https://vet.unza.zm/index.php/JLSS The Journal of Law and Social Sciences is a quarterly publication of The University of Zambia (UNZA). Although the name suggests that the journal focuses on articles on law and the social sciences, it also publishes articles from the fields of education and humanities. The journal, therefore, welcomes article submissions that meet the criteria of excellence, significance and contribution of new information to the scholarly world. The University of Zambia en-US Journal of Law and Social Sciences 2226-6402 https://vet.unza.zm/index.php/JLSS/article/view/1295 The six articles in this volume are almost evenly spread between language (linguistics) and literature, with one article focused on onomastics. The literature articles include: “Some Novels are Novels while Others are not: Carnivalesque and Spontaneity in Dambudzo Marechera’s House of Hunger” (Gankhanani Moffat Moyo and Stewart Crehan). This article investigates the concept of novelness in the context of Marechera’s House of Hunger. Shadreck Kondala’s “Contradictions of a Society in Transition: A Look at Henry Musenge’s Novel Changing Shadows”. The paper highlights the contradictions that characterise a society undergoing cultural transition. Mukundwe Siame and Parnwell Munatamba contributed “’Our Hell is the Other’: ‘The Other’ in Albert Camus’s The Stranger” which examines Camus’ existentialist view of hell. Cheela Chilala ##submission.copyrightStatement## 2024-11-20 2024-11-20 6 2 10.53974/unza.jlss.6.2.1295 https://vet.unza.zm/index.php/JLSS/article/view/1297 This article aims at investigating whether or not there is novelness as defined by Mikhail Bakhtin in Dambudzo Marechera’s House of Hunger. It focuses on Bakhtin’s concepts of carnivalesque and contemporaneity in examining the quality of novelness in House of Hunger. Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of novelness says that the novel has its own quality that differentiates it from other genres. It argues that this quality is realised through heteroglossia, carnivalesque, polyphony, genre-absorption and contemporaneity or contact with the present. Carnivalesque is the use of language of debasement, parody and travesty in sharing meaning. It also refers to parodying other genres which is a key element in the novel. Contemporaneity refers to the novel’s contact with living memory in contrast with the epic which is related to glorification of the past that is largely not linked to the present circumstances of the time. After examination of the novel, it has been observed that the novel exhibits elements of carnivalesque as a criticism of both society and other literary genres. It has also been observed that issues shared in the novel are contemporary and, therefore, key to issues relating to the reading public. The article, therefore, concludes that, based on carnivalesque and contemporaneity, there are elements of novelness in Dambudzo Marechera’s House of Hunger For that reason, House of Hunger is a novel. Gankhanani Moffat Moyo Stewart Crehan ##submission.copyrightStatement## 2024-11-20 2024-11-20 6 2 1 11 10.53974/unza.jlss.6.2.1297 https://vet.unza.zm/index.php/JLSS/article/view/1298 This article seeks to highlight the contradictions that characterise a society in transition in relation to cultural change. It focuses on Henry Musenge’s novel Changing Shadows. The novel depicts a people in a dilemma with regard to the appropriate culture between the traditional ethnic culture and the new modern culture. Some members in this society wish to adhere to tradition and at the same time, attempt to demonise the new emerging culture. On the opposite extreme end, others regard the traditional culture as backward and outdated; one that should be disposed of completely, and eagerly wish to embrace the new modern culture. And still, others wish to embrace both cultures – or the hybrid of both cultures. The contradiction lies in the fact that, on one hand, there is a (national) call to uphold (selected) traditional values and practices as these are said to enforce national identity and national pride and on the other hand, there is a ‘public’ call for change and a call to embrace the new modern culture: Thus, ‘tradition is good’ versus ‘tradition is bad, evil, retrogressive and outdated’. This bi-polar approach to culture happens in one society and consequently degenerates into internal divides in the same society. The challenge is that these two cultures in many respects tend to be mutually exclusive; the practices are conflicting. This calls for the need for society to revisit and be guided properly seeing that the ambivalent/dual-structured cultural disposition creates confusion and contradictions. This article is largely guided by the sociological approach which posits that literature should serve as a mirror of society as well as to provide solutions for society. However, it is also guided by theories surounded cultural studies and multiculturalism. Shadreck Kondala ##submission.copyrightStatement## 2024-11-20 2024-11-20 6 2 12 23 10.53974/unza.jlss.6.2.1298 https://vet.unza.zm/index.php/JLSS/article/view/1299 Compound words are found in most languages and play an essential role in the lexicon of the majority of languages because they reflect the interface between morphology, phonology, syntax and semantics. The present study seeks to provide a broader analysis of Cinyanja Verb-Noun (VN) compound words with a non-derived noun in the nominal position based on Distributed Morphology framework provided by Halle and Marantz (1993). Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to show the intricate processes involved in the formation and interpretation of compound words. The data used in this study were mainly collected from secondary sources, which included written sources in Cinyanja. The findings of the study arising from the syntactic analysis of the compound words provide insights on the insertion of the noun class prefix in the derivational process. Furthermore, using Distributed Morphology in the interpretation of lexicalised meaning, the findings provide insights on the complexities and creativity involved in the construction of compound words in Cinyanja. Naomi Njobvu Kelvin Mambwe ##submission.copyrightStatement## 2024-11-20 2024-11-20 6 2 24 37 10.53974/unza.jlss.6.2.1299 https://vet.unza.zm/index.php/JLSS/article/view/1300 It has been claimed that the indigenous names of waterfalls were frequently replaced by European names. This critical toponymic claim is challenged in a test case investigating the names of Zambian waterfalls. The research was undertaken in three parts. First, a quantitative study showed that 97 per cent of 150 named waterfalls have indigenous rather than colonial names. Second, the colonial practices and policies that ensured that Zambian waterfalls retained their indigenous names were traced through contemporary documents. Third, the naming motives of 99 waterfalls were examined through a toponymic typology to reveal how the indigenous names reflect aspects of indigenous culture that are in danger of being marginalised or lost. The results refute the critical hypothesis of toponymic silencing and establish an evidence- based narrative of a colonial policy that ensured that the indigenous names of waterfalls were retained. European names were adopted only if an indigenous name could not be identified. Richard West ##submission.copyrightStatement## 2024-11-20 2024-11-20 6 2 38 51 10.53974/unza.jlss.6.2.1300 https://vet.unza.zm/index.php/JLSS/article/view/1301 This article highlights the Intercultural Communication Practices in Chinese Multinational Companies (MNCs) in Zambia with a particular focus on Zambian employees’ perspectives. It explores communication practices in Chinese firms in Lusaka, understanding Zambian workers’ perceptions of communication with Chinese counterparts, and identifying barriers to effective communication. Employing a Phenomenological approach, two (02) Chinese MNCs in Zambia were studied: China Jiangsu International and Avic International (Zambia) Limited. Ten employees were interviewed. The findings indicate the use of interpreters, oral communication, and gestures for daily activities exchange. While some found these practices effective, others faced challenges due to intercultural differences. Barriers include lack of respect for elders, disregard for pleasantries, and impatience among Chinese employees. The study concludes that Chinese MNCs lack adequate attention to intercultural communication strategies, thus recommending the implementation of deliberate improvement measures. Theresa Katongo Basil Hamusokwe ##submission.copyrightStatement## 2024-11-20 2024-11-20 6 2 52 71 10.53974/unza.jlss.6.2.1301