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We would like to cordially invite you to the Research Colloquium of the Master Program African Verbal and Visual Arts. Please find here the full schedule. 

If you would like to attend this presentation online, please email brady.c.blackburn@uni-bayreuth.de to request the Zoom link. In the upcoming colloquium, On Jun 23rd, Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Bamenda, Endurence Dissake will present on

Safeguarding tradition and building peace: The effect of codeswitching in the oral legal tradition of the Banen people

This research aims to investigate the linguistic accommodation strategies employed by the Banen people to protect their oral legal traditions and foster peaceful relations with neighbouring communities. The focus of this study is on African oral traditions, approached not from a monolingual perspective, as is often typical, but rather through a multilingual lens.

The project analyses code-switching among Tunen, Duala, and Bassa during traditional legal proceedings of the Banen, highlighting how linguistic strategies can help ease inter-tribal conflicts. Cameroon's linguistic diversity has historically fostered suspicions and animosities among various ethnic groups.

The Banen people, residing in the Littoral region of Cameroon, are particularly noteworthy for their practice of accommodating the linguistic codes of neighbouring communities through code-switching during oral legal proceedings. This expression of solidarity has revitalised the spirit of coexistence among the Banen and their neighbours.

The analysis of code-switching in Banen's traditional legal proceedings will be conducted both theoretically and
empirically. The empirical component will involve audio and video recordings of customary court activities, including hearings, deliberations, and verdicts.

The theoretical framework will incorporate three approaches: Multiplicity, Relationality, and Reflexivity. The anticipated
outcome of this research is the publication of a monograph that will demonstrate how linguistic strategies can serve as tools for cultural preservation and peace-making in a multilingual context.

Keywords: Codeswitching, Safeguard, Peace, Law, Languages, Traditions