Socioeconomic Characteristics of Child-Bearing Mothers and Feeding Practices of Under-Five Children in Kori Chiefdom, Sierra Leone

Introduction: The use of proper feeding practices is key for the overall development of children. Generally, breastfeeding and complementary feeding make up the diet and therefore the nutritional status of children. However, the degree to which mothers adhere to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regarding breastfeeding and complementary feeding is key to the nutritional status of children. Again, the adherence to this dietary recommendation is contingent on the socio-economic conditions of the child-bearing parents, especially the mothers. Here in this study, the socio-economic characteristics were analyzed along with the feeding practices of children not more than five years old in rural Sierra Leone. Method: Data were collected in 2017 on representative mothers with children within 0 - 5 years old. A total of 10 communities and 200 respondents were randomly covered in the Kori Chiefdom of Moyamba District, Sierra Leone. The data collection instruments included structured questionnaire, inter-personal interaction, personal observation and experience. The collected data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel and SPSS and the results presented in simple graphs. Results: A large number of the respondents were married teenage mothers with 1 - 2 children and living under extreme hardship by the United Nations (UN) standard. Also, most of the mothers were illiterate and started breastfeeding their children within the very hour of birth. Because complementary feeding was started all too early, exclusive breastfeeding last for not more than two months for most of the respondent mothers. Also, because rice is by far the most widely eaten the staple food in Sierra Leone, complementary food was mostly powdered rice mixed with salt and oil. Hardly was protein food supplement used as complementary food, probably due to the economic conditions of the poor rural women. Conclusion: The study has thrown sufficient light on the socio-economic characteristics and adopted feeding practices of children in poor rural Sierra Leone. In this sense, the study has laid the basis for sufficient for in-depth correlativity studies on the factors driving feeding practices of children and how it in turn impacts nutritional status of children in poor rural Africa. From here, practically adoptable recommendations can be advanced for the attention of the governments, public institutions, the private sector and the individuals of the society.

Extent of Reduction of the Fallow Period and Its Impact on Upland Rice Production in the Nongowa Chiefdom of Kenema District in Eastern Sierra Leone

Slash-and-burn agriculture is the common practice for upland rice intercropping system in Sierra Leone and it has been blamed for the loss of forest vegetation across the country. Shortening of the fallow period in the Eastern region of Sierra Leone has implications on agricultural food production and the persistence of the remaining tropical rainforest. This study was therefore undertaken to assess: 1) the extent of reduction of the fallow period in the Nongowa Chiefdom of Kenema District;2) the causes of reduction in the fallow period;3) farmers’ perception of the relevance of fallow period and the implications of reduction of fallow period on crop production. The study revealed a drastic reduction of the fallow period in the chiefdom with a mean of 3.8 years which falls far below the country mean fallow period of 8.8 years as estimated by FAO. Farmers pointed out that the reduction of the fallow period was as a result of land scarcity due to competing land uses such as large scale commercial agriculture, logging, mining, charcoal burning and expansion of settlements. Farmers agreed that a fallow period of at least 10 years is necessary for upland rice production. Farmers were aware of the impact of reduction of the fallow period on upland rice production and were able to estimate rice yields based on the age of the fallow. Also, farmers have attempted to adapt to the constraints posed by shorter fallow periods by selection of rice varieties to suit the length of the fallow periods.

The "Proto-State"/"Chiefdom" Controversy and the Study of the Origins of Chinese Civilization

"Proto-state" and "chiefdom" are two major theories used in exploring the origin of Chinese civilization. There is much debate about the relationship between the two and about their academic significance. In several respects, the questions answered by the two theories are distinctly different: the perspective of the one is emic, of the other etic, and their research paths are respectively humanistic and scientific. The chiefdom theory derives from anthropology;it is evolutionist and its theories are constructed by analogy. Its strong point lies in exploring the mechanisms of the development of social complexity, but when used in archaeological research, the logic employed is deductive reasoning. The protostate theory comes from Chinese archaeology, and thus is historicist. Its strong point lies in understanding cultural meanings, and the research logic it employed is inductive reasoning.The two theories represent research paths that are complementary but not interchangeable.The purpose of exploring the origins of Chinese civilization is not only to find the truth of history, but also to understand and inherit its culture. Therefore, it is important to fully combine the two theories in building the discourse system of Chinese archaeology.

Nation, Buzu and the Formation of the Huaxia Nation

The nation can be broken down into two categories： ＂ancient nations＂ and ＂modern nations.＂ The ancient Huaxia nation went through two phases in the course of its formation： the self-existent nation and the self-aware nation. The reason the self-existent Huaxia nation1 arose in the Xia and Shang period lies in its unified yet diverse composite state structure that could encompass a variety of buzu within the framework of a dynastic state. The pre-Xia Five Emperors period saw the genesis of the Huaxia nation. During this period, different buzu states were cemented into a diverse yet unified nation-state through a confederation of chiefdoms.

Several Issues in Research on State Emergence in China

There is no consensus in international academia on the absolutely universal appearance of chiefdom in all parts of the world. Making this point clear has positive significance for the correct understanding of the original meaning of the concept and theory of chiefdom. Further researches on the distribution of chiefdoms in Europe and other parts of the world, based on studies of ancient Greek and early medieval Germanic cases, will not change our basic understanding of the chiefdom model＇s applicability to the case of China, nor will it pose a serious challenge to the ongoing researches on state emergence in China. It is undoubtedly very helpful if we diligently apply foreign academic findings to our own studies in this subject, but genuine and in-depth understanding is necessary, if researchers are to accurately interpret and sum up the real implications of these foreign materials. At present, some Chinese scholars have produced various generalizations based on their own understanding of foreign research results. However, since they are not based on careful study of the original literary sources and other materials, those ＂generalized＂ views are often inaccurate. This is a problem that deserves our serious attention in current researches.