Bodies in action: culture and body skills in post-conflict Sierra Leone Niet, A. van der Citation Niet, A. van der. (2010). Bodies in action: culture and body skills in post-conflict Sierra Leone. Leiden: African Studies Centre. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/15564 Version: Not Applicable (or Unknown) License: Leiden University Non-exclusive license Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/15564 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable). Bodies in action African Studies Centre African Studies Collection, vol. 24 Bodies in action Culture and body skills in post-conflict Sierra Leone Anneke van der Niet Published by: African Studies Centre P.O. Box 9555 2300 RB Leiden The Netherlands [email protected] http://www.ascleiden.nl Cover design: Heike Slingerland Cover photo: Anneke van der Niet Printed by Ipskamp Drukkers, Enschede ISSN: 1876-018X ISBN: 978-90-5448-094-5 © Anneke van der Niet, 2010 Contents List of pictures vii List of figures viii Acknowledgements ix Abstract xi Map of Sierra Leone xiii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Football in Africa 7 Football in Bo, Sierra Leone 8 Methodology 11 2. CULTURE SPECIFIC MOTOR SKILLS IN SOCIETY 14 Physical tasks of children 15 Physical culture in the village 23 Other performances in society 25 Learning the skills 27 3. PERFORMANCES IN FOOTBALL 32 Warming up 33 Training and factors affecting training 40 Learning of football skills 43 Differences between teams 46 4. RHYTHM AND THE BODY 49 Rhythm as a mechanism 51 Rhythm and village life 53 Rhythm and functioning of the body 55 5. BODY DEVELOPMENT AND MOTOR CONTROL 59 Body posture 59 Balance 63 Strength and endurance 65 Motor coordination 66 Athletic performance 68 v 6. THE BODY AND SOCIETY 71 Football during and after the war 72 Amputee football 75 The guilty body? 76 The body and society 79 7. CONCLUSIONS: CULTURE AND THE BODY 82 Appendix 1: Glossary 89 Appendix 2: List of video data on the DVD 91 Appendix 3: Pictures of the football teams 92 References 95 Attachment - DVD vi List of pictures 1.1 Announcement of a football game 7 2.1 & 2.2 Side and rear view of girl pounding rice 16 2.3 Base of support of woman pounding 17 2.4 - 2.15 Sequence of movements involved in the skill of pounding rice 18-19 2.16 Base of support of the girl pounding 20 2.17 - 2.22 Series of pictures of a boy carrying a bucket with water on his head 22 2.23 - 2.26 Villagers carrying heavy loads on the head 25 2.27 A man climbing a coconut tree 26 2.28 & 2.29 Frog sit, an example of a postural habit in Sierra Leone 26 2.30 - 2.47 Four girls carrying buckets with water back to the compound, showing how the oldest girl is guiding and assisting the youngest girl 28-30 3.1 A football team praying before training 33 3.2 A school football team performing its warming up in perfect synchrony 34 3.3 - 3.6 A school football team performing its warming up 35 3.7 & 3.8 A school football team performing its warming up 36 3.9 Running in a uniform rhythm 37 3.10 - 3.19 A rhythmic warming up involving skipping, heel raising, clapping and stretching 38 3.20 Example of the pitch 41 3.21 Football shoes 42 3.22 - 3.31 Small boys trying to imitate the rhythmic warming up of the foot-ball players 44-45 3.32 - 3.35 The amputee team during their warming up, creating a rhythm with their crutches 47 4.1 & 4.2 A school football team singing and running in rhythm 52 4.3 Villagers harvesting rice 53 4.4 Trampling rice with the feet 54 5.1 - 5.4 A girl walking with and without a heavy load on her head 61 5.5 A boy carrying a package of wood 63 5.6 A girl pounding rice, showing the curvature of the backbone 64 5.7 & 5.8 Back musculature of a boy carrying a bucket with water on his head and a girl pounding rice, clearly showing the Trapezius muscle, responsible for balance control 66 5.9 & 5.10 Boys playing football 70 6.1 & 6.2 Amputee football 76 vii List of figures 5.1 - 5.4 Stick figures 61 5.5 Centre of gravity of the body is moving upward when carrying a heavy load on the head 62 5.6 A stick figure of this boy, showing a strong curvature of the backbone 63 viii Acknowledgements I could not have done this research without the assistance of many people, of which I want to mention some in this word of thanks. First of all, my supervisor Paul Richards. From the first time we met, you were very enthusiastic about my ideas of doing research in which I would try to com- bine my knowledge as a human movement scientist with the more on social sciences conforming African studies. As ‘mister Sierra Leone’ you didn’t push me, but kindly encouraged my growing interest in this country. During my research, you let me stay in your house in Bo, which was a safe and nice environment to start doing research. It made me able to behave like a scientist and be myself in a different culture. During the research in Sierra Leone as well as the writing process back in the Netherlands, you assisted me on the back- ground. You gave me a lot of freedom while at the same time kept me on the right track. Also, you triggered my thoughts with new perspectives and sugges- tions for relevant literature. But most of all, you made me believe in myself as a researcher and the chances for this kind of research, which is a new area of re- search that has potential, and is therefore challenging but at times very difficult. You kept on motivating me to continue. Thanks for everything. I also want to thank my host family in Bo. Granny Kumba, Auntie Lilian, Janet, Matilda, Sonnie, Sonnie boy, Amie and the children Yatta, Kumba, Cice- lia, Esther, Abiose, Sheku, Aisatta. Thanks for being there, thanks for taking care of me. A special thanks here to Sonnie boy, without whom I could not have done this research. Thanks for being my research assistant and friend. I learned a lot about your culture from the long talks we had. Thanks also to Junior, for picking me up from my hotel in Freetown at the first days and showing me around. Thanks for your company. Thanks to all the football players from the first division, second division and sectional league, especially the coaches and players from Bo Rangers, Nepean Stars and All Stars. Thanks for receiving me with open arms in your environ- ment. Thanks for letting me join your training and thank you for all the answers you gave to my questions. Thanks for your stories and thanks for the good times. Special thanks to coach Rogers and Hallowell for your company. I hope I can do something in return for you in the near future. Thanks to the football players and coaches as well as PE teachers from the following schools: Ahmadiya junior and secondary school, Bo commercial junior ix and secondary school, Bo school, Christ the King College junior and secondary school, Sir Milton Comprehensive junior and secondary school, Methodist High school, Sierra Leone Muslim Brotherhood school, United Christian Council st. Andrews junior and secondary school. Thanks for your patience, thanks for answering all my questions, thanks for letting me have a look at the way you train. Thanks to the football players and coaches from the amputee team in Bo. Thanks for your stories, thanks for letting me have a look at the way you train. Thanks to the people from Kpatema, for your hospitality in the village, for let- ting me join during the harvest. One day, Nyanga will be back. Thanks to all the children in and around the compound. Some of you have been subject of my research without you knowing it. I observed you and learned a lot from you. Thanks Mirjam de Bruijn. Thanks for your assistance and your enthusiasm during my study. You made me feel welcome at the African Study Centre, made me believe I could add something despite my completely different background. Thanks for the nice talks we had. Last, I also want to thank my family and friends. Having a child, sister or friend that is taking these challenges is not always easy. But it is only because I know I have such a good support back home that I can do this. Thanks for everything. x Abstract This thesis reports on a study of the influence of culture on the techniques of the body, using video data to document body movements. The techniques of the body synchronize humans with surrounding conditions through learning and action practices. The physical and social environment in which we grow up determines to a large extent the way we make use of our body. Culture literally “shapes the body”; it influences the skills we acquire as well as how these skills are learned. The study was undertaken in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Here, the way of living of a majority of ordinary people demands a lot of the physical capabilities of both children and adults. Technical skills like cleaning (i.e. pounding) rice and carrying buckets with water on the head are daily activities that children learn from a very young age.