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Originally published in 1984, this book touches the private lives
and professional responsibilities of men and women, as it
illustrates the comic as well as serious effects of the
'incorporation' of wives into some important State and commercial
institutions. Beyond their domestic functions, wives have, in
particular ways, been valuable props to many a husband's career and
many an employer's and the nation's interests. For example, the
Army, civil administrations at home and overseas, and the police
have, without questioning, depended on the services of wives -
given silently, willingly or unwillingly. Yet the nature of the
relationship of these 'incorporated' wives to the objectives of
such institutions has, until recently, been largely unregistered in
practice, unrecorded in social and historical accounts and
unstudied by analysts. This book provides a wealth of ethnographic
material. Personal anecdotes and scholarly interpretations throw
light on the conceptual systems underlying the workings and
cultures of institutions, as well as the construction of
identities. Many will find their experiences echoed here. The
issues raised are important not only for individual men and women,
for whom such 'incorporation' may provide advantages as well as
constraints, but because of the bearing they have on our
understanding of marriage, especially since we cannot be sure this
will continue in its present mode or as the dominant form of
conjugal union. As more married women assume greater
responsibilities at work, will their husbands give the same support
to their wives and those who employ them as they themselves
received? Further, it seems likely that wives may become less
willing than in the past to render their services unacknowledged -
indeed this trend is already apparent. We may ask, then, 'who will
fill the gaps?', and 'how will institutions change?'. The
historical and contemporary studies here provide some base data and
some theoretical approaches necessary for any who may wish to
consider what will become increasingly acute practical questions.
Second, Revised EditionThe relationship between women and space has
now been recognized as an important issue for feminist discussion.
Developments in psychology and geography have encouraged the use of
`social maps' to explore the way in which space is perceived. This
book presents fascinating ethnographic evidence collected by the
authors from actresses, politicians, farmers and housewives in
England, Africa, Iran, Peru, Greece and the former Soviet Union.
This evidence illustrates how space must be considered both in its
physical dimensions and in its social and symbolic aspects, as
experienced by women.
Second, Revised EditionTo what are we referring when we speak of
women? What is the nature of women in society; what is the nature
of women in society? These are the central questions of this
classic text which looks at areas ranging from England and Greece
to Mongolia and Africa. The authors - anthropologists,
sociologists, ethnologists, neurologists and psychologists -
consider the structural position of women; how they are defined by
reference to physiological and social markers, and how they are
required to behave. They also consider ways in which different
cultures identify and deal with such `natural' aspects of women as
virginity, sexuality and childbearing. The broad variety of
geographical perspectives reveals dissimilar as well as similar
ideas about women - in their use of language and of space,
matrifocality, and life trajectories.
''This book will make a significant contribution in the debate abour gender relation and power and provides a refreshing idea of addressing women's power in existing gender relation' - Salma Akhter, University of Cambridge
Throughout the world, women mediate between cultures as bilingual
and multi-lingual speakers, teachers, translators, and
interpreters. They may be seen as the guardians of minority
languages or be perceived as 'good at languages'. However, very
little has so far been published on women and language use in
bilingual or multi-cultural situations. There is a considerable
body of work both in bilingualism as a general phenomenon, and on
language use and gender; in this collection of papers, these issues
are combined. The authors are, in the main, practising social
anthropologists; language teachers, interpreters, and writers have
also contributed. The papers in this volume cover a wide variety of
geographical and linguistic situations: from the death of Gaelic in
Scotland, to the use of Spanish by Quechua and Aymara women in the
Andes. Certain common themes emerge: dominant and subdominant
languages, women's use of them (in Bolivia, Chile, Zaire, Mongolia
and Goa); ambivalent attitudes towards women as translators,
interpreters and writers in English as a second language; and the
critical role of women in the survival (or death) of minority
languages such as Gaelic and Breton.
Drawing on family materials, historical records, and eyewitness
accounts, this book shows the impact of war on individual women
caught up in diverse and often treacherous situations. It relates
stories of partisans in Holland, an Italian woman carrying guns and
provisions in the face of hostile soldiers, and Kikuyu women
involved in the Mau Mau insurrection in Kenya. A woman displaced
from Silesia recalls fleeing with children across war-torn Germany,
and women caught up in conflicts in Burma and in Rwanda share their
tales. War's aftermath can be traumatic, as shown by journalists in
Libya and by a midwife on the Cambodian border who helps refugees
to give birth and regain hope. Finally, British women on active
service in Afghanistan and at NATO headquarters also speak.
Anthropologists and historians have shown us that 'male' and
'female' are variously defined historically and cross-culturally.
The contributions to this volume focus on the voluntary and
involuntary, temporary or permanent transformation of gender
identity. Overall, this volume provides powerful and compelling
illustrations of how, across a wide range of cultures, processes of
gender transformation are shaped within, and ultimately constrained
by, social and political context. From medical responses to
biological ambiguity, legal responses to cases brought by
transsexuals, the historical role of the eunuch in Byzantium, the
social transformation of gender in Northern Albania and in the
Southern Philippines, to North American 'drag' shows, English
pantomime and Japanese kabuki theatre, this volume offers revealing
insights into the ambiguities and limitations of gender
transformation.
" . . . collected in a single volume, these papers] become a rich
case study of an African people's relations with various European
agents over more than four centuries." - Choice " . . . a true
treasure . . . challenging example of how history and anthropology
can be combined in practice . . . such a combination can offer a
deeper understanding of present-day issues and tensions." - Africa
The Bakweri people of Mount Cameroon, an active volcano on the
coast of West Africa a few degrees north of the equator, have had a
varied and at times exciting history which has brought them into
contact, not only with other West African peoples, but with
merchants, missionaries, soldiers and administrators from Portugal,
Holland, England, Jamaica, Sweden, Germany and more recently
France. Edwin Ardener, the distinguished social anthropologist who
spoke their language, wrote a number of studies on the history and
culture of the Bakweri Kingdom. Some of the unpublished writings,
and some of the published but now out of print materials are here
brought together for the first time. The book covers the early
contacts with the Portuguese and Dutch from the sixteenth century,
the arrival of the missionaries in the nineteenth century, the
dramatic defeat of the first German punitive expedition, the
subsequent establishment by the Germans of the plantation system,
and the British Trusteeship period until independence in 1961 as
part of the Federal Republic of Cameroon.
The 1880s were a critical time in Cameroon. A German warship
arrived in the Douala estuary and proclaimed Cameroon a
protectorate. At that time, two Swedes, Knutson and Waldau, were
living on the upper slopes of the Cameroon Mountain. Very little is
known about their activities. One, Knutson, wrote a long memoir of
his time in Cameroon (1883-1895) which is published here for the
first time. It gives fascinating insights into everyday life in
Cameroon and into the multifaceted relationships among the various
Europeans, and between them and the Africans, at the end of the
19th century; we learn about the Swedes' quarrels first with the
Germans and later with the British, over land purchases, thus
revealing the origins of long on-going disputes over Bakweri lands.
We are given vivid descriptions of Bakweri notables and their, and
the Europeans', cultural practices, a rare eye-witness account of
the sasswood witchcraft ordeal, and learn about Knutson's
friendships with slaves. Together with appended contemporary
correspondence, legal opinions, and early (translated) texts, this
memoir must be considered as a unique and invaluable primary source
for the pre-colonial history of Cameroon.
The 1880s were a critical time in Cameroon. A German warship
arrived in the Douala estuary and proclaimed Cameroon a
protectorate. At that time, two Swedes, Knutson and Waldau, were
living on the upper slopes of the Cameroon Mountain. Very little is
known about their activities. One, Knutson, wrote a long memoir of
his time in Cameroon (1883-1895) which is published here for the
first time. It gives fascinating insights into everyday life in
Cameroon and into the multifaceted relationships among the various
Europeans, and between them and the Africans, at the end of the
19th century; we learn about the Swedes' quarrels first with the
Germans and later with the British, over land purchases, thus
revealing the origins of long on-going disputes over Bakweri lands.
We are given vivid descriptions of Bakweri notables and their, and
the Europeans', cultural practices, a rare eye-witness account of
the sasswood witchcraft ordeal, and learn about Knutson's
friendships with slaves. Together with appended contemporary
correspondence, legal opinions, and early (translated) texts, this
memoir must be considered as a unique and invaluable primary source
for the pre-colonial history of Cameroon.
On most continents - from the USA to Africa and Asia - various
forms of rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) serve
men and women of the community, often as their major - and
sometimes their only - savings institution. ROSCAs are self-help
associations with participants who agree to make regular
contributions to a fund which is given, in whole or in part, to
each contributor in rotation. All but the last member receives
credit, and certain ROSCAs have elaborate systems to meet this.
Some even make special provision for inflation and default. They
are common in both rural and urban areas and among a range of
occupational and income groups, from the poor to white-collar and
professional. They are used by women who do not have collateral for
other forms of credit, and as such often play an important part in
household and business finance. In providing important social and
welfare resources, they constitute valuable social capital. Because
even women who use banks and building societies may continue to use
ROSCAs extensively, formal financial institutions are developing
schemes for them.
This book studies women's language use in bilingual or
multi-lingual cultural situations. The authors - social
anthropologists, language teachers, and interpreters cover a wide
variety of geographical and linguistic situations, from the death
of Gaelic in the Outer Hebrides, to the use of Spanish by Quechua
and Aymara women in the Andes. Certain common themes emerge:
dominant and sub-dominant languages, women's use of them;
ambivalent attitudes towards women as translators, interpreters and
writers in English as a second language; and the critical role of
women in the survival (or death) of minority languages such as
Gaelic and Breton.
This collection of essays by eminent anthropologists, missiologists
and historians explores the hitherto neglected topic of women
missionaries and the effect of Christian missionary activity upon
women. The book consists of two parts. The first part looks at
nineteenth-century women missionaries as presented in literature,
at the backgrounds and experience of women in the mission field and
at the attitudes of missionary societies towards their female
workers. The fascinating debates are very relevant to the
ordination of women issue of today. Although they are traditionally
presented as wives and support workers, it becomes apparent that,
on the contrary, women missionaries often played a culturally
important role. The second and longer section asks whether women
missionaries are indeed a special case, and provides some
fascinating studies from both historical and contemporary material
of the impact of Christian missions on women. Of particular value
is the perspective of those who were themselves objects of
missionary activity and who reflected upon this experience. Women
actively absorbed and adapted the teachings of the Christian
missionaries, and Western models are seen to be utilised and
developed in sometimes unexpected ways.
This collection of essays by eminent anthropologists, missiologists
and historians explores the hitherto neglected topic of women
missionaries and the effect of Christian missionary activity upon
women. The book consists of two parts. The first part looks at
nineteenth-century women missionaries as presented in literature,
at the backgrounds and experience of women in the mission field and
at the attitudes of missionary societies towards their female
workers. The fascinating debates are very relevant to the
ordination of women issue of today. Although they are traditionally
presented as wives and support workers, it becomes apparent that,
on the contrary, women missionaries often played a culturally
important role. The second and longer section asks whether women
missionaries are indeed a special case, and provides some
fascinating studies from both historical and contemporary material
of the impact of Christian missions on women. Of particular value
is the perspective of those who were themselves objects of
missionary activity and who reflected upon this experience. Women
actively absorbed and adapted the teachings of the Christian
missionaries, and Western models are seen to be utilised and
developed in sometimes unexpected ways.
Second, Revised Edition
The relationship between women and space has now been recognized as
an important issue for feminist discussion. Developments in
psychology and geography have encouraged the use of social maps' to
explore the way in which space is perceived. This book presents
fascinating ethnographic evidence collected by the authors from
actresses, politicians, farmers and housewives in England, Africa,
Iran, Peru, Greece and the former Soviet Union. This evidence
illustrates how space must be considered both in its physical
dimensions and in its social and symbolic aspects, as experienced
by women.
To what are we referring when we speak of women? What is the nature
of women in society; what is the nature of women in society? These
are the central questions of this collection of essays, which has
become firmly established as a classic, by writers on areas such as
England, Greece, Mongolia, Africa. The essays consider the
structural position of women, how they are defined by reference to
physiological and social markers, and how they are required to
behave, and present and assess certain theories about women by
anthropologists, sociologists, ethnologists, neurologists and
psychologists. The essays also consider some ways in which
different cultures identify and deal with such 'natural' aspects of
women as virginity, sexuality and childbearing. The broad variety
of geographical perspectives reveals dissimilar as well as similar
ideas about women - in their use of language and of space,
matrifocality, and life trajectories.
This volume presents important essays inspired by the pioneering
works of three leading women anthropologists. The title may
therefore be read in more than one way. The three biographical
essays in this volume as well as the comprehensive bibliographies
of these anthropologists' works fully confirm the high esteem in
which their remarkable personalities are held to this day and offer
material about them not formerly available. The book includes
important discussions by distinguished social anthropologists,
based on rich ethnographic data, of the many identities,
personhoods, powers, and other various categorizations of women,
each author handling her material and analyses in her own
distinctive way. Of particular value is Shirley Ardener's
perceptive introductory essay which places the volume in the wider
context of some areas of major concern to social scientists, such
as the construction of identities, kinship theory, and the
production of knowledge itself, as well as of the particularities
of women in diverse cultures.
Drawing on family materials, historical records, and eyewitness
accounts, this book shows the impact of war on individual women
caught up in diverse and often treacherous situations. It relates
stories of partisans in Holland, an Italian woman carrying guns and
provisions in the face of hostile soldiers, and Kikuyu women
involved in the Mau Mau insurrection in Kenya. A woman displaced
from Silesia recalls fleeing with children across war-torn Germany,
and women caught up in conflicts in Burma and in Rwanda share their
tales. War's aftermath can be traumatic, as shown by journalists in
Libya and by a midwife on the Cambodian border who helps refugees
to give birth and regain hope. Finally, British women on active
service in Afghanistan and at NATO headquarters also speak.
In both professional and academic fields, there is increasing
interest in the way in which white-collar workers engage with
institutions and networks which are complex social constructions.
Covering a wide variety of countries and types of organization,
this volume examines the diverse ways in which individuals' ethnic,
gender, corporate and professional identities interact. This book
brings together fields often viewed in isolation: ethnographies of
groups traditionally studied by anthropologists in new
organisational contexts, and examinations of the role of identity
in corporate life, opening up new perspectives on central areas of
contemporary human activity. It will be of great interest to those
concerned with practical management of institutions, as well as
those of us who find ourselves working within them.
Anthropologists and historians have shown us that 'male' and
'female' are variously defined historically and cross-culturally.
The contributions to this volume focus on the voluntary and
involuntary, temporary or permanent transformation of gender
identity. Overall, this volume provides powerful and compelling
illustrations of how, across a wide range of cultures, processes of
gender transformation are shaped within, and ultimately constrained
by, social and political context. From medical responses to
biological ambiguity, legal responses to cases brought by
transsexuals, the historical role of the eunuch in Byzantium, the
social transformation of gender in Northern Albania and in the
Southern Philippines, to North American 'drag' shows, English
pantomime and Japanese kabuki theatre, this volume offers revealing
insights into the ambiguities and limitations of gender
transformation.
The Bakweri people of Mount Cameroon, an active volcano on the
coast of West Africa a few degrees north of the equator, have had a
varied and at times exciting history which has brought them into
contact, not only with other West African peoples, but with
merchants, missionaries, soldiers and administrators from Portugal,
Holland, England, Jamaica, Sweden, Germany and more recently
France.
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