Students+needed!

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** Fieldwork Opportunities for BSc/MSc Students **

= **//We are currently recruiting B.Sc. or M.Sc. students to participate in the fieldwork supporting this research. Students will either take part in fieldwork in Benin (2011) or the fieldwork in Gabon (2012).//** = = = = =

= **//Ritual and Magic Plants of Benin//** =

__Background__: The project “Plant use of the Motherland: linking West-African and Afro-Caribbean Ethnobotany” is an initiative by Tinde van Andel which in 2010 was granted funding by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). This will be the first comparative study of ethnobotany in both the African and American continents and its aims and objectives are constructed around a central research question: “how African is Afro-Caribbean plant use?” In order to answer the question above, the proposed research will focus on three aspects:

1. medicinal plants in trade, 2. plants for African and Afro-Caribbean rituals, and 3. plants used for women’s health and child care.

Selected students will research the first two aspects in Benin.

__Why plants used in religion and magic?__ Commonly, scientists tend to group African religion and magic and the rites that are related to their practice into the “obscure” and metaphysical science. This attitude does not only overlook an important aspect of societal life in Africa but fails to acknowledge the interrelatedness of traditional religious beliefs to the concepts of health, the human psyche and the natural environment. Because plants do not only play an overriding role in African traditional medicine but also in religious practices, understanding their use within religion and magic poses a great potential to contribute to improved plant resource management and, ultimately, conservation.

__Thesis 1: Crops of the ancestors__ Objectives: Which qualities and virtues are given to edible crops grown in Benin that are related to the veneration of ancestors and gods/spirits? Are there special cultivated plants used for spiritual food offerings? Data of interest includes: recipes, botanic collections, names, and uses. Methods: Plant collection and herbarium identification, interviews, literature review, market survey Time Period: 4-6 months (of which 2 months of fieldwork in Benin between May and September, 2011)

__Thesis 2: The sustainability of ritual plant trade__ Objectives: Provide indications on the sustainability of commercial harvesting Methods: Plant collection and herbarium identification, interviews, literature review, market survey Time Period: 4-6 months (of which 2 months of fieldwork in Benin between May and September, 2011)

__Student Requirements__: - Knowledge of tropical flora and ethnobotany (priority given to students enrolled in “Tropical Plant Families” Course at NHN-Leiden, February 2011) - French language ability - Experience living in tropical/developing countries - Willingness to travel (Leiden-Wageningen) during preparation and data analysis - Enrollment in botany, agricultural sciences, anthropology or a similar field

For more information please contact Diana Quiroz ( diana.quiroz@wur.nl ) ======================================================================================================================================== = = = = = = = = = = = **//Plants used in Women’s Health and Childcare//** =

__Background__: The project “Plant use of the Motherland: linking West-African and Afro-Caribbean Ethnobotany” is an initiative by Tinde van Andel which in 2010 was granted funding by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). This will be the first comparative study of ethnobotany in both the African and American continents and its aims and objectives are constructed around a central research question: “how African is Afro-Caribbean plant use?” In order to answer the question above, the proposed research will focus on three aspects:

1. medicinal plants in trade, 2. plants for African and Afro-Caribbean rituals, and 3. plants used for women’s health and child care.

Selected students will research the first and third aspects.

__Introduction:__ Century-old traditions have shaped the use of plant species in fertility, magic, and the survival of children among the Ewe-Fon of Benin and the Bantu-Kikongo of Gabon. Because of the many taboos surrounding these issues, and the fact that until recently most researchers and informants happened to be male, women’s plant knowledge has been long neglected in studies on herbal medicine. This is a remarkable contradiction, as gynecological morbidity and infant mortality are among the most severe health problems in the Third World. In rural areas, where health centers are poorly equipped, women and children depend largely on traditional medicine. Doctors and anthropologists have expressed their concerns about the frequent use of herbs in women’s health and childcare, but little information is known on the actual plants involved in these practices. Which plant species are used for fertility, childbirth and menstruation in Benin and Gabon? What is the role of herbal medicine in the care of young children? From which vegetation types are these plants harvested? Are plants used for these purposes mainly cultivated or secondary weeds?

__Objectives:__ To identify medicinal plant species used for women’s health/childcare and document their collection, preparation and administration.

__Methods:__ Plant collection, plant identification in Herbaria, interviews, quantitative market survey

__Student Requirements__: - Knowledge of tropical flora and ethnobotany (priority given to students enrolled in “Tropical Plant Families” Course at NHN-Leiden, February 2011) - French language ability - Experience living in tropical/developing countries - Willingness to travel (Leiden-Wageningen) during preparation and data analysis - Enrollment in botany, agricultural sciences, anthropology or a similar field

__Duration__: 4-6 months; 2 months of fieldwork between May and September 2011 (Benin) or 2012 (Gabon)

To apply, please send a motivational cover letter and updated CV by **25 March 2011** for the **Benin** fieldwork opportunities. Applications for the fieldwork in **Gabon** will be accepted until **30 December 2011**.

Contact: For more information or to apply email Alexandra Towns ( towns@nhn.leidenuniv.nl)

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