Women Forget That Men Are Their Masters Chapter 1

Overview Area studied: Kisii District, Western Kenya The aim of the study is to investigate the underlying reasons for the antagonistic relations between the sexes.

Kisii Landscape today Located in Western Kenya: in the highest part of the South Nyanda highlands Rounded steep hills rich in laterized volcanic soils Sufficient rainfall + well served by the tributaries of the three main rivers that flow into Lake Victoria

Kisii Almost exclusively Bantu-speaking Gusii people. Colonized by the English

Pre-colonial social life Based on kinship and patriarchal authority Axiomatic reverence not only from wives and daughters, but also from sons. Clusters of patrilineal clans lived in clan villages.

Colonial Social Disruption Important political activities that were male domains were taken over by the British rulers Process of migration was initiated – Men were forced to migrate to work

Socio-Cultural Changes Social and economic structures Social roles Institutional arrangements Beliefs and values Increasing number of elopements and no transfer of bridewealth Increasing number of single parent homes

Gender Relations Growing antagonisms between the sexes Deteriorating effect of socio-economic transformation on the situation of women. The author believes that the effects of socio- economic transformations in Kisii have been harsher on men.

Gender relations Men seem to have been submitted – to a larger extent than women – to new obligations and expectations as breadwinners Women's traditional roles have expanded and their burdens increased Traditional male roles have almost disappeared. Coupled with unemployment the result has been an emasculation of traditional male roles and lack of access to new social roles.

Silberschmidt’s Three Main Hypotheses

First Hypothesis Women can more easily than men relate to traditional and current social values connected to being a woman. Traditional male roles have been emasculated and the possibility of access to new roles which give social value is often very limited.

Second Hypothesis For men, social value and identity are closely linked to fertility and sexuality. Sexual control of women is fundamental to male identity. Lack of social value seems to be compensated for by increased control over women- manifested by macho-sexual behavior and violence against women. A high level of sexual activity is negatively linked to the social value of women

Third Hypothesis Ideas about social values are often shared by women and men. However, in practice, men and women seem to have conflicting priorities.

Theoretical Approach Gender as a symbolic construct –Author analyzes the processes and consequences of the symbolic construction of the cultural categories of male and female. Useful analytical tools borrowed from feminist anthropological research.

Methodological Approach Collection of quantitative data –Carried out with Alanagh Raikes Participant observation Interviews –Questionnaires, formal and informal interviews Case studies Life histories