While literature generally has always been informed by other disciplines, more than ever before it now carries so many is. Many postindependence male writers from across africa camara laye, kofi. One popular form of traditional african folktale is the trickster story, in which a small animal uses its wits to survive. Although usually focused on violence against women, genderbased violence gbv is also prevalent against children of both sexes, and rates of gbv experienced by adult males are not insignificant. Kate bornstein, a trans woman who finds gender deeply problematic, sums up this resistance nicely in her 1995 book title, gender outlaw. African literature mazisi kunene from the very beginning when i started writing i had no choice but to write in zulu, my mother tongue. In the autumn of 1981 i went to a conference in mainz. Unbending gender narratives in african literature bridgewater. The multitudinous nature of african literature has always been an issue but really not a problem, although its oral base has been used by expatriate critics to accuse african literature of thin plots, superficial characterisation, and narrative structures. In the west, social and economic norms historically pushed women into more active roles in the society, and western feminism has focused on womens struggle for. This book is about the place of african women writers in african literature. This is certainly a question that requires a broad answer but i will make it as short as possible. The construction of gender through the narrative process of the african folktale. African literature criticized subjugation of african cultural values as well as western hegemony, colonial administration, corruption, deprivation and exploitation.
This overview of texts written by women writers of african origin and others who have a close relationship with africa, is sponsored by, the school of humanities at, the university of western australia, perth, australia. Born in senegal in 1929, mariama ba was an icon of african literature as a writer who promoted her work and herself as a modern muslim woman. As kolawole 1997 notes, by omission or commission, most male writers in the early phase of african literature encouraged the. Its primary aim is to provide a more comprehensive definition of the contemporary african literary tradition than is available in current criticism, a definition that includes, rather than excludes, womens writing. Gender issues in african literature examines the ways in which some protagonists of african fictions are made to counter and challenge intertwined western discourses on gender, employment, sexuality, and health. Before i go into the subject matter of my paper let me explain that my observations on the portrayal of women in african literature should be seen in relation to three basic assumptions. African literature is written in several languages, including the extra african languages of english, french, and. African literature refers to the literature of the african peoples. Transgender people may embrace the other of the two options standardly on offer or they may resist gender dichotomies altogether. Gender issues in african literature examines the ways in which some protagonists of african fictions are made to counter and challenge intertwined western. African literature department of english language and.
It provides an opportunity to find out more about the authors life and interests and to get acquainted with their novels, short stories, plays and poetry. But before we proceed further, we need some understanding of the culture and background of the vatsonga, especially the role of a mutsonga woman in society. Indiana university press research in african literatures. Examples of precolonial african literature are numerous. Some scholars, such as rosaldo 1980, seek to develop more rigorous models. Women may take part in enforcing gender hierarchies for a variety of reasons, including culture, tradition, and selfpreservation. Gender issues in african literature african books collective. The present study examines the portrayal of women in xitsonga literature. In this first radical and exciting work florence stratton outlines the features of an emerging female tradition in african fiction. Many people are accustomed to speaking of african literature as if the phrase defined a clearly demarcated and coherent body of work. Here the conflict between tradition and modernity is argues from the favourite premise of male supremacist ideology showing how women. Although contemporary african literary criticism is a product of africas contact with the west, evaluation and analyses relevant to the african experience must be derived from methods intrinsic to african art traditions.
Gender, social cohesion and everyday struggles in south africa. New approaches is the result of several years of reassessing african literature from multiple perspectives, including the interdisciplinary, ethical, and scholarpoet traditions. An analysis of gender based violence in african literature. African literature consists of a body of work in different languages and various genres, ranging from oral literature to literature written in colonial languages french, portuguese, and english. African literature is to introduce students to the wide breadth of literature by and about africa and africans. This is not an example of the work produced by our essay writing service. Her novels achieved almost instant recognition and so long a letter, published in 1981, was awarded the prestigious noma prize for writing. The article presents the authors testimony on the language of african literature. African literature is written in several languages, including the extraafrican languages of english, french, and. To highlight new research on gender and development in africa, in december 2012, the nairobibased african economic research consortium aerc hosted a workshop for scholars to present recent studies on the subject. Introduction gender issues in every discourse are usually sensitive.
Fonchingong, lectures in the department of women and gender studies, university of buea, cameroon and is currently a doctoral candidate in social policy at the school of social policy, sociology. We argue that african literature is a conduit through which african culture can be appraised. The novels of flora nwapa, buchi emecheta and zaynab alkali offer an alternative perspective of female characterisation in contemporary african literature than that of the demure, obeisant wife and mother and are received as a welcome diversion from the african canon chukwuma,1989. Language was therefore, from the very beginning, a combative weapon that had. African literature, which has an undercurrent of didactism, is an instrument of educating the masses on the existing social contexts. In ethiopia, there is a substantial literature written in geez going back at least to the fourth century ad. Articles that have been published elsewhere in any form, version, or language cannot be considered for publication, including those that are. Unbending gender narratives in african literature request pdf. 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. African literature refers to the literature of and for the african peoples. As george joseph notes on the first page of his chapter on african literature in understanding contemporary africa, while the european perception of literature generally refers to written letters, the african concept includes oral literature. Jul, 2018 this is certainly a question that requires a broad answer but i will make it as short as possible.
The module examines several genres, or types of literature from southern, west, east, north and central africa. Problems in african literature ebsco information services. Gender, modern african poetry, feminist, nigerian women poetry. Traditional written literature, which is limited to a smaller geographic area than is oral literature, is most characteristic of those subsaharan cultures that have. A chapter is dedicated to each to the works of four women writers. Although there had been some literature in swahili and other african languages, east african literature in english was born in 1964 with the publication of james ngugis novel, weep not child.
Articles that have been published elsewhere in any form, version, or language cannot be considered for publication, including those that are available on the internet, nor will we consider multiple submissions by the same author. This was a historic al l ndm rk in the sense that it was the first novel written in english by an east african. Colonialism and the african homosexual in african literature wazha lopang lecturer, department of english university of botswana faculty of humanities private bag ub 00703 gaborone botswana abstract this paper argues that african writers who set out to give the literary world an african perspective of the. Ama ata aidoo,2 an authoress of african literature states, i should go on to insist that every man and every woman should be a feminist especially if they believe that africans should take charge of african land, african wealth, african. For example, literature in english is the subject of five chapters, and french the subject of three, while literature in portuguese is confined to a single chapter. Africa, gender, genre, literature, narratives, women. View north african literature research papers on academia. This project has been made possible thanks to the support provided by the women writers mentioned in this website, the australian research council arc, the. Contemporary african literature will help students to develop a greater appreciation of cultural, thematic, and aesthetic representations in african literature, starting from a quick revision of the classic, but concentrating mostly on the contemporary texts from different countries.
African feminism emerged in various forms in the various different parts of the continent, which grow out of individualism within the cultural context of industrial communities. Of crucial importance is the environment from which the african literature in whatever language emanated. Performing arts in education modesto amegago authority. A case study of the maragoli folktale by egara stanley kabaji the purpose of the study was to identify the genderrelated themes from a cultural discourse in order to determine how gender is constructed in african society. First, there was no other language allowed in our family besides an african language.
Gender, literature and popular culture in west africa moonlighting in the sun. African literature is replete with writeups that project male dominance and inadequately pleads the case of the african woman. African american sociologist patricia hill collins, who extends the work of smith by formally situating the variable of race into the criticalphenomenological exploration of class and gender, while also borrowing significantly from postmodernism and recent work on the body and sexuality. Contemporary african literature and the politics of gender is the first extensive account of african literature from a feminist perspective. African literature, the body of traditional oral and written literatures in afroasiatic and african languages together with works written by africans in european languages. Research in african literatures department of african. African literature also, it is observed, is a mixed grill. In reality, however, the phrase african literature calls to mind a whole series of debates about the archival and critical boundaries of the field. Contemporary african literature and the politics of gender. It was a time of cultural assertion in africa with literature as a tool. Over 10 million scientific documents at your fingertips. This site proposes an overview of works by female african authors writing in french and others closely associated with subsaharan africa.
The theme of the conference was th role oef women in africa i. African literature article about african literature by. Linkpage citation motherhood is often defined as an automatic set of feelings and behaviours that is switched on by pregnancy and the birth of a baby. African literature, literary works of the african continent. Hopkins toyin falola, editor, and emily brownell, editor african entrepreneurship in jos, central nigeria, 1902 1985 s. What is african literature history of african literature.
Olatunji, an argument for gender equality in africa page 3 of 8 thematic cluster black african literatures and cultures motion new regulations regarding the issue of women and gender inequality in africa is also important. Pdf modern african poetry and the issues of gender. The editor invites submissions of original, previously unpublished articlelength manuscripts not exceeding 35 pages in length. The role of alcohol and substance abuse in exacerbating genderbased violence has predominantly been examined in literature without a focus on how alcohol fuels and is fuelled by these unequal power relations and traditional male gender norms. Traditional written literature, which is limited to a smaller geographic area than is oral literature, is most characteristic of those subsaharan cultures that have participated in the cultures of the. In january 2014, the four papers presented were published in a supplement of the oxford university journal of african economies. Request pdf unbending gender narratives in african literature the last century has witnessed an upsurge in literature triggered by the feminist movement. A case study of the maragoli folktale by egara stanley kabaji the purpose of the study was to identify the gender related themes from a cultural discourse in order to determine how gender is constructed in african society.
It becomes imperative to trace the genesis of gender inequality in african literature. Fwatshak an african music and dance curriculum model. Towards the end of the paper, wedemonstrate that education for the girl child in africa is one of the tools that kuret proposes for challenging gender based violence. African literature is any literature that tells the african story, be it from the perpestive of the coloni. Contemporary african literature and the concern over bad. Contemporary african literature and the politics of gender the influence of colonialism and race on the development of. Such understanding will help explain why authors portray women vatsonga characters in the way they do. Students, scholars, and general readers wishing to consider issues of gender in relation to african cultural. Marais, 2011, it would come as no surprise that many people. Research in african literatures, founded in 1970, is the premier journal of african literary studies worldwide and provides a forum in english for research on the oral and written literatures of africa. African world series toyin falola, series editor africa, empire and globalization. African literature is literature of or from africa and includes oral literature or orature, in the term coined by ugandan scholar pio zirimu as george joseph notes in his chapter on african literature in understanding contemporary africa, whereas european views of literature often stressed a separation of art and content, african awareness is inclusive.
Contemporary african literature and the politics of gender pdf. African literature article about african literature by the. The regional designations are in no way meant to suggest that the lines dividing the regions are. Download fulltext pdf approaches to gender studies. As george joseph notes on the first page of his chapter on african literature in understanding contemporary africa, while the european perception of literature generally refers to written letters, the african concept includes oral literature as george joseph continues, while european views of. Here the conflict between tradition and modernity is argues from the favourite premise of male supremacist ideology showing how women have unlearned. Africa, as well as for order, unity, security, and gender equality. Gender violence in african womens literature by helen rachel cousins a thesis submitted to the university of birmingham for the degree of doctor of philosophy centre of west african studies school of historical studies the university of birmingham august 2001. The paradoxical primacy of european languages in african literatures necessitates another anomalythe inclusion of a separate chapter on literature in african languages. Guidelines for submissionsthe editor invites submissions of original, previously unpublished articlelength manuscripts not exceeding 35 pages in length.
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