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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:'Se débrouiller' or the art of serendipity in historical research
Author:Wild-Wood, EmmaISNI
Year:2007
Periodical:History in Africa
Volume:34
Pages:367-381
Language:English
Geographic term:Congo (Democratic Republic of)
Subjects:research methods
anthropological research
External link:http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/history_in_africa/v034/34.1wild-wood.pdf
Abstract:In the Democratic Republic of Congo the phrase 'se débrouiller' (to manage, to sort things out) has entered the realm of myth, joke and national identity. The Congolese know that they must learn how to manage on their own, to sort things out by themselves. They understand themselves as those who endure hardship, but have the resilience to rise to whatever comes their way, to cope with the unexpected. In what way does the Western researcher engage with this type of corporate consciousness in Congo? In what way does it affect the manner in which historical research is carried out? How does this impinge on the response of the Congolese to the researcher? This paper uses the particular example of 'se débrouiller' in Congo to explore the interface between the good practice expected of those undertaking fieldwork in Africa and the cultural identity and expectations of those who contribute to that research by their willingness to share their knowledge with the researcher. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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