Women's voices, women's power : dialogues of resistance from East Africa / Judith Abwunza.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Abwunza, Judith, author.

Series:

Teaching Culture: UTP Ethnographies for the Classroom

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women, Logooli--Social conditions.

Women, Logooli.

Women, Logooli--Economic conditions.

Patriarchy--Kenya--Western Province.

Patriarchy.

Kenya--Western Province.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (235 p.)

Place of Publication:

Toronto : University of Toronto Press, [2019]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Most ethnographic treatments of other cultures restrict the voice of their "subjects"; at most, description and analysis by the observer are accompanied by brief selective "ation. With a methodological openness that may be particularly appropriate to gender studies, anthropologist Judith Abwunza provides in this ethnography both the fruit of her research into the lives of Logoli women of Western Kenya and substantial transcripts giving the women's own description and analysis of their situation. The Avalogoli remain a strongly patriarchal society. Yet, as in many such societies elsewhere in Africa and indeed around the world, women have demonstrated a resilience under patriarchy that has resulted in their nominal power being far outweighed by their actual power. As Abwunza demonstrates, the economic survival of the Avalogoli is dependent not only on women's works but also on their decision-making. Through 'back-door decisions' they have a surprising power to influence national as well as local events. Women's Voices, Women's Power offers no apologies for a system that remains disturbingly patriarchal. But it does attempt to face directly the complexities and paradoxes involved-not the least of which is that many of the women posture an adherence to patriarchy even as they describe the disproportionate burden it places upon them. And it seeks an understanding of the ways in which Logoli society is changing in the face of increasing capitalism and commodification-processes that the author argues may simultaneously empower and disempower women.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Table of Contents

Map One: Kenya and Western Province

Map Two: Maragoli

PART I: UNEARTHING THE PATRIARCHAL WORLD

Introduction to Part I

Chapter One: Avalogoli

Chapter Two: Women's Power and Voice

Conclusion to Part I

PART II: WOMEN'S WORK

Introduction to Part II

Chapter Three: "Home Work"

Chapter Four: "Outside Work"

Conclusion to Part II

PART III: BACK DOOR DECISIONS

Introduction to Part III

Chapter Five: The House and the Yard

Chapter Six: Expanding the Back Door

Conclusion to Part III

PART IV: "POSTERITY" AND "PROGRESS," NEEDS AND MEANS

Introduction to Part IV

Chapter Seven: She Eats for Nothing!

Chapter Eight: "Silika-To Make Our Lives Shine"

Conclusion to Part IV

PART V: BURYING THE PATRIARCHAL WORLD?

Chapter Nine: Omwene Hango Default

Glossary

Endnotes

Works Cited

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 28. Aug 2019)

ISBN:

1-4426-0114-0

1-4426-0310-0

0-585-23160-5

OCLC:

44965379