The gendered lifecycle in nineteenth-century Abeokuta, Yorubaland (present day south-west Nigeria)
This thesis is a micro-history of gender relations in nineteenth-century YorĂčbĂĄland (present-day south-west Nigeria) using the town of AbáșčÌĂČkĂșta as a case study. It investigates the lived experiences of men and women in a time of radical and sweeping political, economic, social and cultural changes characterised by violent and debilitating intra-ethnic wars that lasted almost a century; the advent of Christian missionaries and their corresponding influences; the spread of Islam; and the dawn of British colonialism. It challenges existing frameworks for understanding gender in Africa, which often considers sex categories only, by exploring how the intersections of sex, age and socio-economic status shaped the pre-colonial gendered experience. Since nineteenth-century YorĂčbĂĄland was essentially a gerontocratic society, it analyses gender from a lifecycle perspective, illuminating how the lived experiences of males and females transformed from childhood, to youth to adulthood and then old age and eventually death. The study engages with current discourses about the highly contested notion of the presence of gender categories in YorĂčbĂĄ society. Decades of research have either confirmed or contested
Alanamu, Temilola Adunni Seinab
Gender ; Africa ; Yorubaland ; Women ; Nigeria
The gendered lifecycle in nineteenth-century Abeokuta, Yorubaland (present day south-west Nigeria). This thesis is a micro-history of gender relations in nineteenth-century YorĂčbĂĄland (present-day south-west Nigeria) using the town of AbáșčÌĂČkĂșta as a case study. It investigates the lived experiences of men and women in a time of radical and sweeping political, economic, social and cultural changes characterised by violent and debilitating intra-ethnic wars that lasted almost a century; the advent of Christian missionaries and their corresponding influences; the spread of Islam; and the dawn of British colonialism. It challenges existing frameworks for understanding gender in Africa, which often considers sex categories only, by exploring how the intersections of sex, age and socio-economic status shaped the pre-colonial gendered experience. Since nineteenth-century YorĂčbĂĄland was essentially a gerontocratic society, it analyses gender from a lifecycle perspective, illuminating how the lived experiences of males and females transformed from childhood, to youth to adulthood and then old age and eventually death. The study engages with current discourses about the highly contested notion of the presence of gender categories in YorĂčbĂĄ society. Decades of research have either confirmed or contested
gendered nineteenth_century present_day south_west nigeria micro history gender_relation nineteenth_century present_day south_west nigeria use town case_study investigates live_experience men_woman time radical sweeping political_economic social_cultural change characterise violent debilitate intra ethnic war last advent christian_missionary correspond influence spread islam dawn british colonialism challenge_exist framework gender africa often_consider sex category explore intersection sex_age socio_economic_status shape pre_colonial gendered experience since nineteenth_century essentially society analyse gender perspective illuminate live_experience male_female transform childhood youth old_age eventually death study_engage current_discourse highly contested notion presence gender category society either confirm contest