It’s my brother’s birthday today. I really can’t wrap my head around the fact that he’s 23 now… I think he’ll always be 16 to me! 🙂 Anyway, that’s why I’m not around much, because we’re having family time and we’ll probably spend the evening playing boardgames and watching movies.

I’ve also created a new category here in the blog, especially for uni-centered posts like this. Seeing that my thesis year is slowly but surely approaching, this seemed like a good idea.

And talking uni: I managed to finish going through the literature for my paper and to fine-tune my table of contents. Now I just have to get over my hesitation to actually start writing the actual paper – that always makes me nervous for some reason. This time even more so because I’m writing under time pressure, in English, for a native speaker (the prof is South African). But I know that once I get into the groove of things, everything should be fine…

In case you’re interested in what exactly I’m always whining about:

Working title: Dead Men Working: A historical-anthropological look at the modern zombie phenomenon in Africa.
Required length: 25 pages
Deadline: around July 15 (prof leaves July 19 and would like it before then)

Outline for the professor

1. Introduction

2. Zombies in today’s Africa: a description
The Zombie phenomenon in South Africa and Cameroon – similarities and differences. Connections to the West. Sexual dimension. Dealing with zombies. Accusers and accused (generational dimension). Presence in the media and in courts.

3. Zombies in time: a historical perspective
Roots of the zombie phenomenon. Sehihi in South Africa. Shipoko in Mozambique. Cameroon: Bakweri beliefs of nyongo and Obasinjom from 1950s on. Maka witchcraft beliefs. Ekong/nganga beliefs with the Duala. -> Mt. Kupe.

4. Zombies in a neoliberal economy: a symptom
Connections between the zombie phenomenon and neoliberalism, parallels to immigrant laborers. Zombie as “the ultimate nonstandard worker”. Magic as the only way to get to the new forms of wealth. Generational conflict as result of new economic situation.

5. Conclusion

6. Bibliography:
Comaroff and Comaroff: “Occult economies and the violence of abstraction”
Comaroff and Comaroff: “Alien Nation”
de Rosny: Die Augen meiner Ziege.
Geschiere: The Modernity of Witchcraft.
Harries: Work, Culture, and Identity.
Hunter: Reaction to Conquest.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Zombies in today’s Africa: a description
2.1. Zombies in South Africa
2.1.1. Northwest Province
2.2. Zombies in Cameroon
2.2.1. Nyongo
2.2.2. Ekong
2.2.3. Mt. Kupe
2.3. Zombies in the public eye

3. Zombies in time: a historical perspective
3.1. Zombies in South Africa
3.1.1. Sehihi
3.1.2. Izithunzela
3.2. Zombies in Cameroon
3.2.1. Nyongo
3.2.2. Ekong
3.2.3. Mt. Kupe
3.3. Zombies in Mozambique
3.3.1. Dlukula
3.3.2. Shipoko

4. Zombies in a neoliberal economy: a symptom
4.1. Zombies and occult economies
4.2. Zombies and generational conflict
4.3. Zombies and migrant laborers

5. Conclusion

6. Bibliography