An interdisciplinary study of market women from all parts of Africa shows how, from historical times to the present, African women have used the economic power they have derived from market activities and commercial enterprises to improve their social and political status in a man's world. They used their wealth in pre-colonial times to obtain titles and even chieftainship. Because of their involvement in trade, many women acquired considerable property, especially real estate. The authors stress the positive aspect of women's economic activities, but also point out the prevalent sexual division of labor in Africa as a limiting factor. They illustrate the concomitant struggle between men and women over certain market items traditionally associated with one or the other sex. They analyze the cultural, social, and economic barriers that restrict female involvement in some economic activities. Nevertheless, the overwhelming conclusion by all of the writers, who are Africans and Americans, is that women play a major role in the economic sector of all the regions of the continent.
How do we resolve the insider/outsider interpreting conundrum? Why do readers from different parts of the world read, interpret, or understand foreign literatures the way they do? What drives peculiar critical reactions, canon formations and such issues which determine the survival of cultural productions or their continued adoption as useful bolsters for a people's self-definition or indeed self-preservation and self-determination? African Literature: Gender Discourse, Religious Values, and the African Worldview offers a series of fresh insights into most of the old "problematics" which used to sustain the interpretations of African literature, especially by women. Students, scholars, and general readers wishing to consider issues of gender in relation to African cultural and socioeconomic systems and what Salami-Boukari interrogates and names as an "African worldview," will find the interdisciplinary discussion of historical analyses, literary criticism and gender discourses a useful method for engaging contemporary African perspectives.
A groundbreaking book, accessible but scholarly, by African activists. It uses research, life stories, and artistic expression--including essays, case studies, poetry, news clips, songs, fiction, memoirs, letters, interviews, short film scripts, and photographs--to examine dominant and deviant sexualities and investigate the intersections between sex, power, masculinities, and femininities. It also opens a space, particularly for young people, to think about African sexualities in different ways.
Takes a cross-cultural approach to the study of women A World Full of Women, 6/e, combines descriptive ethnography, gender theory, and international statistics to present a comprehensive picture of the lives of women. Readers will better comprehend and contextualize women’s issues and experiences in today’s world. This title explores the diversity of women’s lives from class to culture, with examples ranging from women’s work to marriage patterns, health issues, violence against women, and grassroots organizing.
Ideal for researching the status and activities of Third World women For quick, reliable coverage of women's issues in developing countries, here is a concise reference work written by a team of more than 80 international experts. The Encyclopedia comprises 68 essays that cover the entire Third World, from Africa to Asia, from the Near East to South and Central America, from the South Pacific to the Caribbean. The women authors are acknowledged experts from Harvard University, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the University of Nairobi, the International Labor Organization, and other institutions, who summarize the most recent scholarship on a wide range of important subjects. Thoroughly indexed and cross-referenced, the Encyclopedia is an ideal starting point for in-depth research in such areas as: recent developments in the prevention of violence against women * the conditions of women's lives across regions and countries * women's participation in government, science, and technology * hidden curriculum issues in higher education * an overview of women's experiences as small-scale entrepreneurs A feminist viewpoint enhances the coverage Informed throughout by a feminist perspective, the Encyclopedia focuses on traditional women's concerns, such as political participation, human rights, nutrition, housework, the family, equality, health, and more. But the coverage also extends to such issues as domestic and sexual violence, creation of women-friendly cities, patriarchal ideologies as religious beliefs, the needs of older women, new jobs and exploitation in industrial production, AIDS, the gender consequences of ecological devastation, movements for change, and other areas of increasing awareness. Geographical entries cover all the major regions and countries and discuss conditions and issues in each area. Spotlights the newest and best sources The Encyclopedia brings together information that has been widely scattered in sources from many disciplines. An introduction by the editor illuminates the most important issues faced by Third World women today and analyzes the drastically changed global situation and how the changes impacted on the material presented in the Encyclopedia. Reference aids make information retrieval easy An annotated bibliography of the latest and most important sources, as well as a reference list at the end of each chapter, provide quick access to current literature. A thorough name and subject index makes it easy to pinpoint information. Special Features Offers articles by recognized scholars and activists on gender and developmental issues * Presents a variety of perspectives by women from both industrialized and developing countries * Summarizes the literature of established disciplines, bringing together important material scattered in many sources * Identifies new areas for research affecting gender and development in emerging fields, such as legal rights * Outlines strategies for action in such critical areas as ecology and urban issues * An annotated bibliography and list of references at end of each chapter make it easy to expand your research
Gender is one of the most productive, dynamic, and vibrant areas of Africanist research today. This volume looks at Africa now that gender has come into play to consider how the continent, its people, and the term itself have changed.
The report proposes the development of innovative public policies based on the reinforcement of the social capital of women and policy approaches that promote better integration of the initiatives undertaken by governments, international and non-governmental organisations to empower women and strengthen their resilience.
Anthropology today seems to shy away from the big, comparative questions that ordinary people in many societies find compelling. Questions of Anthropology brings these issues back to the centre of anthropological concerns.Individual essays explore birth, death and sexuality, puzzles about the relationship between science and religion, questions about the nature of ritual, work, political leadership and genocide, and our personal fears and desires, from the quest to control the future and to find one's 'true' identity to the fear of being alone. Each essay starts with a question posed by individual ethnographic experience and then goes on to frame this question in a broader, comparative context. Written in an engaging and accessible style, Questions of Anthropology presents an exciting introduction to the purpose and value of Anthropology today.
Big business, financial institutions, and capitalist powers have wreaked much havoc on the Third World in the name of development. This book re-imagines development through a careful and imaginative exploration of some of the many ways that culture – in the broadest sense of lived experience and its representation – can recenter resistance, suggest alternative models, and advance critiques of development as it is currently practiced. The diverse group of scholars and activists who contribute chapters to the volume engage with the puzzle of how best to conceptualize an alternative development that improves the living conditions of women and men in different parts of the world and simultaneously demands solutions that focus on the integration of gender, diversity, and development with the realities of people’s lives.
