Domestic Norms And International Actors

The concept of norm has dominated and continues to dominate contemporary International Relations debate especially when it comes to dealing with both Interstate and intra-state socio-political dynamics. Generally speaking, norms have come to mean the ideal beliefs, customs, and cultural practices of a given set of civilization in a given setting. Contextually, in this research, attempt is made to conceptualize such high inter-relation between the use of norms and its adaptability both domestically and externally. This research seeks to show and investigate how such a normative clash do happen between an International actor UNICEF, and the cultural practices of two West African states, Senegal and Sierra Leone. UNICEF, since its creation unquestionably seeks global child welfare and care, by emphasizing on better socio-economic, recreational, health, educational facilities thus denouncing any form of ill-treatment and/or forced labor or abuse to the child. It is in UNICEF's mandate that providing these facilities for children the world over remain a key factor in ensuring that Children globally live better lives and are protected. Conversely, Africa on the other hand sees these international norms on the welfare of a child differently and deliberately punctuated by cultural dynamics. Traditional African cultural norms for example greatly frown at rearing up children with soft hands thus believing that issues related to the Child's education, and rights can be guaranteed and terminated by his parents or teacher. How do you explain such a volatile and tension breeding clash? Is it possible and timely that these western imported norms speedily replace the already entrenched traditional norms in Africa on Child welfare? If the answer in any way is in the affirmative, then the next question will be with what? And will it be sustainable and acceptable by these African natives? These questions and a lot more are what characterize the nucleus of this research paper, and I seek to find some alternative explanations for it.Thesis structure Chapter 1:IntroductionThis part will cover an overall introduction of my entire work and offers explanation of my topic, the main hypothesis of my research and its expected goal and an outline of how the entire work shall be organized. It offers explanations of what norms are and specially offer an insight of how such International norms embodied by UNICEF potentially clash with traditional African norms in Senegal and Sierra Leone.Chapter 2:An analysis of the global context in Senegal and Sierra LeoneIt examines the normative disparities in the conceptualization and application of the notion of child welfare in Senegal and Sierra Leone.The concept of childhood remains very ambiguous. However, according to the CRC, "A child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier. The child is seen differently from one place to another and from one culture to another. Contextually, in Senegal like in Sierra Leone, the child is according to the tradition a prestige and represents a lot in the cohesion between families2. To that end, the child cannot help undergoing some practices that his or her parents qualify as paramount for his or for her acceptance in the community. And for Haider, such a cross cultural analysis unveils a variety of conceptualization of childhood rather than a single or universal phenomenon and he adds that the real definitions and values attached to the childhood vary within and between cultures3.Chapter 3:The norm conflicts on the child welfare issueJust above, it was a question to draw an analysis, to see how each actor consider the notion of childhood. This chapter will discuss properly the clash of norms. This relates to the current debates on child welfare.In fact while the International actors such as UNICEF, ILO are calling for an immediate abandon of some cultural practices prejudicial to the child health, and any physical abuse upon children, some traditional societies like Senegal and Sierra Leone does not seem to take seriously into consideration this calling and continue to excise their female children, continue to marry them at the early age with or without their agreement. In addition to these difficulties, other children are routinely exposed to severe physical abuses in religious schools, also called Daara in Senegal. Hence, attempt is made to identify and profile some often overlooked socio-cultural and economic factors that render difficult the mission of UNICEF in achieving its global child welfare initiative.Chapter4:Analysis and recommendationsIt provides the paper's main thrust of analysis. I have argued that Domestic norms are strong factors in African societies especially those relative to children welfare. It's true that UNICEF has made tremendous studies mitigating challenges in children welfare globally but UNICEF's children welfare initiative especially towards West Africa can be of great success on the condition that major and visible actions are taken to reconcile their draconian domestic norms on children welfare.UNICEF should adopt a grass root approach with a view to reconciling the clash between the socio cultural values of different societies and the need to guarantee a sound health to all childrenConclusion.In conclusion, this whole debate about achieving a globally acceptable child welfare initiative would remain on the theoretical theatre if very visible strides are not taken to domesticate its international approach. Considerable attention should be given to the reverence Africans and their tradition attached to customary practices on issues such as the education of the male child versus the girl child, Female Genital Mutilation, which is considered exclusively customary and festival in the crucial development of the girl child, as opposed to western perceptions which view it from human right and health perspectives. UNICEF itself, an agent of Western normative school should be thinking of some stop-gap measures incase their advocacy for the abolishment of Female Genital Mutilation succeeds; otherwise they may have to contend with livelihood issues especially from the perpetrators of this act who equally view it from economic lens. It is evident from the decades of campaign that UNICEF and their campaign might just be wasting funds, because if a strong romance between the two dissimilarly normative practices are not addressed, it will practically be impossible to have the UNICEF goal achieved in West Africa especially in the countries that this research targets.