African Women in Towns: An Aspect of Africa's Social RevolutionThis 1973 book analyses the changing position of women in an urban context in sub-Saharan Africa. In spite of the fact that women, at the time of publication, were often important leaders of opinion and in these countries the proportion of women in professional work was at least as large as in Britain, few researchers and even fewer television and newspaper reporters paid them sufficient attention. As the new role of women in Africa was peculiarly a phenomenon of the city, Professor Little's book uses the concept of urbanization in order to analyse the radical changes taking place. He shows how certain women's movements were growing out of the African woman's desire for a new relationship with the man. This leads him to consider the part played by women in the political arena, and women's position not only in monogamous marriage, but also in extra-marital and sexual relationships. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The urban situation | 6 |
Women as migrants | 15 |
Women in the urban economy | 29 |
Womens urbanization through voluntary associations | 49 |
Women in the political arena | 61 |
Walkabout women | 76 |
The world of lovers | 102 |
Courtship and social mobility | 130 |
Wife versus lineage | 145 |
Matrimonial power parity and partnership | 166 |
Conclusions | 179 |
Appendix some relevant portraits | 199 |
219 | |
231 | |
Other editions - View all
African Women in Towns: An Aspect of Africa's Social Revolution Kenneth Little No preview available - 1974 |
Common terms and phrases
accept according activities addition African African women appears areas associations attitude become boys cent Chapter civil common concerned countries custom dance depend earn economic effect especially European example expected explained fact female frequently friends further gained Ghana girls give given Government hand households husband important income independent interests involved kind Lagos latter less Little live look lovers male marriage married means migrants mother move Nigeria organizations parents particular parties political population position prostitutes reason referred regard relationship relatively reported respect role rural sexual situation social society sometimes status things town trade traditional unions urban usually village West Africa Western whole wife wives woman women young