DOCSLIB.ORG

Multilingual Practices of Senegalese Immigrants in Paris and Rome: a Comparative Study of Language Use and Identity Construction

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Multilingual Practices of Senegalese Immigrants in Paris and Rome: A Comparative Study of Language Use and Identity Construction By Maya Angela Smith A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Romance Languages and Literatures in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Professor Richard Kern, Chair Professor Mairi McLaughlin Professor Claire Kramsch Spring 2013 Multilingual Practices of Senegalese Immigrants in Paris and Rome: A Comparative Study of Language Use and Identity Construction Copyright 2013 By Maya Angela Smith Abstract Multilingual Practices of Senegalese Immigrants in Paris and Rome: A Comparative Study of Language Use and Identity Construction by Maya Angela Smith Doctor of Philosophy in Romance Languages and Literatures University of California, Berkeley Professor Richard Kern, Chair This study investigates language use, language acquisition, and identity construction among Senegalese immigrants in Paris and Rome. Whereas previous research in second language acquisition (SLA) has focused on the relationship between identity and language use in single sites, this study compares how immigrants from one country learn and use language in two different settings. The study’s research questions are the following: 1) How do immigrants conceptualize identity in relation to dominant ideologies in the host country? 2) How do these notions of identity affect immigrants’ language learning, and more generally, their language use? 3) How do immigrants express identity through their use of multiple languages? Through ethnographic fieldwork incorporating interviews, recorded conversations, and participant-observations, the study shows how these two groups, Senegalese immigrants in Paris and Senegalese immigrants in Rome, conceptualize and perform their identities through multilingual practices. Based on the discourse analytic approach adopted in the study, it is not only what they say that conveys certain understandings of self and environment. It is also how they speak—the ways in which they switch between languages and structure their discourse— that contributes to their expression of identity. By juxtaposing the experiences of immigrants in a country with a strong colonial tie (France) to those in a country with no such relationship but with high levels of current immigration (Italy), the study presents a nuanced and detailed analysis of the relationship between host country and migrant community. With regard to the first question, the study shows that Senegalese immigrants in France have a more complex relationship to the host country than do Senegalese immigrants in Italy because of historical and social factors that influence how they relate to the language as well as to the second language culture. In both sites, not only did dominant discourses position Senegalese immigrants as “the Other” but in many instances the informants also positioned themselves in such a way. However, this “othering” was found to be more conflictual for the informants in France precisely because they demonstrated greater expectation and desire to be regarded as members of the in-group. In addition, Senegalese immigrants in Rome developed their language ideologies from personal experiences, whereas those in Paris formulated their ideologies not only out of personal experiences but also based on historical factors. Concerning the second question, contrary to what was expected, the findings 1 suggest that having to learn Italian did not dissuade Senegalese immigrants from migrating to Italy, nor did the majority of them have difficulties learning Italian because they used their knowledge of French to facilitate the process of acquisition. The informants also indicated that the multilingual context to which they were accustomed in Senegal created motivation to learn another language such as Italian. With regard to the third question, the study finds that just as in Senegal, many informants in Paris and Rome expressed a desire to use multiple languages in creative ways, implying that being multilingual is a valued aspect of their identity. However, multilingual practices such as code-switching were more common in the data from Rome, which may be because multilingual practices such as code-switching did not seem to affect the informants’ perceived linguistic competence as much as it does in Paris. Previous studies have focused on identity markers but do not fully contextualize these markers. The present study aims to fill this gap. Overall, this study shows how language ideologies and the identities that are constructed within them are context-dependent, foregrounding the dynamic nature of identity and demonstrating that comparative studies make these relationships salient. The study, therefore, not only corroborates previous studies that argue for the importance of factors such as race/ethnicity in second language environments, but also, by virtue of its comparative dimension, more adequately highlights how the specific relationship between immigrant group and host country setting influences language acquisition and identity construction. 2 For Emily, Elton, and Jonathan i TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ v INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1: Literature Review .................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Second Language Acquisition (SLA) ................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Sociolinguistic SLA ............................................................................................................................ 6 1.2.1 Competence .................................................................................................................................. 7 1.2.1.1 Native speaker/Non-native speaker....................................................................................... 8 1.2.1.2 Center vs. Periphery .............................................................................................................. 9 1.2.2 Language ideologies .................................................................................................................... 9 1.2.3 Language use ............................................................................................................................. 11 1.2.4 Settings ....................................................................................................................................... 12 1.2.4.1 Natural settings ................................................................................................................... 13 1.2.4.2 Comparative studies ............................................................................................................ 14 1.3 Identity .............................................................................................................................................. 15 1.3.1 Approaches ................................................................................................................................ 16 1.3.2 Identity in SLA .......................................................................................................................... 18 1.3.3 Variables .................................................................................................................................... 20 1.3.3.1 Social class .......................................................................................................................... 21 1.3.3.2 Race and Ethnicity .............................................................................................................. 23 1.3.3.3 Gender ................................................................................................................................. 25 1.4 Multilingualism ................................................................................................................................. 26 1.4.1 Code-switching .......................................................................................................................... 28 1.4.1.1 Approaches to code-switching ............................................................................................ 28 1.5 Research aims ................................................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER 2: Methodology .......................................................................................................... 33 2.1 Field work: an ethnographic approach .............................................................................................. 33 2.1.1 Participant observation ............................................................................................................... 35 2.1.2 The interview ............................................................................................................................. 36 2.1.3 Audio recordings ........................................................................................................................ 37 2.1.4
Recommended publications
  • Stiwanismo En Un Contexto Africano 1

    Stiwanismo En Un Contexto Africano 1

    Stiwanismo en un contexto africano1 Stiwanism, feminism in an African context Molara Ogundipe-Leslie University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Recibido el 19 de marzo de 2002. Aceptado el 19 de abril de 2002. BIBLID [ l l 34-6396(2002)9: 1; 59-92] RESUMEN Molara Ogundipe plantea en este texto cuáles son las distintas situaciones de las mujeres africanas en el contexto actual, de un África en proceso de modernización pero en que a la vez las diferentes tradiciones continúan vivas, y cuáles han de ser los proyectos emancipatorios que las mujeres deberían llevar a cabo. En este sentido, Ogundipe hace un repaso histórico y considera que las mujeres han estado siempre presentes, en primer plano y de manera activa, en los procesos de liberación del continente africano, pero sus demandas han sido siempre relegadas a un papel secundario; y, asimismo, es evidente que no hay cambio social posible en positivo cuando no se cuenta con las mujeres. Así pues, la propuesta de Molara Ogundipe consiste en una Transformación Social que Incluya a las mujeres en África, el concepto Stiwanismo (Social Transformation Including Women in Africa). Palabras clave: Feminismos. África. Mujeres africanas. Stiwanismo. Imperialismo cultural. ABSTRACT In this text Molara Ogundipe raises the issue of the different situation of African women currently, in the context of Africa as a continent in the process of modemization, with different live traditions. She also focuses on the emancipatory projects that women engage in. In her review of history, Ogundipe considers that women are always present in a very active way, in the process of liberation of the African continent.
  • Toubab: an American Doctor in West Africa

    Toubab: an American Doctor in West Africa

    BOOK REVIEWS Toubab: An American Doctor in toubab, experienced in Africa. He was Africa Medicine and Education West Africa assigned to the emergency department (WAME), a nonprofit program to help of the major hospital in The Gambia. His support medical care and general edu - By David Levine, DO. 281 pp, $25.00. ISBN: text relates numerous insightful experi - cation for West African children. The 978-0-9821064-1-9. Self-published; 2010. ences of friendships, cultural collisions, book notes that all profits from the sale sickness, frustrations, heartbreak, anger, of Toubab will be donated to WAME. The Gambia is a poor, small country in happiness, and much more. A couple Buying this book will help these kids West Africa in which day-to-day life is a examples follow: survive a difficult life. challenge. Healthcare services available My recommendation is to buy there are only a fraction of the services [Stunning to me were] the depth and Toubab and read it, and then try to pic - available in even the smallest towns in breadth of the chasm of ignorance of ture yourself living in such poor condi - the United States. I imagine that condi - the average Gambian about illness. A tions. You will leave Dr Levine’s story tions in most of Central Africa are sim - friend will report to me, “My auntie with a greater appreciation for what we ilar to those in The Gambia. In 2006, is in the hospital.” have in the United States, despite all the “Oh,” I say, “what is wrong with David Levine, DO, a family physician distractions that we’re experiencing in her?” from Washington State, volunteered for medicine today.
  • 7-Perez Crozas.Pmd 129 14/04/2010, 15:06 130 Afrique Et Développement, Vol

    7-Perez Crozas.Pmd 129 14/04/2010, 15:06 130 Afrique Et Développement, Vol

    Afrique et développement, Vol. XXXIV, No. 2, 2009, pp. 129–158 © Conseil pour le développement de la recherche en sciences sociales en Afrique, 2009 (ISSN 0850-3907) Des lançados aux expatriés :1 « l’Ethnie2 Blanche »3 entre les fleuves Sénégal et Casamance Armonia Pérez Crosas* Résumé La région comprise entre les fleuves Sénégal et Casamance a un long parcours historique de contact et de présence de l’homme Blanc occidental. Même si les personnages et les situations qu’ont conformé « l’Ethnie Blanche » pendant le temps ont été très variés, il existe des caractéristiques qui se répètent, des continuités associées avec l’ambiguïté du statut social, des relations entre les sexes ou les spécialisations économiques, à la frontière entre le local et le global. L’article explore cette durabilité d’une frontière culturelle, en proposant des pistes de recherche à partir de la figure des lançados. L’analyse montre des indices, des parallélismes réitérés entre les effets des varia- tions dans les conditions frontalières sur le collectif « Blanc », en oscillant entre le maintien de son identité et l’intégration dans les communautés autochtones. L’auteur estime qu’une perspective de longue durée aiderait à comprendre l’articulation actuelle des contingents de coopérants et d’agents économiques qui arrivent à la région, compréhension qui pourrait être extrapolée à d’autres zones du continent. Abstract The region located between the Senegal and the Casamance rivers has a long history of the presence of Western white men. Although the characters and situations modeled by the ‘White Ethnic Group’ over time have been very varied, there are characteristics that are repeated, continuities associated with the ambiguity of social status, gender relations or economic specializations, on the boundary between both * Agrupament per a la Recerca i la Docència d’Àfrica (ARDA), Université de Barcelone.
  • 1 Beyond the Economic Impetus For

    1 Beyond the Economic Impetus For

    BEYOND THE ECONOMIC IMPETUS FOR MIGRATION: PRE-MIGRATION COGNITIONS, SUBJECTIVITIES, AND OCCIDENTALISMS IN THE AFRICAN POSTCOLONY By FELICIA CHIGOZIE ANONYUO-NWAENYI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2009 1 © 2009 Felicia Chigozie Anonyuo-Nwaenyi 2 I dedicate this dissertation to Africa that was and will be, and to all who work for her good; to my son, Augustine Chidubem Nwaenyi, my guiding light, Peaceful River without foe, the calm voice in the middle of the storm; to my mother, Susanna Ozuzuaku Anonyuo, teacher of harmony and dignity, everywoman; to the memory of my father and ancestor, Samuel Igboabuchukwu Anonyuo, eternal sage; to my Heavenly Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit whose Love and Grace have shielded and yoked me forever. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I doubt that I can adequately acknowledge everyone that contributed to the realization of my objectives for this research project, and must therefore state upfront that the names and parties mentioned here are not representative of those who deserve credit for their unconditional and selfless support for this project. I crave the indulgence of my unacknowledged benefactors. My eternal gratitude to Dr. Faye V. Harrison who consistently cheered me on and said yes from start to finish, through trying and tranquil moments, through thick and thin. To have an advisor who never rides the high horse and never demands an appointment, who knows how to hold back her encyclopedic knowledge to make mine important, who has stayed up past midnight working with me over the phone to get a document draft just right, who is ready to share her wisdom and lend a helping hand anytime and anywhere, is to be uniquely blessed.
  • Escaping the Tyranny of Writing: West African Regimes of Writing As A

    Escaping the Tyranny of Writing: West African Regimes of Writing As A

    Lüpke, Friederike. In press. Escaping the tyranny of writing: West African regimes of writing as a model for multilingual literacy In: Juffermans, Kasper & Constanze Weth (eds.) The tyranny of writing: Ideologies of the written word. London: Bloomsbury: 203-231. Escaping the tyranny of writing: West African regimes of writing as a model for multilingual literacy Friederike Lüpke SOAS, University of London 1 Setting the scene orthography is a social practice, and orthographic systems rarely evolve into the perfect phonemic systems that language technologists (e.g.: linguists and missionaries) envisage. (Mc Laughlin forthcoming). The standard orthographies devised for West African languages by missionaries and linguists are barely used. Yet, other regimes of writing are thriving in the area: some of them have exploded with the advent of social media and mobile phones, and some of them have long predated colonial times. Taking inspiration from these unrecognized regimes, I argue in favour of abandoning a standard language culture for (most of) West African writing and for using actually occurring literacy practices as a model. These regimes offer a culturally anchored way of writing that is better adapted to the fluid multilingual contexts of this region than a regime relying on establishing and maintaining several monolingual standard language cultures in one of the most densely multilingual areas of the world. In West Africa, every individual speaks at least two different named languages, and many speakers command very complex repertoires (Lüpke & Storch 2013 for an overview). Languages express social, historical, religious and political identities at best partly instantiated in prescriptive writing; they have no clear reference to and no direct manifestation in actual speech, which makes the use of languages or codes less than ideal to describe oral linguistic repertoires.

  • Perspectives from French West Indian Literature

    ON BEING WEST INDIAN IN POST-WAR METROPOLITAN FRANCE: PERSPECTIVES FROM FRENCH WEST INDIAN LITERATURE by ROSALIE DEMPSY MARSHALL A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of French Studies University of Birmingham 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. In memory of Gloria, Luddy, Dorcas and Harry Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Jennifer Birkett, for her patience, encouragement, and good advice when these were sorely needed; and also Dr Conrad James, who helped to ease me into French West Indian writing at the beginning of my studies, and who supervised my research in Jennifer’s absence. I am grateful to my dear parents, who kept faith with me over several years, and gave me the time and space to pursue this piece of scholarship. Abstract Most research into contemporary French West Indian literature focuses on writing that stresses the significance of the plantation and urban cultures of the islands in the early to mid-twentieth century or, more recently, on the desire of some writers to explore broader trans-national influences or environments.
  • Original Paper Nollywood: Indigenous Culture, Interculturality, and The

    Original Paper Nollywood: Indigenous Culture, Interculturality, and The

    Communication, Society and Media ISSN 2576-5388 (Print) ISSN 2576-5396 (Online) Vol. 3, No. 1, 2020 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm Original Paper Nollywood: Indigenous Culture, Interculturality, and the Transplantation of American Popular Culture onto Postcolonial Nigerian Film and Screen Samba DIOP1* 1 Researcher, Center for Multilingualism in Society across the Lifespan, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway * Samba DIOP, Researcher, Center for Multilingualism in Society across the Lifespan, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Received: October 30, 2019 Accepted: November 12, 2019 Online Published: December 12, 2019 doi:10.22158/csm.v3n1p12 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/csm.v3n1p12 Abstract Nigeria, the Giant of Africa, has three big tribes: Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa. It was a British colony which was amalgamated in 1914. The country became independent in 1962 and was right away bedeviled by military coups d’états and a bloody civil war (1967-1970). In 1999, the country experienced democratic dispensation. In the 1990s, the Nollywood nascent movie industry—following in the footpath of Hollywood and Bollywood—flourished. The movie industry grew thanks to four factors: Rapid urbanization; the hand-held video camera; the advent of satellite TV; and, the overseas migrations of Nigerians. Local languages are used in these films; however, English is the most prominent, along with Nigerian pidgin broken English. Many themes are treated in these films: tradition and customs, religion, witchcraft and sorcery, satire, urban and rural lives, wealth acquisition, consumerism, etc. I discuss the ways in which American popular culture is adopted in Nigeria and recreated on screen.
  • The Traditional Wolof Voice Lessons from a Griot in Pout, Senegal

    The Traditional Wolof Voice Lessons from a Griot in Pout, Senegal

    The Traditional Wolof Voice Lessons from a Griot in Pout, Senegal French, Lucy Academic Director: Diallo, Souleye Project Advisor: Seye, Ousmane Washington University in St. Louis Anthropology Africa, Senegal, Dakar and Pout Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Senegal Arts and Culture, SIT Study Abroad, Spring 2009 French ii Acknowledgments: To Nar, for our friendship, your tremendous hospitality, and for all that you have taught me. À la prochaine fois. Table of contents: 1. Abstract………………………………………………………………….1 2. Introduction……………………………………………………………...1 3. Context…………………………………………………………………..2 4. Methodologies…………………………………………………………...4 5. Findings and Analysis……………………………………………………7 6. Difficulties encountered…………………………………………………19 7. Conclusion……………………………………………………………….20 8. Reference List……………………………………………………………20 Printed Sources……………………………………………………..20 Websites…………………………………………………………….21 Interviews…………………………………………………………...21 French ii Abstract: This alternative project comprised of a three-week long, intensive study of traditional Wolof singing. I took twenty hours of voice lessons from a griot teacher in Pout, Senegal, with the intention of acquiring a rich knowledge of Wolof vocal music and the skills to perform for an audience. My Wolof teacher, Nar Diop, taught me seven songs by ear throughout our six classes together. In addition to perfecting, memorizing, and preparing for a final performance piece, I translated the lyrics of each song into English and French in order to analyze their content and investigate their origins and significance to Senegalese culture. Introduction: My initial attractions to this project stemmed from my passion for singing and my desire to find and commit to an independent study that would only be feasible in Senegal. Certain types of research can be conducted anywhere in the world if the resources are available.
  • Multi-Lingual Digital Library for West African Sources

    Multi-Lingual Digital Library for West African Sources

    Multi-lingual Digital Library for West African Sources Description of the Project Research teams at Michigan State University (MSU), including H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences OnLine, the African Studies Center, and the MSU Library, and in Dakar, Senegal at the Institut Fondemental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN) and the West African Research Center (WARC), seek to develop a multi-media digital library of West African sources in multiple languages. This Multi-lingual Digital Library for West African Sources (MDL-WAS) will benefit scholars and students conducting research and teaching about West Africa as well as teachers and students of African languages in both the United States and West Africa. It also will provide a valuable model for creating and distributing a diverse array of materials in a region with very limited electronic connectivity. This project will select a full range of materials that encompass diverse formats as a testbed to develop and test systems that require solutions to problems such as digitization and searching multi- lingual oral materials and texts, copyright and economic rights across national boundaries, and distribution of digital library materials in a Third World regions where there is limited connectivity. The number of collections and items selected from them will be restricted deliberately in this early phase of the project. Funding will be sought from other sources to expand upon this research project and build a large online multi-media collection. In addition to providing salary for researchers and administrators of this project, IFAN is applying to the International Development Research Centre of Canada through its Senegalese office to fund the African portion of this project.
  • CAPSTONE 20-2 Africa Field Study Trip Book Part II

    CAPSTONE 20-2 Africa Field Study Trip Book Part II

    CAPSTONE 20-2 Africa Field Study Trip Book Part II Subject Page Djibouti ....................................................................... CIA World Fact Book .............................................. 2 BBC Country Profile ............................................... 21 Culture Gram .......................................................... 26 Kenya ......................................................................... CIA World Fact Book .............................................. 35 BBC Country Profile ............................................... 56 Culture Gram .......................................................... 60 Niger .......................................................................... CIA World Fact Book .............................................. 70 BBC Country Profile ............................................... 90 Culture Gram .......................................................... 94 Senegal ...................................................................... CIA World Fact Book .............................................. 103 BBC Country Profile ............................................... 123 Culture Gram .......................................................... 128 Africa :: Djibouti — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency Page 1 of 19 AFRICA :: DJIBOUTI Introduction :: DJIBOUTI Background: The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president
  • Terànga and the Art of Hospitality: Engendering the Nation, Politics, and Religion in Dakar, Senegal

    Terànga and the Art of Hospitality: Engendering the Nation, Politics, and Religion in Dakar, Senegal

    TERÀNGA AND THE ART OF HOSPITALITY: ENGENDERING THE NATION, POLITICS, AND RELIGION IN DAKAR, SENEGAL By Emily Jenan Riley A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Anthropology - Doctor of Philosophy 2016 ABSTRACT TERÀNGA AND THE ART OF HOSPITALITY: ENGENDERING THE NATION, POLITICS AND RELIGION IN DAKAR, SENEGAL By Emily Jenan Riley Senegal, a Muslim majority and democratic country, has long coined itself as "le pays de la terànga" (Land of Hospitality). This dissertation explores the central importance of terànga– the Wolof word which encapsulates the generous and civic-minded qualities of individuals – to events such as weddings and baptisms, women’s political process, as well as everyday calculated and improvisational social encounters. Terànga is both the core symbol, for many, of Senegalese nationalism and collective identity, and the source of contentious and polarizing debates surrounding its qualities and meanings. The investigation of terànga throughout this dissertation exposes the complexities of social and gender ideologies and practices in Senegal. In addition, this dissertation aspires to investigate the subjectivities, and conditions of Senegalese women as well as their contributions to the social, religious, and political realities of contemporary Senegal, and Dakar more specifically. This dissertation focuses on how terànga is debated, talked about, and performed by several groups. First, it investigates the public discourses of terànga as a gendered symbol of national culture and its central importance to the construction of female subjects in their navigation of courtship, marriage, and family relations. Second, an exposé of family ceremonies and the women who conduct them, demonstrates generational shifts in the interpretation and value given to the process of terànga in a contemporary moment where daughters are redefining its meaning from that of their mother's generation.
  • Mbalax: Traces of Tradition in Senegalese Hip-Hop a MASTER's THESIS SUBMITTED to the GRADUATE FACULTY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY by MI

    Mbalax: Traces of Tradition in Senegalese Hip-Hop a MASTER's THESIS SUBMITTED to the GRADUATE FACULTY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY by MI

    Mbalax: Traces of Tradition in Senegalese Hip-Hop A MASTER’S THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BY MIKAYLA WINNER SIMERAL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ETHNOMUSICOLOGY December 22, 2017 Acknowledgements The moment I first visited Africa in 2007, I knew I was meant to do more than visit and leave. I have dreamt of executing musical research on this beautiful continent ever since that day, and ten years later, here I am. This study would not be possible without the assistance and support of some very meaningful people in my life. First, I would like to thank Adja and Mommy Gna Gna for opening their home to me in Dakar. Thank you for your patience and kind support through all of my ups and downs. Bisou bisou to you both. Bouna and Neesa, if it weren’t for you two I would have never gone to Senegal. Thank you for inspiring me to want to learn more about your vibrant culture and allowing me to stay with your family. You are both such a blessing in my life and I can’t imagine what this study would have been without you. Ibou and Paco, my drum teachers at Africa Tilibo, I will always have a special place in my heart for the both of you. Thank you for your patience, your persistence, your smiles, your afternoon tea and your wealth of drumming knowledge. Africa Tilibo became my second home in Senegal, and I will never forget my lessons underneath the mango tree.