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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies
11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Teacher's trade unionism : Pluralism, claiming and construction of the state in Benin .
| Panel |
17. States at work: African public services in comparative perspective
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| Paper ID | 180 |
| Author(s) |
Azizou, Chabi Imorou
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| Paper |
No paper submitted
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| Abstract | The paper tries to argue the first results of an ongoing Ph.D research started in Benin (former Dahomey) since January 2006. This research project aims at studying teacher’s trade unionism, as a component of a comparative research program about the ‘’real working’’ of the state within the framework of the program "States at Work. Public Services and Civil Servants in West Africa: Education and Justice in Benin, Ghana, Mali and Niger". In a context marked by numerous trade unions and corporatists’ claims (more than 20 unions), this survey puts in perspective practices and actions which are characteristic for the professional identities within the public service of education. How is the “real functioning” of the State and its public service inscribed in and expressed by teacher’s trade unionism ? What ''professional cultures ‘’ can we observe in the daily practices of teacher’s trade unions ? To answer these questions, the long-term research project will use a socio-historical approach of an empirical type to approach a domain which had been neglected for some time by researchers in social studies both in the north and the south. The project is based on the fact that teachers’ trade unions constitute a group of school’s actors which mode of involvement to the working of the education service are to be demonstrated empirically. The developing theory will thus be grounded. At the macro level, the study will focus on interactions between trade unions and public policies on education (institutional approach) and in micro level it will concern link between teacher and the public service that he assures (actor approach).The methodological framework will be based on documentary research, an analysis of the local and trade union press, intensive interviews with actors, case studies on selected claims and/or conflicts and biographies of leaders over several generations. Investigations will be done in urban (Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou) and rural areas (Banikoara).
KEYS-WORDS : Trade-unionism - Empiric approach - Public service – Teachers Trade union’s strategies - Professional identities – Conflicts - Policies - Benin.
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