The Bonds of Kinship in Dahomey : Portraits of West African Girlhood, 1720-1940.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Reuther, Jessica Catherine., Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Girls.

Kinship.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (280 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Bloomington : Indiana University Press, 2025.

Summary:

This scholarly work by Jessica Catherine Reuther examines the historical dynamics of girlhood and kinship in the Kingdom of Dahomey (modern-day Benin) from 1720 to 1940. The book explores the roles and statuses of girls within royal households, the phenomenon of child transfers during the reigns of Dahomean kings, and the economic and social conditions of entrusted and enslaved girls. By delving into colonial legal debates, household economies, and cases of exploitation, the book sheds light on the cultural, economic, and legal forces that shaped the lives of girls in Dahomey. The author also discusses broader themes of motherhood, female wealth, and kinship, emphasizing perspectives drawn from historical records and oral testimonies. Intended for scholars and readers interested in African history, gender studies, and colonialism, this book offers a nuanced portrayal of the intersection between girlhood, kinship structures, and societal transformations in West Africa. Generated by AI.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Portrait of a Girl and a Fabric Seller

1. The Value of Girls to the Royal Household of Dahomey, 1720s-1870s

2. Dashing and Entrusting Girls: The Atlanticization of Child Transfers during the Reigns of Kings Gezo and Glèlè, 1818-1889

3. Agbessipé and Her Mother: Female Wealth, Girl Pawns, and Enslaved Labor in Ouidah during the Era of "Legitimate" Trade, 1840s-1880s

4. A Runaway Girl amid the Turmoil of Conquest: Household Economies and Colonial Transformations in the Kingdoms of Hogbonou and Dahomey, 1880s-1890s

5. Entrusted or Enslaved?: Colonial Legal Debates about Girls' Statuses, 1900s-1930s

6. "Why Did You Not Cry Out . . .?": Sexual Assaults of Entrusted Girls in Colonial Dahomey, 1917-1941

7. The Télé Affair (1936-1938): Anxieties about Transformations in Girlhood in Colonial Abomey

Conclusion: Obscured Histories of Girlhood

Glossary of Foreign Terms

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Author.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

ISBN:

9780253071446

0253071445

OCLC:

1474239096