intelligence. The first model, developed by Salovey and Mayer, establishes a foundational framework for understanding emotional intelligence as a multifaceted concept. This model outlines essential components integral to emotional intelligence, offering valuable insights into the core abilities within this domain. The Bar-On model of emotional intelligence, proposed by Reuven Bar-On, offers a comprehensive framework that emphasises the role of emotional and social factors in overall well-being and success. Bar-On's model encompasses various facets, including intrapersonal, interpersonal, adaptability, stress management, and general mood. On the other hand, Daniel Goleman's model of emotional intelligence, popularised by the author Daniel Goleman, highlights the significance of emotional competencies in personal and professional success. Goleman's model revolves around five key components: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. The paper provides the affirmative link between emotional intelligence (EI) and diverse aspects of job performance, accentuating the significance of organisations' acknowledging and nurturing the emotional competencies of their employees. Amidst the ongoing evolution of workplaces, the strategic incorporation of EI emerges as a pivotal strategy for fostering employee well-being and securing organisational prosperity

Lifelong Educational and Decolonization Programs for the Batwa Indigenous People of Southwestern Uganda

Denis Sekiwu, PhD — 2024-03-25

This article is based on a study conducted among the Batwa Indigenous people in southwestern Uganda between 2021 and 2022. The study aimed to explore culturally relevant lifelong education and decolonization programs for the Batwa people. Using indigenous research methodology, 60 participants comprising of elders, parents, children and teachers were recruited from the Batwa community for the study. We used Egalitarian liberalism and justice in education (ELJE) theory as analytical framework. Key findings demonstrate that participants were conscious of the challenges faced by their community and collectively brainstormed practical redress measures. These measures include but are not limited to setting up an entrepreneurship education program, vocational and skilling programs, and promotion of Rutwa language. Besides, some specific Batwa life skills identified by participants are briefly described as imperative for integration in the schooling system to achieve the decolonization mission

Saving and Credit Cooperatives Services and Socio-economic Empowerment of Women in Temeke Municipality, Tanzania

Kastory Abel Mbunda — 2024-04-25

The majority of the SACCOS clientele consists of low-income women who form solidarity groups to obtain credit. However, poverty has persisted among women and their communities for a very long time. This study assessed the financial services that SACCOS offer to women and the impacts that SACCOS have on women's empowerment and household livelihoods in Temeke Municipality, Tanzania. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) were used in a qualitative research design to gather primary data from female members of the selected SACCOS (Mbagala Lutheran and KIUMA) on the research issue. The survey found that women use SACCOS for a wide range of services, such as savings accounts, low-cost loans, options for investing and financial advisory services. Additionally, the study revealed that SACCOS have both non-financial and financial impacts on women's empowerment and household livelihoods, including greater financial security through saving and insurance products, strengthening of financial literacy and decision-making skills among women, empowerment through participation in SACCOS leadership and decision-making, business development through access to capital and credits from SACCOS, and enhanced household ability to meet basic and material needs. This study concludes that it is through its services that SACCOS is an instrumental entity in addressing the financial inclusion gap, especially for women in Tanzania. Moreover, it is recommended based on this study that, apart from mere financial services, SACCOS and other microfinance institutions should invest in education and financial advisory services to assist women in making wise financial decisions, such as budgeting and making productive investments of capital. This is because women save more in SACCOS; however, a large number of them have continuously been trapped in a vicious cycle of financial debt, poverty, and dependency syndrome

Use of Realism as Social Commentary on Specific Subject Matter in Painting: An Analysis of the Realist Paintings of Zephania Lukamba, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

Kamau Wango, PhD — 2024-05-15

The creation of any work of art often has a purpose or an intent. In this regard, artists endeavour to create pieces of artwork that bear or propagate certain meanings or points of view and also express some social phenomena that are unique to a particular environment or what has often been referred to as a catchment area. This is usually an important artistic undertaking because artists have the innate responsibility to observe certain social peculiarities and visually record them for all their worth. Some of these peculiarities are a reflection of society and its circumstantial behavioural tendencies often brought about by various factors; such as social-economic malaise and bad governance that precipitates social decay. When an artist embarks on such an artistic depiction of his or her own social environment, then there is a need to give it due artistic attention. This study featured 22 paintings based on the subject matter of the overloading of vehicles. Although the paintings appeared generally alike in terms of layout and execution, it is the depiction of the paradox of the repeated occurrence of the same phenomenon which in reality reflects a tendency that is both widespread and bizarre. In this regard, each painting depicts a scene that in reality is in itself a specific curious occurrence. This, in retrospect, can be seen as a type of popular culture of defiance and of the absurd. Since the overloading of any vehicle is ordinarily not only unwarranted and dangerous, but also blatantly illegal, the artist, in his observations which constituted this study, depicts a societal problem that has degenerated into impunity. This study, therefore, sought to find out how effective such focused paintings were as an avenue for social commentary. The artist over a period of time observed incidents of overloading as they manifested themselves in real-life occurrences and made the necessary sketches that were later developed into paintings in the studio. The paintings were examined using formal analysis to delve into their composition and use of elements and principles as well as descriptive analysis to explore their meaning or what the artist intended to convey. The study posits that the essence of such focused paintings in this study is that they become a visual pointer to the wider debate about the debilitating effect of such social malaise upon the psyche of society. The ordinary citizenry subsequently becomes spectators in their own space that degenerates into such recklessness and disregard for individual and collective safety as well as the rule of law

Exploring the Potential of Deep Learning in Healthcare: A perspective

Beston Lufyagila — 2024-05-26

Deep learning has received much interest in the field of healthcare in recent years. Health care plays a significant role in delivering services and practices that promote, maintain, and restore health of an individual. However, applying deep learning in healthcare is still an exciting area of research. This paper explores the application of deep learning, and henceforth, it highlights new perspectives in healthcare by reviewing published state-of-the-art research works from four scholarly databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed, and Google Scholar. The selected studies were from April 2014 to April 2024, and based on the predefined quality assessment criteria, 16 articles were thoroughly reviewed after the preliminary extraction, review, and screening phases. The study’s findings indicate that deep learning has been applied in healthcare, particularly in medical images, digital consultation, Electronic medical records, and genomics. Furthermore, challenges such as deep learning cannot replicate the human touch and emotional connection that patients often seek in their healthcare journey, and data privacy are highlighted. Lastly, new perspectives, such as leveraging emerging technologies like Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and federated learning, are suggested to address these challenges

Spatio-temporal Trends and Patterns of Synthetic Fertility Index Across African Countries: A Comprehensive Analysis from 1950 to 2023

Mouhamadou Djima Baranon — 2024-05-26

This paper examines the spatiotemporal trends and patterns of the Synthetic Fertility Index (SFI) in African countries from 1950 to 2023. The study used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program and Atlasocio.com to analyse the evolution of fertility rates in Africa. The findings reveal a significant decline in fertility rates over the past decades, with many countries experiencing a shift from high SFI exceeding 6 children per woman in the mid-20th century to levels below 3 children per woman by 2023. However, regional disparities persist, with North African countries and South Africa consistently demonstrating lower SFIs compared to their counterparts in West Africa, Central Africa, and East Africa. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing persistent regional disparities in fertility rates through targeted policies and interventions aimed at improving access to education and healthcare, promoting gender equality, and addressing cultural norms and practices that perpetuate high fertility rates. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the demographic transition taking place in Africa and highlights the need for continued research and policy action to promote socio-economic development in the continent

Alignment of Satisfiers and Work Performance Inspirations among Primary School Teachers in Tanzania

Erasto Joseph Kano, PhD — 2024-05-31

This study explored patterns of satisfiers and work performance among primary school teachers in the Tanzanian context. The proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select 381 primary school teachers. The study involved three districts situated in contrasting geographical locations in Dodoma region; East- Kongwa, North-Chemba and West-Dodoma Municipality. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data. For statistical analysis, the factor analysis technique was employed to reduce a large number of related variables to a smaller manageable number of dimensions. The location (i.e., the mean, median and mode), the scale (i.e., skewness) and shape (i.e., kurtosis) parameters were computed. The study revealed that teachers’ work performance is subjected to multiple satisfiers stemming from both financial and non-financial compensation. Financial factors understandably were topmost in galvanizing teachers to work at the optimal level (p≤0.05). Besides, satisfaction relates to psychological and school characteristics of co-worker behaviours, administrative support and some intrinsic facets of teaching. It is recommended that any agenda for the future of the teaching profession should weigh the balance of the tension between the satisfiers and dissatisfiers which release the brakes and press the accelerators of teachers’ work performance. With the current influx of enrolment into the fee-free basic education, a catalyst for teacher work performance is important if good quality education is to be realized. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology should devise compelling, productive and effective education policies that are promising to teachers’ prosperity to attract indecisive bright young prospects and the best brains in the teaching profession

Locus of Control and the Role of Leadership on Employee Personality in Pharmaceutical Industry in Kenya

Ann Gaceri Kaaria, PhD — 2024-05-31

Personal traits have a significant effect on contemporary workplace dynamics and employee performance. This study focused on two areas of Kenya's pharmaceutical industry: the relationship between locus of control and employee personality, and how leadership styles affect this relationship. The study used a descriptive research design and comprised 8671 employees from 107 pharmaceutical enterprises in Nairobi County. Fisher's formula yielded a sample size of 384 respondents chosen by stratified random sampling. Structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data, and SPSS version 28 was used for analysis, which included descriptive (means, frequencies, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (correlation, regression). The key findings demonstrated substantial relationships between internal locus of control and specific personality factors. There was a substantial positive association discovered between internal locus of control, agreeableness (r=0.58, p=0.01), and conscientiousness (r=0.61, p=0.000). However, the internal locus of control and extraversion showed no significant correlation (r=-0.28, p=0.22). In contrast, the external locus of control had a mild positive association with agreeableness (r=0.16, p=0.001) and a moderately positive and substantial link with extraversion (r=0.34, p=0.001). A considerable inverse association was found between external locus of control and conscientiousness (r=-0.63, p=0.000). These findings highlight the complicated interaction between locus of control orientations and personality factors among personnel in Kenya's pharmaceutical industry. Further, transformational and democratic leadership styles were found to modulate the link between internal locus of control and agreeableness/conscientiousness. Laissez-faire and transactional leadership styles had no significant effect on the connection between internal locus of control and personality attributes. However, transformational, transactional, and democratic leadership styles had a significant impact on the link between external locus of control and personality qualities such as agreeableness, extraversion, and conscientiousness, whereas laissez-faire leadership style did not. The study revealed that employees' locus of control is important in influencing their personality traits at pharmaceutical companies in Kenya. Both internal and external locus of control are important considerations, with transformational and democratic leadership styles amplifying their positive effects on employee personality. Based on these findings, it was suggested that leaders foster a leadership culture based on transformative and democratic values. Additionally, customised techniques should be devised to reduce the detrimental effect of external locus of control beliefs on employee conscientiousness. Mentorship programmes and organised goal-setting frameworks were recommended as possible techniques for improving employee accountability and organisational abilities

Conflicts Between Indigenous Pygmy Peoples, the Local Community and the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Eastern of the DRC: Conflict Management Strategies towards Perspectives for Peaceful Cohabitation

Jean De Dieu Mangambu-Mokoso — 2024-06-24

The main goal of this study was to document and analyse the consequences of conflicts between Indigenous Pygmy peoples and local communities on one side, and the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) on the other. Furthermore, the study aimed to develop strategies to manage these conflicts drawing up effective recommendations for sustainable solutions. The park was created in 1970, with a 600-ha surface area. By the 1975 ordinance, the area was extended increasing its surface area up to 600,000 ha. To collect data, we used a literature review and field surveys, including a one-month pre-survey and a two-month survey. Several techniques were applied (direct disengaged observation; documentary technique; group discussions; individual semi-structured interviews). The data were analysed using SPSS174 software. The results confirm existing conflicts between the KBNP, the indigenous Pygmy peoples and the other riparian communities. The conflict has resulted in killings, clashes using knives, bullets and rifles, and a massive return of indigenous Pygmy peoples into the park. This conflict has taken root as a result of the unpreparedness of the indigenous peoples in the process of their relocation outside the KBNP before the creation and enlargement of the protected area. Moreover, other riverside communities and the indigenous Pygmy peoples are in conflict with the Park due to the non-access to the protected area

Public Relations and Service Delivery in Local Government in Uganda: Assessing the Impact of Public Relations and Challenges in Service Delivery in the Case of Gulu District Local Government in Northern Uganda

James Onono Ojok — 2024-06-29

This study is part of the Masters’ Dissertation for the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication at Uganda Christian University, Mukono, titled Analysing the Role of Public Relations in Service Delivery by Local Governments: The Case of Gulu District Local Government in Northern Uganda. The Excellence theory of Grunig and Hunt (1984) and Roger’s Diffusion theory of innovation (1962) informed the analytical framework of this study. The study was conducted in the traditional Gulu district under the jurisdiction and governance of Gulu district local government. The areas covered ranged from the two divisions within Gulu Municipality, Layibi and Pece, with a stretch-out to the Bungatira sub-county. In the case of Gulu district local government, the study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches where 243 respondents were sampled using purposive and convenience sampling to select the participants. The study found that over 230 Kilometre Road was opened in the year 2017-2021 without any conflict. The study also found that there was an increase in handwashing practices because of the involvement of the community through sensitisation and the use of different communication platforms. The study exposed professional growth challenges for Public Relations professionals at the district level as the working environment provides no hierarchical growth in the Public Relations office as the structure in place doesn’t accommodate promotion to senior or mid-level compared to other offices in Gulu District Local Government. The study argues that Public Relations has the capacity to achieve more in terms of supporting or enhancing service delivery, provided there is a deliberate attempt to develop a feedback communication strategy for most public goods or services. Additionally, with full management or administration support for the public relations department for smooth operation, this study agrees that public relations can improve service delivery in any setting in local government

Spatial Interactions of a City-Region Using GIS and Survey-based Data

Evidence Chinedu Enoguanbhor, PhD — 2024-07-02

The concept of spatial interaction deduced from Newton’s first law of motion, which has been extended from interactions between two points of elements e.g., two cities to interactions between other points of other elements in a system, e.g., more than two cities, can be applied to elucidate settlements spatial interaction at the regional scale, particularly a city-region as a system. Elucidating the levels of spatial interactions in city-regions is crucial to support decision-making processes in regional development planning and policies, which in turn contributes to sustainable regional developments if implemented fully. The current study, therefore, combined Geographic Information Systems and survey-based data to evaluate the level of spatial interactions of a city-region as a system to support sustainable regional development planning and policies using the defined Abuja city-region as a case study. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of residents, land cover maps that were produced using Remote Sensing processes of satellite image classification, and urban and regional land use plans. An integrated analysis was deployed, including descriptive statistics and spatial analysis through extraction, digitization, overlay, clipping, and geometrical calculation processes. Key findings showed that the work location for most residents in satellite settlements is Abuja city. Also, the study showed that while Lugbe, Kubwa, and Old Karu settlements have the highest level of spatial interaction with Abuja city, Kuje and Gwagwalada settlements have the lowest level of spatial interaction. The findings and their associated implications of the current study are useful to support decision-makers in planning and policies for the spatial distribution of urban infrastructures across settlements that make up defined city-regions in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular and in the Global South in general