essay
The politics of polygyny in Mende education and child fosterage transactions
sex and gender hierarchies • Cambridge, [England] • Published In 1993 • Pages: 170-192
By: Bledsoe, Caroline H..
Abstract
This article discusses dynamics of gender relations among polygamous Mende households. It shows that co-wives in rural Mende fiercely compete among themselves over a wide variety of issues including household resources, labor and the future of children. By documenting specific strategies women of various backgrounds employ in this competition, the author challenges previous perceptions of the West African extended family as a harmoniously functioning social unit where men and women manage their own budgets.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2010
- Region
- Africa
- Sub Region
- Western Africa
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Anthropologist
- Analyst
- Teferi Abate Adem; 2008
- Field Date
- 1980-1990
- Coverage Date
- 1980-1990
- Coverage Place
- Sierra Leone
- Notes
- Caroline Bledsoe
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 190-192)
- LCCN
- 91044144
- LCSH
- Mende (African people)