日時：2025年11月25日（火）17時～18時30分
会場：神戸大学鶴甲第一キャンパスE棟4階学術交流ルーム
タイトル：Hope and Hardship:Hometown Associations, Religion, and the Paradoxes of Migrant Optimism in Cape Town
演者：Dr Henrietta M. Nyamnjoh, Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town, 東京外国語大学現代アフリカ研究センター客員教授
言語：英語、通訳なし
講演要旨：This presentation offers an in-depth exploration of how Hometown Associations (HTAs) and Pentecostal religion function as vital wellsprings of hope, resilience, and optimism for Cameroonian and Ethiopian migrants navigating the complex realities of building new lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Drawing on the theoretical lens of incompleteness and conviviality, the study argues that these institutions foster crucial social connection, interdependence, and collective flourishing, enabling migrants to bridge divides and find meaning amidst displacement and precarity. While providing robust support and a sense of belonging, the chapter simultaneously critically examines the paradoxes of migrant optimism, particularly the phenomenon of “cruel optimism”. Through compelling narratives such as that of George, Helen, Ernest, Sam, Emelda, and Eunice, the chapter illustrates how idealised expectations of a better life can lead to profound disappointment, suffering, and even tragic outcomes when confronted by systemic marginalization, xenophobia, and unattainable desires. Ultimately, this research illuminates the dual nature of optimism in the migrant experience, showcasing both its profound power in fostering agency and resilience and its potential to exacerbate inequalities when not grounded in shared well-being and a critical understanding of power dynamics.
Key words:Hope, Resilience, Optimism, Hometown Association, Incompleteness & conviviality, Cameroonian and Ethiopian migrants.
主催：神戸大学アフリカン・コンヴィヴィアリティ・センター
共催：神戸大学国際文化学研究科研究推進インスティテュート、神戸大学文化人類学研究会、神戸大学梅屋研究室、東京外大現代アフリカ研究センター、日本アフリカ学会関西支部