- Ferdinand De Saussure: Un Siècle De Structuralisme Et De Post-Structuralisme ed. by Léon-Michel Ilunga
The result of an international colloquium hosted by l'Université de Lubumbashi, this volume represents both a celebration and an extension of Saussure's writings. Comprising two main sections—Théorie and Pratique—this book offers something of interest to a wide variety of readers. In Théorie, authors present critical assessments of Saussure's Cours de linguistique générale. Authors such as N. Diansonsisa and J. Bwanga Zanzi offer insights on Saussure's lasting influence on linguistics. Others, like J. Kilanga Musinde and M. Muwaya Wetu, consider his importance to scientific practice and thought more generally. Muwaya Wetu, for example, offers an analysis of the ways in which structuralist models of linguistics can be fruitful in the field of sociolinguistics, a discipline that has often been at odds with the assumptions of models like Saussure's. Language is far too rich a field to be fully understood without cross-disciplinary work, and the emphasis of sociolinguists on la parole (that is, discourse, with its attendant contexts) is a necessary part of capturing the true complexity of language. These papers represent a useful means of bridging the disciplinary divide between theoretical and applied linguistics, demonstrating not only that Saussurean models can be useful in responding to a wider range of questions, but that a thorough understanding of Saussure must take into account many diverse perspectives. Other authors address Saussure's lasting influences in semiotics and the philosophy of language. These notions are addressed more thoroughly in Pratique. Papers in this second section demonstrate the real innovations arising from the colloquium, investigating Saussure's influence on such diverse disciplines as literary theory and criticism, mathematics and logic, and educational policy. While the overall quality (and, perhaps, influence) of these works varies, when considered together, they present a strong argument for the continued value of Saussurean structuralism. Among these analyses, perhaps the most compelling contribution is the selection of works addressing educational policy, [End Page 277] literature, and linguistics in Africa: how can theories advanced in Saussure's Cours be applied to African contexts specifically, and what can a more careful look at African contexts do to advance theories more generally? Highlights among these works include G.B. Madébé's and M. Kasombo Tshibanda's analyses of morphophonology in African contexts. Kasombo Tshibanda uses Bantuist linguistic study in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a means of illustrating the utility of combining synchronic and diachronic approaches to language, while Madébé argues for a view of linguistics through which differences between European and African linguistics are acknowledged and embraced. These papers, in concert with those addressing Africanist analyses of literature and the trajectories of linguistic research at Congolese universities, emphasize the general lack of attention paid (certainly in the West) to linguistic research in Africa. Among its contributions to the literature—this is among its most significant—it serves as an important reminder that linguistic theory cannot focus on European languages to the exclusion of the unique (socio)linguistic situations of Africa.