DYNAMICS OF AFRICAN FEMINISM, THE : Defining and Classifying African Feminist Literatures - Softcover

Susan Arndt

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0865438986 ISBN 13: 9780865438989

Publisher: AFRICA WORLD PRESS, 2003

Synopsis

There is hardly a debate that is more controversial than the African discourse on feminism. Numerous anti-feminist positions are widespread in Africa, ranging from fundamental rejection to criticism of Western feminism that does not apply to non-Western countries or cannot take into account more concerns than just gender, including, economics, neo-colonialism and cultural imperialism. This book distinguishes the three main currents of feminism: reformist, transformative and radical, and develops a working classification model for African feminism.

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Synopsis

There is hardly a debate that is more controversial than the African discourse on feminism. Numerous anti-feminist positions are widespread in Africa, ranging everywhere from a fundamental rejection of feminism as a whole to criticism of Western feminism that does not apply to non-Western countries or is unable to take into account concerns other than gender, including, economics, neo-colonialism and cultural imperialism. As a result, a very distinct African feminist movement has evolved, within which there are still many unresolved issues. While some African writers, theoreticians and activists argue the necessity and possibility of a global solidarity of women that implies and includes the participation of African women in defining feminism and setting its agenda, others conceptualise African alternatives to feminism. These theorists actively dissociate themselves from Americans such as Alice Walker and Clenora Hudson-Weems - both of whom speak on behalf of all black women without really being informed about the situation of African women - and demand instead an autonomous anti-movement.

Taking fully into account the heterogeneity of African-feminism, Arndt distinguishes its three main currents: reformist, transformative and radical. From this she develops a classification model for African feminism, and illustrates its workability with interpretations of selected texts by African women writers of different regional, religious and generational backgrounds, including Grace Ogot, Ifeoma Okoye, Flora Nwapa, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Mariama Ba, Buchi Emecheta, Bessie Head, Pat Ngurukie, Nawal El Saadawi and Calixthe Beyala.

Edition details

• Publisher: AFRICA WORLD PRESS
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0865438986
• ISBN 13: 9780865438989
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 236