Two culturally different colonial territories came together in 1961 to form Cameroon, making it a bicultural country. Since then, the issue is being challenged mainly in its theoretical aspects. This article provides empirical and supportive evidence of the challenge of living together in a bicultural society. There is no doubt that such materials are important in strengthening our understanding of the ongoing socio-political crisis in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. Proceeding from the socio-historical perspective, the data gathered through documentary sources and participant-observer framework show an overwhelming Francophone-centered logic of appointments at the state-owned bilingual University of Yaoundé II. Consequently, it is strongly suggested that this issue should be addressed for the living together policies to make more sense.
Cite this paper
Yacouba, M. (2022). Living Together, Biculturalism and Appointments in the Cameroonian Public Service: The Case of the University of Yaoundé II. Open Access Library Journal, 9, e8126. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1108126.
Smith, J. (2010) Biculturalism and Multiculturalism: Competing Tensions in Visual Arts Education in Aotearoa—New Zealand. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 12, 1-18.
Horscroft, V. (2002) The Politics of Ethnicity in the Fiji Islands: Competing Ideologies of Indigenous Paramountcy and Individual Equality in Political Dialogue. ODID Working Paper No. 90, Oxford Department of International Development, Oxford.
Calhoun, C. (2002) Imagining Solidarity: Cosmopolitanism, Constitutional Patriotism, and the Public Sphere. Public Culture, 14, 147-171.
https://doi.org/10.1215/08992363-14-1-147
Terruhn, J. (2019) Settler Colonialism and Biculturalism in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In: Ratuva, S., Ed., The Palgrave Handbook on Ethnicity, Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore, 867-883. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2898-5_71
Bell, A. (2007) Bifurcation or Entanglement? Settler Identity and Biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, Continuum. Journal of Medias and Cultural Studies, 20, 253-268. https://doi.org/10.1080/10304310600641786
Fonkem, A. (2014) The Foumban Constitutional Talks and Prior Intentions of Negotiating: A Historico-Theoretical Analysis of a False Negotiation and the Ramification for Political Development in Cameroon. Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective, 9, Article No. 11.
Saunders, H. (1991) We Need a Larger Theory of Negotiation: The Importance of Pre-negotiation Phases. In: Breslin, J.W. and Rubin, J.Z., Eds., Negotiation Theory and Practice, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, 57-70.
Munang Ayafor, I. (2005) Official Bilingualism in Cameroon: Instrumental or Integrative Policy? Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, 30 April-3 May 2003, 123-142.
Gregory, R. (2004) Dire Expectations but Subtile Transformations? Politicisation and the New Zealand Public Service. In: Peters, B.G. and Pierre, J., Eds., Politicisation of the Civil Servant in Comparative Perspective. The Quest for Control. Appointing New Zealand Top Public Servants, Routledge, London and New York, 163, 164, and 171.
Mulgan, R. (1998) Politicisation of Senior Appointments in the Australian Public Service. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 57, 3-14.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.1998.tb01277.x
Ndue Ntungwe, P. (2002) Conflicting Narratives of a Post-Colonial Trajectory: Anglophone Protest and the Politics of Identity in Cameroon. Revue Africaine d’Etudes Politiques et Stratégiques, No. 2, 24-25.
Ateba, Y. (2008) Les paradoxes du pays organisateur. Elites productrices ou prédatrices: Le cas de la province du Sud-Cameroun à l’ère Biya (1982-2007), Editions Saint-Paul, Yaoundé.
Lipson, D.N. (2007) Embracing Diversity: The Institutionalization of Affirmative Action as Diversity Management at UC-Berkeley, UT-Austin, and UW-Madison. Law and Social Inquiry, 32, 985-1026.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-4469.2007.00085.x
Abyariman, J., Humphreys, M.D., Posner, D.N. and Weinstein, J.M. (2007) Why Does Ethnic Diversity Undermine Public Goods Provision? American Political Science Review, 101, 709-725. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055407070499
Moluh, Y. (2013) Democratization and Accommodation of Political Representation in Cameroon: The Case Study of the Sawa and Beti People. VRü Verfassung und Recht in übersee, 46, 263-284. https://doi.org/10.5771/0506-7286-2013-3-263
Murshed, S.M. and Tadjoeddin, M.Z. (2009) Revisiting the Greed and Grievance Explanations for Violent Conflict Internal Conflict. Journal of International Development, 21, 87-111. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.1478
Molua Ewange, P. (2020) Human Rights and Intrastate Conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of the Anglophone Regions of Cameroon. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Buea, Buea, 43-49.
