Viewing gender through the eyes of proverbs: Reflections of gender ideology in the Akan and Swahili societies
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Date
2021
Authors
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Publisher
Journal of Pragmatics
Abstract
In this study, we compare gendered proverbs in the Akan society of Ghana and Swahili
society of Tanzania, focusing on convergences and divergences in their worldviews on
conceptualisation of gender roles and functions. Our analyses of data from written and oral
sources within the theoretical concepts of gender ideology and intertextuality establish
that largely, gendered proverbs in Akan and Swahili are convergent and express similar
gender ideologies. Gendered proverbs in the two societies typically refer to females, and
even when they mention males, they often critically expose the subjugation of women in
relation to male superiority. The main divergent feature between gendered proverbs in
Akan and Swahili societies is the perception of females as sex objects and the use of
explicit expressions of sex organs and sexual acts by Akan proverbs. In contrast, Swahili
gendered proverbs rarely address sexuality, and when they do, they do so discreetly by
implication.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Akan, Convergence, Divergence, gender roles and society, Proverbs, Swahili